#Dora is a queen here

[trinoxtrinox]

A party to be remembered through the ages (Part 5)

Ectoberhaunt 2022, Side Chaos. Prompt: Costume Party

Summary: Danny goes to collect his friends to their lairs before going to the party.

Author's note: Ok, I took my time with this one, but I wanted to have Dora, Frostbite and Pandora in the same place before starting the next part and it just kept going and going XD

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“Thank you for escorting me to the ball Sir Phantom.” Dora bowed before Danny, wearing some golden armor while having a spear in one hand and donning her hair in a pony tail set above her head, coming out of the holes of the helmet she’s currently wearing.

“No problem Dora, the least I could do since I invited you.” He replied while opening the door to the Specter Speeder beside himself, letting her go inside while watching over the guards that were accompanying her. “Don’t worry, I’ll watch over her.”

The guards accompanying Dora breathed out a sigh as relief flooded their bodies, knowing that Phantom would watch over their now queen was a relief since everyone knows how strong and responsible the young halfa can be, and there’s no way he would treat their ruler as anything less than family. “Thank you very much Sir Phantom, with this we’ll be reassured that she’ll be able to enjoy the ball to its full extent.”

“Well, I’ll be going off then, it won’t do for us to arrive late to the party.” And with that, Danny entered the Specter Speeder and closed the door, positioning himself behind the wheel as he took off towards his next destination.

“Why would we be late, Sir Phantom? I had the understanding that there is still plenty of time for the ball to begin.” Dora inquired while tilting her head and keeping her armor from clanging too much with each piece.

“There’s plenty of time yes, but considering how far my other plus 3 live, we actually only have about 30 minutes of free time before arriving at Johnny’s party, and knowing my luck we’ll end up going up against a ghost monster of some kind that’ll delay us.”

“Oh, I wasn’t aware you had such terrible luck Sir Phantom, nor that some of your friends’ lair resided so far away. Where, pray tell, are we going?”

“We’re going to the Far Frozen, and as it’s name implies, it resides very far away, so this will be a long ride that’s ahead of us. I came for you first since your place is in the other direction of everyone else.”

“I understand, then I shall propose some conversation topics to talk between us to pass the time and we won’t become bored.”

“Thanks for that Dora, traveling that far and so long can be boring most times if there’s nothing interesting to watch outside, and I’ve done this track enough times that there’s nothing new for me out there anymore.”

“Oh really? Would you mind telling me some of the views I should be expecting to witness then please?”

“No problem. First of all there’s the Carnivorous Canyon, which isn’t nearby, but it’s the most noticeable thing out there…” Danny began talking about the many places that there’s following the trek towards their objective, mentioning what they looked like, what their expected orbits are, the small things that surround them that work as preamble to reaching them, what kind of ghosts to expect when reaching those places, and many more things as well. The conversation was long enough that by the time they reached the edges of the Far Frozen, they barely managed to get halfway through all of the different vissages one could see, and which they’ve seen already. “We’re here, the Far Frozen. I don’t know how good you are with the cold, so you might want to stay inside of the Specter Speeder while I go outside to get Frostbite.”

“Thank you for the warning Sir Phantom, I’ll remain in here waiting for your return in that case.”

“Got it, see you in a bit.” And with that Danny stepped out of the Specter Speeder, closed the door without locking it, and floated towards the entrance of the Far Frozen, where one of the many yetis was waiting for him to arrive.

“Welcome Great One, Chief Frostbite has been eagerly waiting for today to come.”

“I’m glad he’s excited about today’s party, I wonder who he dressed up as.” A chuckle could be heard to his side as they walked through the tunnels towards the settlements of the Lair of the yetis. “...What was that laugh for?”

“You’ll see soon Great One, the trek is short after all.” His face returned to neutrality, but it was visible that the corner of his mouth was twitching a little and the yeti was doing his best to not look straight to Danny as well.

“Okay…?” Danny eyes closed a little, and he looked at the yeti accompanying him, trying to discover whatever it was keeping from him, but ended up shrugging and turning back ahead, shoulders relaxed and eyes lax, not caring anymore about his surroundings, which allowed him to miss the yeti next to him let his own shoulders down in relief, nd the both of them continued walking for a few minutes before finally arriving to the end of the tunnel, place where Frostbite was already waiting for him all dressed up already. “Oh Frostbite, whyyyyy…?”

Danny’s lament while he put his face on his hands was explained by way of Frostbite, chieftain of the yetis of the Far Frozen, having dressed up as Danny Phantom himself, white gloves and boots covering his feet and hands, and fur painted black all over the place except on the head, where it all remained white.

“Great One! Thank you for the invitation for the party, it is very much appreciated,” Frostbite’s smile couldn’t be bigger right now, especially after witnessing the flabbergasted expression that Danny was making right that instant, “What do you think of my costume?”

“Wha-Why-Frostbite! I’m not a historical figure!” Green was beginning to show on his face as Danny put his hands in the air.

“But of course you are Great One, you saved the Infinite Realms from the tyranny of Pariah Dark, you helped my people recover the Infinimap when it was stolen, you’ve managed to defeat three of the Ancients as well, you helped Pandora recover her box too… Should I continue?” The yeti asked once he noticed Danny’s face was completely green now as his eyes dilated a little and his head was hunched in between his shoulders.

“Please stop talking.” The halfa replied in a high pitch, causing the rest of the yetis present to start laughing, and his face to get even greener than before as well. “Can we go now!?”

“Yes yes, of course Great One,” the chieftain said his goodbyes to his people and, after everyone breathing after the laugh, gave the pair of disguised ghosts a hug before returning to their respective duties. The walk back to the Specter Speeder was a short one, however a swift conversation was had in that time. “I didn’t expect you to dress up as an Ancient Great One.”

“Ditto to you, but with me.”

“I’m sorry?”

“It means same, however not exactly, in this case because you dressed up as me instead.”

“Ah, I got it then. Following the lingo from the living realm isn’t an easy endeavor.”

“Yeah, I get that. If adults can get lost with teenagers then I can’t blame you for being an uber boomer.”

“A what now?”

“Don’t worry about it, the thing is I don’t expect you to understand all the memes I throw at you.”

“I understand, may I ask though, what inspired you to choose an ancient as a historical figure?”

“Well, I just vibe with his vibes and want to try those vibes for myself.”

“...The only thing I understood about that was the implication that you’ve met Clockwork before.”

“Yeah, I like the dude, they’re pretty neat even if they’re cryptic as fuck.”

“No wonder you were able to make such an accurate costume, Great One!” A smile was plastered on Frostbite's face as he patted him in the back with enough strength to push him towards the door of the Specter Speeder. Recovering his balance, Danny finally opened the door of the vehicle and went inside.

“Dora, I present you Frostbite, chieftain of the Far Frozen, who for some reason thought of dressing up as me.” That last bit was said in a low voice, and even though the princess wasn’t able to hear it completely, she was able to realize it’s meaning quick enough once the yeti entered the ship and showed himself in all of his glory, or at least as much as he could considering he had to remain hunched inside if he didn’t want to hit his head on the ceiling. “Frostbite, this is queen Dorothea of the Dragon Queendom.”

“Greetings queen Dorothea, it is a pleasure to meet you.” Frostbite said while making a slight bow, which might’ve looked a little ridiculous considering both his build and location, and the fact that Danny was hiding a smile behind his hand and shaking shoulders.

“The feeling is mutual chief Frostbite, I’m happy to make your acquaintance.” Replied Dora with a small bow of her own and a pantomime of widening a skirt as a greeting.

“Well, now that you’ve met, I’ll go to the driver seat and get us towards my last plus three before going to the party. I suggest you sit down Frostbite so that you don’t have to be hunched up all the time.” And with that Danny went to the front seat and turned up the motors, slowly lifting the Specter Speeder, turning it around, and finally leaving the Far Frozen behind the trio. Now there was only 1 ghost left to pick up, and it would be a faster flight than the one to pick up Frostbite, but still enough time would be left for everyone to have a good conversation in the traveling time.

“So, queen Dorothea, I couldn’t help but notice who you’re dressed up as.”

“I could say the same about you chieftain Frostbite.” A chuckle escaped her lips.

“Please don’t get him started on that, I’m embarrassed enough.” Danny squeaked from the cockpit, eliciting a laugh from both of his friends in the back.

“Well queen Dorothea, to answer your question, I think you’re aware of the Great One’s exploits throughout the Infinite Realms, it would be a lie to say he isn’t making history as we speak.”

“I can’t deny any of those claims myself, he was the usurper of the ghost king throne after all.”

“Ancients you guys are the worst.” Danny’s face has full on green now, and letting the ship go straight on it’s own, he buried his own face in his hands, drowning any noise coming from behind with his own groans, missing the few minutes where the conversation became interesting enough since both Dora and Frostbite were now discussing their own costumes in depth.

Eventually enough time passed and they were all approaching the Acropolis of Athens, where Pandora was waiting for Danny near the entrance of her own lair. Danny wasted no time, and the moment he left the Specter Speeder in park, he zipped outside and flew fast enough to tackle any normal ghost.

“Phantom!” The huge ghost opened her 4 arms and received the halfa in all of her arms in a hug.

“Pandora! How are you doing? Ready to go to a party and make it unforgettable?” Danny’s eyes were shining at that moment, and on closer inspection his freckles were doing so as well, moving slightly to mimic the constellations back on Earth.

“Of course, it shall be a celebration that will be remembered in the books of history!” Raising her hands and letting him go, Pandora cheered as she began floating towards the Specter Speeder, the 2 robes she wore fluttering through the ectoplasm in the realms, the first one with flames decorations littered all through it, while the second yellow one was tied around her waist as if it was a skirt. Instead of the helmet she usually wears, a closed round one was in its place, white in color and not really useful for protection considering how much free space it left inside it. She still wore the rest of her armor, Pandora would never leave without it, however this time it wasn’t a golden armor, but a bronze one.

“Hey! Don’t leave me behind!” Phantom soon followed behind her, arriving almost at the same time the two of them to the vehicle, which currently was too small for the gigantic figure that was the leader of the Acropolis of Athens. “I suppose your costume will shrink with you, right?”

“Of course little Phantom, no need to worry about me.” And she began shrinking down slowly and steadily, until her frame was small enough that she would be able to fit through the door with almost no space left to wiggle were she to pass through without ducking underneath the top of the door.

“Great, I’ll open the door for you and present you to the other 2 ghosts once we’re both inside.” He opened the Specter Speeder and, only after being halfway through the umbral remembered to turn back and ask something else, “by the way, the way to the party will be a long one, will you be fine being shrunk down all the while until then?”

“I’ll be fine, now go inside so you can begin the pleasantries and we can go to the party.” Pandora began pushing the halfa into the vehicle, impatient already for the travel to end so she could join the party.

“Alright alright, geez you're pushy.” Danny replied teasingly towards the ghost behind him, finally allowing both of them to reach the interior of the place and witness the other 2 ghosts staring at them, Frostbite hiding his chuckles behind his ice arm, which proves a moot point as it’s easy to see his mouth behind it. “Dora, Frostbite, this is Pandora, Leader of the Acropolis of Athens. Pandora, this are Queen Dorothea of the Dragon queendom and Frostbite, Chief of the Far Frozen. Hope you guys get along because I gotta man the Specter Speeder if we want to get there on time.”

“Pa-pa-pa-pa-” Dra stuttered while opening and closing her mouth like a fish, eliciting a laugh from her, thing that immediately snapped her back to attention and had her bowing down while lowering herself enough to almost kneel when extending the dress she wasn’t wearing, “-I-It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“No need for such formality young queen, we’re going to a party and I’m not acting as a leader after all.” Her laugh softened as she allowed the other ghost to relax a little bit.

“It’s good to see you again dear friend, though I have to say this was an unexpected way to find each other.” Frostbite came closer and extended one of his claws to her, which was reciprocated in kind.

“Likewise Frostbite, I suppose you haven’t gone rusty after all these years, have you?”

“You’ll have to see for yourself in the future.” Smiles and a silent promise was exchanged between the two of them.

“Um, can someone explain to me what’s going on?” Danny asked while tilting his head slightly, and Dora’s enthusiasm was the first thing to make itself noticeable as she turned around and began talking with fanfare.

“Sir Phantom, I wasn’t aware you were a friend with one of the Ancients, oh if I knew that I would’ve prepared something else as well. A gift would’ve been nice right now but it’s too late for that, favors are not something to be trifled with and considering courtesy is something to be expected there’s not much I can offer that won’t be seen as a ploy of some kind.”

“Wait a sec, time out everyone.” Danny put his hands out creating a T with the both of them, “You’re telling me that Pandora is an Ancient?”

“Not only Pandora.” Frostbite sat himself back in place, wonder clear in his voice.

“What are you talking about?” Suspicion was clear in his voice, and the way his eyes squinted made his emotions increasingly clear for everyone to see.

“Well, you did invite a friend of mine and fellow ancient as well little Phantom.”

“What!?” Both Danny and Dora screamed at that revelation for different reasons.

“I can’t believe I’ve been talking informally with an Ancient all this time.” The haunted look in her eyes and the hands on her head was all that was needed to be shown to demonstrate that the standing still queen was having a small panic attack.

“So you’re an Ancient, you’re an Ancient, I’m dressed up as an Ancient. Is there any other Ancient I know but don’t really know about!?” Hands in the air, Danny increased the volume of his voice with each ghost he pointed at, until by the end he eventually was screaming.

“Well, the Ancients are Ancient of Medicine and Care Frostbite, Ancient of Time Clockwork, Ancient of Safety Observant Marduk, Ancient of Life Undergrowth, Ancient of Weather Vortex, Ancient of Dreams Nocturne and Ancient of Hope, yours truly, Pandora.”

“You’re telling me… That during my 3 first years as a halfa… I managed to encounter EVERY SINGLE Ancient without knowing it?”

“You know all of them Sir phantom?” Dora’s eyes were shining when she said that, with what emotion behind them it was hard to say, but with the small gasp she took it could be safe to say that astonishment and surprise was between all those feelings.

“Apparently,” Danny sighed as he saw everyone’s eyes looking at him directly, as if asking for more information, and as such he gave it to them, “The first one I met was Clockwork, who was tasked by the Observants to stop a timeline where I caused the apocalypse by ‘taking care of me’, too bad they worded it all wrong and now he’s basically a grandpa to me; Marduk I met soon after in one of the visits I gave to Clocky, after which I met you Frostbite during the Infinimap fiasco. Undergrowth came the next week, and Vortex the one after, both of them I had to fight off since they attacked Amity Park; and about a month later I met you Pandora, getting your box back from Boxy wasn’t as easy as it should’ve been. And finally Nocturne sent the entirety of Amity Park to sleep for whatever reason I forgot already about.”

A small silence dominated the ship after that explanation, however that only lasted a few seconds before both of the Ancients present began laughing, the absurdity of Danny’s half life being too much for them to take seriously.

[luxaofhesperides]

Could i request a ghostlight where danny can turn into a dragon, it could be though a curse or just training from queen dora?

Like dragon Danny seeing the yellow signal outfit and thinking "mmmmm gold, shiny, must take".

He should probably be more worried about being cursed.

Scratch that, he should definitely be more worried about being cursed. However, it wasn’t done intentionally or in bad faith. This is just the consequences of him, Sam, and Tucker fucking around and finding out when left unsupervised with the grimoire of a long dead witch.

In their defense, they didn’t know Tucker could use magic. This revelation both upset Tucker, who refused to be swayed from tech, and Sam, who thought she was a better fit for magic considering how goth she is. Danny hadn’t really cared, since he was too busy being turned into a dragon. At least it isn’t like with Dora’s necklace; Danny is still himself, can think clearly, and isn’t overcome by rage. 

He’s just… Danny. But as a dragon.

“Well, you do something to fix him then!” Tucker shouts, waving a hand in the air angrily, “Since you want to be so good at magic, you do it then!”

“I would if I could! But you’re the one who gets to use magic, so figure it out and turn Danny back!” Sam shouts back, getting in Tucker’s face with a fierce scowl.

Danny sighs, shifting uncomfortably. His room is not big enough for a dragon, and his back is starting to cramp up. He looks longingly out the window to the clear skies that call to him, and wonders when his friends will stop fighting. 

They keep shouting, so he doubts they’ll be able to focus on actually helping him for at least another hour.

The only silver lining about the situation is that Jazz and his parents are gone, taking the weekend to visit a few colleges so Jazz can decide which one she wants to go to. Though he’s been cursed into dragon form and his friends are yelling about it, at least his family can’t make it any worse with their attempts to ‘fix’ things. 

There’s a lull in the yelling, Sam and Tucker both turning their attention back to the grimoire. Danny shifts his wings, tail flicking slightly, and leans his head closer. He wishes he could help figure this out, but he can’t talk in this form, and any attempt at charades will destroy his room. 

His friends look focused, at least. So maybe they’ve decided to focus on finding solutions instead of fighting. 

“Here,” Sam says, shoving the grimoire over to Tucker roughly. “Try that.”

Tucker reads over the spell, then scoffs and pushes the grimoire back. “That’s not going to fix anything. Didn’t you read it? It clearly says truth is the greatest revenge, revealing one’s true form force it into light. It’s talking about making people who are secretly cruel turn ugly or something like that! It’s not going to do anything for Danny!”

“It says one’s true form and Danny’s is a human! That would work!”

And they go right back to arguing.

Danny sighs, turning to stare out the window again.

In any other circumstance, being a dragon would be so fun. He has wings! He’s big and has claws and can probably breathe fire! And it’s not making him act on animal instincts or anything! If he could just be outside…

He glances at Sam and Tucker again. 

Maybe he can go outside, enjoy the curse a bit before they figure out a way to undo it. Spend some time flying around with wings. 

All the curse did was turn him into a dragon. It just changed his form. If he still has his ghost powers, if the curse didn’t change his nature from halfa to dragon…

Carefully, Danny focuses on his tail and tries to make it intangible. There’s a strange sensation of ice running down his spine, then it goes into his tail. In the next second, his tail drops through the floor, and Danny bites down a grin. 

He is so out of here. 

He gives Sam and Tucker another glance; they’ve got their heads bent over the grimoire, paying no attention to him. 

Perfect.

Danny goes fully intangible and sinks through the floor of his bedroom, then maneuvers his way outside the house. As soon as he’s out, standing beneath the sunlight and able to stretch out his new body, Danny pulls his power back and takes a few careful steps on the grass, testing his balance. His wings shift on his back, and he stretches them out, feeling the way his new limbs move.

Everything feels natural, as if he’s always been a dragon.

Taking a deep breath, Danny spreads his wings out and takes off running. A few hard pumps of his wings gets him into the air, and he can’t help but let out a joyful roar. 

Distantly, he hears Tucker and Sam yelling again, but he’s too happy to be free of that room to care. Let them argue. He wants to have fun.

Staying in Amity Park is a no go; Val might go after him, thinking he’s a threat, and ghosts could pop out at any time to cause problems. He might as well take this chance to fly around wherever he wants. Chicago wouldn’t be too hard to reach with how fast he’s flying, but he’s been there before and doesn’t want to stay in Illinois. 

What other big city is nearby that he can fly to?

New York?

Or, better yet, Gotham. 

It’s definitely a bad idea, but if any city is able to handle a dragon appearing without warning, it would be Gotham. Plus, he might get to see some of the heroes in action! Sure, it’s the middle of the day, but surely a dragon is a good enough reason for Batman to show up before the sun sets. 

Mind made up, Danny flies up into the clouds and heads towards Gotham, following the roads out of Amity Park. 

The flight is quick. It takes barely over an hour to see the dark figures of Gotham’s tallest buildings, fog surrounding the city like something out of a horror movie. The sun glints off the ocean behind the city for a rare, cloudless day. He’s heard stories about Gotham’s weather, how dreary it is, the occasional acid rain, the gloominess of it all. As bad as his luck is, it seems that the sunny day is trying to give him something good to even it out after being cursed into a dragon.

Excited, Danny angles himself down, diving out of the lower clouds and shifts his wings to catch on a wind current that smoothly sends him towards the city.

Just to be careful, he goes invisible as he gets closer, staying out of sight once he enters the city proper. 

Noise overwhelms him immediately, cars honking and voices yelling, the occasional gunshot and sound of something breaking. It makes Danny wince, disoriented enough to make him falter as he flies above the streets.

Amity Park is quiet and peaceful in comparison, so much so that he hadn’t realized just how enhanced his senses had become in a dragon’s form. 

The sounds of everything are so much, and all the movement of such a big city is dizzying. At least he can’t smell anything but salt from the sea; if he had to deal with the constant smell of blood, guts, and sewage, he would find a way to fully die to get away from it.

He slows down to a smooth glide, weaving his way between buildings as he takes in the city. Even with the sun out, it’s gloomy, the tall buildings casting shadows across the streets, a mix of art deco and gothic architecture filling up the space. He wonders if he should find some place up high he can rest, maybe bathe in the sun for a bit until he felt like moving again. If he managed to fall asleep, that might give Sam and Tucker enough time to figure out how to undo the curse.

“Ow! Shit, that hurts.”

Or he indulge in his curiosity and check up on whoever just cursed loud enough to be heard over the ambient noise of Gotham.

It takes a minute of searching before Danny’s eyes zero in on a bright flash of yellow moving across rooftops. 

All other colors seem dull in comparison, and Danny has just enough time to think, Oh, there’s the dragon instincts taking over, before he’s flying after it, unable to focus on anything else.

Every time the yellow leaps out of the shadows, it’s as if it glows. As if Danny’s chasing sunlight. 

He gets close, but loses the yellow every so often with how he has to maneuver around buildings, putting his new flying abilities to the test in an effort to keep up.

Then the yellow comes to an abrupt stop. Danny can’t stop in time and flies past it, tilting his body and spreading out his wides as far as he can to make a tight turn. 

“I’m fine, just bruised up, but I feel like I’m being followed,” the yellow says to no one. There’s a pause, and then the yellow says, “I don’t see anything, is the thing.”

If the yellow has anything more to say, it doesn’t get the chance to do more than open its mouth before Danny’s crashing into it, tackling it to the ground. 

He’s elated as they roll across the roof, the living sunlight caught safe in his arms. He holds it close to his chest, protecting it until they come to a stop, dropping his invisibility as a low rumble builds in the back of his throat. The dragon brain has thoroughly taken over, and it takes far too long to wrestle control back from it.

Once he’s able to think more clearly, Danny looks down at the poor guy he’s caught and realizes, hey that’s a hero!

And then he realizes, that’s a hero. I fucked up.

He tries to say sorry, but all that comes out is a low chuff. The hero, who he can recognize as the Signal because who else wears mostly yellow in Gotham, leans back as much as he can, trapped in Danny’s grasp.

“Hey, dragon,” Signal says nervously. “I’m really hoping you didn’t catch me because you were looking for a snack.”

Danny huffs, bumping his head against Signal’s chest. He hopes he doesn’t come across as aggressive, because all he wants to do is laze around with a hero, his dragon brain happy to keep hold of its yellow sunshine.

He’s not going to let go of Signal, though. He intends to make the most of this moment while he can.

“Okay. You seem friendly? That’s good I guess.” Signal sighs, then tries to wiggle out of Danny’s grip. Danny doesn’t budge until Signal gasps and curls into himself, clearly in pain.

Worried, Danny lets go of him and tries to see what’s wrong, his snout poking against the Signal’s ribs.

The Signal hisses out a breath, trying to push Danny away. “Stop, don’t do that. Man, I hope my ribs aren’t broken. That would suck.”

That would suck. Rib injuries are the worst, and the bruises always seem to stay longer on ribs than anywhere else, in Danny’s experience. He would love to offer the Signal some ice, but as a dragon, he’s not sure how to use that particular power. He settles instead for backing off and making himself small, offering an apologetic rumble.

“Thanks,” Signal smiles, gingerly uncurling from where he’s hunched over, an arm crossing his stomach, protecting it. “I guess you’re friendly, then?”

Danny nods.

“...And you can understand me?”

Danny nods harder, a high pitched growl slipping out of his mouth. 

“That’s so cool. What are you doing here in Gotham?”

It’s not a yes or no question, so Danny’s stuck on how to answer when words are so far out of reach. He shrugs, wings shifting against his back, then carefully bumps his head against the Signal’s helmet. 

“Yeah, that was a bad question. Do you need help?”

Danny scrunches up his nose as he thinks. He is cursed, but so far, being a dragon isn’t all that bad. It sucks that he can’t talk, but everything else is cool! He just doesn’t want to be a dragon forever. But it’s nothing the Signal can help with, so Danny just shrugs again.

The Signal tilts his head. “Alright. I guess I’ll get going then, and you can chill up here.”

The low growl comes suddenly, without him even thinking, and Danny wraps himself around the hero again. Distantly, he thinks that he should stop, that this is technically holding the Signal in place against his will, but the much louder, dragon part of him is deeply upset by the thought of the Signal leaving while he’s injured. Danny can protect him, so there’s no need for him to go anywhere! In fact, he’s only safe as long as he’s with Danny!

He leans more of his weight onto the Signal until they both fall back onto the roof, pinning the hero in place. 

Danny tries to be gentle, but the impact still makes Signal groan, tensing up in pain.

Sorry, he tries to say, the words coming out in a low chuffing noise. He draws his tail up to curl around the Signal so he’s completely surrounded by Danny, kept safe from anything that would try to attack him. 

Letting out a breath, the Signal lightly knocks his head against Danny’s neck, the helmet barely felt through Danny’s scales. “Alright, Oracle, can you send someone to my location? I’m a bit stuck.”

It’s hard to hear, but Danny manages to make out a voice saying, “Black Bat is heading there now. What’s wrong?”

“I’m a bit stuck.”

“Injured?”

“Just my ribs, but that’s not really the problem. There’s a dragon who’s very determined to keep me on this roof.”

“A dragon,” the voice repeats. 

“Yeah. It seems to like me? But it’s also not letting me leave. So. I’m stuck.”

There’s a pause, then a soft burst of static before the voice says, “I’m going to send a message to everyone else just in case they’re able to provide any back up. I’m sure Tim is looking for an excuse to ditch Bruce at that accounting meeting.”

“Guess I’ll just wait to be rescued, then,” Signal says, sighing. Then he tilts his head up to look at Danny. “Is there some way you could talk to me? To pass the time. Maybe morse code? Do you know what that is?”

Dragon brain makes him stupid, apparently, because Danny does know morse code. He didn’t even think of alternative ways of communication once he discovered talking was impossible with his new vocal chords. 

It’s probably not even dragon brain. It’s just Danny brain that makes him like this.

Embarrassed, Danny drops his head onto the roof, drawing his tail closer to himself so it can cover his eyes, his best attempt at hiding his face. Then, with one sharp claw, he taps out Y.E.S.

“Oh! So, what’s up?”

N.O.T. D.RA.G.O.N. H.U.M.A.N. G.O.T. C.U.R.S.E.D.

“Why did you say you didn’t need help if you got cursed?!”

Danny wants to say it was an accident, but has no confidence that he can spell ‘accident’ correctly, so he goes with F.R.I.E.N.D. M.A.D.E. M.I.S.T.A.K.E.

“And can they fix it?”

I.D.K. T.H.E.Y. W.E.R.E. F.I.G.H.T.I.N.G. Danny huffs out a breath, flicking his tail in annoyance as he uncurls slightly, giving Signal some more breathing space. He doesn’t look as stressed out anymore, which is nice, but he still holds his ribs tenderly, careful not to move too much. G.O.T. B.O.R.E.D. L.E.F.T.

The Signal taps his own fingers against the roof, thinking after he takes in Danny’s words. “Do you think we can call them and see if they know how to fix it? I doubt you want to be a dragon forever.”

N.O. P.H.O.N.E.

“It’s cool, we can use mine.” And he pulls out a cell phone from… somewhere. Danny has no idea where. It’s like he blinked, and a phone suddenly appeared. His hero suit probably has a lot of hidden compartments and pockets to hold as much stuff as possible, but it’s so well designed that Danny can’t begin to think of where he’d put anything. Especially when his dragon brain keeps getting distracted by how nice the yellow is.

Danny taps out Tucker’s number when Signal asks for it, watching as the call connects and is put on speaker.

“Hello?” Tucker’s voice says, hesitant and a little distracted.

“Hi,” Signal responds with a mischievous smile, “Do you happen to be missing a dragon? Cause I’ve got one here who’s hoping he can get a little help from a friend.”

Danny hears something clatter on Tucker’s end, then Tucker starts yelling for Sam. He’s not quite able to bite back his laughter, entire body shaking with it. The Signal keeps his composure better, but he does share a glance with Danny that has him biting his lip, trying to keep his smile from growing.

“Where is he?!” Tucker demands, and for a moment Danny feels ashamed of how much stress he’s putting his best friends through. And then he remembers them fighting nonstop while ignoring him and doesn’t feel bad at all.

“Gotham.”

“...Gotham,” Sam repeats. Her voice is flat in the way it always gets before she verbally (and sometimes physically) tears someone apart. Danny winces hard enough that it jostles the Signal, making him glance back at Danny.

“Yeah. Gotham. He said he was cursed?”

Sam sighs heavily. “Yeah. Not my fault. It is Tucker’s fault, though.”

“I think I found the solution though! And also, it was an accident. You were the one who wanted to read the grimoire.”

He can tell they’re gearing up for another fight, so Danny lowers his face closer to the phone and lets loose a dark growl. It shuts them right up, and he briefly wonders about learning how to growl like that as a human, since it’s so effective.

Tucker clears his throat, and continues as if nothing happened. “Anyways. The cure. The thing that will make Danny stop being cursed.”

There’s another long pause.

“The cure…?” Signal prompts.

“Kisses.”

“Sorry, what?”

“It’s kisses.”

“Like… true love’s kiss?”

Danny hopes it’s not true love’s kiss. If it is, he’s never going to be human again. Who would his true love even be? As much as he liked Valerie, that ships sailed long ago. And he loves Sam and Tucker, but not quite like that. 

“No. Thankfully,” Sam says. “Just kisses. What matters is the amount, not the person it’s from. So whoever you are, we’re gonna need you to be giving Danny as many kisses as possible until he’s human again. We’re also on our way to Gotham now. Johnny’s offered us a ride.”

On cue, an engine revs loudly. 

“We’ll be there soon!” Tucker shouts over the engine, and the call ends just a second later. 

Danny huffs, shaking his head lightly.

“Interesting friends you got there,” Signal comments idly.

Y.E.S. Danny taps out. L.O.V.E. T.H.E.M.

The Signal sits up and moves away from Danny, who has to stomp down the urge to curl around the hero tighter to keep him in place. He stands up, putting his phone away, and looks over Danny. His gaze feels like a physical weight, moving from his face, and the horns on his head, to the scales covering him, to his wings and tail.

His tails flicks back and forth nervously. Danny can’t get it to stop.

“Dragon,” someone new says, startling Danny. He spots the newcomer immediately, a lithe figure in all black perched on the ledge of the roof. Her voice is rough and he can’t see her face at all, fully covered as it is in her mask.

This must be Black Bat. He doesn’t know much about her; no one does, with how she’s managed to avoid being photographed and how rarely she is seen by anyone at all. He honestly wasn’t sure if she was real or not, but here she is.

“Hey,” Signal greets easily, “We need to kiss him better.” 

Black Bat tilts her head. “Kiss… dragon?”

“He’s cursed. And kisses will fix him. Not true love’s kiss, but just a lot of kisses.”

“True love’s kiss?” she repeats.

“Oh, shit. I guess you haven’t read any fairy tales?” Black Bat shakes her head, and Danny wonders how she’s managed to avoid all fairy tales for so long. They’re usually among the first stories children are exposed to. “Yeah, in a lot of those stories, a curse can only be broken from a kiss by someone by love.”

Black Bat nods slowly, and it’s clear she doesn’t really understand, but she does hop off the ledge and walk over to Danny. She pulls up her mask to reveal her mouth, then looks to the Signal for guidance.

“Like this,” Signal says, then leans over and presses a soft kiss to Danny’s cheek.

If he were human, Danny would be blushing madly. As it is, he has to force himself to stay still and not hide his face in his hands, claws and all, from how flustered he is.

Black Bat follows in suit, dropping a delicate kiss to the top of his head. 

Danny loses track of how many kisses he gets, all over his face, beyond flustered by the amount of affection two heroes are showering him in. It’s just to break the curse, but it’s still a lot of kisses! 

Signal kisses the tip of his nose, and there’s a flash of light. Danny feels himself change, growing smaller, his human softness returning to him. It’s barely a few seconds, and then Danny’s human again, sitting on the roof with the Signal and Black Bat standing over him.

They blink at each other for a long moment, then Black Bat smiles and pats the top of his head. 

Danny smiles. He knows his cheeks are red, can feel how hot they are himself, and ducks his head, too embarrassed to look at either of them.

“How are you feeling?” Signal asks, crouching down to be eye level with Danny.

He tries to answer, but all that comes out is a hoarse rasp. He winces and brings a hand up to his throat, then shrugs and gives the Signal a thumbs up.

He clears his throat. This time, he manages to whisper, “Thank you.”

Black Bat gives him a cheerful wave, then hops back onto the ledge and jumps off. Signal barely takes his eyes off Danny enough to give her a nod goodbye. He reaches out and brushes Danny’s hair off his forehead some before his fingers trail down the side of his face. 

“I’ll admit, you looked cool as a dragon,” Signal says, “But you’re much cuter like this.”

Danny gives in and hides his face in his hands. The Signal laughs, warm and bright, and kisses his forehead. 

“Come on, let’s make sure your friends can find you.”

“They’re going to be so annoying about this,” Danny mutters.

“It’s how friends show affection.”

“Seriously, though, thank you. I know being tackled by a dragon isn’t what anyone expects. Did I hurt you? Your ribs…”

The Signal shrugs. “Nah. I’m all good. Just a little bruised, but it’ll heal quickly enough. Though, you’re more than welcome to give me a kiss to help me feel better.”

Danny shoves him lightly for the teasing, but he does pull the Signal back for a quick kiss on the corner of his mouth.

It’s only fair, after all.

[wherethefireliliesgrow]

Make Me Happy

Huh Yunjin x Reader

GENRE: fluff

TYPE: One Shot, Long Fic

INSPIRED BY: Make Me Happy-WheeIn

"And Zeus, with his mighty thunder in hand, ruled the sky and Olympus," you read, flipping to the next page of the storybook and showcasing the colorful pictures of Zeus.

It was a Saturday morning, and you were immersed in reading stories for the children at the hospital. As a child psychology major, you relished the opportunity to connect with different children each Saturday. Your love for children made spending time with them while earning extra credit a win-win situation.

"Zeus has a wife named Hera, the Queen of Gods," you continued, pointing to the illustrated photo of Hera on her throne.

"Sometimes Zeus made mistakes, like having other friends. Hera didn't like that, but they still ruled together on Mount Olympus."

“Ms. Y/N?” a cute voice squeaked from the circle of kids in front of you. It was a small girl with short blonde hair and thick glasses.

“Yes, Kayla?” you smiled at her.

“What is M-I-S-T-R-E-S-S-E-S?” Kayla squinted, trying to read from the book you were showing. The rest of the kids leaned forward, curious about the illustrations.

“M-I-S-T-R…” The word clicked in your head, and you looked at the little girl in shock. “Where did you learn that word?”

“There,” Kayla pointed at the bottom corner of the book with her small finger.

You quickly turned the book around to check the illustration. There, at the bottom, was a scribble of words written in black marker.

Friends? More like mistresses. LOL

“What the fuck?” you muttered under your breath.

This was one of the children’s books you brought from your department’s lounge, where they keep all materials used in class.

A chorus of oohs broke out around you at the sound of your mild exclamation.

“I mean, what the fuzz?” you hastily changed your choice of words, hoping the hospital staff didn’t hear what you just said. “What the fuzzballs.”

Luckily, the children giggled at that, immediately distracted when a boy named Jake decided to share the story about how he swallowed his cat’s fuzzballs and ended up in the hospital.

The storybook took you longer to finish reading as you made sure to check every page before showing the kids the illustrations. Thankfully, there wasn’t any more writing in the rest of the book. You covered the words with a Post-It before returning it to the lounge.

It happened again after a few weeks. You were reading a Dora the Explorer book to the children, and there it was, in the smack middle of the book, a sentence scribbled in the same scrawly, obnoxiously bolded handwriting.

“Can you find the chocolate tree?” you read before staring at the page in horror.

This chick is blind, FR.

The kids whispered, trying to understand what the handwriting meant.

“C-H-I-C-K…chick!” Carter, a red-haired boy, exclaimed loudly, proud of himself for being able to read it.

“There aren’t any chickens in Dora,” Kayla chastised him, shaking her head as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“There is too,” he huffed, pressing a smudgy finger onto the page. “It says here! C-H-I-C-K. Chick.”

“Well, there’s only the big red hen. No chicks,” Kayla insisted, standing up to grab the book from your hands. The situation was about to get worse in a few seconds as you saw Carter’s face redden in frustration.

“Okay! That’s enough story time for today,” you quickly stood up, snapping the book shut. “Who wants to play Monopoly?”

“ME! ME! ME!” The kids screamed in excitement, forgetting the book altogether. It was a relief that kids forget about things so easily.

You, on the other hand, did not forget about this.

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“Someone keeps leaving nasty comments in the children's books,” you huffed, dropping the Dora book in front of your best friend, Chaeryeong.

You had found her sitting in front of one of the long tables, peacefully eating her lunch in your department’s lounge. The room was slightly crowded, filled with students doing their projects or chatting with each other before classes.

Narrowing her eyes at your rude entrance, Chaeryeong slowly took off her headphones and dropped her chopsticks.

“No hello beautiful?” she asked, rolling her eyes playfully. “Why are you reading children's books anyway? Are you seven years old or something?”

“I’m reading them for the kids at the hospital,” you said impatiently, flipping open to the page where the messy handwriting was located.

“See? This person keeps writing in these books! The kids keep reading them out!”

“This chick blind, for real?” Chaeryeong snickered after reading it aloud. “Well, this person has a good point. Dora IS blind as fuck.”

You huffed, annoyed at how unserious the raven-haired girl was. But before you could open your mouth, a soft chuckle came from the table next to yours. You turned your head to come face to face with the queen bee and the captain of the volleyball team, Huh Yunjin. She grinned at you as she casually leaned on her elbows, not hiding the fact that she was eavesdropping on your conversation as the rest of her friends were engrossed in another conversation.

“See? Even Yunjin unnie agrees,” Chaeryeong said, slyly bringing Yunjin into the conversation.

She knew about your little crush on the captain ever since freshman year. You were just too chicken to strike up a conversation with her, and she was flirty by default, breaking hearts left and right. You just didn’t want to go through the heartbreak, after seeing so many girls crying in the bathroom over her.

Your eyes met Yunjin’s chocolate ones, her bright gaze felt like it was penetrating your soul. People weren’t kidding about her beauty; she really was a sight to look at. You felt your face flush as her gaze never left yours.

“Yeah, she definitely needs to get herself some glasses,” Yunjin pushed her headband a bit higher to keep her orange hair out of her face. “But I support an unbothered queen.”

Yunjin let out a little laugh, her nose scrunching adorably. You couldn’t help but stare, mesmerized by the way her full lips pulled back to show her glistening white teeth.

“Stop being gay,” Chaeryeong whispered, nudging you with her legs to wake you out of the trance.

Huffing in embarrassment and annoyance, you grabbed the Dora book and the rest of your stuff and started to put them into your bag.

“Where are you going?” Chaeryeong asked.

You could see the volleyball captain staring at you from the corner of your eye, and your ears flushed a deeper red.

“I’m going to find someone who understands how serious this situation is,” you ignored the soft snickers coming from both of the girls and turned around to walk out of the lounge.

“Let me know if you found someone who managed to get that chick a pair of glasses,” Chaeryeong called from behind you, laughter in her voice.

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Cute. That was the first thing Yunjin thought when she saw you during the freshman orientation.

She was there to recruit people into the volleyball team when she noticed you, sitting in the second row, eyes barely open, mouth slightly agape as a few wisps of hair fell into your face when you started to doze off.

Ignoring the knowing looks of her teammates, she intentionally tried to get close to you, all but failing drastically. She ended up recruiting all of your close friends into the volleyball team, all but you. You were definitely not a land animal; that was all that Yunjin could say after watching you fall face-first onto the ground at any given chance.

But at least her efforts weren’t all gone to waste. Having recruited Chaeryeong and your roommate Yeji onto the team meant that she could see you in the bleachers in every game and often see you swing by during practice. Her delusional self convinced her that you were there to see her, but deep down she knew that you never even spared her a second glance.

Like today, you had once again rushed away from her as if she was the most menacing thing in the room, and you wanted nothing but to end the conversation with her. Was she really this scary? Or had you found out about her obsession with you?

“You should try to talk to her more, you know?” Chaeryeong said, raising her eyebrows as she watched her captain gaze after you leaving the room.

“Huh?” Yunjin quickly composed herself, leaning back in her chair. “With who?”

“Y/N. I know you like her.” The raven-haired girl said with a grin. “And I approve.”

“Pfft, I don’t even know her that well.” Yunjin whispered, lowering her voice to make sure her friends didn’t hear this conversation.

“I’m not Dora. I see how you look at her,” Chaeryeong pushed.

“I—I don’t look at her differently.”

Yunjin stood her ground, staring at Chaeryeong, ready to deny everything that came out of the younger girl’s mouth. But Chaeryeong wasn’t intimidated, shrugging nonchalantly as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“She finds your jokes in the books funny. Don’t let her reaction fool you.”

Laughing at Yunjin’s expression, Chaeryeon added, “I know your ugly handwriting.”

With that, the slender girl slipped her bag onto her shoulder and stood up, smiling mischievously at the blushing captain in front of her.

“Can’t believe it took you two years to make a move.”

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Unconvincingly as it sounded, it really started with boredom.

Yunjin was alone in the student lounge last semester, skipping her least favorite class from Professor “Dead-Eye” Yoo and taking the liberty of finally having some alone time. Yunjin knew she was quite popular, being the captain and all, but sometimes she just wanted to go back to being that shy gamer girl she once was.

The lounge was deserted, and Yunjin flopped onto the sofa she sometimes saw you sitting on in the far-right corner. A couple of bookshelves were situated next to the sofa, completely filled with children’s books.

Scrunching her eyes in confusion about why there were so many books for kids when it was a university department lounge, Yunjin decided not to question it and got to read to kill time. But being attentive was not her strongest trait, so she soon relented to her immaturity and boredom.

Grabbing a sharpie from her bag, she started to leave dumb comments here and there in different books, as if she was the biggest book reviewer in the world. It was an immature and stupid thing to do, she knows. But at least it somehow managed to catch your attention, albeit months later.

God must’ve taken pity on her, watching her suffer through countless blind dates that her friends had arranged her to through her first two years of college, finally giving her the chance to know you better.

It was a few days after her encounter with you at the lounge with Chaeryeong, and she found you scribbling down in a brown notebook on the sofa next to the bookshelves again, this time alone. Deciding to brave herself just once, she took her breath and mustered all of her confidence before making her way towards you and flopped down onto the empty space next to you. She was going to take a chance and take Chaeyeong’s words as advice.

“Hey Y/N.” Yunjin gave you a boyish charming grin, her orange hair tousled perfectly across her leather jacket. She was effortlessly cool, and her sudden close proximity made your face heat up.

“Uh, hi, Yunjin-ssi.” You quickly bowed in respect.

“Please drop the honorifics.” The captain waved her hand, giving you a wink. “Just Yunjin is fine.”

You nodded, eyes flittering from Yunjin’s mesmerizing large ones to the record book in your hand. Unsure of what to do, you decided to awkwardly continue writing.

“What are you doing?” Yunjin slightly leaned towards you, her vanilla perfume invading your senses.

“Um... I-” You shook your head to gather your thoughts, “I’m keeping track of the books that were written on. We would have to replace them.”

“Ahh… the Dora book?”

“Yeah. I also found a new one this week, in the Ice Age books.”

“Really? What did it say?” Yunjin asked, trying to keep her face casual.

“It simply just wrote LIA next to Sid’s face.” You said, biting your lip to hold in your smile.

Yunjin, on the other hand, let out a booming laugh, enjoying the joke way too much.

“I’ll let Lia know she’s famous.” Yunjin said, after taking a few minutes to finally come down from her laughter.

Even though she was the one who wrote it, she still found it funny that her roommate, Lia, looked exactly like Sid the sloth when she was sleeping.

Trying to hide your grin, you said, “It’s not funny. The kids keep reading out the comments.”

The sight of your smiling made Yunjin’s heart soar. She was proud of herself for succeeding in making you smile, despite you not knowing it was her who left the comments. With this affirmation, Yunjin continued to make jokes with you as you talked for a bit. She would do anything to charm you, and she already had a plan hatched in her brain, something to do with your notebook.

“I’ll talk to you later, Y/N.” The captain squeezed your hand as she saw her friends calling for her.

You were disappointed to see her go, but you knew that she had better things to do than talk to you. She was, after all, one of the most popular and busiest students in your major.

“See you.” You muttered, ears red at the feeling of her hand on yours.

The captain walked towards the door, before turning back and raising her hand as a goodbye in a goofy boyish way that made your heart flutter.

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It happened again, but this time, it was in your record book. Again, in obnoxiously bolded and capitalized letters, the mystery person managed to annoy the hell out of you, but you couldn’t help but find a bit of amusement in them.

HI :)

They had written this in the smack middle of a new page in your notebook, wasting the entire page. Deciding to write back for the first time, you took out your pen and wrote a small line under their loud greeting.

Don’t write in my notebook :)

Thinking this was able to stop the culprit from writing anything else, you shut the book satisfied. Oh, how wrong you were.

The next day, you found a light pink post-it stuck on top of the original page.

BUT I WANT TO BE FRIENDS :(

Annoyed at the culprit, but also at yourself for finding them cute for using a post-it instead of just writing on your book.

No.

You wrote back, slightly hesitating before slamming shut the notebook altogether. Although intrigued and wanting to know who was behind the writing, it was probably best that you don’t encourage them.

“Getting ready to dive deep into another children’s book of yours?” A familiar voice broke you out of your thoughts.

Your heart couldn't help but lurch at the sight of the orange-haired captain smiling at you, her nose scrunched adorably.

“Yeah, any recommendations? I know you love these books.” You teased back, already comfortable with her presence.

Despite not really getting the chance to talk to her that much, she had this aura that made you feel calm and relaxed, as if you could trust her with anything.

“I’ll recommend one only if you read it to me.” Yunjin flirted easily, giving you a charming grin and wink.

Caught off guard at her response, your face turned a slight shade of pink. “I-”

“I’m just kidding, Y/N.” The taller girl laughed at your flustered state. “I used to read ‘The Jungle Book’ to my sister when she was a kid, and she loved it. Maybe the kids at the hospital would love it too.”

"You have a younger sister?” You asked. This was new information to you, but then again, you and Yunjin never really talked before this semester.

“Yeah, we have a really big age difference though. She’s 10 years younger than me.” Yunjin’s eyes glinted at the mention of her sister.

“She must be really happy to have you as a sister.”

“I hope so." Yunjin said with a sad smile, “I haven’t seen her in a couple of years. She’s still in the US with the rest of my family.”

“It must’ve been hard for you to move here all alone.” You hesitantly reached out your hand to squeeze the Captain’s forearm in comfort.

She gave you a grin at your touch, and your heart fluttered at how her eyes seem to twinkle whenever she met yours.

“I’m fine now.” She said, putting her other hand on top of yours. “I made a lot of friends, and also, I got the chance to meet you.”

The flirty queen-bee you knew was back. You cleared your throat to shake off the nerves she managed to give you and pulled back from the trance she pulled you into.

Quickly checking your watch as an excuse to avoid looking into her eyes again, you noticed it was almost five p.m., the time Chaeryeon left for practice.

“Don’t you have practice?” You asked.

“Nope.” Yunjin made a pop sound at the P, which you found adorable. “We have a game next week, so I gave the girls a two-day break.”

“You’ll be watching us, right?” She asked, her eyes hopeful.

You nodded, “I never missed a game. I’m Chaeryeon’s and Yeji’s number one fan.” You grinned, proud of yourself.

Yunjin merely pouted at this, “You should cheer for me sometime. I’m playing too, you know.” She nudged you.

You laughed, trying to shake off your nervousness at her blatant flirting. “You already have a lot of fangirls.”

Yunjin whined, begging, “I don’t know them, but I know you. None of my friends wear my number because they’re on the court with me.“

“I’ll think about it.“ you laughed at her antics. Although she was a year older than you, she managed to act like a little kid sometimes.

After talking (more like flirting on Yunjin’s side) for another while, Yunjin left to go to her part-time job at the diner, leaving you alone with your thoughts.

The feeling she gave you messed up your thoughts, and you were worried that your old crush on her will be reignited.

She was just friendly. She thought of you as a friend. You convinced yourself. You needed to see her as a friend too, before you get your heart broken.

“Maybe I need other friends than Yunjin.“ you muttered to yourself before opening the notebook once more.

No.

You crossed out the word and wrote.

Fine. What’s your name?

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Turns out, the person behind the obnoxious block letters was worth talking to. You’ve been texting the mysterious person for the past few weeks, and they managed to entertain you and connect on a deeper level. Never getting a reply to their name, only with a doodle of a snake, you exchanged numbers without knowing each other's names, and it was better like that. To talk about your day anonymously.

You were, however, curious about the person behind the texts and writing. They were considerate, easy to talk to, and extremely funny. You honestly felt that you could be really good friends with them. From books to life goals, you could talk to them about anything and everything.

It was a bit unnerving how someone in your major knew all this about you, but at the same time, you felt that they were someone you could trust, and they felt the same way about you after sharing some of their family problems with you.

You noticed you were developing a sort of attachment to this person, as if they were your soulmate. You found yourself instantly texting back whenever the snake contact popped up on your phone, and when you were texting, you were re-reading your past conversations. They were a great way for you to get Yunjin off your mind, which you found to get harder every time she stopped by to say hello.

“You’re late, Shin.” Chaewon, the co-captain of the volleyball team, chastised a wind-swept Yuna as she slammed open the door to the locker room and hurried to change into her team uniform.

Yuna was the newest addition to the team and was also the cousin of Y/N. (As soon as Yunjin heard of this, she immediately treated Yuna with patience and additional care, not that she liked you or anything, just her showing affection to her juniors).

The volleyball team was getting ready for the final match before the semi-finals. They had an away game with a nearby school, and Yuna, being Yuna, had overslept and missed the bus to the game. Yuna quickly bowed her head in apology, and Chaewon simply patted her head in assurance and ushered everyone to warm up.

“What took you so long?” Yeji asked, “I thought Y/N said she would drive you instead.”

"She did. But it took her half an hour to get ready because she was busy giggling at her phone like a love-sick schoolgirl.” Yuna said, exasperation in her voice.

At that, Chaeryeon, who was standing near the two girls tying her hair, let out a laugh. “Yeah, she’s been doing that pretty often. She must have a crush or something.”

“You think so?” Eunchae, one of the tallest yet youngest players, chimed in, exposing the fact that she was eavesdropping.

“That’s new; I thought she would just end up being a single woman and adopt all of the kids in the hospital.” Yeji mused, happy that her roommate is finally interested in someone. Throughout the two years she lived with you, you seemed to show zero interest in love.

“Must be nice to be liked by unnie.” Eunchae said dreamily, causing the rest of the girls around her to fake gag and give a round of protest.

“Wish it was me instead.”

“Who are you dreaming about dating?” Yunjin suddenly appeared, wrapping her hands around the tall girl. “My baby manchae is off limits until she’s 40.”

The captain had returned from a quick discussion with their coach and had gone into the locker room to usher the girls out for warm-up.

“40? Do you want me to die single?” Eunchae furrowed her brows and pouted, “And besides, we were talking about Y/N unnie’s love life, not mine.“

“Y/N? What about Y/N?” Yunjin tried to ask nonchalantly, leading the girls out of the locker room.

“She has a crush on someone.” Chaeryeon said slyly, paying close attention to Yunjin’s reaction.

The orange-haired girl kept her face composed, but in reality, her heart was beating at the thought of you liking someone, that wasn’t her. A sense of hollowness and jealousy crept into her skin.

“That’s nice. Do you know who?”

The girls shrugged, and Yunjin decided not to push anymore. The way Chaeryeon looked at her was obvious enough to blow off her cover and reveal her affection towards you, and she was not keen on letting others know.

Putting on a smile so bright that could make any of the people in the crowd swoon, Yunjin tried to push back her thoughts and jealousy, waving to the people in the stand as the team entered the court.

Cheers came from all around her, cheering her name every time she sent the ball flying at deadly speed toward her rivals. She wasn’t called the Ace of SNU for nothing. Yet, as she scanned the crowds after every point earned, she hoped you would also be there yelling her name.

“Good game.” Chaeryeon whispered in Yunjin’s ear as they gathered together in a group hug to celebrate another victory.

The crowds were wild around them, chanting their names as they celebrated their ticket to the semi-finals.

“But you better step up your other game before it’s too late, captain.” The raven-haired girl gave Yunjin a grin before sauntering off to the stands, where you were hugging Yeji in celebration.

You were wearing Chaeryeon’s spare uniform, proudly displaying the Lee on your back, while waving a self-made Yeji and Yuna flag. You looked so cute with your hair in a ponytail, with two lines of blue drawn horizontally across your cheeks to represent SNU.

At that moment, Yunjin wished nothing more than to see you wearing her uniform instead.

She better step up her game.

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.

So…have you ever been in love before?

You were late at night studying in the school library a few days after the game when your phone buzzed, indicating a text message. It was from your mystery friend. 

You furrowed your eyebrows in confusion at their sudden question, before typing out a quick response. 

No, I don’t think so. Have you?

As their text bubble indicated typing, a full minute passed before their response came through.

No. 

Followed by another long pause. 

But I wish I did. 

Biting your lip in thought, you were unsure of what to make of this sudden confession from your friend. You were developing an attachment to them, which seemed foolish when you didn't even know what they looked like, let alone their name.

It was truly pathetic; the two people in college for whom you had feelings were the queen bee of the school, with a long line of admirers, and the other was some random faceless stranger about whom you knew everything and nothing.

What got you thinking about this? You typed back. 

A girl. But she has feelings for someone else. 

So your little mystery friend does have someone on their mind. You tried to push down your disappointment and the slight burn of rejection as you replied. 

Have you tried telling her how you feel about her?

No, I would probably scare her off or something. 

I’m sure you won’t. 

It took them another five minutes before they finally responded back. 

What about you? Is there anyone on your mind?

Yunjin, the fiery-haired girl, instantly came to mind. Recent interactions with her had given the impression of growing closeness. She took the time to chat with you in the student lounge, held your bag, walked you back to your dorm after study sessions, and even brought treats from the diner when her shift ended. Though it felt like more to you, the realization struck that she viewed you simply as a friend.

Yeah, this girl. But she sees me as a friend.

Yunjin's heart skipped a beat upon reading your reply. It confirmed Chaeryeon's statement – you had your eyes set on someone else. She pondered the possibilities, considering potential candidates. Was it the charming Shin Ryujin from the softball team? Perhaps someone from the hospital where you volunteered? Or could it be one of your close friends, like Chaeryeon or Yeji? The uncertainty left Yunjin feeling a mix of curiosity and apprehension.

Did you tell them how you feel?

No, I would probably scare them off or something. 

Despite her heartbreak, your text made her smile a bit. There you were again, teasing her by copying her sentence. 

I’m sure you won’t, pretty girl. 

How do you know if I’m pretty or not?

I just do. 

You couldn’t help but blush at their compliment. They always managed to say something earnestly that made your heart flutter, similar to the way Yunjin always seemed to have an effect on you. 

You should take this confidence and confess to the girl you like before it’s too late. What’s there to lose?

You have a valid point…

I’ll work on confessing to them before the end of the year, but only if you be my wingwoman. 

Your wingwoman? How? I don’t know anything about them. 

Just share with me the little things you like as advice. 

Deal. 

So…better start listing. 

Hmm, I’d say start with flowers. 

Oh, and little notes are pretty cute, too. 

.

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"The Ultimate Checklist to How to Get That Girl? Seriously?" Chaewon read over Yunjin's shoulder incredulously.

Flushing a deep red, the captain quickly slammed shut her notebook and pushed the short-haired girl away.

"Stop snooping!"

"You know you can just ask her out, right? Y/N." The shorter girl reached over to snatch the book from Yunjin, quickly scanning over the checklists.

Yunjin had managed to devise a checklist incorporating all the things you mentioned in your previous text conversations with her about your preference as her 'wingwoman’. She had compiled recommendations on what someone should do to win over someone's heart, hoping to win over yours. 

"I can't. She likes someone else." Yunjin said defeatedly, her shoulders sagging.

"Who can resist the Huh Yunjin charms? I'm pretty sure everyone would love to date you." Chaewon snorted, amused by how her seemingly always confident friend was so hung up on you. This was a first.

"Not Y/N."

Although teasing her friends was in her DNA, Chaewon couldn't help but feel bad for her friend. Yunjin looked lost (kind of like a kicked puppy, but she wasn't going to say that to her face), and as co-captain of the team, it was a rule that she would need to support their captain whenever they needed help.

"Find, I'll help you." Chaewon sighed, looking at the long list and preparing herself mentally. It was going to be a long few months.

"Let me call the girls for backup."

“Another gift from your secret admirer?” Yeji teased when she saw you enter the shared dorm with a tray of hot coffee.

You had just returned from the library, preparing for your final exams, and found yet another gift waiting in front of your door.

You shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant, but your ears betrayed you by reddening. “There’s one for you.”

Yeji jumped up in excitement and went straight for the coffee, sighing contentedly as she sipped on it. “I’d just date them already.”

You had been receiving these little gifts for the past few weeks, and it was driving you crazy. Initially sweet, the mystery person never revealed themselves, making you suspicious of everyone. Additionally, you were concerned about how much they were spending on you. Although seemingly insignificant, the little gifts added up.

The first gift was a single rose and a typed note in front of your dorm room, a bit like a ransom note. The note included a cheesy pick-up line that you found endearing, despite yourself. Soon after came cute accessories, a new hair tie, and even a cute hippo plushie. Your admirer seemed to know a lot about you, even the things you lost. 

They gifted you things you had listed out to your mystery friend. Could your admirer and your friend possibly be the same person?

“Oh, by the way, Yunjin and the team are coming over to discuss our strategies for the championship game, is that okay?” Yeji mentioned casually, trying to hide her grin.

Chaewon had called her earlier, letting her in on Yunjin’s huge crush on you and the plan to sweep you off your feet.

Panic filled your eyes as you looked up from your phone. You were still dressed in your "bum outfit," as Yeji would call it, consisting of old sweatpants and an oversized Nike hoodie – definitely not presentable.

“What? When?” You quickly surveyed the room, noticing a small pile of clothes and rushing to stuff them in the laundry basket.

“In about…”

Knock, knock, knock.

“Now.”

At that moment, you pulled your hair out of its messy bun and ran your fingers through it in a rush. Leave it to Yeji to embarrass you in front of Yunjin.

Before Yeji could open the door, it was slammed open, revealing a snow-covered Chaeryeon with her cheshire grin, followed by Chaewon, Lia, Yuna, and Yunjin. Your eyes met hers, and you got lost once again in her warm brown hues.

She looked particularly good today, with her fiery orange hair tucked into a gray woolen hat and dressed in a red leather jacket. She gave you a toothy smile before closing the door behind her.

“Hey, stranger, it’s been a while,” Yunjin said, pulling you into a hug, engulfing you in her sweet lavender perfume. “I missed you.”

You immediately blushed at this, still not used to her flirty nature.

“We had lunch together last Saturday.”

“Yeah, three days is way too long,” she sighed dramatically, her arms still wrapped around your shoulders. Her eyes scanned your features, as if she was trying to memorize every freckle and blemish.

“If you two are done flirting, we would like to start discussing tactics,” Chaewon said, her lips curled into a teasing smile as she saw Yunjin immediately pull her arm off of yours and turn beet red in embarrassment.

“I…” Yunjin muttered, before giving up coming up with an explanation and plopped down onto the sofa.

You busied yourself with schoolwork as the girls squeezed into the makeshift living room and focused on their strategy plan for the upcoming games. You watched them with adoration; it wasn’t often that you saw them together except for their games, and you loved how sweet their dynamic was. Chaewon was the one who kept everyone focused, Lia and Yeji were the encouraging ones, and Yunjin was the planner. She led the gameplays and tactics, ensuring everything was on track. The older girls also babied Yuna and Chaeryeon, making sure they understood everything.

You didn’t know Chaewon and Lia that well; they were Yunjin’s friends. Still, you could tell that they were just as sweet and caring as the captain was. However, you couldn’t help but think of the comment your mystery friend left in the Ice Age book whenever you looked at Lia. She did look a bit like a sloth, but the cutest one ever.

Hence, you decided to text your mystery friend.

Lia does kind of look like a sloth. But cuter. 

As you sent out the text, a small buzz came from the living room. 

Cuter as in your type?

No. But you did her dirty by writing her name next to Sid. 

Another buzz. You furrowed your brows and looked toward the direction of the living room. 

Who IS your type then?

Someone funny, I guess. Goofy but smart. 

Buzz. It felt too coincidental. Your palms started sweating at the thought that you might finally discover who was behind those texts that accompanied you through long nights and motivated you.

Hmm…is there someone like that in our school?

Yeah, there is. 

As soon as you sent out a text, another buzz came from the living room. At that moment, you were convinced that your friend was one of the girls in the room.

Is it the person you mentioned you liked?

You silently leaned forward on your bed to peek at the girls obscured by the sofa, lying on their stomachs in front of a strategy board. You froze at the sight of Yunjin biting her full lip and looking at her phone, engrossed in whatever she was reading. The rest of the girls were talking with each other, none of them looking at their phones. 

Could it possibly be the orange-haired girl all along? The girl you've been texting about was the one receiving your texts. If they were Yunjin, then she would possibly be the one sending you your gifts.

The pounding in your heart was so loud, engulfing you in erratic thumps. You couldn’t even hear the girls talking; all you could focus on was the possibility that Yunjin was the person behind the texts. 

Deciding to leap in faith just this once, you texted back.

Yes. The captain of the volleyball team, do you know her?

Another buzz followed by the screen of Yunjin’s phone was enough to prove that she was indeed the person all along. Eyes scanning through the sentence you sent to her, Yunjin’s brown eyes widened, and she immediately threw her phone to the side, covering her face with her arms. She let out a muffled scream and kicked her legs in excitement, startling the rest of the girls.

You couldn't help but laugh at her adorableness. Putting on your headphones, you pretended to be studying while trying to calm your erratic heart. Muffled shouts and laughter could be heard from the girls, probably picking on their captain.

.

.

.

.

For the first time in her life, it seemed that fate had taken favor in Yunjin. Having dedicated all of her time to school and volleyball, she never had the privilege of starting a relationship with someone. Volleyball itself took up most of her time, with her parents and her personal coach insisting on her becoming the best player in the league and eventually joining the national team of South Korea. She wasn’t unhappy with her life, but she wouldn’t call herself happy.

Sure, her friends set her up on several blind dates, but she never liked them enough to want something more. She was only interested in being the best at volleyball and being the best captain for the girls, nothing more.

That was, until, she met you.

She was enamored by you right from the start, with your shy smile and soft features. She wanted nothing more than to get to know you. After finally getting the chance to talk to you after two years, she had fallen for you, deep. All those late-night talks through text made her understand that you were more than a mere crush, more than any of the girls on those blind dates. The way you viewed the world made her want to become something more to you. She wanted to be included in your world.

Life started to mean more than just volleyball, and she noticed that you made her happy, actually happy. 

She hoped that you would give her the chance to do the same for you. Now, with the revelation that the person she worried so much about you liking was her, she was beyond the moon. She just hoped you wouldn’t be disappointed that she was the one behind the texts.

It was the Saturday after the eventful day, and Yunjin was nervous. She blamed it on the finals game they had tomorrow, but in reality, it was the first time she was alone with you after knowing that you liked her.

After running to you during her lunch break from her shift at the diner two months ago, she had established a weekly routine of getting lunch with you every Saturday. The diner she worked at was near the hospital she volunteered at, so grabbing lunch together before visiting the kids was another highlight of your week.

"Did something happen?" You asked as you sat across the captain.

You had arrived at the booth a while ago, and the captain hadn’t said much but to order. She was fidgeting with the straw of her iced coffee, bending it over repeatedly as she looked at anywhere but you.

"What? No!" Yunjin’s eyes flitted to yours, before quickly looking away again.

"Nothing’s wrong."

"Then how come you’re avoiding me?" You asked, slightly pouting.

Yunjin nearly kissed you on the spot at the sight of you pouting cutely.

She had been refusing to meet your eyes because she knew that the second she did, all defenses would fall, and she would just confess her love to you. It has been like that for the last few days, ever since she knew that you liked her back; she wanted nothing more than to have you in her arms. But she hadn’t thought of a plan on how to ask you out yet; she also had to confess to you that she was the one behind the texts. This scared her, worried that you would hate her for lying to you about not knowing who you were.

"I-I’m not." Yunjin stuttered, still refusing to look at you in the eye.

Before you could reply, the waitress brought over your food. You always got the same thing, blueberry pancakes with scrambled eggs on the side, while Yunjin always had her protein lunch filled with eggs, chicken, and tofu. It didn’t really look good, but Yunjin made sure her body was in the best shape for volleyball.

Today’s meal was slightly different. The waitress had also brought in a plate with two gingerbread cookies, both with cute red buttons and frosty smiles.

"We give out gingerbread cookies to our customers every year around Christmas time," the waitress explained, her eyes twinkling mischievously, "Enjoy!"

Yunjin watched you from the corner of her eyes as you excitedly took a few photos of the cookies.

"Look Yunjinnie, they’re holding hands!"

Yunjin wished she could hold hands with you.

"This one looks more like you." You giggled, moving the plate forward to show her.

The restaurant workers seemingly did not put their heart into decoration because the one you insisted that looked like Yunjin had lopsided eyes and a way out of proportion mouth, so wide that it went higher than the eyes.

"Are you saying I look ugly?" She said, pretending to be offended.

"What? No!" You interjected, blushing a deep red and pulling back the plate to inspect the cookies. "I meant that you always have a big smile like this, meeting your eyes."

That’s because I only smile like this when I’m with you, Yunjin thought.

"Here, try one." You broke the cookies apart and raised one of the cookies towards Yunjin’s face.

"I can’t. I have to stay in shape for tomorrow's game." Yunjin was taken aback at your forwardness. She was normally the one flirting, and you were the shy one. It seems that the roles have reversed today.

"C’mon. Just one bite wouldn’t hurt." You wheedled. "Please?"

Yunjin’s eyes finally met yours. Big mistake.

Your eyes, every so bright, were staring at her pleadingly, with a hint of something that Yunjin couldn't quite put a finger on. Was it affection? Adoration?

Nevertheless, the captain immediately gave in and took a bite of the cookie in your hands. She would always do anything for you.

"It’s…It’s good." Yunjin managed to say, her gaze still locked with yours.

You let out a satisfied grin and brought the same cookie to your lips, pausing slightly before taking a bite.

Yunjin’s brain went into a full system shutdown. YOU JUST ATE THE COOKIE SHE HAD. IT WAS AN INDIRECT KISS. I REPEAT. INDIRECT KISS.

“Mhmmm… It’s so good. Tastes like Christmas.” You said, finally breaking eye contact and looking at the rest of the cookies in front of you.

“It’s almost the end of the year.” You said softly, before looking up again at the flustered girl.

End of the year.

Yunjin’s heart went into rapid speed, and her blood went cold. Could you have possibly known that she was the one texting you? How else would you know the importance of the end of the year to her? She had promised you that she would confess to her crush before the end of the year if only you would become her wingwoman.

Shaking her head slightly to push out the possibility, she tried to forget about her ‘delusions’. You didn’t know. There was no way.

Thankfully, you changed the topic to her games tomorrow, saving her from embarrassing herself.

“Will you be at the game tomorrow?” Yunjin asked as she walked you to the hospital after lunch.

“Of course.” You said, gently holding onto her arm to keep yourself from slipping on the icy roads. (Yunjin’s heart still stuttered whenever you did that).

“I never miss a game, remember?”

“Will you-Will you be cheering for me?” Yunjin asked hesitantly.

“Hmm? I always cheer for you girls, pabo.” You laughed, nudging the taller girl.

“No, I mean,” Yunjin looked at your hands clutching tightly on her arm. Deciding to brave herself for the first time today, she asked, “Will you wear my number?”

She watched as your cheeks turn pink at her words.

“I don’t know…you have quite a lot of fangirls already.” You answered, hitting both of you with déjà vu.

“But none of them are you.” The orange-haired girl stopped walking, gently pulling you around to look at her.

To say you were in deep was an understatement. You had fallen hard for the captain, in love even. Her beauty and confidence were what had drawn you to her at first, but after getting to really know her through those texts, you had started to fall in love with her. Her mind, the way she thought, and her endless patience… she was something that was too good to be true.

“What are you trying to say?” You asked, searching her eyes for any hint of hesitation. You found none, only determination and softness in those honey-brown hues.

“I’m saying…” Yunjin paused, composing herself before she stared back into your eyes, “I like you, Y/N, a lot.”

“And it would be nice if I can take you out on a date.” She continued, her eyes gleaming hopefully.

“But only if you want to.” She hastily added.

You laughed at the last sentence. She was always so considerate, worried that she would be doing something without your consent. And that was what you loved about her.

“I would love to.” You said, before standing on your tiptoes to kiss the tip of her frozen nose. Yunjin froze at the feeling of your soft lips on her skin.

“But only if you win the game tomorrow.”

Yunjin let out a sigh of relief before gently wrapping her arms around your waist, pulling you closer. All those sleepless nights dreaming of you were worth it.

“Easy.”

.

.

.

.

As the captain got ready for bed, a familiar buzz came from her phone. It was from you.

I better see your jersey in front of my door tomorrow, Huh Yunjin.

Yunjin let out a scream, scaring Lia, who was already passed out, and causing her to fall off her own bed.

"What the hell?" Lia groaned from the floor, looking up at her roommate.

"She knows it’s me. And she’s okay with it!" Yunjin said, giggling like a schoolgirl and dancing around. "She likes me back!"

Sighing, Lia slowly dragged herself up from the floor and laid horizontally back on her bed, too tired to crawl back under the covers.

"Go to bed, Yunjin."

Giggling to herself, the captain quickly texted you goodnight, receiving another sweet message from you.

As she went to turn off the lights, she looked at her roommate, sleeping with her mouth open and dressed in her greenish-grey fuzzy pajamas.

Lia did indeed look like a sloth. A cute one.

“Why does Yunjin-unnie have a sunburn?” Eunchae whispered, not so quietly.

“That’s not a sunburn, that’s the glow of love, manchae.” Yeji laughed, patting the taller girl’s head affectionately.

“Love? What?” Eunchae furrowed her brows, clearly out of the loop.

"Someone in the stands is rocking her jersey," Chaeryeon added, grinning mischievously, despite Yunjin shooting her a disapproving look as they continued warming up for the game.

“One-third of the crowd is wearing her number,” Eunchae whined, scanning the crowd again for Yunjin’s possible lover.

You waved shyly to the girls (mostly to Yunjin) as you moved to sit on the bleachers with your friends. You had found a box containing Yunjin’s jersey and a light blue bandana, along with a single rose in front of your dorm room when you woke up in the morning.

You had put on the jersey and decided to tie your hair with the silky bandana, and adding a dash of sparkling highlighter. You wanted to look your best for the captain.

Unable to resist herself, Yunjin made her way towards the railings near the bleachers, ignoring the teasing hoots coming from her members. You walked down a few levels to meet her at the other side of the railing.

“Hi,” she said cutely, her eyes sparkling in happiness as she checked you out. You looked so good in her jersey.

“Hi, Yunjinnie.”

“You look good.” She bit her lip and reached over to hold your hands in hers.

“You better win this game, Yunjin. I’m looking forward to our date.”

“Of course. I play better when I’m in a good mood.” Yunjin leaned over and pressed her lips on your forehead.

“And you make me happy.”

.

.

.

.

“Aw man...” Eunchae said sadly, watching her captain and you cuddling up together. “I wanted to date Y/N-unnie.”

“You’re too young for dating, Hong Eunchae.” The rest of the girls said in unison, before grabbing the maknae away from the scene.

It's a long one!

A bit of fluff for Christmas :)

Thoughts?

[wolfjackle-creates]

broski I beg of u to tell me about your Danny is Clark’s nephew wip im so intrigued

@hailsatanacab also asked about this one! I shared two snippets for them so check out Part 1 and Part 2. (about 900 words total between the two asks.)

This was inspired by the discussion on a prompt you made ages ago, actually! Here's the post. The main prompt isn't the inspiration, however. It was the comment about Danny joining the JL and [insert spiderman meme here].

Let's see if I have anything I can add. (I changed things enough when posting the first bits that everything else I have doesn't fit anymore.)

Eh, fine. Just went through and wrote another 600 words.

-----

Danny winced. “Yes, Uncle Cl— Kal. Uncle Kal.” Danny glanced next to him and realized Constantine had moved several feet away and was deliberately trying to not attract attention. He bit back a smile and pulled on the Prince Phantom persona Queen Dora had forced him to learn. “Thank you for your assistance, Laughing Magician. I now declare our deal complete and will make no further claims on you.” He waved his hand producing a piece of parchment which he handed over. “As promised, your payment.”

Constantine grabbed the paper and backed away quickly. “Great. Glad to do business with you, your highness. Hope your family reunion goes well. I’ll just—” he jerked a thumb over his shoulder, then changed something and disappeared through a portal even as several of the League members present tried to yell at him to stop.

Danny rolled his eyes as he fell back into his more relaxed demeanor. “Oh, please. What more did you want from him? I’ll talk to Uncle Kal and he can decide what is important to pass on. Magician Constantine already told you most of what he knows.”

“Just… come on, Danny,” said Uncle Clark. “We need to talk.”

---

Finding a place to talk to Danny wasn’t the problem, Clark quickly realized. Shaking off his coworkers, however… Bruce in particular did not want to be left out. And Wally was too curious to be put off.

“Danny?” called Clark when he realized the kid wasn’t with him.

“By the viewing window,” said Bruce. “He seems to enjoy the view.”

“Right. Should’ve guessed.” Clark cursed himself silently for forgetting how much the kid loved space. “Batman, please. I know you like to know everything. But can I just talk to my nephew alone? I’ll explain everything I can after, but I need to know how this situation could’ve happened in my own family without my knowledge first without you being there inserting Opinions.”

“Very well. I’ll collect Flash and we’ll leave the two of you alone. But I expect a full report after.”

“I’ll make a peach cobbler, Ma’s recipe, and head to the Manor tomorrow to tell you everything.”

“I’ll let Nightwing know.”

Clark sighed. “I’ll make two cobblers.”

Bruce’s lips twitched upward, but he turned without saying anything more. “Flash! Since this matter is going to be delayed, I believe you still have to file your report on the incident last week.”

Clark chuckled as Flash protested. But he didn’t listen to their discussion, instead joining Danny by the viewing window. He settled an arm around his nephew’s shoulders. “Beautiful, aren’t they?”

“I can’t believe you get to come up here and look out at the stars any time you want.”

“I don’t get up here as much as I’d like, I’m afraid. And when I am up here, it’s because something somewhere is going wrong so I don’t get to appreciate it as much as I’d like to.”

“So, if you’re an alien, does that mean Dad’s an alien, too? Is that why he is the way he is? Am I part alien?”

Clark laughed and ruffled Danny’s hair. Like this, it felt almost insubstantial, like passing his hand through mist. “Fraid not, kid. No one knows why your dad is the way he is. I can’t remember how often he was tested for the meta gene.”

“Once a year every year from the time he was six until he was twenty-two and graduated undergrad and started living on his own. Then he stopped for a few years. Until he started dating Mom. He accidentally broke her apartment door once and she insisted he get tested again.”

Clark wanted to laugh, but all he could remember was Danny’s earlier statement. “Danny… Are you…safe with your parents?”

-----

Again, anyone is free to continue this! If anyone wants, I can combine everything into one post to make it easier to do so.

[axailslink]

You must think me a fool

Dark!Shuri Udaku x Princess!Warrior FEM reader

Synopsis: Her people fear her she slaughtered a community just to save them but has she also lost her humanity? Can she force the image of a domesticated lifestyle with you who wants nothing to do with her? To do with a murderer?

"Marry? what reason do I need to marry?" Shuri doesn't take her eyes off of her past projects trying to find some sort of flaw something to update so that she doesn't let herself get completely drowned in her royal affairs. "They fear you Shuri. Do you not care?" Shuri rolls one of her kimoyo beads around in the palm of her hand "of course I care Okoye but I can't parade as if I am not upset my mother-" "your mother would want you to continue your life not sulk and-" "-you are not dora milaje anymore why do you insist on giving me guidance?" Okoye is silenced in this moment because she is right she's not Dora milaje "I am family that's why I persist but please keep acting the way you do and push the only family away you have left. To be the smartest woman I know you surely make the most idiotic decisions when you're upset. Umntwana (a child.)"

~

Shuri has a point to prove so here she sits in the middle of common folks equivalent to a living room but nothing in comparison four pillars on each corner of the room no doors but instead large arched paths that lead you to the next room or a hallway that leads to the next room. Candles light the room instead of lights so it's dimly lit not a lot but enough to see whoever resides in said room. You're nowhere in sight because this meeting as your mother said is "none of your concern" even though you're sure when you hear the truths behind it you'll disagree.

"You want my daughters hand in marriage?" The older lady sitting across from Shuri is astonished because what in the mother of above has possessed Shuri to ask for such a thing? "I don't understand you've disappeared from her life and now you want her hand?" "I'm begging for your daughter's hand I need to fool my people and she is one of the few women I've ever been interested in as a friend or as a potential queen." Shock reads the woman's face and the candles only deepen the creases on her face as she makes a contorted facial expression as she forces her next words "as much as I am willing to do so I don't think she's as willing as I." Shuri keeps her face straight unsure why a friend would not be willing to help her in such a time of need "could I speak to her?" The hesitation reaches the woman's voice before it even spills from her lips "she's... She's sparing maybe another time princess?" Shuri cocks her head at being called the wrong title but it's only momentarily "queen my title is "queen" it hasn't been "princess" in a very long time and I wish to speak with her." Before the conversation can continue and Shuri is given more time to disrespect your mother she goes to say her final piece to her "your people are dying from sickness, your animals too, your greenery can't be taken care of if the people who care for them can barely stand. My people are healthy and strong I wouldn't be opposed to lending you a hand if you lend me her hand." Your mother would never make a decision like this without your knowledge and Shuri knows it but it wouldn't hurt to tip the scale a bit in her favor before she spoke to you.

Shuri doesn't give her a chance to give a response before she wanders out of the dimly lit space into the dark hall feeling her bare feet on the rocks as she approaches the sparring room. She watches for a while as you seem to annihilate some kid with her own weapon when caught off guard you kick the tiny dagger out of the little girl's hand and Shuri is quick to grab it. "You must think yourself a worthy opponent Shuri" Shuri let's her eyes scan you and the white thin cloth that she can't believe you would call a dress "no hugs?" You smile "now why would I hug a murderer?"

"Using the common words I thought the term was a "warrior" I guess you no longer think me a friend?" You gently sign to the child to leave you both be and she does running off on the tips of her toes. "You slaughtered a community Shuri I don't think I can forgive you for that" Shuri nods as approaches you but you still your stance barely noticing the cuts lined upon your arms leaking blood onto the granite floor "it was my people or theirs I was sure you of all people would understand."

"We aged together but I would never murder you know this... You killed. Since when have we done that?" You both circle each other wondering who will pounce first? It could be you with your perfect stance ready to throw Shuri off if she does or it could be Shuri ready to attack if you so far as think to jump. "I was protecting my people!" You shake your head "you were looking for a reason to mask your revenge!" Shuri sighs the breath being the moment of letting her guard down that you just seemed to be waiting for because you grab Shuri by her neck and turn her so quickly she can't get a hold of you. Crouching behind you bring her down with you your knee pressed firmly into her back uncomfortably behind her spinal cord as the other hand stays firmly on her neck "What brings the murderer to my palace?" Shuri gasps carefully her Adams apple bobs beneath the feel of your rough fingers.

"Marry me" you grip loosens just for a moment at the shock of her words and she takes advantage sliding the dagger up your leg and breaking herself free "awukwazi ukuba serious (you can't be serious)" Shuri nods. "I simply need a favor and I shall give you one in return." You shake your head as you hold your leg "no whatever it is no. Absolutely not."

"Your people are dying"

"No"

"Yes"

"Your people are sick"

"No"

"Yes"

"Your people are vegetarian yet I see no greenery what are they eating?"

"Get out." Shuri sighs "let me help" "I don't want your help I don't even know who you are" "I am your friend" Shuri begs you with her eyes but you don't want to hear any words coming from her lips. "Marry me put on a facade and I will feed your people so well they'll be fat. I will help grow the greenery and get rid of the sickness that has consumed you all just fake this one thing for me. Don't be selfish." You sigh and stand up letting the blood drip down your leg "you move different Shuri Udaku..." Shuri says nothing now letting you get your turn to speak "it's not elegant it's not queenly you move like you care for nothing but yourself I'm sure that's true."

"I care about you..."

"You must think me a fool."

~

Within a few hours you're with Shuri on her way back to the kingdom you don't put up a fight after the conversation earlier. The faster you do this the faster your people get better it's sick of Shuri to cut a proposition like this really but it comes to surprise to you that she'd do something so evil. You're right she does move differently. She moves like a queen who doesn't deserve have her throne.

A/n: this took a big turn not even going to lie this was supposed to be some enemies to lovers y'all wasn't even supposed to know each other but once again I took a plot and ran with it. Also very unedited I have some military related stuff just wanted to give y'all something because it's been a very long time and I do apologize for that.

[calisources]

𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐈𝐍𝐕𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐎 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐎𝐘𝐀𝐋 𝐁𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐒 𝐐𝐔𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐒.

All sentences on these meme make references to royal balls, medieval ballrooms or regency, basically set during any period drama. You can change names, pronouns, titles and more as you see fit. Most of these were taken from different source materials found via google search. This meme makes references to masquerades, royal dances and partners.

Dancing, at its best, is independence and intimacy in balance.

Dance is the timeless interpretation of life.

Music does not need language of words for it has movements of dance to do its translation.

Masks reveal. They don’t conceal. Masks reveal your cravings, your passion, your deepest most secret desires.

It was you. I know it was you.

Look at me, Kia! Look me in the eye and tell me you’re not her.

And who shall you be once you don your grand disguise?

I don't like to hear you talk about yourself that way. Your scars do not define you, young lady. Your action do.

All the ladies must dress the same and the men have to find their partners. It’s a game of sorts. 

Even the smallfolk have their own version of the ball, at the steps of the castle.

Swoon, Dora. Every young woman deserves to swoon over the love of her life.

Dash it, Everton, how'd you know it was me?

A masquerade could have been a beautiful dance. 

 Oh, well. What's a royal ball? After all, I suppose it would be frightfully dull, and-and-and boring, and-and completely... Completely wonderful.

Each finds a partner, and upon the bell, we must change partner until we find the one we came to be. . .or the one we desire.

It has been a while since you gave me the honor to dance with you.

If the princess is not too occupied, I would wish for a dance, perhaps?

The Queen and King have to open the ball but the King is gone. No mind, I shall be in his place.

Sometimes in life confusion tends to arise and only dialogue of dance seems to make sense.

If we want our men to dance, we have to inspire them. 

 But with something more, something bigger, something that will give them a reason to want to dance.

But when balls are held for pleasure, They're the balls that I like best.

Will you be my princess for the Ball?

Keeping pushing, Andrei, and you and I are going to play a game.

Nothing like a ball to cheer a nation, give the old lords wine and the young boys the opportunity to find a nice woman and everyone shows up.

Where are you taking me? The ball hasn’t ended.

Royals is like a beautiful, broken angel: hard to look at, but utterly impossible to turn away from.

Attend the royal ball in all your glory and find out what fate has in store for you.

How many dances is one allowed before people begin to whisper?

You cannot behave like a brute. It is my duty to dance with every suitor. I am their princess.

I do not recognize you, my lord? Are you from these lands? 

It is bad luck to steal a princess.

Attend the royal ball in all your glory and find out what fate has in store for you.

There is nothing quite like dancing in the moonlight. It sets your soul on fire and your heart aflutter.

The beauty of a ball is not just in its grandeur, but in the connections it sparks, the emotions it stirs, and the hopes it ignites.

Just keep your eyes on me. No one else here matters.

I shall keep dancing with you until you stop being stubborn and go speak with me. Or you rather have people whisper?

The princess looks beautiful tonight, does she not?

Father, please, you must dance as well. Your dull looks are making people bored.

You promised me a dance when you were better. Are you?

I've loved you at every dance, on every walk, every time we've been together and every time we've been apart.

I can feel people's eyes on me.

Every time I walk into a ballroom, I know they are comparing me to Daphne.

You both get to choose your passions and adventures, while my beloved is chosen by me. And now I must join them for a dance.

Are you planning on running away when the clock strikes midnight? 

If you do wish to go away, I know a spot, secluded enough.

You wish for me to go with you, alone, unchaperoned. I am a maiden, my lord. 

Aye, but I am no lord, sweet maiden. And these masks allow us some privacy.

This is my last chance to find a match on my own accord. If I don’t. The King will do it for me and I would rather not.

 I'm only a girl, not a princess.

Believe me - they're all looking at you.

 They're all looking at you.

You are requested and required to present yourself to your king.

 I do not even know if that beautiful slipper will fit But, if it does--will you take me as I am?

 It would be an insult to take you to the palace dressed in these old rags.

How charming, how perfectly charming.

When I go back, they will try to pair me off with a lady of their choosing. I'm expected to marry for advantage.

Oh. Well, whose advantage would this marriage be of?

I hope you don't find our kingdom too confining.

I am. An apprentice monarch. Still learning my trade.

Our prince seems quite taken with her.

She went straight for him. You have to appreciate her efficiency.

Walk into the room knowing you are the best. Shoulders back, chin up. Their attitudes will totally change.

You dance love, and you dance joy, and you dance dreams.

The ball is about to come to an end, and you have yet not told me your name. 

I thought we agreed we would remain strangers.

I’m afraid my true identity would put you in danger. 

Have you ever been kissed by a stranger at the end of a ball? If not, let me be the first.

Put him on all the invitation lists, he's a divine dancer.

I’m afraid I’m more used to swordfight than ballroom.

You will ruin your pretty gown, princess. I would not wish to step on your toes.

 Silly, I am a great dancer, no one ever steps on my toes.

No. Let them dance. Interrupting would cause a scandal.

One of these men will be my husband one day. What a thought.

The art of husband seeking at it’s peak, during royal ball season. 

Maiden beware, a gentleman can become a beast when the bell strikes.

[glow-worms-are-believers]

Favorite Niece (dp x dc)

Dora took a deep, unneeded breath as she nodded her thanks to sir Wulf. She had much to thank him for, which was made obvious by the glowing portal in front of her. Hopefully, he was satisfied with her offer of asylum should he ever need it if not… Well, that would simply mean this would be the second debt owed she had incurred today.

Sir Ghost Writer had not had any specific requests since every library in her domain had been declared public and she had promised him a boon he could decide upon at a later date. His rare genealogical volumes had been the key for this particular endeavor, and so Dora considered this a fair and needed bargain.

There was no sense delaying this further, the princess - no she was Queen now - thought to herself. Making sure her medallion was in place and her green skin was properly disguised, she squared her shoulders and stepped right through the portal.

The first thing she noticed was the noise, it was much louder than she was used too, not to mention distracting. After another fortifying breath, Dora got the little scrap of paper out of her dress pocket -once again the thought of a dress with pockets sent a tingle of joy down her spine - and unfolded it. Though she now knew the address by heart, the action steadied her a little and she looked up to find a street name. She had asked to be dropped as close as possible so the place should be easy to find. And indeed it was.

Less than five minutes later, Dora stood in front of a nondescript door feeling like her dead heart was beating out of her chest. She raised her hand and in spite of her nerves, knocked firmly. Dora listened as footsteps were heard on the other side of the door, and the dragon-queen felt her anticipation rise. Then, the door opened and Dora was faced with a young blonde woman. As their eyes met, Dora took a deep breath before she opened her mouth.

“May I ask if someone called Harleen Quinzel lives here?”

“You’re lookin’ at her missy,” woman answered with a questioning quirk of her eyebrow.

Looking into the woman’s blue eyes, Dora smiled. “It’s nice to meet you, I’m Dorathea. I’m your aunt, several times removed.”

[liyawritesss]

ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴀᴛ'ꜱ ʙʀᴏᴋᴇ, ʟᴇᴀᴠᴇ ɪᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ʙʀᴇᴇᴢᴇ

Characters: MCU!Shuri Udaku x!Black!Fem!Reader

Type: Fic

Word Count: 11.8k

Synopsis: It’s your sister’s 25th birthday, and she invited you over for the extravagant birthday bash. However, there’s only one problem. Shuri has never met your family. She also isn’t aware of their past mistreatment of you. So when your parents begin to make jabs at you on what is supposed to be a joyous event, Shuri might have to apologize to your sister for what is to come next.

Warnings: cursing, mentions of verbal + physical abuse, mentions of severe anxiety, a very angry Shuri shuts shit down, shitty parents, dysfunctional family dynamics

A/N: So....this came about after watching a clip of Love & Hip Hop ATL, where in the clip one of the guys on the show was confronting his mother about the mistreatment and neglect he got as a kid and how his mother took all her frustrations out on him when he had nothing to do with what she was going through. That video touched exceptionally close to home so I wanted to writing for such an event but with Shuri, as I think for someone who is quite family oriented (or who appears to be), she would definitely have a few choice words to say to parents like that. Plus, I wanted to provide comfort to those going through similar situations as teenagers and young adults with their own parents. So I hope that this brings comfort to some of you, as it has done to me when writing it.

Song Suggestions: "Naked" & "Everything" by Ella Mai, "Let Me Down Slowly" by Alec Benjamin ft. Alessia Cara, "Let It Go" by James Bay, "Losin' Control" by Russ, "Control" by Zoe Wees, "You're Not Here" by Cynthia Erivo, "You Let Me Down" by Alessia Cara

Tags: @6-noir @playhousedistee @shuririsdefenseattorney @shuriszn @venusdraco @wrendermedone @writingintheshadowsforever @mbakuetshurisprincess @verachii @slytherin-34 @the_lesbian-fangirl @h34rtsformilli @strangefishflapturtle @cuddl3s4shur1 @shuriislut @dejaonline @babyboiboyega @badass-dora-milaje @inmyheadimobsessed @aaliyg @cafehyunji @chunkybabygorl @rosielovesfamily @lulu-network @nichole-224 @niyahwrites @lppriceisright @blacksapphhicmaddonna @pantherheart @marsfunzon22

Note: there are some of you that for some reason tumblr won't let me tag, so I apologize in advance.

Sign Up For My Taglist Here!

The closer you were to pulling up to your sister’s home, the harder it was becoming for you to breathe.

It wasn’t like you were ignorant enough to believe you could escape this.  You’d always known, deep down inside, that one day, you’d have to face them again. Yet, here you were, tucked into the smooth tan leather of Shuri’s car, hiding the fact that you were on the verge of an anxiety attack, and your girlfriend to the left of you filled with positive anticipation to meet your family.

Your sister, Alex, was turning twenty-five today. It is a big celebration for your bloodline, and though much of the original purpose of the celebration had been lost due to oral passing, the general belief was that the lucky lady who’d survive to her twenty-fifth birthday was to be guaranteed a long, fulfilling life.

Of course your sister would have a long, fulfilling life. Alex was a woman of greatness. She’d worked hard in school, got into an amazing college, met a handsome guy who she’d married as soon as she landed her first official big-girl job at some law firm in your home city. There wasn’t a doubt in your mind that Alex was guaranteed for greatness.

Alex was…perfect.

You didn’t want to go. As much as you knew it would have hurt her to not have her sister at her side for her big day, Alex would’ve understood. You never liked the elaborate, extravagant lifestyle. You were a simple girl with simple pleasures, who led a simple life and wanted nothing more than to live simply.

Though, that seems contradictory, since about a year ago, you found yourself gaining the attention and affections of the very Queen of Wakanda. How you managed that feat, you would never know.

It was Shuri who had found the invitation. She was visiting you during an monthly check up at one of the outreach facilities posted in your town, when she had inevitably seen the pretty invitation sitting on your kitchen island. It was all written in cursive, no doubt the product of your sister’s perfect penmanship, and most of all, it was addressed to you and Shuri.

You’d only told Alex of your relationship after the six month mark. You wanted to be certain that such a relationship would last; though, now that you thought back on it, what good would it have done Shuri to play you? Her intentions and integrity were clear the first day she had introduced herself to you. She’d never given you any reason to not trust her, and yet, you had still doubted her. It was a period of time you regretted most, and yet, Shuri still loved you. And in realizing that she would continue to do so, even after seeing the ugly parts of you, you allowed yourself to truly love her back.

Shuri was ecstatic to go. She wanted to meet your sister in person, having only ever seen each other through video calls and communicated through text. And with Shuri’s pretty brown doe-eyes that had always been a weakness to you, you couldn’t say no.

And now, here you were, gripping the door handle tightly as you released tight breathes, wondering if it would have been beneficial to sit Shuri down and tell her the reason why your eyes showed a glimpse of dread when she’d picked up that invitation.

“Darling?” The Queen’s voice cuts through the cloudiness that fogs your brain, grounding you in a way only her honey-laced voice could do. “Are you alright?”

No, you want to say, turn the car around, take me home. I don’t want to go there-

“Yeah, just a bit tired.”

Shuri looks at you quizzingly. You have not been acting as yourself since the day she’d stopped by your apartment. Since, she’d been trying to pinpoint the cause, but to no avail. Even after a year together, she still found you hard to read sometimes. It was endearing to her, a challenge she greatly accepted as part of the packaged deal that came with your relationship. 

However, she couldn’t deny that this time, things felt…different.

There’s a melodic beeping that comes from the vehicle, and the red flashing on the dash panel alerts Shuri that the car is running out of gas. And not a second later, a familiar voice speaks from the surround-sound speakers:

Panther, the vehicle is reaching low fuel. It would be wise to refuel soon. There is a petrol station approximately ten miles ahead. Fuel here is priced at four ninety-seven per gallon.

“Thank you, Griot,” Shuri hums, turning to you, “we shall stop there. Fill up on gas and get some snacks. You haven’t eaten much today, my love.”

Though you fix your lips to protest Shuri’s ever so keen observation, the way her hand slips over your thigh, her open palm meeting your skin through the large hole in your ripped jeans, it’s almost enough to have you relent. “I did eat; at breakfast.”

“Which was eight hours ago,” Shuri reminds you, “almost nine, once we arrive at your sisters. I’m sure there will still be room for the food if you just have one bag of chips to hold you over.”

You hate how well Shuri knows you. It makes it hard to hide things with her keen perception and observation skills. Though, you suppose those traits all come with the territory of being The Black Panther.

A sigh escapes your lips, and the lack of a reply worries Shuri. Yet, she does not push. Instead, her thumb continues to swipe in soothing strokes along the smooth skin of your thigh as she continues to drive to the designated gas station.

All of five minutes pass until it comes into view. When Shuri parks at one of the gas lanes, she fishes into her pocket for her wallet. From it she produces a black card, and hands it to you. “Fifty should bring it back up,” the Queen says, “and a bag of chips for you should do the same.”

“Shuri, I said I’m fine-”

“Darling.” Shuri’s tone is firm, yet gentle, and leaves no room for argument. So all you can do is press a kiss to her cheek - a practice routine of mundane intimacy that brings you both pleasure - before exiting the car and walking towards the entrance of the gas station.

Shuri sits back in her seat, a sigh pushing past her lips. She’s not quite sure what to make of your behavior.

In the year that the two of you have been dating, never once did you bring up the topic of your family. Shuri didn’t even know you had a sister until six months ago. Alex reminded her much of Nakia in some sense - powerful and self made, and in that regard, she was glad that you had some semblance of family you could reach out to.

Your parents, however, were another story. A story you had well avoided, and as of recently as a few months ago, downright refused to talk about. It became quite clear that it was a touchy subject for you, so Shuri didn’t pry. However, she could not deny that part of her grew…heated, at the unpleasant thoughts that plagued her mind when it came to the reason for the non-existent relationship between you and them.

“Griot.”

“Yes, Panther?”

“What were my beloved’s vitals during the ride?”

A beat passes, as Griot computes.

“(Y/N)’s heart rate had been jumping from one hundred forty-five to one hundred seventy beats per minute. Her grip on the door was strong enough to break a thin glass cup. It appears (Y/N) was on the verge of an anxiety attack, but had been fighting it off for the duration of your journey.”

Shuri curses under her breath, more or less to herself at the information that had been relayed to her. 

“She has been on edge all morning,” Shuri says aloud, “I did not ask, for fear of triggering her, but I cannot allow her to feel threatened.”

Shuri knows your triggers like the back of her hand. She’s learned to speak in a level tone to avoid startlement; she’s learned to make her presence known when entering your space; and most importantly, she reassures you, letting you know each and every day how much she loves you, how much she treasure your existence in her life, and how she vows to hold your heart with the utmost care in the world.

Shuri is the smartest person in the world, and yet, she cannot decipher the reason behind her lover’s heightened emotions. If it weren’t for the fact that she was focused on figuring out why you were like this, and how to calm you down, she’d surely find the thought embarrassing.

“Might I speak freely, Panther?”

A hum rumbles from Shuri’s throat as a sign for the artificial intelligence to continue.

“(Y/N)’s vitals have been heighted since one week ago,” Griot points out, “around the same time she had received the invitation to her sister’s birthday party. It would be safe to assume that these two instances have a correlation with one another.”

  “You are insinuating that Alex’s birthday party is somehow the cause of my love’s anxiety spiking?”

“Perhaps not the party, but rather, who will be there, Panther.”

Silence fills the car as Shuri takes in the information given to her. Though, she doesn’t have much to think on it, as she spots your figure exiting the sticker-covered glass door of the gas station, a black plastic bag in hand, of which she hopes holds the snacks she had requested of you to get for yourself. She exits the car and takes hold of the gas nozzle, opening up the tiny door and unscrewing the protection cap, and slots the nozzle into the car to fill with fuel.

A few moments pass before Shuri returns to the car, having placed the nozzle back in it’s place and secured the gas compartment. Her black card rests on the arm rest, which she slips back into her wallet as the corner of her eyes catches you with something in your hand - something that’s not a bag of chips.

“I thought I told you chips, darling?” Shuri asks as she starts up the car again.

“I got chips!” You respond. “I wanted a Twix, too.”

Your free hand fishes into the black plastic back to produce a bottle of water for Shuri, slotting it into the cup holder.

“What is this?” Shuri asks, gesturing to the water bottle.

“You were thirsty,” You point out.

Shuri indeed was thirsty. She can’t help the smile that paints her lips soon after, taking the water bottle into her hand, unscrewing the cap, and taking a swig of the water.

“Are you sure you’re alright, my love?” Shuri asks once more after setting the water back down, preparing to put the car into motion.

To busy chewing on the cookie-chocolate-caramel treat, you opt for nodding your head, a short ‘mhm’ to accompany it.

As much as Shuri wanted to question further, she knew nothing would come of it. So she slips her hand back onto your thigh, presses down on the gas, and rolls out of the gas station, the conversation with Griot filing back into her mind as she drives down the long strip of highway.

“My parents are gonna come.”

You’d said it the second Shuri had parked into the driveway of your sister’s home. With each second that passed on the way there, your chest kept growing tighter and tighter. You thought that maybe if you focused on Shuri’s touch on you, or her low singing voice when Tems starts to flood the car with her hypnotic, warm and swelling voice, that maybe you would be able to calm down and not worry her. It usually worked, but perhaps because this instance was due to the fact that you would be seeing your parents for the first time in years, what was usually the cure for your attacks did very little to help.

Shuri pauses as the words leave your lips, and for a moment, it looks as if she is cross. And while she has every right to be, you hope that it isn’t at you.

You should have told her before the two of you left, as you thought to do. It plagued your mind when you were in the shower, when you were fixing your hair, when you were choosing your outfit. And Shuri had been in the same apartment with you the entire time. You had ample enough time to tell her and yet…you didn’t. You couldn’t.

You know Shuri. She would try to remain calm and collected for you, to not show her anger, because of course she would be angry either way. The car ride would have been in silence, the air thickening with each mile crossed from one city to the other. But you would know that she was upset. She should be upset now because you just dropped this bomb on her and-

“Beloved,” the Queen mutters to you, bringing you from your thoughts once more, “look at me.”

Your head turns to face Shuri. She’s put the car into park, one arm leaning on the arm rest, the other reaching over to soothe your nerves by caressing your outer thigh. She looks at you with a softness that relieves some of the pressure on your chest stunting your breathing. Her gaze tells you that she is not cross with you.

“Hey,” she says, “I am not upset with you.” And the reassurance helps you unclench the fists your hands have balled into.

She doesn’t speak again until she’s certain that your breathing has evened out, as opposed to the harsh and forced inhale-exhale pattern from before. “Is there…anything I should know?”

You tear your eyes away, but Shuri’s gaze remains firm. Consistency is key, she’s learned, when it comes to you confiding in her. Her eyes are your safe space, you will return to them. And you do, after a short moment, trying to gather your mind together.

“They’re not nice people,” you confess, eyes hesitantly returning to hers, “they’ll try and woo you and shit, but don’t fall for it. They ain’t shit.”

“Okay,” Shuri hums, “and…is there anything I can do? For you?”

“Um,” a shaky breath racks through your throat, as you speak, “they’re not here now. Alex texted me that, so I should be fine, but when they get here…j-just, don’t leave me alone.”

“I will not leave you alone.” Shuri assures. Her hand gathers yours into hers, your palms rendered chilly from cold sweat. “I promise.”

Gathering your hands into hers, Shuri brings them to her lips and presses a kiss to them. She then reaches over to press a kiss to your lips, of which you reciprocate gladly.

“Thank you for talking to me about this,” the Queen commends, “and telling me how to best take care of you. I know it is not easy-”

“I hate it-” you correct, which brings a grin to Shuri’s lips and a chuckle from her throat, because yes, she knows you hate it.

“-but you are doing it, and I am very proud of you for it.”

It’s sincere, Shuri’s praise. It’s still not easy for you to digest it, but you know her love is not transactional, conditional. She means what she says, and you know her love for you is unconditional and unyielding. 

She loves you. 

She is proud of you.

The pressure on your chest becomes lighter.

Upon exiting the car, you’re approached by your sister, Alex, who had seen the two of you pull into the driveway and wanted to be the first person you’d engage with. You’re not shocked when you see her eyes glassy looking - it’s been years since you two last saw each other face to face.

Alex is hesitant when approaching you - she wants to envelop you in the most bone-crushing hug she can muster, because she misses you and it has been so long since she’d held her baby sister. Though all it takes is for you to outstretch your arms to her, and Alex embraces you in the way she had been dreaming of.

“Oh, mama,” Alex breathes as she pulls away to get a better look at you. You notice the youthfulness in her face and the life in her eyes. She looks happy, “look at you. All grown up. My baby sissy is all grown ‘nd shit.”

It’s heartfelt, her words, and they make you smile. Alex turns to look at Shuri, who’s chosen to stand to the side to witness the sisterly reunion without interrupting. “And you have a girlfriend? You have to tell me how this happened.”

“By complete accident,” you say, as Shuri steps up. Her hand presses into the small of your back, encouraging you while she holds the other out to greet Alex officially, “but I guess anything can happen when you spill coffee on someone in the middle of a morning rush.”

“It is a pleasure to finally meet you in person, Alex.” Shuri says.

Alex shakes Shuri’s hand, and the Queen notes the hesitance in the older sister's movements. “Well, it’s not every day you meet the queen of a country. Much less, a queen of a country that’s also my sister’s girlfriend.”

“Well, I hope not to bring too much excitement with my titles,” says Shuri, “I am more than alright with being just Shuri.”

She sincerely hoped that she could just remain Shuri. For if a situation arises that she would have to act in the manner of either of her titles - Queen or Black Panther - she could not promise that the birthday celebration would remain a splendor.

An hour passes before either of you know it. You’ve found entertainment amongst the younger cousins who all gawk at your girlfriend, who sits not too far away. Shuri has a cup of punch in hand as she watches you chase the children around the yard, a small smile on her lips. It’s as if you are reliving a part of your childhood you’ve missed, the way you seem so content with the children. It all but warms her heart.

“So,” Alex’s voice interrupts Shuri’s not so discreet admiration of her girlfriend, nearly making the Queen jump, “you and my sister?”

“Ah,” Shuri breathes, looking down into her cup as a rush of heat travels up her dark skin, “me and your sister.”

“I’m not gonna go into the whole interrogation thing, grilling you on if you’re treating her right,” Alex says, “I see how you look at her. If that ain’t the look of someone in love, then I’on know what is.”

Shuri chuckles at that, because she knows that Alex’s observations are true. In fact she has no idea just how correct her observation is.

Shuri leans forward in her seat, elbows propped up on her knees as she finds your figure amidst the mess of kids once again. Her necklace dangles from her neck, the gold contrasting against her black tee that nearly meets the fabric of her ripped blue jeans with her hunched over position.

“(Y/N) is…the ray of sunlight one sees after a long, dark night,” the Queen hums fondly, “and had I known my gods would send me such a woman, I would have prepared myself better.”

Alex smiles warmly. She can tell the strong connection between you and Shuri is pure and unadulterated. It warms her heart beyond comparison.

“Thank you for coming, truly,” Alex says, “I was almost worried she wouldn’t, since our parents would be here and everything.”

And at the mention of them, Shuri finds her jaw tightening just the slightest.

“Your parents?” Shuri is beginning to put two and two together, and she doesn’t like the outcome that is unfolding from her assumptions, however careful they are.

“I…assume she’s told you about them?” Alex implies.

Shuri shakes her head lightly, taking a sip of her semi-forgotten punch. “I find myself piecing the picture together on my own…She does not talk about them.”

“That isn’t a surprise,” Alex says, “given…well, everything.”

Shuri turns her head to look at Alex. Her eyes are firm, inquisitive; Alex’s words have sparked an interest in Shuri.

”She says they aren’t good people. Is that true?”

“Depends on who you ask,” Alex replies, “to the community, their saints. To us they’re just….people.”

Shuri notes the hint of solemness that laces Alex’s voice as she speaks. “They weren’t good to either of us…but they were especially bad to (Y/N).” Alex clarifies. “You know what they say; hurt people, hurt people.”

Not when the person is your child, Shuri thinks, but keeps to herself, taking another sip of her punch. Things are starting to make sense now, and Shuri finds that perhaps she will also have to have you at her side to ground her whenever your parents decide to show up.

“So you mean to tell me you got yourself stuck in a tree, and then got angry because she tried to help you get down?”

“I was not stuck! I was admiring the view.”

“Sure you were…with tears coming down your face.”

“I think this classifies as bullying-”

Shuri had grown quite comfortable as the next hour passed. More of your family had begun to show up, a number of aunts and uncles, nieces and nephews, and cousins wishing Alex a happy birthday as they passed through the foyer of her house and into the backyard. Shuri couldn’t count the amount of gasps she’d heard when their eyes fell upon her, sat comfortably in the outdoor gazebo, her presence obviously a surprise to the many relatives who had come to celebrate the special birthday girl. Much more, the fact that she had you close to her side as she greeted them.

The behavior of your family members irked her. Shuri suspected that Alex had talked to each of the adults to assure that they’d be on their best behavior for the occasion, given the tight smiles and curt greetings between each of them and you. Or perhaps it was because of her own intimidating presence next to you, and the fact that she wasn’t even trying to hide the look in her eyes as she analyzed each adult that seemed to pass through.

“Babe,” you cleared your throat, “stop looking like that, you’re scaring them.”

“Looking like what?”

“Like you’re contemplating murder.”

Would it have been so bad if she was, though?

Shuri sighs as she places the red solo cup she had been nursing for a while onto the table. “Just behave, for Alex-”

“I am behaving for you,” the queen clarifies, “and your sister would say the same.”

Unable to comment any further, you released an exhale through the nose, sinking back into Shuri’s side.

“It’s guilt, y’know.” You try to reason, but Shuri had already considered that route. Perhaps there were a few who did have a guilty conscience. Shuri didn’t find herself caring if that was true or not. “They’re not bad.”

“Beloved-”

“Shuri.”

“-I am merely observing,” she says, “I promise.”

Of course Shuri was only observing. Observing the behavior of each adult family member. How they acted towards you. How very little regard was given to you. How, with the amount of bodies that have accumulated in the backyard, the gazebo area remained relatively desolate, beside the two of you, Alex, and Alex’s black and white spotted cat, who had made a home on the red painted banister.

Sure. Shuri was just observing. Definitely not questioning anything at all. Definitely not formulating words she would say to your parents if they decided to make themselves an issue.

“I’m gonna go get a shot,” you say, before propping yourself up with your hands and lifting from the cushion of the outdoor couch, “you want a refill?”

You take Shuri’s cup before she officially gives you a response. You needed a way out, to move around so that the beating in your chest could quell.

Inside there isn’t much of a party scene - it's practically empty besides a teenage family member fighting their sleep on the couch while watching an infant in the living room. The music from outside is muffled when you enter the house, and you take the time to admire the mahogany walls and deep maroon floors of the home. You could compare it to the childhood home you’ve grown up in, and you think that perhaps this was Alex’s way of healing. Recreating your shared childhood environment in a more peaceful manner.

You find the kitchen quite easily, rounding the kitchen island in pursuit of the adult punch purposefully left inside so that the underaged family members wouldn’t get it confused with the family friendly punch that rested in a big glass bowl on the party table outside. On the counter is an array of liquor choices, from fruit flavored tequila to everyone's favorite, Hennessy. You weren’t a drinker, but this far into the party, you needed some sort of incentive to get you to relax a little bit.

Once you’ve chosen your choice of liquor, you take a red solo cup, pour what you deemed to be a shot's worth, and downed it in one gulp. The burn in your throat definitely woke your senses, of which you were grateful for.

On your way towards the kitchen doorway, Shuri’s refilled solo cup in hand, the sound of familiar voices drifted to your ears from the foyer, and it made you stop dead in your tracks. 

“Happy birthday baby!”

“Happy birthday, babygirl.”

“Oh, look at you, all grown up-”

It took everything in you to not drop the cup in your hand at the sound of your parents making their presence known. You backed into the kitchen again, your back finding a nearby wall to ground yourself with. Your chest began to tighten, a tight lump forming in your throat, and in that moment, your hand fished for your phone in your back pocket to text Shuri.

Kitchen. Now.

There was a light shake in your hands. You hated how just the mere sound of their voices sent you into a spiral; how much of an influence they still had on you after trying so hard to separate yourself from them. Then they had the nerve  to act pleasant.

There was a growing ringing in your ears, accompanied with the muffling of surrounding noise that made you breathe harder as you tried to stabilize yourself from the very apparent anxiety attack that was waiting to crash into you. You couldn’t decipher if it was the same one from before that you had fended off by sheer will, or if this was a new, more powerful one. However, when the smell of patchouli made its way to your nose, the thought of it became seconded.

“Hey,” Shuri whispered, one hand running the length of your arm, the other taking the cup from your hand that was seconds away from meeting the floor, and settling it onto the kitchen island, “hey, I am right here.”

“They’re out there, Shuri.” You breathe out.

Something shifts in Shuri’s eyes, and you can’t quite tell what it was, but the way her grip on you tightens in the ever so slightest way lets you know she’s thinking something.

“We can leave, beloved,” Shuri begins, but you’re quick to cut her off with a shake of your head.

“No,” you say, swallowing thickly, “I can’t leave, it’s Alex’s birthday-”

“Alex will understand, love; would she really want you to risk your own self for her?”

I’ve done it for years, the little girl in you voices tiredly, what’s another evening of it?

Shuri never wants to be forceful with you. She knows you’re your own woman and can make your own decisions, even if they go against her better judgment, even if they hurt you. Which is why, against every logical bone in her body, she proposes a compromise.

“Three chances,” Shuri says, “three chances is all they have. Then we will leave. How does that sound?”

Knowing Shuri, she’ll want to throw hands at the first encounter. It was endearing, really, how hard she went for you. The extent of such craze was never explored, simply because she was always calm, cool and collected. There was a part of you that always wondered  the extent of it as well.

And, in hindsight, you weren’t wrong about her.

Shuri peaks from the kitchen doorway and into the foyer, seeing Alex still entertaining the two adults, their backs turned towards the Queen, which gave her the incentive to leave while the trio were occupied.

She mutters a quick ‘let’s go’ with a gentle smile, and after a few seconds, you nod. Your hand finds her, tightly interlocking your fingers as Shuri pulls you back to the backyard gazebo. Shuri had no idea the depths she was about to breach in the layers of your estranged family, but whatever the case may be, she will not let you face it alone.

It was almost the perfect getaway, too, but apparently Shuri wasn’t fast enough in getting you out of the house. She heard the matured voice of your mother call out to you, asking if it was her other daughter, and Shuri supposed that it wasn’t meant to be taken in a demeaning way, but the queen certainly did. Perhaps it was predisposed biases, perhaps it was intentional. Either way, Shuri would make sure to take as much of the burden off you as she could.

“Mom,” you say, jaws tight, but Shuri stands close behind you, a hand on your waist, and it stabilizes you, “good to see you.”

The older woman, short in stature, with wide hips and thick arms, saw Shuri standing behind you, but whether or not she didn’t address her because she didn’t recognize the queen or because she simply didn’t care couldn’t be deciphered. “Come give me a hug-!”

“I’m good,” you hurriedly said, “just- uh, not feeling well.”

“Don’t be like that,” the deep, bolstering voice of your father chimed in; a large man with an intimidating physique. Shuri was not phased, her arm only snaked it’s way around your waist, “give your mama a hug, lil’ girl-”

“I said I’m good.” You reiterate more firmly, though there was an added incentive to clear your throat shortly afterwards to make your fib more believable. “Really; I know how easy it is for y’all to get sick.”

There was a moment of pause - and exchange of glances and a shift in energy before a light ‘humph’ came from your mother’s throat. “Well, I suppose that makes sense,” she snooted, “and I suppose that’s why your friend there is the exception-?”

“Girlfriend, actually,” Shuri interrupts, though it wasn’t planned, and surely wasn’t expected, “it is one of many perks of being the Black Panther. I do not succumb to normal colds and illnesses as easily.”

The pads of Shuri’s fingers press into your side as she steps beside you; she’s now side to side with you, face your parents with a high chin and a look you were sure she’d only pulled out when in front of important people - or people who she suspected would try to intimidate her, yet she’d still have to play nice for publicity purposes.

“Allow me to introduce myself formally,” Shuri said, holding out her hand for your mother to take; the shorter woman did just so as Shuri spoke again, “I am Queen Shuri to my people, but for tonight's festivities, I would like to remain just Shuri.”

“A queen?” Your mother breathes out in an amused chuckle, though you couldn’t tell if it was in actual amusement or in disbelief. “Well, perhaps we did do something right with her, hm, honey?”

Strike one.

Shuri’s hand then reaches out to your father, who stares at the long, brown arm outstretched before him for a moment, before taking one of his thick, meaty hands, and shaking Shuri’s tinier one. Though, the look on his face when the queen’s grip strengthened around his hand was enough to tell you his surprise and lack of proper judgment on the brown-skinned woman.

“Got a…firm grip for a lil’ lady.” He says.

“Well,” Shuri begins as she slips her hand from your fathers, “my baba and big brother always said a firm hand makes a firm leader.”

“Well, wise men they were.”

There was much to observe in the few words shared between Shuri and your parents. Your father hid very well behind the facade of a pleasant man of few words. Perhaps he was sculpted that way, by your mother or by his own parents; either one didn’t matter, only that the end result was a man with a weaker grip than the elders she held council with, and they were pushing their latter years of nineties and hundreds. Your parents looked to be in their mid-forties.

Your mother…Shuri admits that she wished her own were still alive, for the words she knew Ramonda would have for this short-stack of a woman would be more lethal than any weapon produced by her own hands. Condescension laced in her voice with a familiar tone of jealousy that she’d heard and witnessed many black mothers having towards their own daughters. It wasn’t hard to tell, Shuri thought, but perhaps when enough people ignore such a dangerous thing, the ugly nature becomes a tolerable norm.

“Well, if you will excuse us,” says the queen, “I’m going to take my beloved to sit down. She is in much need of rest.”

Shuri did not give your parents time to react, nor to object to the sudden ending to the conversation. She’d quickly pivoted your body around and walked back outside to the gazebo, a firm hand on your back and a ticking clock in her head for when the next strike would come.

Sure enough, Shuri did not have to wait long for that second strike. 

After getting you back to the gazebo to take a seat, on the verge of hyperventilating from the amount of anxiety the back and forth gave you, despite the fact that you weren’t even the one talking, Alex had come with a look of disdain. Your parents were in tow, as they claimed to want to ‘have a sit down and reconnect’. Of course, Shuri didn’t buy into that bullshit. Neither did Alex. And surely, neither did you.

And yet, neither you nor Alex yet had the courage to send them off, and Shuri, keeping herself in check, had no other choice but to allow them to sit with the three of you. So now you were tucked into Shuri’s side, phone in hand as a distraction, while Alex sat on a beige-cushioned chair to your left, and your parents in a similar-fashioned loveseat to the queen’s right.

Alex was kind enough to hide her discomfort in nervous laughs and meek agreements as your mother and father raved on about your childhoods. Specifically, the accomplishments of Alex, which would have been understandable as it was her birthday, if it didn’t have to include the ‘disappointments’ of yours they had to bring into the light.

“Remember the speech competition your grammar school had, Lexi-Pooh,” your mother chimed, using the youthful nickname Alex very physically cringed over, “you won your first ever trophy then at eight years old! Oh, we were so proud of you-”

“Mom, everyone got a trophy,” Alex reminded, putting emphasis on the word ‘everyone’ as she spared a glance your way, “we were babies, and it was a participation trophy. They just didn’t want us to be left out.”

“Well, still, my baby had the best poem on that stage!”

“Mom, I literally stole that poem off the internet.” Alex reasons.

“Yeah, off DeviantArt no less,” you speak with a chuckle, remembering the nights your sister scoured the internet for a poem to read because she, for the life of her, couldn’t write her own. Which she couldn’t be faulted for, she was in third grade after all.

Alex shares a small laugh as well. “If anyone should have won that competition, it should’ve been (Y/N),” She says. “All the teachers swore up and down she was gonna be the next Lorraine Hansberry or Audre Lorde. I bet you she got some bars hidden somewhere.”

Your mother could only hum in response; “Well, we can’t all be winners, I guess.”

There was a familiar sting that ached your heart. Despite how used you were to such rhetoric coming from your mother, it didn’t make the twang in your heart any less hurtful.

“You never liked that kinda stuff anyway, (Y/N),” your mother says, “so why did you join it-”

“I do like writing,” you say sharply, “and I wanted to be like my sister. Who doesn’t wanna be like their older sister at seven years old?”

You glanced up from your phone to look between the three people sitting before you. Alex shifts in her seat, uncomfortably, slightly shaking her head as she knows what is to come.

“Or were you just so busy with your perfect princess that you ain’t have time to learn me?”

“(Y/N)!” Your mother scolds, and you feel the protective arm of Shuri’s curl around you in defense. “Hush your mouth with them lies, girl!”

Your father remains silent, as he’s always done when your mother gets this way, and Shuri sees this, and takes note of it.

“I swear, I don’t know where we went wrong with you,” your mother huffs, “lost yo’ damn manners and mind talkin’ like that.”

Your mother then turns to Shuri, sporting an apologetic look, though it is not sincere, and merely a coverup for her own outburst. “Now I know your mother taught you well and good, Shuri, about how to talk to people and behave-”

“My mother is dead.” 

There is an inevitable shift in the conversation now, one that brings the eyes to Shuri as a deafening silence befalls the gazebo. Even you rise from your curled position into Shuri’s side to eye her demeanor, checking over her form to note any changes that came with the sudden mention of her mother. Yet, she is calm and collected, her eyes showing no shifts and her demeanor intact. All seemed well…on the surface, at least.

“My mother is dead, may she be at peace with the ancestors,” Shuri says, “and she is incomparable. I do not wish to speak further of her.”

A beat passes. Your hand travels to Shuri’s leg, providing a comforting touch to the woman beside you. You weren’t ignorant to the news of her family’s passing - since her father’s death, you’d had a semblance of understanding the inner turmoil she had endured. With her brother and mother gone, she was virtually alone - save for a sister-like figure and a nephew she’d only told you a little bit about in the past few months or so.

You wanted to say something, but your mother beat you to it - this time, she actually sounded somewhat apologetic for her ignorance.

“My condolences,” the woman mutters softly, clearing her throat, “I only meant that she must have had it easy raising you. You’re so well put together and polite, if only some of that would rub off on (Y/N)!”

Strike two.

“Mom, stop it,” Alex interrupts, voice firm with a scowl on her face, “you doin’ a lil’ too much now.” 

“Now, your mama ain’t said nun’ wrong,” your father suddenly speaks, who had been quite the entire conversation, but suddenly decided to stick up for his woman who was clearly in the wrong, “it’s just ladies spat, y’all know how y’all do.”

“And like I said before y’all got here, I don’t want it in my house.” Alex emphasizes. “If that’s the type of time y’all on, the door is very clearly marked with an obnoxiously pink birthday banner. Period.”

There was a small swell of pride in your chest for Alex as she set her foot down to your parents. She was determined to have them behave; she wanted a classy, friendly party for her birthday celebration. Though, she would know just as well as you that even when being put in place, the audacity of your parent’s always found itself back into trouble.

Your mother mumbled out an apology, along with something along the lines of ‘got me apologizing to my child’ under her breath as well, before you cleared your throat in an attempt to cut through the tension.

“Shuri, baby,” you hummed, “don’t we have something for Alex? In the car?”

Shuri turned to look at you, eyebrows slightly furrowed, before she officially caught on to what you were insinuating.

“Yes,” the queen breathes out with a small smile, “we do have something in the car. For the birthday girl.”

Alex, too, shares the same look Shuri previously sported, with furrowed eyebrows and confusion written on her face. “M-Me? Something for me?”

“Of course!” Shuri answers. “Surely you did not think we would show up empty handed?”

Shuri’s hand rests on your leg, both as a reminder of her very physical presence as a grounding for herself, “How foolish of me to forget. I do not know what I would do without you, my darling.”

Shuri stands, offering her hand to you as well, adding on how she will need your help to retrieve it, before escorting you from the gazebo. While on your way to exit the yard, Shuri can hear Alex giving your parents a further scolding, which makes the queen smile mischievously.

It wasn’t a complete lie for escape, however. Shuri was nice enough to buy a gift for your sister for her birthday, though it wasn’t anything massive, and despite your constant jokes of it, wasn’t a pair of kimoyo earrings (though, from Alex’s birthday outfit, she could tell that she was a jewelry girl, and a pair of earrings probably would have sufficed better).

“I’m starting to understand why you never told me about your parents,” Shuri says in a breathless scoff, pressing a button on her beads to pop open the trunk of her car, “infuriating doesn’t even begin to describe them.”

“Are you okay?” You ask in all seriousness. “The..comment about your mom, I mean.”

How could you be worried of her feelings when she’d just had to watch your mother berate you in front of her? Shuri wonders this as she turns from the open trunk of the car to face you again. Though, she supposes that from that interaction, you were more used to centering others and their emotions than yourself. Although it caused an ache in her heart, the revelation made sense of previous actions between the two of you.

“What I said was true,” the queen replies, “though I admit, perhaps there was a bite in my tongue.”

“I’m surprised you didn’t curse her out.”

“Well…I do have a promise to keep to Alex.” Shuri says in a soft laugh. “I do not want to be the cause of her birthday being ruined. Your parents are making it fairly hard to do that, however.”

Shuri closes the trunk of the car, the tiny bag holding Alex’s gift inside being set on top of it as the queen leans against the sleek black vehicle. She invites you into her embrace, pulling you between her legs and resting her hands on your hips; yours make their way onto her shoulders, a weak smile on your face.

“That’s two strikes by my count.”

“I know.”

“We have yet to even make it to dinner.”

“I know.”

“What do you want to do, beloved?”

I don’t know anymore, you think, this is all just too much.

“Let’s…stay.”

Part of you was reluctant to leave due to wanting to experience your sister’s birthday with her. You’d all but promised that you’d come to enjoy yourself with Shuri, even if your parents made that hard. But there was also an inkling of pettiness inside of you that wanted to show the assholes your parents were to the rest of your family members (who, while had suspicions of their weird behaviors and holier-than-thou rhetoric, would rather not engage in family drama to keep peace amongst the ranks). 

“I’m not letting them get the better of me,” you add on, “today is for Alex. And if they wanna make it a problem, it can be a problem.”

The look on Shuri’s face was a mix of shock and pride; she hadn’t expected you to say that, and if she were being honest with herself, she was secretly anticipating such a moment to occur. Perhaps because it would give her a chance to release the pent up frustrations that had collected within her due to your parents actions; perhaps it was because seeing you stand your ground had always been an attractive sight to her. Regardless, the small smile that spread across her face was a reflection of her hopefulness.

“One more chance, then?”

“Hopefully they make it count.”

Shuri remembers how she used to dislike family dinners.

The prospect of eating with her family irked her at a young age. Though she loved her parents and her brother dearly, her teenage self was far too absorbed in her technological advances to actively partake in the family tradition. She’d taken such a routine for granted, and now, the dinner table in the large palace she called home was barren. She barely ate there anymore, consumed by the regret of not making such precious moments a priority in her youth.

As she sits next to you at the elongated party table with the rest of your family members, she notes the same air of barrenness, but not of presence of people. It is a barrenness of love.

The behavior of certain family members began to change as the night progressed. Despite the lingering glares of your family members, many aunts and uncles approached you again, expressing their joy in seeing your presence. Perhaps it was truly the guilt that you mentioned earlier, how these extended family members were subject to the bystander syndrome, and hadn’t known how to deal with their guilty consciences for whatever reason. Perhaps these people did genuinely want to reconnect with their long lost niece, cousin, auntie. Shuri would never admit it aloud to anyone, but seeing the look of distaste upon your parents face was entertaining to say the least.

“So do you drive a space ship everywhere you go?” One of your many nephews asked the queen out of curiosity, big brown eyes and white bucked-teeth shining with glee, as he’d never seen anyone of her status before.

“Not everywhere,” Shuri answers, “only the far away places.”

“Do you go to other planets? Like Mars? Or Pluto?”

“Hmm,” the queen thinks, “I don’t think I have. I shall put that on my books and tell you about it upon my return. How does that sound, little one?”

“Awesome!”

Seeing Shuri interact with the younger children eased your tense body and racing mind. She was almost a natural with them, it seemed. You leaned into her side, your cheek squishing against her shoulder with a playful huff. “Can I have my girlfriend back, please? You’ve been askin’ her questions since we got to the table.”

“Nu-uh!” Objects the little boy. “Have not!”

“Have too, lil’ boy,” you reject, “now gon’ eat so your mama don’t yell at you.”

“Can we talk about spaceships after dinner then, Auntie Shuri?”

Shuri wasn’t sure if she should adhere to the new term, having only known the child for an hour or so, but to entertain him, she allowed it. “Sure. We can talk about spaceships after dinner.”

Thankfully, the young boy seemed to be satisfied with the compromise, and began to eat his plate of food. Shuri turns to you with an amused grin, eyebrows raised as she asks “Were you jealous of your own nephew?”

“I can be jealous if I want to,” you pout, bottom lip tucked out in protest, “lil’ shit was taking you away from me.”

Shuri laughs at your banter, both glad that you’ve somewhat relaxed, and that the evening seemed to be going well. She hoped that it would stay like this.

The clinking of metal to glass caught her attention, as well as the other partygoers. Looking towards the head of the table, Alex is standing, grasping the attention of everyone in order to speak.

“Now, we all know the reason today is such an important day, aside from the fact that it’s my birthday,” Alex begins, glancing around the table, making eye contact with each individual, “though some of the kids might not know. And since we have a newcomer with us,” she says, gesturing to Shuri, who returns a nod of acknowledgement as she speaks, “I figured now is as good of a time to talk about why we celebrate the twenty-fifth birthday of the girls in our family.”

Alex sets the glass down, clears her throat, and speaks again. “Now the story has never been written down, but anyone who has sat between Nana and Great Nana’s legs to get their hair done will know the story by heart. A generation or so before them, our family had a ‘curse’ on us girls. One of our enslaved ancestors was forced to ‘engage’ with their owner who desired a mixed child. That ancestor cursed our bloodline so that no girls would survive, and slowly our numbers began to dwindle.”

You always loved to hear this story. You were never sure why, but it had always been more than hair braiding entertainment to keep a child's attention. The raw history that your grandmother and great-grandmother passed down your line of lineage always held a special place in your heart.

“Then one thing lead to another, a generation passes, and a girl is born…and she lives old enough to run away with another slave guy she fell in love with. And that ancestor had Great Nana, who had Nana, who had mom and the aunties…who had us.”

You’d been sitting to Alex’s right when she extended her hand to you to hold. You accepted it with a warm smile. She’d done the same to your mother as well.

“Reaching twenty-five is like a right of passage. Guarantees to a long, fulfilling life. And that is what we celebrate tonight.”

There were a series of claps, cheers, whoops and hollers that erupted from the table, coming from the queen herself as well. It was indeed a remarkable retelling, she thought, and she even noticed the way that Alex posed herself as a bridge between you and your mother. She applauded the woman for still trying to reconcile, but knew that there was no hope for such a feat.

As soon as Alex sat down, your mother took a stand. “I’d like to make a toast as well.”

Shuri felt you lean just a little bit closer to her. 

“My baby, oh, what can I even say?” Your mother begins, striking up a face of pride. “You were perfect since the day I first laid eyes on you. I knew you’d be destined for greatness, and I can’t be any more proud of you than I am now. My baby girl is all grown up, and I can’t wait to see more of the outstanding woman you’ve become…”

Another round of applause echoes throughout the backyard, and Shuri breathes. Though she doesn’t trust your mother one bit, the words that came from her mouth seemed very genuine-

“...and you are more than fit to carry on this tradition. My only daughter that can.”

-nevermind.

The distant crickets could be heard as your mother took her seat again, seemingly proud of her little stunt. Perhaps she thought it was something good to say, but neither you, Alex, or Shuri saw the need for the ending.

“That ending wasn’t needed, but thank you.” Alex says through gritted teeth, a sigh leaving her lips. It was much like the older woman to need the last word, and although Alex truly hoped she would behave, her own patience was waning thin with the woman and her antics.

“We have a toast as well!”

Shuri whips her head to you, brows furrowed in confusion as she whispers, “We do?”

The words leave your lips before you can actually think about what you’re about to do. Upstaging your mother had never been something you’d acted upon, although you’d fantasized about shutting her up numerous times with your own words; the courage was just never there. Perhaps it was because now you were older, or perhaps it was because you now knew that Alex was on your side, or perhaps it was because you had Shuri next to you to back you up. Whatever it was, it began surging through your veins that once were riddled and crippled with anxiety.

Nonetheless, you’re standing up, and so is Shuri, so there isn’t any backing down now. All eyes were on you.

“Sister,” you begin, reaching your hand out Alex who stands up again to be eye level with you, “I will make this quick, ‘cuz you know I hate sappy shit.”

Alex laughs a little. Her grip on your hands is comforting, and the way she looks at you is almost in a coaching matter. She hadn’t expected such a burst of confidence either, but wasn’t about to let you face it alone.

“We’ve had our…ups and down,” you say, “and there were ‘things’ happening that I blamed you for, that I pushed you away for. But you’ve always been there. You were..the only person there.”

You feel Shuri’s hand caress the small of your back for support. You feel like crying, and you're not sure the reason for it, but you push it down and continue.

“I am grateful for you, and I’m glad I came to celebrate with you…and I love you.”

The air that was once thick when you started to speak seemed to ease when you said those last three words. And again, claps and praises flew out into the air at the confession. Alex, the much more sappier of one of the two of you, tried to keep her eyes from swelling with tears, but of course it was harder for her to do so.

“Don’t you start crying,” you say playfully through the loudness of the table, “‘cus you know if you do, then I’ma start crying, and we just gon’ be two snotty nosed bitches-”

Yet you didn’t get the chance to finish, because Alex then pulls you into her embrace. It’s tight and full of love, and she gives you no choice but to sink into it. For a second, it seems like the noise drowns out as you bask in the love from your sister, and you hear a faint ‘thank you’ being whispered into your ear right as she pulls away.

“I suppose this means it is my turn,” Shuri says sheepishly, once the embrace has finished and you’ve returned right at her side. She’d been thinking of what to day this entire time, though each scenario that she had run through her head didn’t seem worthy of a quality toast to a quality woman, “I shall try to make this toast worthy of your time, Miss Birthday Girl.”

“Sitting at this table, surrounded by all of you; it reminds me of a similar family routine that I took for granted in my youth.” Shuri’s eyes gaze from person to person as she speaks. “You see, I was too absorbed in my technological advances to truly appreciate the aspects of family dinners. The mundaneness of sitting with one another and being present. I used to want to give anything to be left to my own devices. And now, I sit at the head of the same table, with no one. I am Queen of the most powerful nation in the world, and my entire family is gone.”

Another silence fills the table as everyone looks onto Shuri; her head is held high as she speaks, though, voice unwavering. She breathes when she feels your hand slip into hers.

“Alex, you are a very blessed woman to have your family here with you to celebrate a generational obstacle overcome,” the queen bids, “and for that, I propose a toast to you, and a saying from my people to yours.”

The queen picks up her red cup, and watches as each individual picks up their own, before speaking again. “To Alex, a woman of virtue and genuity. ‘Akukho mntu ngaphandle kwesidenge ophika usapho lwakhe’.”

A round of cheers sounds before everyone downs a gulp of their chosen drinks in unison, applauding Shuri for her heartfelt toast and gratitude. As the both of you sit, and light chatter begins to cover the table, your mother calls out to Shuri with a look of curiosity.

“Such a lovely quote, Shuri,” your mother says, “what does it mean?”

“Oh, the proverb,” Shuri says, “it is one my baba used to say.”

“Did he now?”

“It means ‘No one but a fool denies their family’.”

Hearing this, your gaze shifts from the food in front of you to Shuri, who sports a proud smirk as she watches your mother grow uncomfortable in her seat from the queen’s words. As if she were putting the dots together in her own head.

With Dinner done, your nephew was all too quick to pull the queen aside to continue their conversation about her fancy spaceships. While his eagerness was endearing, Shuri had to put the conversation on hold because of an important phone call that came through. You assumed that it was Ayo, a name you had heard in fleeting conversations, but knew it to be a person of importance to Shuri. A captain of her Queen’s Guard, which Shuri had respectfully asked to fall back on attending the outing with the both of you, since it was a family thing, and Shuri didn’t want Alex’s neighbors questioning why so many bald-headed women were lingering around her house.

She said she would make the call quick, five minutes at most, before stepping into the house for quiet and privacy. The loss of her presence made you slightly anxious, but you maintained your spot in the gazebo, and Alex popped in here and there. She was the host, so she had to engage with the rest of her partygoers, but you were more than grateful that she took the time out to still check in on you, despite it being her day.

You took a sip of your drink - the adult punch that had been put in the kitchen so kids couldn’t get to it - and watched the party goers enjoy themselves from the comfort of your seat. Children running around, chasing each other with sparklers; aunties and uncles dancing to the old school remix; teens making TikTok videos with dances and skits. For a moment, things were content, and everyone was happy. Normal.

For a moment, for the first time in a long time, you felt happy with your family. 

“You’ve found this corner real comfortable, I see.”

The voice of your mother slips through he peaceful silence that previously covered the gazebo, and although you don’t feel it at first, your body begins to tense. She herself sports a red solo cup, though you can’t tell what’s inside of it. 

She doesn’t ask to join you - just takes up a single seat across from you - and even if she were to ask, you aren’t sure if you could even mutter an answer.

“It’s been so long since you’ve left,” your mother says, “since you decided you were grown enough and left your family behind. How has life been for you?”

“Good.” You reply, short and curt, taking a sip from your drink.

“You seem more than good,” she continues, “I assume living with a queen gives you a lot of financial relief-”

“If you came over here to start shit, please don’t.” You quickly cut off. “One; my relationship is of no concern to you, but Shuri doesn’t pay for shit of mine that I have. I was good before I met her, and I’m still going good on my own.”

You weren’t sure where the sudden crossness came from, but you definitely knew it had something to do with your mother’s constant mention of Shuri, as if she held prominent importance tonight and not the other child she’d birthed. “And it’s Alex’s birthday. I’m here for her.”

Your mother scoffs at your words, “-and there you go, twistin’ my words around and making me seem like the enemy. I’m just trying to talk to you!”

“Bullshit,” you spit, rising from your seat in a quick bid to find a quick exit into an area more populated, and more importantly, away from her, “I’m not doing this with you.”

You turn to try and leave, but your mother continues to speak behind you, pushing you further, “you’re so ungrateful; after everything we’ve done for you, you can’t even show an ounce of respect to your own mother.”

In that moment your body froze on the steps of the gazebo. A dull chill awakens within you, spreading through your limbs, your skin nearly rising into goosebumps, before a wave of anger crashes in.

“Fine,” you mutter, “you wanna ‘talk’?”

You turn to face your mother once again, eyes burning holes into her face, which has the audacity to hold a look of shock. “Let’s fucking talk.”

“Oh, but where to begin?” You scoff. “Maybe lets talk about how you can’t seem to ever say one good thing about me. It’s always some backhanded comment that you can’t help to point out how amazing Alex was and how shitty I was in comparison-”

“-that is not true,” your mother tries to interject, “but you were - and still are - a difficult child-”

“-I wasn’t fucking difficult!” You shout, drawing a few pairs of eyes to you and your mother. “I wanted fucking attention that you weren’t giving me! And you thought beating me was the best way to get me to ‘stop acting out’?”

“It was discipline!”

“Oh, but Alex never needed it though, right?” You question. “Alex was just so perfect to yall. She got the best of everything while your little mistake became the punching bag you took your frustrations out on!”

The increasing shouting started to draw attention from the other partygoers, who muttered among themselves, wondering the reason for the altercation, questioning if they should intervene. And it only got worse when the sound of skin slapping skin echoed throughout the backyard, making the music that played from outdoor speakers seem quiet.

Your mother, the pious, religious, righteous woman she claimed to be, just slapped you in front of the rest of your family.

“What’s going on over here?” The voice of your father bellows as he approaches the gazebo, having only made his presence known after a few gasps from seeing your mother hit you.

“I will not be disrespected by you, you ungrateful wench,” your mother seethes, “I was a damn good mother to you, even when we fell on hard times. I raised you!”

“I was a fucking kid!” You yell back. “How does a fucking adult take their anger out on their own kid!?”

“And you,” comes your voice through gritted teeth upon seeing your father coming to console your mother, which seemed to anger you even more, “dear old dad, who never ‘picked a side’. You sat there and watched as she fucked up her own kid.”

Your voice comes out more strained, wavering at the sight of your father. The man you saw treat Alex like a literal princess while you could only ever dream of being treated as such. You knew the next words you’d say were going to push his buttons - perhaps part of you wanted a reaction from him that could show that maybe, somewhere inside of him, he cared when your mother didn’t.

“If anything you’re more of a bitch than her!”

You weren’t sure what scared you more in that moment; the loud grunt and your fathers arms menacingly reaching out towards you, or the flash of black that shot across your vision right before you closed your eyes shut, anticipating something to happen.

The silence was deafening as you felt your legs stumble back into something warm but you were too scared to open your eyes yet. Of all your senses that had been stricken with tension, the first to register with reality once again was your hearing.

“I want you to think carefully about your next actions,” the queen’s voice comes out hardened and unyielding, “because I can assure you, I will not have to think about mine.”

That flash of black that had crossed your vision earlier had been Shuri. And if your eyes had been open, you yourself would have shuddered at the pure rage that was present on her face.

Shuri’s hand, albeit tiny and delicate in most cases, held your father’s wrist in a right grasp, and despite the broader man's struggles to pull free, it was futile. She was not letting him go, and neither was the intensity of her stare that held your mother’s gaze. 

“If you don’t let my husband go-”

“Shut. Up.” And her words were absolute, leaving no room for question. Perhaps it was part of the authoritarian aura that she’d gained from taking on her queenship that shut your mother up, but whatever the case may have been, Shuri admits that she certainly enjoyed the look of surprise on your mother’s face.

“Alex,” Shuri says, and it now becomes clear to you that the thing you had back into was your very sister. It also became clear how tight her grip on you was, as if she were scared to let you go, “take my beloved back to my car. We will be leaving shortly.”

There’s a gentle nudge and a hushed ‘c’mon’ before you feel yourself being moved sideways, then forward, Alex doing as Shuri says and relocating you to the front of her home to get you into a safer, calmer place.

It isn’t until Shuri sees your figure disappear behind the wooden fence that she releases your father’s wrist. The man winces as he regains control of his limb, his wife bringing her hands to soothe the skin where it was beginning to turn purple from just how tight her grasp was.

Shuri turns in a slow circle, eyes scanning each and every one of the individuals who’d stood by and undoubtedly watched the scene unfold, offering no sign of intervention. “This is what your family is?” She calls out. “It is sickening.”

The guilt shines in their eyes but Shuri has none of it. To her, they are all just as guilty as your parents, for they've watched the same scene unfold many times before, and just the same, no one stood up.

The queen turns back to your parents, as she bites the inside of her cheek to control her composure. “I do not know your story,” she says, “nor do I wish to, and now, nor do I care. I only leave you with this as I leave.”

Shuri takes a step forward to your parents, jaw clenched tight and piercing eyes meeting theirs once again. “My (Y/N) will be loved…as it is clearly something neither of you could bestow upon her.”

And in the same flash of black she leaves the party, that had long gone silent, and biting her tongue so hard she thought she’d draw blood.

Exitting the back yard, Shuri comes around the front to see you and Alex sitting on the porch steps. She holds a towel to your cheek, whispering to you with care about holding the cold, wet cloth gently on your cheek to battle the inflammation. It was the first and only thing she could grab without immediately leaving your side, the green garden hose still running into the grass proof of it.

It takes everything in Shuri not to run to you, to pull you into her arms and cradle you into her embrace, to shield you from the cruelness that has surely been brought back to the forefront of your mind. There’s a pit in her stomach that churns with the pain of unease, and it eats at her as she thinks; if she had just been swifter with that call with Ayo, or better yet, not even answered at all, then you wouldn’t have been left alone, and you wouldn’t have gotten hurt.

Shuri grows closer and realizes that the both of you are crying, and her heart tightens in her chest. She bends down to meet you on eye level, resting a soothing hand on your leg. Alex holds her head in one hand, her other still grasped tightly onto your side, holding you close to her. Shuri finally understands what Alex meant when she talked about the varying levels of harm done to the sisters in their youth. You took the physical and verbal brunt, while Alex took the emotional.

“This was not suppose to happen.” Shuri hears Alex mutter, and the queen quickly cuts in before Alex has a chance to even say as such.

“It is not your fault, Alex,” the queen asserts, “you cannot be responsible for the actions of your parents.”

Alex looks up to Shuri, sniffling as their eyes connect. A beat passes before the older sister nods, though her jaw is still tight with tension. There’s a shift in Alex’s eyes, from sadness and regret, to a hardened security.

“I need to get my house in order,” she says, glancing to her side, and reluctantly peeling her arm from around your waist, “party’s officially over.”

Alex stands to do just as she intends, and as she leaves, Shuri grows closer to you. One hand rubs circles into your knee, the other one gently lifts your face up to meet hers. Your eyes are tired, likely due to adrenaline fatigue, but your body still shakes with a light tremble.

“I am taking you home.” She says, leaving no room for argument; even though, in your current state, you couldn’t refuse her if you wanted to. So when Shuri wraps her arms around you and lifts you to your feet, you all but lean into her warmth. 

And the kiss she presses into the crown of your head provides reassurance that even after the events that have unfolded, with Shuri, you will be okay.

If you enjoyed, please leave a like, comment, and reblog for others to see! And don’t be shy to send in a request!

[haechvn]

Stop Trying

Pairing: Shuri x F!Reader

Warning: Prepare to get your heart ripped out. Shuri did. The angstiest angst I feel like I’ve ever written.

Word Count: 1.5k+

Summary/Request: Shuri and reader getting into an argument cuz Shuri has been in the lab for a while (2 or 4 days idk) angst ending please

Author’s Note: I wrote this on the plane back from Thanksgiving. I did something like this before but this is more realistic to me and we need Shuri to be held accountable for her actions. The reader is always black in my head y’all. Part 2 is here! Enjoy!!

Taglist: @melodykisses @blackhottie25 @tonakings @coalmistyy @szalipcombo @prettyluhlaiiii @yelenabelovasgf @callmeoncette @clqrosmgc @beautybyfire @theblacksuccubus @cherios @killmongerskeeper @shuris-whore @nut4shuri

“My love. Please reconsider this,” Shuri whispered, hands desperately reaching to grab onto yours with every step you took back. Her shoulders fall when she sees how easily you start to reject her, her body unfamiliar with such obscene behavior. She had never fathomed that there would be a time that you’d ever resist her touch. “Don’t give me space. That’s the last thing I need from you.”

It had become less lonely but more disrespectful at this point. Sure, Queen Shuri has many responsibilities since taking on the title as the new sovereign leader of Wakanda but that does not excuse her from halting communication with her partner. The two of you have been together for the last three years so you are overdue an explanation as to why your partner has not answered any calls or text messages. She never even reached out to you once.

Upon discovering from Okoye that it was simply due to her being glued to her science work and her desk in her lab, you decided enough was enough. You are Shuri’s number one cheerleader and you have been since the day you met. Never once did you overstep her boundaries and all you always wanted to make sure she felt heard and seen especially when it comes to her work. But for her to have put her technological achievements over the precious bond the two of you have built, something needs to be done. You didn’t like where your mind went.

It started when she missed dinner with you. Aneka would always try to assure you that “Nothing is wrong my Queen. The Queen will be back soon. Please don’t worry. This too shall pass.”

You continued to find yourself on your own in the excruciatingly large dining hall, eating in silence and scraping your utensils on your plate in annoyance. The Dora had been more present in your life recently than your own lover.

Then one dinner became four and then slowly turned into lonely, sleepless nights. On the fourth night, you found yourself imagining what it felt like to have her arms around you again, lips caressing your collarbone and fingers dipping languidly into your cunt. Then you snapped out of it. As two grown and fully functioning women, there is no reason why Shuri could not have just sent you a quick message to let you know her whereabouts. Constantly reaching out and receiving nothing in return to only stop by her office and find it empty triggered thoughts in your mind you have never had for the entirety of your relationship. Separation. Moving forward without her.

You aren’t some insecure little girl who is going to put up with her time being wasted and have it thrown to the back burner. You are a woman of grace, poise and elegance but you are also a woman with sense and self-respect. Thoughts of infidelity never crossed your mind as you knew Shuri adored you too much to behave in that way but she clearly didn’t adore you enough if giving you radio silence for the third time in a row was something she didn’t mind serving you.

And that’s what lead to Shuri kneeling down in front of you, hands shaking with tears pouring out of her eyes as she tried to come to terms with what you were insinuating. Take a break? Breakup? This is one equation that she can’t seem to find the solution for. Her heart felt as though it would implode on itself as she tried to steady her breathing with no avail. Her mind never anticipated that the more she worked on her scientific experiments, the results would lead her to neglecting to put you first. Her Queen.

Everything she does is for the goodness of you and your well-being but none of that matters if she couldn’t even find herself to appreciate what was standing right in front of her.

“Shuri,” you called, knowing that referring to her by her first name brings nothing but discomfort and hurt to her heart,”How long will this go on for? When you were planning on returning to me? We can’t keep playing this—“

“You… you never had a problem with this before. W-with me working long hours and I don’t—-“

“That was before when you actually communicated with me. Your partner. Now,” you seethe, nose flaring and eyebrows creasing in annoyance, ”you just decide when it’s convenient for you to show up in my life. We are not young, dumb and in love anymore Shuri!” Your blood was boiling and the pent up anger was taking control of your words instead of your logical mind.

“How long do we need to be together for you to know this type of behavior will not fly with me?! If I had spent even one day not letting you know where I am or what I was doing, you would literally shut down the entire country just to find me.”

She knew you were right. Every word spilling from your beautiful lips she craved to feel on hers was correct. Yes, the world needs her technological advancements and efforts but what happened to you being her world? When did that change? It’s not as if she was burying herself in work due to grief. She had always been able to open up to you and visit her therapist when it all became too much to bare but this. She had no explanation whatsoever.

That’s why her vision was blurred beyond measure. Her purpose wants to leave her. You want to leave her and she can hardly even find the words to comfort you the way she knows you deserve.

Shaking the tresses of curls that lay on the top of her head, she began to slowly crawl on her knees towards you again, having repeated this action about five times already. The only thing her mind told her to do was to hold her, knowing that that is what she longed for and that would may make you melt. She forced her head onto your lower stomach with her arms wrapped so tightly around the back of your legs, body vibrating and unable to stay still as heavy sobs racked through her chest. All she could do was cry. The very last thing that has been keeping her sane in the midst of her crazy life— no. She cannot lose you.

Though your words and tone was sharper than her panther claws, you stood your ground. You value yourself too much to deal with this sort of nonsense, even if it was from the fellow Queen of Wakanda.

“Shuri, I’m tired. I’m tired of your lack of empathy for how I feel. I’m tired of having to have these conversations over and over again with you and most importantly,” you ran your hand through her hair grasping on it harshly, causing Shuri to whimper at the sudden feeling of discomfort. You forced her head up so she could see the hurt in your eyes, with yours being met with bloodshot irises and rivers of tears flowing down her face.

“I am tired of you. Get off of me right now. We are done.” You lowly growled, using all your might to push her away from you, sending her backwards and landing on her backside.

Her eyes widen, arms stretched out on the sides of her body with her mouth ajar in disbelief. The way you used those sweet lips to dismiss her like she was nothing. Ironically, that’s what she loved about you. She adored how you always put yourself first in every situation because you had a strong belief that if you weren’t at peace and things didn’t serve you, it is your responsibility for you to cut them out for your well-being.

She’s being cut out. I’m being cut out. I’m being cut out. I’m being cut—

You spun on your heels, exhausted from this exchange with your now ex partner, exiting her lab before slamming your kimoyo bead bracelet and kiyomo engagement ring to the ground. Using all of your might, you found yourself jumping in the air just to crashing down on the pieces of jewelry, both under your shoes and wanting nothing more to do with Shuri or any of the technology she held above you.

“Don’t you dare reach out to me or try to find me. I already changed my number.” And with that, you disappeared from the lab.

Silence suffocated the room. All of the oxygen had been sucked out of the lab the moment you slammed the door shut. Shuri’s eyes hadn’t left the reminants of the destroyed handcrafted jewelry she’d made for you two anniversaries ago. Her heart resembled the broken shards of material that laid before her. She grabbed a fistful of her top where her heart lays beneath the cloth and let out a blood curdling cry. She screamed and cried. Over and over. Begged you to come back. Spoke to the ghost of you that remained in the room with her. She felt as though she shed more tears now than when her mother passed, with past memories of the two of you littering her mind at the most agonizing moment of her life.

“I’m alone,” she whispered to herself, barely able to get the words out and not believing any of the events that occurred mere seconds ago, “I’m all alone once again.”

[alecvolturiswifeforever]

Sunlight in a dark room (ii) | A.V x Reader

warnings: ehhh floof?

a/n: i love jane idc what anyone says she’s my little pookie (she’d eat me) 🥹🥹

ʚɞ

You heard a hiss as both wives made their way over towards you and Alec. Sulpicia gripping your shoulders gently as Athenodora cupped your cheeks and turned your face to inspect you.

“What happened?” She demanded as she averted her eyes to Alec, now stood behind Sulpicia. A blur intercepted your vision as Aro was suddenly next to his wife on the opposite side , holding out his hand in a silent question.

You place your hand within his, leaning into Dora’s soft touch and after a moment he tutted before pulling away.

“It seems there are some unwanted guests within the castle walls after all.” You heard a hiss from Caius. “They have harmed our dear human”

You made eye contact with Alec who gave you a reassuring look before turning to his master.

“Alec, I trust you are able to ensure that they are dealt with by your fellow guards whilst our sweet Jane tends to Y/N’s wound?” Aro looked at him and for a moment it was almost as if your mate was going to protest, however opting to bow with a small ‘Yes, master’ before turning and leaving in a blur. The queens gave you a final once over, before you felt a cold wrist encase yours and move you back to the steps behind you.

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨♡୧⋆ ˚｡⋆

You felt the damp cloth dab against your face as Jane swiped up the dried droplets of red which had stained your cheek.

Her face was stoic as she did so, much like it usually was, though her touch was gentle and almost felt comforting in the midst of the chaos. Your usual smile was replaced with a soft frown and you looked at your hands as Alec’s previous words replayed through your head like a mantra.

“You’re naïve to that that nothing bad will ever happen to you and you’re stupid to think you’re safer in here than out with your own kind”

“What’s wrong?” Jane’s voice pierced through your daze and you moved your eyes to meet her red ones as she continued to swipe at your cheek.

“What?” You looked at her incredulously.

“I may choose not to speak to you but do you really think I am oblivious? You’re moping, Y/N. It’s not like you. What’s wrong?” She rolled her eyes at you as you avert your gaze.

“It’s- It’s nothing.” You started but doubted whether it was a good decision to talk to Jane - of all people - about Alec.

“It’s not nothing and you know it.” She accused and you let out a sigh.

“It’s just- Alec said something to me earlier and I can’t help but feel like he was right… I don’t know.. it’s stupid.”

Jane let out a scoff before sighing, dropping the cloth back into the bowl of soapy water next to her and moving to sit next to you on the step.

“Well? What did he say?”

Your face flushed as you questioned with yourself whether to tell her, deciding that maybe… just maybe if you could bond just a little with Jane then Alec would potentially lay off on the hate parade for a while.

“He- He said that I was naïve..” You took a breathe before continuing. “that i’m stupid to believe i’m safer in here than I am with other.. people”

You heard Jane suck in a sharp breathe and you moved your gaze to look at her. She started right ahead, seemingly contemplating what to say next. After a moment of silence she spoke up.

“My brother is… well he’s complicated.” You snorted and she glared at you, though the small smile on her lips told a different story. “He says things a lot… things that he does not mean. He believes that pushing you away is better than keeping you tied to him-”

“He said that?” You cut her off and she glared at you again.

“Let me finish. He believes all humans are the same, i’m sure you’ve heard about our.. past experiences?” She raises an eyebrow and you looked at her sympathetically. “He feels you’ll end up like the others. He needs you to prove you are different, though he will not tell you that himself.”

You pondered her words with a frown. You look at her in confusion.

“So what do I do? How do I prove that when he will barley look at me? He hates me. ”

“I think his moment with you earlier was enough to prove he does not hate you.” She scoffed and you smiled slightly at the thought of his protective nature. The worried tone in his voice. The way he held you. The safe feeling that washed over you when you realised he was there.

“You need to talk to him Y/N. Stop avoiding each other and make him realise you are not like them.” She placed a comforting hand on your shoulder, squeezing slightly before standing and making her way back over to Aro.

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨♡୧⋆ ˚｡⋆

The throne room doors burst open as the rest of the guard missing entered. Alec’s eyes instantly fall onto you and you sucked in a breathe. You hear Demetri debriefing with the kings, informing them that there were no vampires residing in Volterra though that there was also no sign of any Romanians. Meanwhile you stood, making your way over to who was meant to be your mate. He gave you a once over before tilting his head.

“I see Jane did a good job cleaning you up.” His voice was low and you nodded.

“She did. I’m grateful for her help.” His eyes softened at your kind words toward his sister. “Can I t-talk to you?”

He narrowed his eyes before taking your hand which you held out to him, guiding him over to the corner you had been sitting in.

“I-“ You struggled with where to start. “You were right.”

He looked at you in confusion.

“What you said this morning. You were right. I am naïve. I’m stupid to think i’m safe here.” You voice broke as you spoke and he hung his head slightly. “But I want you to know that i’m not like them. I don’t want to hurt you I- there is no intention for me to do so and I hope that one day you’ll realise that.” You swallowed the lump in your throat and he looked up to meet your eyes.

“I didn’t mean what I said.”

“Hm?”

“What I said this morning… I didn’t mean it. I just- I feel so… I fear you, Y/N”

You furrowed your eyebrow at him.

“You fear me?”

“Yes. I fear you.” He took an unneeded breathe “Every night once you’ve fallen asleep I imagine what it would feel like to hold you, to be there for you, to be the one to comfort you and make sure you’re safe… that is until your incessant sleep talking distracts me.”

He tries to joke and you giggle, his eyes lighting up slightly.

“Every night I sit there and think about making things right with you but the moment you wake up I fear you. I fear you will end up seeing me how they saw me-how they still see me. But more than that I fear that if I make an attempt at pursuing something it will put you in danger; something will happen to you much like what happened to me and you will end up as I am- hell it almost did today.”

Your eyes well up and you take his hand. He looks at you properly then and he gives you a soft smile.

“If anything, I said those things because I am the one who is stupid to think I can have any form of commitment with someone without them getting hurt. I don’t deserve it…” He trailed off, looking to the floor.

“Everyone is deserving of love, Alec ” You placed a hand on his cheek and you barley felt him tilt his head into the hold, eyes on you once again. Your voice lowered to a whisper “Please let me in. Let me love you the way you deserve. I want- I need you to understand how much I want to make this work”

He watched you for a moment before leaning in, pressing a kiss to your forehead as you closed your eyes in content, he placed his forehead against yours, wiping away the tears which had spilled out with the pads of his thumbs before pulling you into his side.

“We will be okay, sweetface, we will make it work. I promise.”

ʚɞ

[starberry-cupcake]

I have made up from last time that was about only one chapter, this time we have 5 in a row. We finished act one, fam!

previously, in harrowbean the ninth:

this happened

I want to also thank you for all your nice comments and replies, I read every single one, I promise ♥

ch. 7 to 11 summarized terribly, here we go:

it's time to cross the river

difficult task to perform

as someone who lives literally surrounded by rivers, in every direction, I can relate

my rivers don't carry ghouls though, as far as I know

I mean, there are ghost and cryptid legends, but not ghouls that stick to the windshield of a spaceship like bugs

like these ones do

so harrow and yandere twin aren't doing fantastic

yandere twin loses it in like the first 2 seconds

harrow sees the ghosts of all the ninth kids who died for her to be alive

there's water also, but that part sounds very relaxing, actually

getting covered by water but not needing to breath

I'd be there forever tbh

but we can't, because ghoulies

mercygirl is still doing sound effects like kronk

btw we're changing her name to mercygirl because it's what I've been calling her now

I have been told by a number of you that mercygirl is your camilla so I apologize for disrespecting your blorbina

I might do it again, if the situation arises, though

mercygirl is piloting the ship and emperor the fool is just chillin' until he realizes harrow is walking about and doing theorems, which they didn't think she'd be in a state to do, so they didn't tell her not to do it

these people half-assing plans, who would have thought

mercygirl calls the emperor john

emperor johnnyboy tries telling harrow to come back from her state because she's in too deep and it's becoming dangerous

mercygirl stars talking about the death of cassiopeia (another name that's easy to remember)

says cassiopeia had a ceramics collection, which makes her worthy of all my respect

harrow was thinking "five", idk what it's about

next thing we know, we're back to our gideonless retelling of gideon

in this version, teacher explains things

he says the house was inhabited previously by "ten normal human beings of the Resurrection, though half were blessed already with necromantic gifts"

I'm tired of MATH

he says they left blueprints, he tells them about the Sleeper, he tells them how not to awaken it, he tells them about the trap door, he tells them what's under the trap door, he asks them to work together...

you know what this is like

it's like reading gideon was entering a new game and skipping every tutorial they give you

and reading this is like clicking every NPC's info and reading all that they say

ANYWAY, here is where ortus 1...

wait, this is going to be confusing

I want to call ortus from the ninth "ortus 1" and the new guy "ortus 2"

because ninth ortus was the first to show up

but new ortus is actually older and also is ortus the first

we're gonna go with ortus and lyctor!ortus, for now

so, as I was saying, this is were ortus starts becoming much more insistent in these "flashbacks" about him not being the right choice

which, he's not wrong

we know he's not wrong

and harrow is saying stuff like "unless you can summon matthias nonius" (matthias nonius is becoming a recurrent thing, let's remember harrow compared gideon to him at one point)

and ortus goes "I don't understand why you chose me" to which harrow says "there was nobody else" and ortus exasperatedly says "you never did posses an imagination"

VERY IMPORTANT THING

a skeleton turns around when they're walking and says "is this how it happens?"

we'll come back to that shortly

REMEMBER IT

(I know you all remember it, you've read this already, just act like I'm dora the explorer and play along)

next chapter starts in not!dulcinea's funeral

I'm sad I used the oliver queen grave meme already, I can't use it again to express my feelings

I'm gonna use the steel magnolias scene where they laugh at the funeral instead

so, we are introduced to the famous augustine who's name I will remember

there's some conversation about first and second generations and about not!dulcinea being chosen, and Emperor Johnny Bravo says "we were all there to meet her, all sixteen of us"

MORE MATH

I guess she was the last one of these, but maybe we knew that already, I feel we knew that already

apparently, not!dulcinea was the most reluctant to slurp her cavalier, but that didn't stop any of them, not even her, so

Emperor Johnny Quest says "for god's sake" and harrow thinks "the god who became a man and yet still invoked himself, apparently"

when she's right, she's right

that's better commentary than I could make

I have to respect augustine a little bit because he asked "which one of the kiddies did her in?" and I thought that was hilarious

he is called the saint of patience, which makes my previous comment about them being named via sarcasm very correct

it's like captain planet or the power rangers but chosen as funnily as possible

they start summoning lyctor!ortus by saying that he's interested in "you-know-what", which is both suspicious and childish and the vibes of these lyctors are all over the place

augustine thinks something's wrong, which is an understatement at this point, but ok

lyctor!ortus comes in as if summoned by the gossip and harrow calls him "the next terrible part of your life" which is saying something

lyctor!ortus comes with news of the seventh beast or whatnot that's trailing them

harrow bleeds from her ears and smashes her head on the next available surface to pass out

the mood

who could blame her

this lyctor job is terrible

it's like the end of drop dead gorgeous and harrow is kristen dunst

I'm not explaining that, in case you haven't watched a classic

we are back to the "flashbacks" and we've got a special appearance from the fifth

*studio audience claps and cheers*

they say they prefer to look into books than going downstairs, which is something one would consider if one had known what the fuck was downstairs from the start

abigail also does sound effects like mercygirl, it's catching on

abigail finds a piece of a recipe note that mentions an M and a Nigella

still no G&P

we know nigella is the cav of cassiopeia, the ceramics collector

I remember nigella's name because of the cook, which makes it funnier that it's a recipe

M could be mercygirl

abigail also gives harrow a note

abigail says that she'd like to summon the ghost of a lyctor but she's not sure how that could work or where they go when they die

ortus, magnus and abigail, in this gideonless version, are a polycule

I am convinced of that

while they're talking, magnus says "is this really how it happens?"

REMEMBER I SAID WE'D BRING THAT BACK

IT'S BACK

abigail starts telling harrow that she's got the energy of a lot of dead kids in her and harrow storms out

harrow gets angry when ortus calmly agrees about things and she doesn't want to look into why

I WONDER WHY THAT IS

harrow looks at abby's note again and now there's text on it

it's a longer version of the note she found before

it's a rant

it mentions dead eggs, implantation, some guy being sent after the OP, said guy taking pity on OP

OP is mad about all of this and doesn't use punctuation

what ortus reads isn't what harrow reads, once again

NOW THIS BIT

"ortus, I need a cavalier with a backbone" "You always did and I am glad, I think, that I never became that cavalier"

the gideon points keep adding up

harrow then goes to sleep and is like this

final thing in act I, in chapter 11, is harrowbean stabbing not!dulcinea again, which

always make sure, it's like resident evil in here

just in case, let's stab her a bunch of times

so, are these "flashbacks" happening in real time whenever harrow isn't conscious?

is it her trying to remember what actually happened?

or is it her trying to hide it?

was there actually a longer period of time between the defeat of not!dulcinea and the emperor Jon Arbuckle coming to pick them up?

a period of time in which harrow learned things that made her write those letters?

and in which something happened regarding gideon?

is the note of the implantation also related?

why was gideon born in space?

of course I'm not asking you, please don't spoil anything, I'm just asking the void of desperation and chaos right now

we'll see if any of this gets answered soon or if I just get more questions

also, guess who wasn't mentioned

see you on the next one!! I'll try to get back to the awesome replies I've been getting soon ♥

[generallysapphic]

i can take care of you +18 (shuri x reader)

it’s been an intense couple of weeks for the queen, and you’re noticing the stress of it all eat away at her. from failed project to injury during a mission, you decide to make it your goal to help her relax in the best ways possible.

y’all YALL,,, i absolutely love when y’all send me such specific requests so keep it up! and i wanna thank @maybachinparis for sending this request in because it has my mind REELINGGG, so thank you my love! (also ; queen ramonda isn’t dead in this story she’s just retired, but t’challa is.) part two here!

y’all this is a long one, lots of fluff and talking before we get to the down and dirty, and beware some angst!! reader is originally from wakanda and the daughter of a trusted farming family that many people know, so you have some history. she’s shorter than shuri and

warnings ; praise kink, overstim, crying, squirting, multiple orgasms, soft dom! shuri, sweet sub! reader, married love making, name calling, strap on sex, frustrated shuri (she doesn’t take it out on you), small injury and medical assistance, bath sex, talk of death and the afterlife

song inspo: SHEA BUTTER BABY by Ari Lennox and Would You Mind? by Janet Jackson

tag lists (thank you for the support!!): @maybachinparis @rxcently @verachii @imshurisbabymama @widowmakker @fetchyourlife @mingitheii @letitias-fav @blackgcomica @lovelyaliengirl @dejaonline @writesbyriri @bubshri @blackhottie25 @playgurlxoxo @mocha-aya @noneofyabuisnezs @kiraecl1pse @nil-eena @birdbirdbirdbird123456878900 @katymae12344 @lunax0654 @shuri-my-love @nsfwlover13 @vlkyriesverse @shurisbbymama @szalipcombo @natsgirlfriend @http-twyla @sokkasbae255 @scarelttrose

enjoy loves <3

you walk back and forth, practically pacing, from outside the long doors in front of the lab, your mind reeling. you couldn’t even believe it— the queen, the black panther, your wife injured on a mission. your hands were shaking, how could this even happen? shuri had looked so pained when she came through the front room doors, limping, and immediately asking the dora milaje to hold you back, as shuri knew better than anyone how quick you were to react.

and hold you back they did— you already fighting them with all the strength you had and yelling that you’re the queen too and you deserved to see your wife, to tend to her before anyone else, but they were stronger than you in most ways. aneka looks at you with her deep eyes, “please, your highness, calm down, she’ll be fine,”

and you fight back, “i should be there with her! let me through—!” and you try to barricade through them once more before they tackle you again, and you struggle against them. after a while you had calmed down and most of the dora milaje retreated to the lab to help shuri but even now in front of the lab doors stood two dora, their spears ready to attack.

your head was hurting as you paced back and forth waiting for something — anything — to know she was was okay. shuri was having such an intense last couple of weeks, this truly being the first time she was both queen and black panther and it’s taken a toll on her, you could tell. deep circles were around her eyes and most nights you’d go to bed alone, her coming in around 3 am just to wake up bright and early at 7 and barely sleep. you had your own diplomatics to deal with too, making sure all the affairs were in order before she left and it took so long, you spent most of the day in your office and the throne room before you got off at 6, always missing shuri and she always missing you.

when you two were together it was always brief. small moments in the garden on your lunch or stolen kisses right before she departed wakanda only to return nearly 14 hours later. then the people of wakanda looked to you as well— while shuri was gone you were entirely in charge. walking the kingdom and taking care of small disputes best you could, but still, it was a lot for you both.

you’re whispering prayers to Bast, just hoping nothing is fatal or too deep that she’s injured forever, and suddenly the large white doors open, and it’s aneka smiling at you, and you let out a sigh of relief and practically run past her.

doctors, many of the elder tribe leaders, and even m’baku are still surrounding shuri when you come in but they make way for you as you nearly tackle her on the lab bed she’s on. a couple of “careful!”’s are said but you can only hear shuri’s laugh, and a small groan in pain as you hug her tightly, the tears you had outside already spilling over.

you pull back and grab her face, “please, please, please don’t scare me like that ever again, shuri. i thought— i thought—” and you could barely get it out, the words ‘i thought i lost you’ staying behind in your throat but shuri looks at you with a deep, fond gaze that says “i know you did, but you won’t and never will,” you smile slightly, stroking her face in your hands and kissing her all over and she laughs, holding your waist and drawing you close.

“i think,” m’baku’s deep voice breaks you two up, “the black panther needs to rest with her wife, hmm? even with all your nano tech and whatnot, an injury like that, you need a couple of days,” and elders murmur in agreement and you nod along. shuri speaks up though, “the mission. i have failed them if i don’t go back,” she says and you look at her again, she sounded so finite about, your eyebrows furrow.

“no, you have not, my queen,” says the leader of the river tribe, “we can handle it from here, call nakia up to keep the trail hot,” shuri frowns, “nakia has to care for someone, she won’t be able to go. i am fine, let me—”

your voice cuts hers, “shuri. no.” she stills, much does everyone because they can tell it’s not a suggestion. “you are injured. you can barely walk, and i have never seen you like that before. and when one queen is inept to make the decisions the other steps in,” shuri gapes at you, mouth ready to retort, before you add, “i support the notion of giving the black panther a week of rest, nothing less. should she step foot in this lab or reach for her necklace, the dora milaje will do their best to stop her,”

the elders look around, murmuring, before m’baku speaks first, “i mean, cmon, it’s her wife.” he laughs a bit before adding, “you have the jibari tribe behind you in this notion. i also submit my services to stopping the black panther at all costs,” he chuckles a bit and you whisper an “ey,” and cut your eyes at him.

you hear shuri smack her lips once the other elders agree to your request and you nod, “it’s settled. m’baku, handle the most recent hostage situation best as possible. take ayo with you and listen to everything she says,” you hear m’baku grumble as ayo tries to hide her laugh.

“i need the rest of you to watch our boarders and city waters. many families have had irrigation problems because of the dry season, causing wild life to attack their farms so keep an eye out, and bring water to those in need,” the leaders nod out, “yes my queen,” to you and walk off before you sigh and lift shuri’s head up,

“and you,” you say sweetly and shuri blinks up at you with tired eyes, but still looks at you as if you hung the moon yourself, “yes, my love?”

“you,” and you kiss her on every word, “are going to relax and get some rest,” you say and sit next to her again and she sighs, eyes closing slightly. you know what she’s going to say, you see it in her face.

“i.. i miss him,” she whispers when you two are finally alone and you rub her hands in yours, kissing her knuckles, “i know, sthandwa, i know,” you bite your lip, not wanting to say what you do, but you decide to anyway,

“you could talk to him, yknow.” shuri sighs and shakes her head, “last time… he wasn’t — he wasn’t there. he doesn’t want to speak to me,” she whispers the last part and you retort completely, grabbing her face and making her look at you, “shuri, no, no. don’t you ever say that. t’challa — he loved you so, so much, of course he’d want to speak to you, he’d be more than happy to see his sister.”

her eyes are threatening to spill over and you rub your thumbs against her cheeks and sigh, “my love, you are so strong. but asking for help, wanting some, is not the weakness you take it to be. you know that, i know you do.” you whisper and kiss her forehead and she hold your hands in yours, taking deep breaths to calm down.

you look back into her eyes and she’s smiling slightly, you know she’s still sad but you can tell her body is fighting exhaustion and not allowing her to feel her emotions completely. you step down from the bed and extend your hand, “cmon. i’ll run you a bath, get you cleaned up, yeah?” and shuri nods, and you help her get down, holding her waistline and she holds on to your shoulders, leaning on you for support.

aneka is at the lab entrance, waiting to assist in anyway, and you tell her, “let m’baku know the queens’ kimiyo beads will be off for the rest of the evening. emergencies only,” and she nods, as you and shuri walk to your bedroom.

the bath will do shuri some good, you decide, touching the water and adding some bath salts to help her skin relax. she’s in the master bedroom, taking off the underarmour she wears under her black panther suit and even though you are married, sneaking a hidden look at your naked wife has you blushing and turning away.

most of her injuries are dressed and nearly healed once shuri steps in the bathroom, still limping some and her hair out from its original cornrows. she sighs and comes up behind you, swaying you slightly and you lean against her, you both watching the bath fill up with bubbles and water.

“what did i do to deserve you,” shuri sighs into your neck and you chuckle slightly, “i should be the one to say that. i went from farmer to queen in nearly two years, im still wrapping my head around it.” she kisses your neck and rubs your arms, “i saw you and thought you deserved it,” she murmurs and you giggle, pushing her off you, “nope, no, go get in your bath, no sex for you, go,”

she huffs slightly, taking off her robe and stepping in before wincing, “you’re trying to burn me more, ikumkani wam? this is scolding,” shuri complains and you roll your eyes and help her sit down, “the hot water will relax your muscles, now come sit, let me wash your hair,” and she huffs again, but listens.

you two hadn’t had a moment like this in so long, you realize, squeezing some shampoo on your hands and you tell her, “we haven’t done anything like this in a while, huh? it’s nice,” your murmured and get a soft response in return, and you laugh, right. shuri always went to sleep when you washed her hair, your hands working diligently, your nails scraping against her scalp and she leans back into your knees.

you can see her eyes closing, and you smile sadly at just how much you see she needed this, her entire body looks like it’s recharging in the bath, and her breathing slow and deep. you whisper, “lean back, entle, let me rinse your hair,” and shuri is completely complacent, murmuring and moving slowly, as you tilt her head back and run warm water down her scalp.

shuri’s definitely asleep by the time your putting in her conditioner and giving her some two strand twists, her entire head sloped against your knee. you find a head wrap in the nearby drawers and kiss her cheek once your done to wake her up and she mumbles. you whisper, “cmon let me wash you, love,” and she’s blinking awake as you climb into the bath and grab a rag and rub all over her.

shuri looks at you fondly, watching you avoid her open wounds and wash softly over the wrapped ones, even whispering a small apology when she winces slightly, all the way until your rinsing her off and wrapping a bathrobe against her and climbing out first to help her get out after you. you unplug the drain and grab some lotions and gauze to rebandage her wounds once in the bedroom.

you sit her down, handing her the cocoa butter and cream as you work your way up her wounds starting with her legs. you start, “what do you want for breakfast tomorrow?” you whisper and look up and shuri is staring back at you with such deep love and appreciation, that it makes you blush. you two have been together for more than three years now and she can still look at you as intensely as she did that first night you met her.

“shuri,” you whisper and she blinks, snapping out of her trance, “yes? i’m sorry whatd you say?” shuri says honestly and you giggle, wrapping one more gauze before sitting next to her and smiling, “what do you want me to make for breakfast tomorrow my love? we’ve got a week and i want to spend it doing all the things we’ve missed,” you say a little sadly and shuri laughs to herself, “why worry about tomorrow, we’ve got plenty we can do right now,” and her hand slides up your thigh and you roll your eyes, slapping her hand slightly. you know it doesn’t hurt her, but she still winces like it does.

“no sex, i mean it. i want your body to relax, sithandwa, okay?” and she sighs and nods, thinking. “i don’t even know to be honest, y/n, i’m so exhausted,” she finally admits and you laugh, “yes i know my love, let’s get some rest, yeah?”

shuri nods and you hand her the large shirt she normally wear to bed and cut off the lights and lay back down. shuri finds you in the darkness, completely wrapping herself over you and whispering, “ulihlabathi lam lonke sithandwa,”

you smile deeply, before sleep washes you both over and you close your eyes.

you wake up first, the small vibrations from your kimoyo beads shaking your arm, making you turn your alarm off. you check the time, just barely 9 am, and look over. you smile and see shuri, sleeping still so peacefully, her breathing slow. you reach over and adjust her head wrap before it falls off and sit up and stretch.

you check any of the emergency messages shuri may have gotten on her kimoyo beads and all you see is a lovely picture from nakia and her beautiful son, captioned, ‘hope to see you soon, auntie :)’ and smile, before closing the screen and stretching again, beginning to prepare for the day. you put your slip dress on and some house shoes before going to the other side of the bed and kissing shuri’s cheek.

her reflexes wake her up slightly, and you hear her grumble as you giggle, “no no, go back to sleep. don’t wake up i was just saying good morning, my love, that’s all. rest,” you whisper and she laughs a little too, “good morning to you, too,” before sighing and turning over. you walk away to the kitchen and wrap your hair up in a bun to get started.

you prepare some biscuits first, kneading dough and buttering up some pans before slicing up some pork pieces and peppers. you’ve been cooking your whole life, memories of making breakfast for your family with your mother flood your mind as you move around the kitchen. you smile to yourself, as you completely involve yourself in the food, playing some music softly.

after about 2 hours, everything’s just about done. the eggs cook last, of course, as you chop up some fruit and your beloved comes to the kitchen, her black pajamas on and twists out. shuri looks well rested and so much healthier compared to last night that it makes you smile.

“well good morning, again, love,” you say, still chopping fruit and she comes behind you, her favorite place to be, and smiles a “good morning,” into your neck, kissing there and rubbing up your sides. you chuckle to yourself, you know she’s pent up, hell, you are too, but you had a plan for that so you wiggled your shoulders, “no, we’ll eat first okay?” you say and turn to her and sighs again like last night and steals a strawberry from off your cutting board. you smack your lips at her and pinch her hip as she walks away laughing and starts setting the table.

you grab all the dishes you can, first the potatoes and pork first, and asking shuri to grab the rest of the eggs and biscuits and grits, placing everything just like your mother had always told you to. you take a step back and look at your work and smile, and shuri comes to your side, “i know you do, so, you want a picture?” and you laugh and ready your kimoyo beads and snap a quick picture.

you let shuri sit first and she looks at you confused, “what—” and you sigh, “i’m making your plate, go and sit,” and she laughs, “i guess i should get hurt more often,” she says and you glare at her before shuri puts her hands up, “a joke, sthandwa, i’m joking,” she laughs at your eyes, which are still cutting at her while you gather her food. “yeah, you better be,” you say back.

once her plate is full you set it down and she looks at you like you’re about to get married to her again, “i love you so much, this looks so amazing,” she murmurs out and you laugh and kiss her curls, smelling the shampoo you used last night and smiling. you set your plate next and sit next to her, praying a small thank you to Bast and beginning to eat.

you and shuri eat in a comfortable silence for nearly fifteen minutes before you both start to get full and make conversation. you start, “i have a full day of activities planned for us today, usana, i’m really excited.” she lifts her eyebrow at you to continue as she finishes her biscuit, all the food on her plate nearly gone.

you do, “first, we need to go to the market for some fresh meat for dinner tonight. i wanted to try and perfect my jambalaya. and then i thought we could go to the garden and relax, sort of meditate and read a bit, and finish the day strong with dinner and.. maybe, some time alone.” you try to whisper the last part to hide yourself but shuri catches it all and smiles.

“well seems like you’ve got it all planned out. i’ll follow your lead, sthandwa, im excited.” she sounds so sincere and infatuated with you, it makes you blush. how crazy is it that, as long as you’ve been together, she can still make you feel like it’s the first date all over again. you shy up and stand, taking her plate with yours to wash it. shuri beats you to it, “no, no, i got it, go get ready for the day,”

you look at her and sigh, pulling her down for a kiss, and she grins into it much like you do, and pull away saying, “ndiyakuthanda,”

shuri smiles harder at you and repeats it for your ears only as if you’re the only person who supposed to hear it. and you know you are.

you lay in the bath and you hear shuri singing to herself slightly down the hall as she washes the dishes. you can’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of joy for the time you’ve spent with her, even just one morning feeling positively heavenly.

your kimoyo beads go off under the water, and it’s m’baku, a text that reads, ‘the hostages have been brought back home. ayo has talked my ear off, please send aneka to retrieve her.’ and you laugh slightly as shuri walks in, “what’s funny, my love?” you turn to her, “m’baku and ayo working together, he says she talked his ear off,” shuri smiles too and being to underdress and now you’re not laughing.

“what’re you doing?” you ask, smirking at her and trying to keep your eyes on her face as more and more of her tattooed skin comes into view, “repaying the favor. you wash me, i do the same, yeah?” she whispers back and before you can retort she’s already stepping in and you laugh as she winces, much like last night, “darling, you’re going to burn your skin off, Bast, this is ridiculous,” she mumbles as she sits down and you smile, leaning against her chest.

she rubs your skin up and down under the hot water and you sigh, holding one of her hands against you. “i’ve missed you,” you whisper, and she nods against you, tilting your head to look at her, “i’ve missed you, too,” she whispers right back, and kisses you sweetly and gently like you’re the softest thing in the universe. you moan softly, turning your head to give her better access and water moves around you both, most of the bubbles now gone.

you feel the hand that was holding you chin slowly go down your chest, moving right on top your clit and you huff, pulling away from her mouth and she shushes you, adding more pressure with her two fingers and circling your clit and you moan, “haaaa, shuri,” you’re whispering like someone will come in and she kisses against your cheeks holding you down with the other hand.

shuri whispers in your ear, “you’re so beautiful, my love. i’m so glad to call you mine,” you moan again, feeling that heat pool downstairs and your legs try to close to avoid it but shuri’s talking in your ear again, “no, darling, keep them open let me see you, it’s alright,” and you sigh and open your legs again, always giving into shuri completely. she thanks you and you feel your body get warmer, the water moving against your pussy in tandem with shuri’s fingers and you buck, your orgasm washing over you suddenly.

“ha, oh, ohhh i’m cumming, shuri, shuri—” and she’s encouraging you all the way, whispering praises in your wet skin and still moving her fingers against you, until you’re whining in overstimulation and she stops, kissing your neck and rubbing your stomach and legs. you sigh out and completely turn over and kiss her, water spilling over a bit, ready to return the favor and she smiles, shaking her head, “we’ve got to go to the market, remember? we’ll finish later, okay?” she says and you blink, still dazed from your orgasm but you nod and she picks up a rag to start washing you both.

once you’re both clean, you get out and lather up with some cocoa butter and oils, you laying your edges and shuri fixing up some of her curls. you wear your favorite loose dress, it ties right on your hips and gives you some decent cleavage and shuri puts on a matching track suit and grabs your hand as you exit the room.

walking towards the throne room you see aneka there waiting patiently, “my queens, are we departing? should i tell anyone?” and you both shake your head, “we’re just going to the markets, aneka, no need for royals of any kind.” you say sweetly and she nods, tapping her spear against the hard concrete, opening the doors and escorting you both out.

being on wakandan streets made you nostalgic, not having really been outside that often since marrying shuri and becoming queen. shuri sees it on your face; the warmth of familiarity bringing a pleasant and beautiful grin on you, “you miss it, my love?” she says as you look at the shops.

you sigh and face her, “a bit. it mostly reminds me of my mother. but even when we were dating i just miss having the time like this— to wonder about and look, just you and i,” you say taking her hand and she smiles at you, kissing your forehead as you make your way to your first shop.

the woman smiles, “ikumkani wam, what can i get you, dear?” and you smile back, “no need for royalties, auntie, i just need some peppers and rice, and if you have any strawberries that’d be great too,” you say glaring at shuri since she had eaten your entire freshly picked batch this morning and she puts her hands up in surrender, laughing as she walks around to another shop.

she packs up the ingredients for you and you thank her as you watch shuri come skipping back to you and smiling, her hands behind her back. you raise an eyebrow, “what’ve you gotten now?”

“nothing, nothing, don’t worry about it,” she says all too fast and you sigh, shaking your head, knowing it’s some expensive gift she’ll probably give you later. shuri had a habit of doing that, buying you some gold or jewelry or accessories you didn’t necessarily need but she knew they’d look darling on you. and, well of course they did, but you had always encouraged her to not spend so much on you. “you are my greatest gift,” you had told her countless times, “i need nothing more.”

and yet, she persisted.

you’d given up trying to stop her long ago as shuri was just as stubborn as always. you walked up to your next shop, talking to the young man there and asking for the pounds of meat you needed, thank him as he went to cut. shuri comes to your side, “it’s not jewelry, if that makes you feel better,” she whispers lightly, you can feel her smirk.

you’re curious now, “more waist beads?” and she shakes her head, “oh, really? i don’t know you to buy anything else. what is it?” the man comes back with the pork and chicken you needed and you thank him as shuri whispers, “i don’t want to spoil the surprise, love,” and you gruff, “i know you better than all, shuri, you cannot surprise me.” you say proudly and she smiles walking side by side with you and shrugs,

“maybe i can,” you glare at her, now more curious than ever. but she might be playing with you, just to throw you and actually pull out waist beads after dinner and you chuckle to yourself. the rest of the trip is filled with small banter and shopping, both you and shuri just happy to spend this time together.

once back home, shuri insisted to move the meditation in the garden to tomorrow, which causes you to lift up your eyebrow once you set your groceries down in the kitchen. “why, have you got something planned?” and she smiles, helping you unpack and she comes to your ear, “i need all the hours in the night for you so after dinner it’ll just be you and i, alright?”

‘all the hours in the night,’ echoes in your forehead and you feel some heat pool at the bottom of your stomach, and you exhale quietly and nod, “alright,” you whisper back and she kisses your neck, rubbing your arms and she walks away, the bag holding your surprise in her hands.

you stand at the sink, still slightly breathless, whew. you had forgotten how shuri can get, so sensual and so intense, that it didn’t cross your mind that she might have plans tonight along with yours. your mind reels as you try to figure out what her surprise could be while you think of yours.

you and shuri had had a loving sex life, nothing too intense and always so satisfying, shuri always willing to try whatever you wanted and you right behind her, listening to her suggestions and smiling at her when she comes to shy and asks if you can try something new. but even then, you knew what the other liked— shuri loved you in lingerie and all the jewelry she bought, she liked taking all the time in the world with you so the ‘all the hours in the night’ hadn’t surprised you one bit; ever the romantic, she lets nothing come between your love making and she swears by it, even going as far as taking off her kimoyo beads and shutting them down at one point.

you loved everything about her but during sex you absolutely loved when she lost herself in you, letting down every single guard she had and completely unraveling because of you. she’s always so tense, ready for any and everything at all costs so to see her completely relax and let go while with you makes your mind nearly explode.

but even then, what could she possible have that would surprise you? you shake your head, looking at the time. 5:54, might as well start on dinner.

you sigh once dinner is ready, your eyes watering a bit from the peppers and spices, but it’s done regardless and you step back and take another picture and immediately send it to your mom, proud of your work. you cover the pot and walk to the bedroom to get shuri but instead are greeted with a lingerie set, a white frilly bra and underwear set, complete with ribbons and lace, and a silk, black dress that sits next to a perfume bottle.

you roll your eyes once you see a note with shuri’s handwriting on it, “surprise, my love.” you read and sigh again, taking off your apron and under clothes and putting on the set. you walk to the bathroom and see yourself in the mirror, damn, it’s perfect. the dress itself is damn near see through and the bralet and underwear hug your body beautifully, the ruffles practically shiny against your skin and blush, almost too nervous to show shuri. you spray some of the perfume on, inhaling and smelling, vanilla and shea butter, and you smile. it’s the perfume you wore on your first date. i can’t believe she remembered something like that, you think to yourself. you get one last of yourself in the mirror and fix your hair a bit, laying your edges down once more before walking out.

you see shuri in the kitchen wearing a white fitted suit, and she’s adjusting her cufflinks when your speak up, “okay, i admit it, you surprised me.” you say laughing and she turns to face you and she gasps slightly, you can see her gaze darkening as she takes you all in, “you look beautiful, sthandwa, you captivate me,” and you smile and shy up and decide to walk off, “let’s sit yeah?” you say and shuri laughs, and follows you to make her plate as well.

you both make your plates and sit down once more like this morning, making small conversation, but you can’t help but feel a light sense of arousal, as you know what’s about to happen. you two haven’t made love in so long and the thought of her being inside you for hours has you crossing your legs as you can barely speak to her, muttering out small responses before she notices and lifts your chin to make eye contact, “y/n, you know i absolutely love you and your food but i feel confident in saying we’re both too distracted to eat right now, yeah?” you nod, hanging on her every word, “why don’t we just go to bed then?”

you let out, “yeah,” completely breathless and she leans in to completely cover your mouth, feeling her lips move against yours and it makes you moan, wrapping your arms around her and sighing, your brain fogging up and moving against her like it’s a second nature, because at this point it is.

she stands you both up slowly, keeping your mouths connected and holding your waist, drawing you close as you feel her tongue enter your mouth and explore. you gasp slightly, god, you missed this, missed it so much, youre holding on to her like you’re about to drown. shuri pulls away slightly, a small line of spit still keeping you both connected and you whine, she shushes you, “i’ve got you, shh, it’s alright, let’s go to bed, yeah?” and you nod and follow her, holding her hand and looking at her as if she’s taking you to bed for the first time again.

she captures your mouth again, now against the bed and you moan, opening up to her completely as she rubs down your sides, slipping her hands under your lingerie and you gasp. “shuri, cmon, please,” you whisper and she nods, and once you get a good look in her eyes you can tell she’s just as desperate as you are, if not more, and you think about the three times you denied her last night alone. she practically lays you down and climbs on top of you and attacks your neck.

you tilt your head and give her total access and she whispers, “you smell so good, love,” and you moan out a laugh, “i have you to thank, dear. how’d you even find that—!” you can’t even finish your question as shuri has completely lifted your dress, sliding her hands against your breasts and sucking hickeys into your skin. you moan out her name and lift your back so she can take off the bra which she does in one swift movement.

she sucks on one of your nipples as you moan and squirm, the foreplay alone making you already feel like you’ve ruined your underwear with your slick. shuri reaches down and palms you through your underwear and you throw your head back, gasping. oh, she’s being so mean, you think, and groan in frustration as you feel yourself growing more and more frustrated.

shuri picks up on this, “you want more, my love?” and you nod, bucking you hips against her hand to symbolize where you need it, and she smiles, “of course,” she whispers and finally, finally, she’s face to face with your heat, covered by the panties that are soaked beyond recognition. she moves the underwear aside, not completely taking them off, and the cool air of the room hits your lips causing you to moan breathless, any friction or stimulation driving you crazy.

shuri curses out lowly, before placing a kiss on top of your pussy. your hips stutter slightly and she laughs a bit, before going back to kissing your lips and licking up all your slick. you moan aloud, “yes, yes, please, please don’t stop—” so happy to finally have some stimulation on you and shuri sighs against you, taking all of you in and moaning like your the best meal she’s ever had. you grab the silk sheets from under you and toss your head back before shuri pulls away slightly, stopping all contact.

you don’t even say anything but your hips are being raised and shuri is practically ripping off your underwear to have better access to your entire pussy and she goes back into you completely, kissing you thighs and sucking on your clit, wasting no time. you jolt, “oh, fuck! haahhh, shuri, shuri, shuri—”

it’s perfect, you moan aloud, shuri is so perfect, the poor sheets evidence, you could hear them practically ripping as your orgasm approached, shuri’s mouth working you through it. you try to move away from her, not wanting the night to be over, god, you wanted her for hours and hours, just like she promised, but you felt it, your whole body becoming hot.

shuri holds your legs open, not letting you up, even though you warn her, “sthandwa, i’m cumming, i’m cumming—!” but she hums around your pussy, acknowledging you but not stopping. you feel it, your entire body opens up and your back arches, you feel your clit pulsing under her lips, and she keeps sucking, you whine high pitched as your orgasm racks through your body. you feel your pussy clench around nothing and shuri pulls away, gasping and her chin wet.

you sigh, legs falling open, as shuri kisses up your legs and stomach, moving your dress around until she reaches your mouth to kiss you and you taste yourself and moan, rubbing her shoulders and coaxing her out of her suit as she twists to get it off as well. she moans against you, pulling away slightly and she whispers, “you taste amazing, love,” and you smile, “your turn?”

she laughs, “you sound eager about that,” she says and you nod and sit up leaning her down, “i want to take care of you tonight, usana, you deserve it, yeah? can you lay down for me?” and shuri nods, semi breathless, as you sit on top of her taking off her clothes, and kissing all her skin.

she sighs softly, “you always take care of me, love. so good for me,” and she’s watching you work down her body until you get to her pussy, already leaking. you sigh, “so pretty, shuri,” and she laughs a bit too, before gasping as you kiss her lips, much like she did you, before opening her legs and licking around her, completely swallowing everything she moans and sighs out praises, “you’re so amazing, my love, take such good care of me, don’t you?”

you moan, pushing your clit against the sheets as you work on shuri; her praises have always turned you on, the way she sounds, the way she speaks, it’s always been your favorite part of her and doing things like this. you zone out entirely, only hearing how shuri’s pussy sounds and how heavenly her praises sound.

she moans a bit, holding onto the hands you had against her abdomen, “y/n, love, i’m cumming, you’re so good, making me cum, aren’t you darling, haaa, fuck, fuck—” and you feel it, her whole body jerks up and you feel her pussy release in your mouth, moaning along with her. you sigh and pull your mouth away and she sits up entirely, pulling you for an incredibly sloppy kiss, sighing deeply into your mouth and holding you close. you pull away first and smile, “good?” you whisper, and she shrugs, “i still wanted to fuck you properly, love. it’s not even that late to stop now, yeah?”

you look at the time, it was nearly 10 o’clock. normally you’d both have so many things to do in the morning that you’d both be scrambling to rush to go to sleep and wake up bright and early but with this week off, you laugh and agree, “okay, whatever you want,” you whisper back against her and she smiles, kissing you lightly before jumping up to the closet, getting her strap.

you lay back down, sighing, your whole body blooming. this time with shuri has got you giggly and practically high, as you feel yourself laughing once she comes back, boxers on and strap in hand. “you alright, love?” she says stroking your face while she’s at the edge of the bed and you sigh, looking up at her, “i just.. i love you so much. i’m so happy we’re finally spending some time together is all. i really missed you, shuri,” you admit, your eyes wet suddenly and she smiles at you and leans down to capture your mouth,

“i missed you more, sithandwa, you have no idea,” and you nod and agree, you probably didn’t have any idea, you really didn’t see shuri during this month at all, so who knows how deep her longing went for you. as she’s grabbing the lube and adjusting herself, you say softly, “show me,”

she looks up at you, curious, “what do you mean?” and you move slightly, trying to avoid her intense gaze as she strokes herself, “show me how much you missed me. make me feel it,”

and shuri smiles to herself a bit, opening your legs up slightly, and pushing the strap against your lips, the lube and your cum combining, “oh i intend to, my love, all. week. long.” she whispers back at you and you gasp, not even being to retort before you feel her push inside, the strap opening you up completely and you toss your head back with a breathless moan, “oh, shuri—!” you drag out her name as your eyes shut, feeling her practically push in your pelvis. she leans down to kiss you again and you wrap your arms around her, tears threatening to spill as you feel her, all of your wife, inside you.

your mind is completely broken, shuri, shuri, shuri— she’d completely captivated you. her mouth working against yours along with the feel of her abdomen practically kissing your clit has you nearly thoughtless. she pulls away, watching you intently, “you said anything i want, right, sthandwa?” and you mumble not holding eye contact, had you said that? you literally can’t remember, her dick taking over all your senses.

shuri kisses your cheeks, “i want you all night, okay? can you hold out for me?” and you moan and nod, wanting to do nothing but please her. she whispers an ‘i love you,’ into your skin and leans away from you to pick up your legs and slowly pull out and push back in.

you moan aloud, grabbing the sheets once more and shuri coaxes you through as you toss your head back and flex your thighs against her, body convulsing as her thrusts get faster and harder, barely letting you adjust. you’re nearly completely screaming now, haven’t been fucked like this in so long. you didn’t care if you woke the entire nation, the love of your life was finally, finally, making love to you for the first time in nearly months.

your body catches up to you though, before you’re even ready to accept it. your pussy clenches around shuri, and you whine, “oh, my love, i’m cumming, i’m cumming, please shuri, make me cum, uhhhnnn—” and she’s encouraging you with those lovely lovely praises again, “go ahead, my love, that’s it, baby, cum for me, be my good girl and cum,”

it’s all you need. your pussy squeezes and you feel your thighs tremble as you let go entirely, clit pulsing and your pussy completely sucking shuri in, and you moan unabashedly, feeling your back arch. when it’s over and your body settles, you nearly double over, so breathless and twitching. shuri pulls out to kiss you and sooth over your legs, before you feel her moving you slightly. you mumble, still fucked out from your orgasm and she kisses against you, “on your stomach for me, my love, can you move?” and oh god, she wants to go again.

you twitch and huff, still feeling your pussy leaking but you had promised her, whatever she wanted. you moan out a small ‘yes,’ and lay on your stomach, poking your butt out like you knew she liked, your head laying on your soft shared pillows.

shuri kisses down your back, “thank you, my intombi elungile, you’re so good for me, yeah?” she says, rubbing your pussy with two fingers, moving your cum around and feeling your clit with her thumb, you jerk, moaning at the overstimulation, “shh, baby, i know. just relax, i’ll be inside you soon enough, let me feel you, love,” she saying it all sweet but you feel tears spike your eyes, she was so cruel to you, knowing your pussy was overstimulated.

shuri kisses your butt and keeps you open as she plays with your clit and you buck, “i’m cumming, shuri, shuri—!” and you’re on your forearms now, moaning and grabbing at pillows, when you feel it, your third orgasm for the night racking through your body, making you whine and pull away from her fingers but she holds you open, watching your pussy twitch and shake, encouraging you all the way. “good girl, thank you baby, let it all out,” and you moan on top of her words.

you huff, feeling her come behind you and grab your throat lightly and kissing your cheeks, whispering thank you’s. you whine against her once you feel her strap move towards your pussy again, and she sighs, “open up for me, my love. be my good girl, okay?” and you moan and nod, her praises in your ear are all you need to keep going.

and once more, shuri’s fucking into you again, her skin slapping against the softness of your backside, making you twitch and grip the sheets. holy fuck, she was pent up, you recognized, and you couldn’t help but let the tears you had been holding spill out, your pussy feeling spent and full. shuri didn’t let up though, even though she heard your wet gasps and saw your nearly bucking back, she whispers again, “it’s alright love, i know you can take it, let it out,”

your moans change in tone again and you can’t even fathom what orgasm you’re on now, but you feel it approaching— it’s a low buzzing in your veins that sparks your brain. your mouth is drooling and you’ve given up on speech entirely as she fucks into you, harder and harder and harder.

shuri knows you’re cumming, however— she’s known your body like the back of her hand for a while now so she does was she does best: talking you through it and helping you get there. she uses her left hand to rub you clit in small, soft circles to counteract the harshness of her thrusts and you squeal, dropping your upper body entirely on the bed and the new position gives shuri complete access to your g-spot, something you had had her touch but never this close.

you yell out, “oh, right there, shuri, please RIGHT there, don’t stop, don’t stop, i need it, hhaaaa shuri i’m cumming i’m cumming—!” and shuri nods along, whispering praises in your back and you cum again, your body letting out whole tremors as you shake, and you feel it, your pussy is squirting and you can’t do anything but moan aloud, the pressure on your clit making you nearly lose your voice and shuri pulls out once more, and your body falls against the sheets. shuri lays down too, catching her own breath, and you lay closer to her, sighing, still fucked out to really speak but shuri kisses you because she knows you need it.

you whimper against her mouth and she pulls away and asks, “one more for me, love?” and you sigh, and nod, “where do you want me?”

shuri puts you on top of her, sliding down her strap until your clit is kissing her abdomen again and she even moans, “you look so gorgeous, my love, intle ngokupheleleyo, can you move for me?” she whispers, holding one of your hands and kissing your knuckles. you nod, your thighs shaking as you life up and slowly drop down again, whimpering, your silk dress completely covered in your sweat and cum.

shuri sees your struggle and sits up in her forearms and takes you in hers, whispering, “i’ve got it love, can you hold on to me, sweet thing?” and you nod, dazed and wanting to listen, so you wrap your arms around her and she holds your back and she thrusts slightly, a softer pace unlike the last time. you moan softly and completely fall into her and she leans you both back, holding on to your butt as she thrusts upwards into you.

you sigh out and moan, more tears spilling and shuri uses one her hands to wipe them away, kissing praises into your skin, “that’s it, sthandwa, let it all out for me, love, i’ve got you,” you whine back nothing that makes actual sense and shuri laughs slightly, still fucking into you, squeezing your thighs and flexing hers and suddenly you hear it; her voice has changed and she’s gasping lowly against you—

she’s about to cum.

you moan aloud at the thought and bring your mouth to hers for a very wet kiss and when you pull away you whisper first, “are you about to cum for me, my love?” finally having gained some speech back and you see shuri gasp and toss her head back and nod, “yes, yes, i’m so close, my love, i feel it, ahhnnn—” and you nod and decide to copy her, encouraging her like she does you even though you can feel your mind fogging up again and your own orgasm approaching.

“shuri, cum with me, please baby, i want to feel it, please, please, please—!” you whimper and she nods, thrusting unevenly now, solely focused on her own pleasure and she lets out one more harsh thrust and a quick shout of a curse and moan of your name, and you feel it, she’s cumming, shuri’s cumming all for you, and the thought alone pushes you over as well, and you moan, twitching against the strap as you feel yourself squirt out more.

you’re huffing through your nose, trying to catch your breath and shuri is too, moaning lowly at the feel of her orgasm subsiding and you both fall back against each other, sighing.

shuri pulls out slowly, holding you up and praising you for being so good and you whine as you feel her dick leave you, your pussy pulsing around nothing once she’s gone.

she pulls your face towards hers and kisses you deeply, rubbing your dress against your back and you moan into her mouth and sigh, feeling your body calm down completely. shuri pulls away first, “do you need anything, usana?” and you shake your head wrapping your arms around her, “just stay right here please,” you whisper softly and she nods, holding your waist and you whisper back, “do you need anything?”

shuri laughs a bit, sighing, “just you, love.”

you two had cleaned up after a long needed rest, laying back down with bonnets and head wraps on and actual pajamas, cuddled up at nearly 1 am.

shuri was tracing some patterns in your warm skin as you hummed softly, your eyes heavy with sleep and she kisses your forehead, “go to sleep love, we have nothing to do tomorrow,” she whispers and you believe her. you blink slowly once you looked up at her, sighing, “i love you so much,” you mutter out, words slurred because of sleep, and shuri smiles brightly,

“i love you more than you’ll know,” and you believe her.

y’all., soft dom shuri is all i need in my life, get that toxic shit away from me that’s not my wife!!

anyways i hope you guys enjoyed and thank you again, @maybachinparis for the request this was so much fun!!

i’ll add the translations for this later lol, it’s nearly 1 am i got work tomorrow so let me take my ass to bed, I HOPE YOU ENJOYEDDD🤎🤎

makes sure to reblog and send requests!!

[hellbornsworld]

BTS X READER WATTPAD RECOMMENDATIONS(2) ⋆｡ ﾟ ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ ☾ ﾟ ｡⋆

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟 𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟 𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟 𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟 𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟

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# BOOK 1 The Four Kingdoms |

There's a fire in her. If loved correctly, she will warm your entire home. If abused, she will burn it to ash.

# BOOK 2 Pyramids |

She didn't need a crown, because she wasn't a queen.... She was a goddess.

# BOOK 3 Dynasty |

You can say she's crazy, but her eyes see the spirits of the past.... She talks to them.... And they talk back.

# BOOK 4 Mist |

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In which you are a prude theology student and one day, your sneaky twin brother sent you a link to the livestream of an infamous camboy, Park Jimin.

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟 𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟 𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟 𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟 𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟

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[creamecafe]

Hey! Can we get a Shuri x F!Reader fic, where the reader is mildly superpowered and had moved to Wakanda per request of the Queen after T'challa's passing to allow Shuri to have one trusted friend with her and she stays with her throughout Shuri's grieving period and fights alongside her and her people out at sea, earning herself the title of 'Hero' in the eyes of the Wakandan's despite not being one of their own, and of course, she and Shuri fall in love with eachother but they dont confess until before Shuri drinks the contents of her artificial heart, and before she goes she tells the reader she loves her incase the plant sends her into cardiac arrest and she dosent get the chance to tell her? Sorry for the long request.

Your the Only Friend I Need

*Spoilers for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever if you haven't seen it yet. You have been warned*

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Navigation | Who I Write For | Shuri Udaku Playlist | Also on Wattpad!

Summary: What the request said (Until I can make up a good summary)

Pairing: Shuri Udaku x Fem!Reader with Super-Powers

Warnings: mutual pining, mentions of death, grief, depression, friends to lovers, and eventually fluff at the end. Also not double checked but I'll have to get to that soon.

a/n: @ackroxia this is an absolutely great idea of a request tysm! And DW about it being so long it's perfect!

The king is dead. T'Challa is dead. It was hard for you to accept the news that your close friend is gone. Especially thinking of how the Queen and his sister are feeling due to his death. You have been meaning to reach out to Shuri but didn't know when the right time was.

She was your best friend. Of course, the right thing to do is bring her comfort but didn't know how.

Your thoughts were disturbed as you hear a knock on your door and you go to approach to see who's there.

You look through the peephole and it was none other than the powerful female soldier group known, as the Dora Milaje. You open the door and allowed them in.

"Okoye and Ayo. It's nice to see you both. What brings you here?"

"Hello Y/N it's nice to see you too," Okoye smiled.

"We are here by the Queens' order" Ayo answered.

Oh no. The Queen. It could either mean something good or bad.

"The Queen. What does she need? How can I be a help of assistance?"

"She wants you to come to Wakanda in order of comfort for Shuri due to her state of the Kings death."

"Of course my condolences to the king. And how's Shuri?"

"Not so well. She spends much of her time in the lab. Rarely gets out to socialize or eat."

"I can imagine the death of her brother and how it affects her. They were really close."

"Indeed they were. We need you to come to Wakanda."

"Of course. I don't mind staying a couple of weeks there to comfort Shuri."

"No, I'm not talking about weeks. I mean permanently."

Permanently? Living in Wakanda permanently? It sounds like a dream because you have been to the country before to fight Thanos and how beautiful it is but to live there permanently never crossed your mind.

"Permanently? Like I stay there forever, leaving all my stuff here and my home?"

"I know it sounds like a lot. But Shuri could really use comfort."

You stopped and pondered a moment to think about the choice you would have to make. Shuri is your friend. It feels like a privilege you are chosen as a comfort to be by Shuri's side in an amazing country.

You took a deep breath in and sighed.

"I will go to Wakanda. For Shuri."

"We will help you bring your stuff."

You then started packing your stuff in order to leave your home and enter your new one, Wakanda. After you had everything packed and head off to the ship waiting outside, just practically calling your name, you looked back at your home and how much you will miss it. But then you remember this is for Shuri, a choice you made. You turn your head towards it and never looked back.

Now you were on the ship settled in and waiting for you to arrive at your destination.

-Time Skip-

You had now arrived at Wakanda and were now in the citadel guarded by more of the Dora Milaje. You walked to the meeting room and where the throne is. The doors opened and there stood the most powerful woman known, the Queen of Wakanda, hence her real name Ramonda.

"Queen." You bow down in respect towards her.

"Y/N. You are a friend to Wakanda and part of this family. There's no need to bow."

"I know but my parents always taught me to respect my elders." I smile at her and she does too

She goes to hug me and I reach in. Her hug was firm but also soft. Once you pulled out of the hug, she put her hands on your shoulders and slowly slide to your hands.

"I thank you for coming to Wakanda. I'm sorry for the short notice, but I just want my daughter to be alright."

"No it's ok I understand. My condolences to you and Shuri about the king, your son. First your husband and now your son. I can't imagine the pain you are going through."

"Well here in Wakanda, death is not the end." She smiled sweetly and cupped my face.

"You are a very strong woman Queen, I always admired that about you."

"You are very sweet Y/N, I always loved that about you."

Your heartbeat happily at her kindness.

"Come I'll let you see Shuri."

You nodded and followed her to Shuri's lab. You forgotten how big it was and how much you missed it.

You climb down the steps and see a whole bunch of technology around you and hologram screens. Then you saw her, Shuri.

"Shuri, I have a surprise for you."

"I don't think I'll be interested mama."

"Why you haven't even seen it yet? It's a special someone."

Shuri turns around rolling her eyes until she stops when she sees you. Her eyes widened.

"Y/N?"

"Hi Shuri," You smiled.

"Y/N, oh my god why didn't you tell me you were coming?"

"Well um.."

"I had her come to my request. To comfort you."

"Wait you requested for her to come?"

"To stay with you permanently."

"What? No mama, no you can't do that to Y/N. She can't be here because you want her to, what about her family, her home?"

"Shuri it's ok. I wanted to come here. I chose to. For you."

"But..." Shuri sighed.

"You need someone by you and I will do that." I interrupted her and held her shoulder. "I don't care if I have to stay in Wakanda for the rest of my life. I just want you to be ok. That's what matters to me""

Shuri looked down. She felt guilty that you're willing to leave your home to stay in Wakanda with her. She never had someone be her first priority before, especially you.

"I appreciate it Y/N. Thank you so much "

"Now you see why I wanted her to come here Shuri" Ramonda smiled at Shuri.

"Yes mama" Shuri laughed and you smiled too.

"I'll let you two be," Ramonda said as she left the lab.

You both look as the Queen leaves the lab and then turn to each other and smile.

"Do you want me to show you your room?"

"Yeah of course."

You both laugh as you leave the lab to see your new room. When you both arrived it was beautiful. The windows were big enough to see over the city of Wakanda and the night sky with many stars. You were able to put your luggage in and soon be able to decorate it the way you want. You and Shuri just spend the rest of the day talking and hearing how she's doing with the passing of T'Challa.

The first night of Wakanda has been comforting and soothing. The guards had given you comfort clothing, clothing of their culture, and sandals. The food was just immaculate with the seasonings put into it.

When you first took a bit of the food, your eyes widened. Shuri taking a sight at this laughed.

"Is it good?"

"Good? Amazing! Why didn't I have some sooner?"

You both laugh and continue eating.

After eating, you went to take a nice steamy hot bath and just sighed at the calm and relaxing experience. After you were done, you put your pajamas on and were heading to bed. You went to Shuri's room and knocked on the door. Shuri went to the door and opened it. She smiled when she saw you.

"Hey Y/N"

"Hey, Shuri I just came to say goodnight."

"Well, goodnight to you. And thank you for choosing to stay in Wakanda. " She went and gave you a hug

"Or course," You embraced the hug. "Anything for you."

"I know you probably miss your home and family."

"I do but I can make this my home and find my new family here." You smile

Shuri smiled as well. She was lucky to have a friend devoted as you, especially moving to a whole new country.

"Thank you really. Have a goodnight."

"You too Shuri."

Shuri closes her bedroom door and you walk back to your room. You close the door behind you and go to the window. You take a look at the city with lights in buildings, majority dimmed and majority turned off. You felt fortunate that you would be seeing this view every night from now on.

You walk to your bed and settle in under the blankets. You look up at the ceiling and sighed with a smile on your face.

Maybe staying Wakanda for a long time wouldn't be so dreadful after all as you thought.

Let me know if you want to be tagged in part 2 and 3!

[jordisblogg]

a/n: no title bc i couldn’t think of one plus this isn’t rlly a fic, js a lil smth i was thinking about. the last part of it was inspired by this su comic i read, though i can't remember what it was called..

heart beat, negative, lungs, deactivated, body, comprised.

you stared in horror as griot read you her vitals, her blood was all over your face, hands and clothes, but you didn’t dare wipe it.

there, your wife laid, impaled. red liquid pooling from her mouth and nose, her eyes were lifeless, she made no movement.

“would you like me to contact the others, ms.y/n?”

you gave no response to the ai, as everything slowly started to tune out, you couldn’t hear the outside world anymore, you couldn’t see it. all you could see your beloved laying on the ground in her own pool of blood.

the attack had begun earlier this evening. namor had decided he had wanted to cut off the deal they had both made, in fear of shuri lying to him and double crossing his nation.

“ms.y/n?”

he hadn’t done anything flashy like the last time he flooded the city. he instead got shuri alone. she was on her nightly visit to the beach just outside the woods, the last place her and her mother truly connected before she was taken from her. she would make sure there were no dora with her, not even you and namor must’ve known.

as she reminisced, the young monarch noticed the serpent god emerging from the ocean. she hadn’t treated him like an enemy, but she was still on edge whenever he was around.

“what is it that you want?”

“do you truly have the intention of us building an alliance?” his question threw the scientist off, is that not what she had said? almost everyone who knew shuri personally knew that she never backed down on her word, no matter how bad the person was. but, she supposed she could see his suspicions.

“yes, i told you, you had my word on that. wakanda would protect your oceans as long as you promised never to show up here again.”

“did you? or did you let me believe it?” he began hovering towards her, until his feet landed on the warm sand. shuri stood and began creating distance between them.

“what are you talking about?”

“you never truly wanted us to be allies, did you, queen?”

“stay away from me—“ shuri was known to be fearless her whole life, never being one to back down from a challenge or tell someone off, when most people would be peeing their pants or running the other way. but she can’t deny, for these past 3 years, she’s been feeling the opposite of fearless, like she’s just been waiting for the last thing to tip her over and have her bursting into tears.

“do you think i am an imbecile? that i know you seek vengeance of me killing your mother.”

“what? no—“

her reached her to where there were only a few centimeters between them.

“you cross me, and i warned you, i wipe wakanda off the face of the earth..”

shuri then felt some sharp come in contact with her abdomen, she finally took her fear-struck eyes off the aquatic ruler and down at the large, sharp spear. in the exact same spot he wounded her the last time they had battled.

“it won’t heal twice..” he spit, venom laced within his words.

she tried to open her mouth to speak but nothing but swift breaths of air would egress.

“please..” she let out breathlessly, though she got no response, no remorse. he let her collapse to the ground, eyeing her vengefully as she struggled to take in oxygen.

“do not worry, i’m granting you your wish. you should be thanking me..” was the last thing he heard from him before he yanked his weapon from her middle.

“ms.y/n, would you like me to request for assistance?”

you should’ve been there. you should’ve stayed with her, something in your gut told you something wasn’t right.

“are you sure she’s alright, i mean— she’s been out there for almost an hour an a half. i know y’all want me to give her her space to mourn but.. i just don’t know.. i think i should go check on her, just to be sure.” you paced around the dining room, after you, shuri, and everyone else had invited them to dinner. it was routine for your wife to sit outside and reminisce, so you didn’t bother her about it tonight.

“i hope you know that little panther is going to say something.” mbaku snorted as he picked up a final carrot from the display plate. you ignored his warning and went out to find her.

“shuri? baby, are you alright?” you called out to her and got no answer, until you reached closer and heard faint coughs, your eyebrows scrunched in confusion as you continued to tread carefully, “shuri?”

the sight you saw once you finally reached her was something you could never have prepared for.

“ms.y/n, i really think we should call for assistance!”

“oh god!” you screamed, quickly running up to her as she laid, choking on her own blood. you placed your hands over her wound, hoping to stop the blood the was gushing all over her clothes.

“shuri— please, you can’t do this right now!” you watched her as she only coughed, her chest rising up in down in quick haste as she tried her hardest to breathe.

tears streamed down your cheeks as you tried to calm yourself, attempting to remain strong so your emotions wouldn’t make the situation worse, “you can fight it baby, come on! you’re gonna be okay!” you picked off two kimoyo beads from your bracelet and set them into her wound swiftly.

"these should heal it, you're gonna be okay, you hear me?" you placed one hand on the side of her face while keeping the other onto her wound.

shuri didn't know this would be how she would go. she had so much she wanted to say to you, but not enough time. all she could do was look at you and hope that you could hear her every thought. despite all her hardships and stress, the best part of her day would be coming home to see you. you soothed her somehow; in a way she couldn't explain. and how badly did she want you to know. seeing your distressed and horrified face only made her realize that she should've expressed all of this to you sooner.

she did make sure that the last thing, the last person, she looked at was you. she wanted your face to be the last thing she saw before she went, that way she could go peacefully.

she ignored your cries and your pleads, and pretended it was just you and her, sitting on this very beach, listening to the waves crash against the rocks and the sound of the few occasional elephants' trunks as they took their child through the water. she imagined you two sitting her and enjoying each other's company, rather than the reality of you holding the other as they clung on to life.

"shuri please, i'm right here!" you cried hysterically as you rested your head on your wife's chest, trying your best to soothe her.

soon you could no longer hear shuri's gasps, and her chest had stopped its quick motion. and that only frightened you more.

your head shot up immediately only to see shuri's lifeless eyes staring back at you. you didn't call out to her this time; you didn't shake her. you just looked.

you looked.

you held her frail body in your hands and looked.

"y/n!" instead of hearing the ai pester your once more, you heard the general, one who your wife loved dearly. she stood still as she watched the scene before her. the recently crowned queen, the last of the royal family, was now gone. and her wife sat over her, shocked in fear.

"my queen.." she hesitated, walking steadily towards you.

"no.." you whispered, voice almost hoarse, your eyes staying on your beloved, as if she would emerge back to life if you stared long enough.

"please.. just let me—"

"she's cold.."

"y/n.."

"get her a blanket, okoye, she's cold.." you cradled her into your chest, holding her tightly.

"y/n, please!"

"i don't want her to be by herself.." the only thing that was freaking the general out was how you were talking about the young scientist.. as if she were still here. as if she wasn't laying lifeless in your arms. throughout her entire journey of being part of the dora milage, this had got to be the most frightening thing she'd seen, just after the loss of queen romanda.

"s-shes okay, okay? i'm just staying with her.. i don't want her to be alone.. she doesn't need to be alone." you rambled as you rocked back and forth, still holding your wife, just like you used to when she would come to you crying, and you were the only one who could ever make her feel better.

okoye sighed, she didn't even bother to ask how this happened or why, it wasn't the time. she only joined you both on the ground and brought your face into the crook of her neck as you broke down in her arms.

"i'm right here, udade omncinci, i'm right here.." she only sat there and comforted you, letting a few tears trickle down her cheeks as well.

[stealingyourbones]

Submitted Prompts #28

There's plenty of fics with people summoning Danny or maybe encountering his rouges but what about where DCs intro to ghosts is from one of Danny's ghost allies? Like maybe they come across Wulf traveling and have to to deal with a werewolf guy who can rip reality apart and who doesn't speak English. Or maybe Pandora with something to do with the Amazons. Or Dora who is basically a midevil Queen who can turn into a dragon? Or, my favorite, Frostbite who is the yeti leader of a civilization if ice users? In the case of Frostbite maybe Dr. Freeze, looking for more knowledge on ice and healing, tries using magic to summon a being who knows the most on those 2 subjects and gets Frostbite. You can put the Batfam coming in and meeting him here. Also he takes one look at Jason and insists on taking him to a doctors appointment in the Zone. But not before Danny comes in by Infinity Map in a panic because Frostbite just vanished when talking to him!