Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Shuri gasped, sitting awake as her hands clutched at the blankets that pooled at her lap. Tears pricked at her eyes as she raised a hand to try and wipe them away.

“Peter…” Shuri whispered, looking around her room but knew that Peter wouldn’t be there.

He was not even her boyfriend, but he was safe in America at the Avengers Compound. Looking at the time in Wakanda, Shuri knew that Peter was most likely asleep or working on something for someone else.

Should she call him?

She could, but would he appreciate it?

She decided to call him anyway, the war against Thanos was still fresh in everyone’s minds. In fact, almost everyone that had come in direct contact with Thanos were staying at the Compound until they had relaxed and stopped suffering nightmares as much. While Wakanda was sceptical, Nakia and Ramonda, even Shuri, ran the country for the time being.

The princess stumbled towards her desk to call Peter, not even knowing where he was but remembered that both had each other as contacts. He always took his phone with him everywhere, so it would be beside him, that or Karen and Friday will inform him if Shuri tried to call him.

It rang three times and Shuri was convinced Peter wouldn’t pick up, but soon Peter was answering the video call.

“Shuri? You do know that it is one am here, right?” Peter’s voice was thick with sleep.

Honestly, it also sounded way to sexy for Shuri to be able to focus.

“Well, I know. It’s seven am here. Sorry for waking you.” She sounded sad, and it immediately made Peter perk up.

Peter shook his head and yawned, covering his mouth with his hand. “Nah, it’s fine. What’s wrong? You rarely face time me.”

“Nightmare.” Shuri blurted out. “I had a nightmare about you.”

The other teenager - were they teenagers? They were both eighteen, and that was the age that a lot of countries considered people adults – looked at her with bleary eyes.

He rubbed his eyes. “What happened, Princess?”

Shuri looked down as she sat back down on the edge of her bed. “I…I don’t…I don’t want to remember it. I know there was blood everywhere.”

There was silence, but Peter could only stare at her, a look Shuri didn’t recognise but she looked back down at her lap. She refused to see his expression.

“Okay…Wait…” Peter spoke, his voice sounded distant as he turned the face time off turning it into a normal phone call. “I’ll talk to you later tonight.”

“Peter!” Shuri tried to call out but Peter ended the call.

She chocked on a sob.

The day passed uneventfully. T’Challa returned to Wakanda in the afternoon and spent as much time as he could with Nakia. Ramonda and Okoye could only smirk at Shuri who was very confused.

Well, she did spend the entire morning complaining about what Peter did to her. The smirks from Okoye became more devious when T’Challa had returned.

Shuri assumed that it meant that T’Challa will soon know of her crush. He already knew of it though, and constantly pestered her about if she’d done something about it.

Shuri wailed as she collapsed on the chair, as Nakia and T’Challa watched her in amusement. “I hate him!”

“No, you don’t.” T’Challa chuckled.

“I do!”

“Nope.”

“He’s the worst!”

“So you say.”

“I do say, and it’s true.”

“Is it?”

“Yes!”

“Okay then.”

Nakia snickered at the sibling exchange as T’Challa could only run a hand down his face in exasperation at the actions and dramatics from his younger sister.

Nakia stood up and brushed Shuri’s hair out of her face. “Why don’t you head to the gardens? I’ll call you when dinner is ready.”

Shuri scowled, before almost stalking out of the room. T’Challa and Nakia shared a look.

T’Challa nodded, as Nakia kissed his cheek. Quiet words murmured between the two of them.

Shuri looked at the garden as she delved further and further into the nature. Why on Bast did Nakia and her brother want her in the gardens? She wasn’t a child, even though he knew her actions were a little childish.

Suddenly she was hit with the reminder of what woke her up that morning.

Blood and Peter’s dying body.

Shuri held back a scream, but then stiffened when she heard rustling of bushes. She realised that she didn’t have her gauntlet bands, and Shuri cursed herself for her idiocy.

“Princess?” Shuri froze.

“Peter?” Her voice was almost a broken whimper.

Peter walked out from the bushes, a smile on his face. He looked ridiculous. He had some leaves in his hair that he brushed out with his hands, a chuckle escaping his lips.

“Sorry, I asked T’Challa if I could come along after I heard about your nightmare. I should’ve told you, but I wanted to keep it a surprise.” Peter explained, shaking his head.

Even if he looked like he was roughed up, Shuri knew that she liked him roughed up. Made him seem like the Avenger and hero that he was. The princess couldn’t deny that it was hot. It was extremely hot.

Shuri stepped forward before hesitating, then leaped herself into his embrace.

He spluttered out in shock as his arms wrapped around her and used his usual stickiness to keep his feet firmly planted on the ground and not fall backwards. Peter stepped back slightly in order to adjust his grip on the princess.

“Shuri?” Peter asked.

Shuri hummed, but leaned her head back, tilting it to the side as Peter lowered her back to the ground. “Peter?”

Peter placed his hands on her shoulders, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath.

Shuri opened her mouth and Peter surged forward to press his lips to hers.

The Wakandan gasped in shock at the action, her hands immediately clutched at his shoulders. The kiss was slow and calming, and it was more reassuring to Shuri than calling Peter earlier that day.

She also noticed that it was nearing sun set and wondered if this was going to happen. She pulled back from the kiss and opened her eyes to look at Peter.

Peter was eyeing her with clear attraction. He hummed as he leaned forward once more. “Please tell me if I’m over stepping my boundaries, princess.”

“You aren’t.” Shuri’s lips quirked upwards. “Believe me, I think my brother had a part in this.”

“Yeah, he did.” Peter chuckled, before pressing his lips to hers once more.

Shuri hummed, the kiss was slow once more, and she didn’t have the urge to turn it faster. It was peaceful now. She let out a sigh, opening her mouth and wanting to urge Peter to do the same. Except, the nuisance, kept his lips shut, but she could feel the smirk he had.

Peter pulled back this time. “So…Will you be my girlfriend?”

Shuri nodded. “I should, considering I did reciprocate your kisses and advances.” She laughed when Peter blushed.

“It would be strange if you didn’t.” Peter laughed in agreement.

The two stood in the gardens and Shuri muttered quietly. “I’m still going to kill my brother.”

“Okay, then.” Peter nuzzled her neck as he pulled her into his embrace. “Come back to America with me, just for a while. T’Challa will remain in Wakanda.”

Shuri hummed. “Well, I’ll certainly have to get permission first.”

Peter grinned. “I am certain that they’d let you. Even if eyebrows may raise.”

Shuri pulled back and narrowed her eyes at Peter who let out a bark of laughter as she punched his chest. “Shut up! What if someone heard you?!”

“What could they do to me?” Peter cackled, not even bothering to defend himself from her onslaught of attacks.

T’Challa paused when he heard Shuri’s agitated screeches and Peter’s laughter, he raised an eyebrow at Nakia who only shrugged. She was just as confused as he was.