Since that day...(Namor x Shuri)

Since that day...

" I yield..."

Is what Shuri continues on hearing after defeating the Mayan god. His burned back lying down on the hot sands of the beach, face pale, and himself overall dehydrated from the lack of water, she had made him yield to her. For the sake of both of their people. If not, then who knows how long this war will continue between them. But luckily it did not have to lead up to that point.

A victory for being her first battle, taking the mantle as the black panther.

She wondered since that day, if the feeling she felt from her victory, was the same feeling her brother felt when he defeated Killmonger. She bombarded him with questions as to how he felt after winning but he never told her what he was feeling. Just said, " It's not a matter of me winning, it's a matter of protection of the Wakandan people, Wakanda itself and all of the people that I love."

Shuri chuckles underneath her breath over the memory. Typical, oh so very typical of her brother. A noble answer. Cause that is who he.....was. A noble man with a heart of pure gold, who would do anything to protect his beloved country and the people.

But another thing from that day also keeps occupying her brain.

" It could have been different..."

Hearing those words had more of an effect to her in a different way compared to him yielding.

Her battle with him on the island keeps replaying in her head like a video recording in a never ending loop. The pain, the rage, the exhaustion.

Ever since that day, and ever since hearing those words, she wonders what could have been different.

She was to afraid to ask him as she helped him back to the waters so he can heal and go back to the ship to call off the fight.

But why was she so afraid?

She didn't want to know what the answer might have been. But at the same time, she did want to know. As if she was having a feeling of hope of something.

Shuri can't deny the moment she met Namor, she felt something different. Seeing him was something different. Giving her a dress dripped in jade, giving her his mothers bracelet, the warmth of his touch to her wrist sending a million bolts of electricity throughout her body and her listening to his story about himself and how Talokan came to be. It was a lot to take in but, she enjoyed listening to him and she enjoyed his presence.

He was not the same man when she first saw him back at the river when he confronted her and her mother. It was the complete opposite. And it was nice for a moment.

Namor taking her to  explore parts of Talokan, saw the people, and witnessing the Sun rise that he brought to his people, it was a marveling sight to see. Something that she will never forget. And how it was cut too soon when Nakia showed up and came to her and Riri's rescue.

The exploration, the battle. All of that was 2 months ago. And here she was, in the kitchen washing the dishes at Nakia's home in Haiti, dreaming of wanting to go back to see Talokan again.

A part of Shuri's heart longed for her to see Talokan. Wanting to interact with the people, wanting to try the foods that they made, wanting to see their artifacts. She wants to see more. And maybe that longing that she craves, also has to do with wanting to see Namor himself. But she doesn't want to admit that.

Shuri doesn't understand why that she's been longing for him within these past 2 months. And it doesn't make sense overall why she's been having these feelings. About him. He sent hell to Wakanda by bringing in tsunami at the port, her people running for their lives and safety, and the biggest one of all; he killed her mom.