Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Earth-1113

She had the perfect plan. 

A spell book she bought from a witch in the village full of humans, a mirror, and convincing the version of herself on the other side to trade places with her. She’d be able to leave her life behind without anyone realizing it. 

But her son overheard everything.

“Why do you want to leave me, Mama? Don’t you love me? Don’t you love Miya and Baba?” 

Queen Shuri swallows harshly and shuts the book before she can rehearse the spell for the first time. An uncomfortable, guilty silence fills the hut she has lived in for ten years. 

The truth? 

She wants to leave because she loves her children. She knows she isn’t the ideal mother and the Shuri who replaces her will make up for everything she lacks. They deserve better than this broken woman. 

But she doesn’t have the heart to say that to him. 

So…

She scraps her plans, completely pushes them out of her mind, and comes up with a different solution. Anything that will get her out of here for good. 

“I do love you, mehen. That’s why… I changed my mind. I don’t want to switch lives with someone else. I want to…go on a short vacation to another world and take you and Miya with me.” Shuri forces her biggest fake smile ever. “How does that sound?” 

His smile, on the other hand, is genuine and beautiful. The idea lights up his entire face. 

“And Baba, too!?”

“ No. Your baba is way too serious for something this fun. Besides, you know how he gets sometimes. I need a break, baby. And I would love for you and your sister to come with me. We won’t be there long.”

That part is a lie.

She never wants to come back. 

She can only hope she can convince her ten-year-old to feel the same way once they’re safe in another world. Miya is only two and doesn’t understand. She won’t be affected by the change, aside from asking for her baba a few times a day. All she has to tell her is that he’s at work and they’ll be fine. 

“When are we going!?” 

“Tomorrow morning. I’ll talk to Baba tonight about you missing school for a bit, okay?” 

Another lie.

She’s not going to tell him shit.

She will, however, butter him up enough to at least be fine with Uuka skipping school in the morning. 

“Okay, Mama!” Uuka’s grin grows wider. “I’m so excited! We don’t really go on vacations anymore!” 

Queen Shuri holds her son close and kisses his forehead repeatedly. 

“Get some sleep now, mehen. I love you.”

“And you swear you won’t leave me while I’m asleep?”

Her heart aches once more. She really isn’t winning mother of the year anytime soon. At least she can make it up now. 

“I swear to Chaac I won’t.”

Seemingly at peace with her response, Uuka crawls into his hammock and it doesn’t take long for him to fall asleep. She checks on Miya to see her toddler is still snoozing, too. 

She leaves the hut and checks the time on the Vibranium-powered kitchen stove clock. K’uk’ulkan had a late meeting tonight and he’ll be here any minute. 

She really doesn’t know how she’s going to convince him of anything. 

She hates him, after all, and he knows it. 

Too much of a dark history is between them for her to simply kiss him and bat her eyelashes to be granted anything her heart desires. She broke his trust months ago. 

Yet…K’uk’ulkan is a man, and he still has shown an attraction to her. 

She runs back to the hut and finds an incredibly short white dress to put on. She ditches her panties and bra, allowing her sensitive and precious parts completely exposed through the thin material. 

She returns to the kitchen to warm up his dinner and she exhales slowly when she hears the sound of water splashing.

Her husband has returned. 

She sets his plate down on the counter and saunters over to the pool. He’s in the middle of wiping his face and body with a towel. Her thighs rub together as she checks him out, hating herself for finding the bastard sexy after all that he has put her through. He puts the towel around his neck and checks her out up and down. It’s not lost on her that his gaze lingers on her cunt before flashing up to her eyes.

“Hi, iicham. How was your meeting?”

“Why do you suddenly care about what I do?” 

She’s greeted with harshness, as expected. It has been this way for a while. He acts like a gentleman in front of the kids but as soon as they’re asleep or away, he’s cold as ice. 

She wonders if he can melt as easily.

Queen Shuri slides the straps of her dress down, exposing her shoulders. She pulls the top part down enough to show off her breasts. His erection appears, long and thick. It makes her quiver. 

“K’uk’ulkan,” she whimpers. “I have a favor to ask you.”

He doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t move. His eyes are stuck on her body and she goes in for the kill. 

She gets as close to him as she can and draws a circle on his damp chest with her finger while swaying side to side. 

“Can Uuka miss school tomorrow morning?” 

K’uk’ulkan can’t resist. He grabs one of her breasts and molds it in his hands, kneading and squeezing. Shuri moans softly at his expert touch. His other hand travels up her thigh and cups her pussy, feeling her wetness. 

“For what reason?” K’uk’ulkan asks in a gentle voice for a change. She’s struggling to speak when he begins to stroke her. “Use your words, atan.”

Why does he have to be so damn good at this?

“Um…I wanted to spend some extra time with him, that’s all.”

“Will he be returning to school in the afternoon?”

His fingers are inside her now and she’s completely dazed. “Y-yes…” 

His hands leave her and she’s spun around quickly. The back of her dress is hiked up and K’uk’ulkan uses his mutant strength to lift her feet off the ground. He has a crushing hold on her hips and she gasps loudly when he forces his cock inside her. 

They haven’t had sex in a year.

Not with each other.

He’s so rough. It hurts so much that it turns into an odd pleasure, being stretched and stuffed full of the god-king’s cock. Her feet are dangling as he slams his pelvis into her ass, fucking her until she’s trembling and moisture trickles down her thighs and onto the limestone, staining it. 

Her cunt clenches and clamps down as he gets an orgasm out of her and she whimpers at the sensation of him pulsing deep inside. 

He drops her on her feet abruptly and tucks his cock, soaked with her juices, inside his shorts. She’s sore and shaking. 

“You may keep him here for the morning only, but after that, you’ll send him to school. Have you prepared dinner?” 

She’s too stunned by the suddenness of everything to speak and she points at the kitchen. He glances over his shoulder and sees his food. 

“You’re no longer needed tonight, then. Goodbye.”

It feels chillier when he walks away and she soothes down her dress. He used to do a lot of aftercare for her, kiss her, tell her all these sweet praises and such nasty dirty talk until she’s getting pounded all over again. 

Now she’s staring at his muscular back as he disappears to a different section of the caves, far away from her.

Their marriage was never good, but now it can’t be saved due to their choices.

Oh, well.

Fuck him. 

She’ll be gone soon. 

After breakfast, K’uk’ulkan hugs Uuka and Miya goodbye. Shuri doesn’t look at them. She doesn’t want the guilt to return.

As horrible of a husband as he is, K’uk’ulkan is a loving father. 

It’s part of why she wanted to do this solo. 

“Where’s my kiss, atan?”

Shuri finally looks at him and gets on her tiptoes with her lips pursed. There’s nothing phenomenal about the way he kisses her. Not anymore. It’s a quick, emotionless peck and then he’s off to the capital city. 

Uuka, using his highly sensitive ears, is the one who lets her know when it’s time to go. He gives her a thumbs up and Shuri scoops up Miya. They head into the hut together and stand in front of the full-length mirror.

“What now, Mama?” 

“I say the spell and it’s going to open up to show us a different universe. You have your backpack ready?” 

“Yup!” 

Shuri grabs hers from the nearby counter and slings it over her shoulder. She kisses a clapping Miya on the cheek and Uuka holds the book open for her to recite. 

Once the spell is spoken in Mayan, they watch in amazement as the mirror changes from their reflections into the inside of someone’s bathroom.

“Ooh, Mama,” Uuka whispers. “That looks like your bathroom in the citadel!” 

“It might be, mehen. The portal opens to another version of myself.” 

It doesn’t take long for that ‘other version’ to make an appearance. It’s as though her body was magnetically drawn to the bathroom and when she sees Queen Shuri and the children, the counterpart begins to scream her lungs out.

“Uh…What’s wrong with her, Mama?”

“It must be freaky seeing your twin unexpectedly. Let’s just go in and explain.” 

Earth-199999

Shuri clutches her heart and continues to scream as the woman in the mirror crawls through the frame and perches herself on the counter. She’s holding a toddler who is pointing at her saying ‘Mama, Mama’. A curly-haired boy flies in and immediately begins observing the surroundings while Shuri remains in the corner, screaming.

“This is just like your bathroom!” The boy shouts over the noise and who she assumes is the mother is rolling her eyes at her.

“Can you stop that?”

“Wh-What’s going on!? Who are you!? Why do you look like me!?”

The woman hops down from the counter and sets her toddler loose. When the doppelgänger tries to touch her, Shuri grabs her wrist and nearly snaps it. 

“Shit, calm down! Chaac, you’re fucking strong!” 

Shuri gets her into a chokehold next and the boy starts freaking out.

“Mama! Want me to punch her!?"

“I’m taking you,” Shuri grunts as the braided woman struggles to get loose. “To the throne room to meet some of my friends and explain exactly what’s going on!” 

“O-Okay!” The woman chokes out. “Fine! I’ll do anything for you to stop trying to kill me!” 

She didn’t want to gather the elders in case she was suffering from some sort of severe mental breakdown following her multiple losses. She calls on the only ones she trusts with her secrets.

M’Baku crosses his arms over his chest and tilts his head to the side while Okoye stares at the small family with her eyebrows knitted.

“You have not gone cuckoo, child. This woman definitely looks like your exact double. I see two kids as well.” 

Okoye leans down for a second to observe the winged ankles of the children, who are surprisingly obedient while sitting still on the bench. 

“Shuri. These children have wings and pointed ears.” 

“I know that,” she whispers. “That’s the first thing I noticed. You think the father is-“

“Are you gossipers aware that I can talk and hear?” 

“…Sorry. Why don’t you start by telling us your names?” 

“Mine is the same as yours, beautiful. You can call me Queen Shuri if you want, though. These are my babies, Uuka and Miya.” 

The children wave and the adults who are interrogating eventually wave back. Shuri continues trying to make sense of this.

“And what were you doing crawling through my mirror like you were some antagonist in a horror movie?” 

Queen Shuri hesitates. She looks at her two children, and then at the others. “Can one of you take my kids on a walk through the citadel or something? Or… honestly, just stand somewhere and watch since they know the whole layout? I wish to speak privately.” 

Okoye ends up being the one taking them after M’Baku whistled and looked around cluelessly. Queen Shuri waits a few minutes until the door closes. 

“I opened the portal to your world to escape mine. I don’t want to get into the details, but my husband is a dangerous, terrible man. He put me through so much the last ten years and there was no way he was letting me go. Trust me. I tried killing him, I cheated on him, and he still refuses. I grew more depressed the longer I stayed there and I had to escape before losing my mind completely. This was the only option I had. It would mean so much if you could let my family stay here until we find a place of our own.” 

Shuri and M’Baku glance at each other. The Black Panther returns her gaze to Queen Shuri. She knows what it’s like being trapped in a hopeless situation, and although it is stranger than fiction, it’s not every day you meet your counterpart. The curious, scientific part of her wants to learn as much as she can. 

“Judging by your children’s features… Am I correct in assuming that Namor is their father?” 

“Nobody calls him that in my world unless they have a death wish. He’s K’uk’ulkan. Only K’uk’ulkan.” 

“And are you certain that K’uk’ulkan can’t find you?” 

“I swear he won’t. The portal is closed and the only way in is through that book we left on your bed.”

“That’s good,” M’Baku comments. “The last thing we need is some crazier version of the man who already flooded us once and killed our queen.” 

“M’Baku!” Shuri scolds quietly and Queen Shuri arches an eyebrow. 

“Queen…? As in Ramonda?”

The pang in her chest serves as a reminder that she’s not completely over what happened a year ago and most likely won’t ever be. 

“Yes. I do not wish to discuss it further.” 

“So… K’uk’ulkan in this world drowned our mother. Crazy… Where is he now? Dead, I hope.” 

“ No, that would’ve been foolish,” M’Baku tells her. “He is our ally whom we see on occasion and he lives in his home under the sea.” 

“And what the hell are you doing here, Jabari!? You’re a recluse in my universe.” 

“I am the king now. You will address me as such.” 

Queen Shuri blinks as she points between the two of them. “Wait… Are you two married?” They both make a disgusted face and she shrugs. “ Well!? I figured since he’s king and you should be queen. Who else could you be with besides K’uk’ulkan? Unless… you’re seeing him on the side behind everyone’s backs so they won’t judge you.” 

Shuri is starting to regret her decision to allow this woman to stay. 

“There is nothing going on between that mutated man and myself. We go on the occasional mission together for our nations’ sake and that’s it. Just because you married and… reproduced with that monster doesn’t mean all Shuris do.” 

“Don’t give me that look. I guarantee you none of what we had was by choice.” 

The cold way she says it tells Shuri that she needs to not bring it up any longer. 

“Since you’ll be staying here for the time being, we need to set some ground rules. First off, don’t tell anyone here you’re from a different universe. They’re going to want to report it and the last thing we need in Wakanda is involvement from outsiders, no matter who they are. We’re going to have to come up with a story if anyone sees you. Which brings me to my second rule. You absolutely cannot leave the citadel. It is vacant the majority of the day so you’ll be able to stretch your legs. Third-” 

“For Chaac’s fucking sake, there’s more!?” 

“ Third… If I have any questions for you at any time, you must answer truthfully and I’ll do the same in return. You’re a stranger living in my home, after all. That’s not something to take lightly.” 

Queen Shuri salutes her. “You got it, boss. I’ll be on my best behavior, as long as you get me a carton of cigarettes after nearly breaking my wrist.” 

Her lipstick stains the cigarette as she places it back in her mouth and inhales. Her eyes lock with none other than those of the Feathered Serpent God in this universe. She tenses from the uncanny resemblance he shares with her husband. 

He starts flying toward her at a rapid speed and she narrows her eyes. 

Nothing is going on between the two of you, my ass. 

As soon as Namor lands on the balcony, he takes the cigarette out of her mouth and stomps it out. 

“I know you’ve gone through a lot, Princess, but that’s not a good stress reliever…How did your hair grow so quickly?” 

She stares into those big brown eyes, recalling what her doppelgänger told her. He’s a major cause of all her stress in this world, too. 

“You’re right. A good fuck would be much better.”

She smirks when a strange sound escapes his throat and then the balcony doors are opening. Uuka comes running out with the snacks he just found and then he’s gaping.

“Wow! He does look like Baba!”

The face Namor makes when he glances at Uuka is so priceless that she wishes she knew how to work her beads to snap a picture of it. The poor thing is so lost. 

“Black Panther, I…”

“Namor?” Shuri asks as she emerges through the door next. “…Why are you here?”

As the god-king appears close to having an aneurysm over seeing two of them, Queen Shuri offers him her hand. 

“Hi. I’m her twin sister our mama sent away when I was young because I was a bad, bad girl.” 

“That is not the story I agreed to!” 

“Oh. Right.” Queen Shuri rolls her eyes. “I’m a clone she made in her lab. Nice to meet you, handsome.” 

Sweat is starting to form on Namor’s forehead. He appears close to fainting, but he ends up regaining his composure and grabs her hand firmly. He has a strong grip. He holds onto her hand for a long time with his eyes continually switching between her and the Black Panther. 

“I don’t…understand. Are these children clones as well?” 

Shuri groans into her hands. “Oh, Bast. Nobody is a clone, okay!?” Her hands go up in the air in frustration. Miya flies up and gives her a high-five, making Queen Shuri snort. “She’s me from another universe! She brought her children here because they needed a break from her husband, and please don’t look into the fact that her husband is you from another universe. That’s a coincidence.” 

Queen Shuri feels a burst of air lightly touching her feet. She glances down to see Namor’s wings fluttering gently at the idea of a version of him being married to a version of her. 

Interesting. 

These two definitely have something going on, especially for her to confess the truth so easily when she was given those dumbass ground rules. 

She better let her man’s hand go. 

“How is that even possible?” Namor asks the Black Panther. “Did you open a portal in your laboratory?” 

“Nope. Queen Shuri over there used an old-fashioned spellbook that warped my mirror and came crawling in like Sadako.”

“...Who?” 

“The long-haired bitch from Ring,” Queen Shuri clarifies and the dumb look the Feathered Serpent God is wearing reminds her that he’s just as out of touch as K’uk’ulkan. “Come over and snuggle up with your girl for a movie night and popcorn if you’re ever curious.” 

“I am not his girl!” Shuri says through her teeth and then she’s glaring at Namor. “I am not his anything! I don’t even know why you found it acceptable to fly up on my balcony when you have no business being in Wakanda today!” 

Queen Shuri notices that there has been something inside of Namor’s other hand that’s clenched tightly. A gift for the woman who rejects him, perhaps. He moves it behind his back and wears a stoic expression. 

“My apologies. I saw smoke from far away and thought there was a problem. I will be leaving now.” 

As quickly as he arrived, Namor is gone. Queen Shuri doesn’t comment on the tension she witnessed or the potential gift he brought for his Black Panther. Shuris are better off without K’uk’ulkans, anyway. 

She lights up another cigarette and listens to the sound of her counterpart frustratingly entering her bedroom. Uuka stands by his mother’s side while Miya flies above their heads, enjoying the view. 

“I think they like each other,” he whispers and his mother winks. 

“I think so, too.” 

Earth-1113

All throughout his time spent in West Talokan inspecting the infrastructures and checking in on the Talokanil who live there, K’uk’ulkan’s mind is on his wife. His ilanga. His sun. She hasn’t been that…seductive and willing in a long, long time. He missed being inside of her so much that he wished it would have lasted longer. 

Perhaps she’ll be in the mood to convince him of something else tonight. 

The beads around his wrist are going off and K’uk’ulkan answers seeing it’s coming from Uuka’s teacher. 

“Good afternoon, Cualli." 

“Good afternoon, Aj K’uk’ulkan. Is this a bad time?” 

“It is the perfect time. What’s going on? Did Uuka do well on another presentation?” 

“Um…No, actually. He didn’t show up to do a presentation.” 

K’uk’ulkan’s fists clench tightly. “He wasn’t at school today?”

“No, Aj K’uk’ulkan. I was wondering-” 

The god-king hangs up on her, not wanting to hear more. He floats in the middle of the ocean, his mind slowly putting some pieces together. 

His wife had sex with him for the first time in a year last night and asked if she could keep Uuka out of school this morning. That same wife who hates him. That same wife who has treated him indifferently for months on end. 

He’s starting to see red. 

Shuri didn’t offer herself to him because she craved their old intimacy. She was using him. But for what? 

“What have you done, Ilanga!?” K’uk’ulkan growls and swims as fast as he can to his hut. He cannot sense anyone there. Not Shuri, not Uuka, not Miya. He grabs one of his guards by the neck. 

“Why did you allow her to leave!?” 

“A-Aj K’uk’ulkan! We didn’t! We’ve been on patrol all day long and she never left the hut!” 

His upper lip twitches. His wife is a well-known manipulator and a flirt. She can make any man weak in the knees to get what she wants. 

“You didn’t fuck her and let her through, did you?” 

“W-What!? N-No!” The guard trembles and he’s close to tears. “K’uk’ulkan…please…I’d never disrespect you like that….None of us would…” 

K’uk’ulkan drops the guard after sensing that his rapid heartbeat is from fear and not from lying. The god-king flies to his hut next, finding that his family is not there. Some of their belongings are missing, too. Shuri’s dresses, Uuka’s books, Miya’s toys… 

“ Namora!” He’s shouting into his beads. “Tell everyone to search Talokan for the queen now !” 

His chest heaves as he hears the sound of his soldiers running through the caves and jumping into the water. One of his hands clutches the glass mirror and he stares at his reflection. His eyes are bloodshot and he looks as unhinged as he feels. 

No matter what that woman has done to him or what he has done to her, they have kept their children out of it. Now she has disappeared with them. 

She better pray that someone else finds her before he does. 

Chapter Text

Earth-199999

Shuri pops some Tylenol in her mouth and swallows the small pill down with cold water. She waits a minute in the large, dark kitchen. 

What a day, what a day, what a day. 

She still doesn’t believe any of this is real, but she can hear the laughter of children and their mother reading bedtime stories to them. It’s the first noise this citadel has heard since the passing of Queen Ramonda. 

Shuri catches one of the maids on her way out and walks her to the front door where they wish each other a good night. Those who serve inside this place were told that Queen Shuri is her clone as a test for her new project, and the children aren’t real, either. It doesn’t make any sense, but they believe her because…well, she’s Shuri, tech genius and chief science officer of Wakanda in addition to being the Black Panther. 

They’re not going to give her a hard time over anything after protecting them from Talokan for good thanks to the alliance. 

But in order for that alliance to have happened, Shuri lost what remained of her heart. 

She rests her forehead against the door after closing and takes a deep breath, calming herself. She presses the buttons to properly lock down the citadel for the night and travels upstairs. 

Her eyebrows pull together hearing noise coming from inside her bedroom and she opens the door. 

Queen Shuri is sitting in her bed with Uuka and Miya on either side of her. The children’s beds have been moved out of the guest room and placed on her floor. Queen Shuri smiles at her and ignores how pissed off she is. 

“Every time we stay in Wakanda in our world, they’re used to staying in this room. I want them to be comfortable. Once they’re used to it, we’ll move out.” 

She keeps talking about ‘moving out’, but Shuri genuinely wonders when that will be. Is she staying away from her husband for good, or is this temporary until she can patch things up? If Dr. Strange or anyone in charge of keeping the universe intact finds out about her, they’ll send her back anyway. It would be best for her to go on her own terms. 

“Fine,” she murmurs. “Just please go to sleep soon. I have to get up early in the morning.” 

That’s not true. She doesn’t have the energy for conversations.

Shuri goes to her bathroom and does her usual routine, sighing at the fact that her counterpart has used some of her products. It’s like having the sister she never wanted. 

She’s been through a lot, she’s been through a lot, she’s been through a lot… 

Shuri is calm again as she reminds herself of that and finishes up by placing a bonnet over her curls. She changes into her silk pajama shorts set and when she exits her bathroom, she sees that the children are already in their separate beds. Miya is asleep and Uuka is close to it. 

Shuri crawls into her bed and removes her Kimoyo beads before settling in. She places them on the charging station on her nightstand and rests her head on the pillow. Griot automatically turns the lights off in the room at the same time it always happens and Shuri closes her eyes. 

“Hey.” 

She breathes through her nose. 

“What?” 

“I really do appreciate your generosity. If I couldn’t stay here, that would’ve been it for me.” 

Shuri opens her eyes slowly and turns her head to face her. She’s being sincere and it’s a bit concerning. “What do you mean by that?” 

Queen Shuri sits up straight and peers over the side of the bed. She settles in after finding that both children are asleep now and looks at Shuri again. 

“The depression would’ve killed me.” 

Shuri swallows the lump that has now formed in her throat. Her counterpart did promise that she’d answer any questions she had. 

“What did your husband do to you?” 

“Ask me something else.” 

“What did you do to your husband? I know you talked about cheating and trying to kill him… I tried to kill Namor, too. I almost did. But I couldn’t go through with it.” 

“You’re far better than me. You’ll have to show me your tricks. Anyway, I tried to poison him one morning with this toxic flower I blended into his smoothie and he…” Her smile fades. “Let’s just say he wasn’t very happy about it. He almost divorced me until my bitch ass brother and his weird wife convinced him otherwise. He terrified me when we returned to Talokan and I thought by cheating on him, he’d reconsider that divorce. I went overboard with it and he still took me back. And I don’t really give a shit if you judge me for it. Nobody hates me more than I do, so nothing you say can bother me.” 

“I’m…not judging you, but I would really like to know what was so horrible that he did for you to do that to yourself.” 

Queen Shuri stares into her eyes and for a brief second, Shuri thinks she’s going to tell her. Instead, her eyelids close. 

“Another day. Goodnight, beautiful.” 

Shuri flips over onto her back and stares up at her ceiling. This is the first time in a year she isn’t sleeping alone, but she’s having trouble sleeping as usual. Right now her thoughts are on the fact that Queen Shuri’s T’Challa is alive and well in her world. From what she has gathered so far, all of the family that Shuri has lost - N’Jadaka included - are all there. Why leave them? 

Perhaps no two people are alike. They call them ‘variants’, after all. 

Maybe her family isn’t as nice as hers was.

About thirty minutes later, Queen Shuri snuggles closer to her and holds her. Shuri doesn’t fight her off. She has a feeling that the reason she’s sleeping in here isn’t for the children’s comfort, but for her own. 

As independent and tough as she tries to be, Queen Shuri doesn’t like to be alone. 

They have that in common. 

In the warmth of someone’s arms, Shuri finally gets some rest. 

Early in the morning, Queen Shuri wakes up before everyone else and pulls herself away from her counterpart’s arms. She bends down to give her children kisses on their cheeks and then she steals one of Shuri’s robes to wear. 

She walks down the corridor and politely asks the chef to take a break for the time being. She takes over the kitchen and starts to cook Uuka’s and Miya’s favorite breakfast: salmon omelets. 

Her children must smell her cooking, because it doesn’t take long for them to come running into the kitchen area. Queen Shuri picks up Miya and kisses her over and over again, then instructs Uuka to flip with necessary as she takes her to the bedroom to change her diaper. 

“We have to start potty training you, girl.” 

“Ew, peepee!” 

Queen Shuri laughs and notices the princess stirring as she finishes up. Miya, now all clean and fresh, flies up on the bed and starts bouncing around. The Black Panther sits up, completely startled until she remembers that she has guests. 

“Oh… You guys get up so early.” 

“Consider it part of my wife training. Come to the kitchen when you’re ready. I made omelets.” 

“I’m never up early enough to eat breakfast,” she mumbles. “I don’t know if I have the appetite for it.” 

“Alright, but you’re missing out!” Queen Shuri sings and then takes Miya with her as she leaves the sleepyhead behind. 

She takes over for Uuka to finish everything up, leaving a few omelets behind for anyone else who might walk in and decide that they’re hungry. Her husband’s appetite is large and she always makes more than necessary. 

Living in this place, she realizes that she doesn’t have to cook anymore. 

But it brings her some kind of comfort, a familiarity. 

While she’s in the middle of cutting up Miya’s food into tiny pieces, the doors open. King M’Baku and Namor are standing there. Both of them are dressed more fancier than they were yesterday. M’Baku has more fur on and Namor is wearing the same golden armor and white loincloth K’uk’ulkan wears for special events. 

“...Good Hanuman,” M’Baku mutters. “This one cooks!?” 

“Yeah, you got a problem with that?” 

“...Are you a professional?” 

“Try and find out for yourself, big boy.” She winks at him and his flustered appearance makes her laugh. She smiles at Namor, who is hesitant to come inside. “There’s an omelet with your name on it, Aj K’uk’ulkan. You can walk by me. I won’t bite.” 

She can see his throat move when he swallows. “Where is the Black Panther?” 

“Snoozin’. You can go see for yourself.” 

“I’ll take my chances in here,” he whispers to himself and she glances at his ass after he passes her. He’s as thick as her husband, too. It sucks that such bad men have to be so damn attractive. 

Miya suddenly hops down from Shuri’s lap and clings to Namor’s leg. “Baba! Baba!” 

“That’s not Baba, baby. That’s his brother.” 

“Brother?” Miya asks with a tilt of her head. 

“Yup. Uncle.” 

“Uncle!” 

Namor awkwardly pats Miya’s head and she happily returns to Queen Shuri. Uuka grins at the god-king as soon as he’s sitting down. 

“You’re going to love Mama’s cooking, Other Baba. Nobody makes salmon omelets like she does!” 

M’Baku leans in close to Uuka. “Child, you are telling me that you have taken a bite of this today and feel fine?” 

“Yup!"

M’Baku hesitates, but he ends up taking a bite. He moans in delight and greedily attacks the rest, making Queen Shuri feel satisfied. She glances at Namor, who is delicately cutting his omelet into neat pieces. 

He’s very proper. 

She wonders if it’s all an act. 

She waits until she catches him enjoying his first bite and then she asks the question that has been on her mind. 

“What are you two handsome men doing spending time together this early in the morning?” 

“K’uk’ulkan is here to go over some notes with me before the elders arrive. Business between two leaders.” M’Baku says it smugly and Queen Shuri arches an eyebrow. He’s trying to impress her. He’s sexy, too, but she’d rather not add anyone else on her roster while she’s here. “What do you three have planned today?” 

“Once that bum gets out of bed, I think we’re going to ask her if we can go to the beach. The kids need their H2O, after all.” 

Namor looks up at the mention of the children, but he doesn’t say anything. Miya  and Uuka  are cheering about the possibility of going and during the commotion, Queen Shuri touches Namor’s arm. 

“She  actually wanted to say hi to you this morning. You should stop by her bedroom before we leave.” 

His eyelids lower. “The Black Panther never wants to say a simple greeting.” 

Queen Shuri shrugs. “Hey, I’m just the messenger.” 

She really shouldn’t be trying to push them together. She knows how it ends when a Shuri falls in love with a Feathered Serpent God. But… 

She isn’t sure. 

If the whole…drowning Ramonda thing didn’t exist…this one doesn’t seem all that bad. 

Besides, if he has the same body as K’uk’ulkan, he has the same cock and the Black Panther deserves to feel the full force of it. 

“I will consider stopping by. Thank you for breakfast. It was very… decent.” 

“You practically licked the plate clean. I think it was more than that.” 

His laughter sends a shiver down her spine and he gets up to wash his plate before leaving with M’Baku. Once her children are done eating and their mess is all clean, they charge into a bedroom and surprise Shuri who has recently gotten out of the shower. 

“Miss Shuri!” Uuka shouts. “Can we go to the beach!? Please!?” 

“Pwease!” Miya pouts and Shuri, at a loss, looks up at her counterpart. Queen Shuri claps her hands together. 

“We can travel through one of your little planes so nobody sees us. Come on. You look like you need a day of relaxation, too.” 

Between the offer of peace and the pleading eyes of the children, Shuri’s a goner. She sighs. “Fine. I think there are extra swimsuits in-” 

“No need, Princess. We brought our own.” 

Uuka and Miya are on the floor of her bedroom, pretending to scoop sand into a bucket. Shuri checks her backside out in the mirror when nobody's looking. Her ass is slightly poking out, but not in an unclassy way. There are cutouts on the sides of her orange one piece that expose her toned abdomen and her breasts are holstered up. 

She hasn’t looked this sexy in a long time and that thought makes her burn up. 

Queen Shuri’s whistle causes her to jump. 

“You look hot and I think I know why. I thought I saw your boy walking around the citadel, but I might’ve been mistaken.”

“He’s not my boy and he’s here for a meeting with M’Baku.” Shuri reaches for her swimsuit cover-up and her counterpart snatches it up first. “Give it back before I really break your wrist this time!” 

“Nope. You’re going to strut down the hallway and show him what you got.” 

“Yeah, I don’t think so.”

“If you don’t, I will .” Queen Shuri smirks and gestures up and down her body in her yellow string bikini. The tiny triangles on her top are barely covering her nipples. “One of us has to shake things up around this boring ass place.”

Shuri despises that twinge of jealousy she feels. It’s not like she’s going to encounter Namor, anyway. The meeting has already started. 

She steps out of the bedroom in her orange one-piece and her eyes widen seeing the god-king right in front of her. His mouth opens and closes multiple times while checking her out with a dark gaze and she hears Queen Shuri laughing behind her.

“I might’ve told him you wanted to say hi.” 

She wants to rip Queen Shuri’s spine straight out of her back. 

“I knew she was lying,” Namor murmurs as his eyes slowly drift up back to her face. They’re smoldering and she’s transported back in time to that special moment they shared in his cave. “But I’m glad that I saw you anyway. You look magnificent, Black Panther. Enjoy your time at the beach.” 

Shuri’s heart beats quickly and her eyes are glued to his backside as he walks away. Her palms are slightly sweaty. 

This has never happened before. 

It takes everything in him not to fantasize about her during the meeting. 

Women dressed in minimal clothing aren’t something new to him. Clothes are hardly a necessity in Talokan and the lesser is always common. 

But there was something about seeing the Black Panther in that bathing suit today that really got to him. He has to ignore the filthy thoughts he has and concentrate on what M’Baku is saying, but his mind keeps taking him back to dark places. 

Pulling it off to the side, lapping at her folds until they’re dripping and ready for him… 

He growls low in his throat and is thankful that the meeting has concluded. He’s expected to join the Black Panther tonight for a rendezvous in one of the Outreach Centers that some colonizer country is rumored to invade. The idiots never learn their lesson, but he can’t complain. He enjoys the solo missions with her. 

They’ve had more than a few deep conversations when they’re all alone and he hopes to engage in another. 

It would be even better if she wore that sexy suit… 

Focus, Ch’ah. 

Yes. 

Focus. 

He cannot make his attraction obvious or he’ll come across as more pathetic than he already feels. One would think that a centuries-old god-king would have more control of himself. He can’t help it when it comes to Shuri. 

A strong part of him worships her as a goddess. 

But she does not belong to him and a man still has his pride. 

He’s not going to fall apart in front of her. 

That’s why when he heads to the beach to go home, he does everything he can to avoid looking in the direction where he can hear her. He almost makes it to the water when someone else calls out his name. 

“Meeting over?” 

Namor turns around slowly. This…inter-dimensional Shuri, whoever she is, is quite bold. In all aspects. From the way she carries herself, to the way she speaks, to the way she dresses. Her swimsuit is more like lingerie and she wears it without shame. 

He doesn’t feel like speaking to her. The more he talks to her, the more he wishes it was his Shuri. 

“So, why’d you kill our mother? She wasn’t very clear on the details.” 

“I do not need to address you. You are not the Black Panther.” 

“Chaac, you’re just like my husband. Mean. ” Queen Shuri picks her daughter up from the ground when she comes waddling by and Namor can’t help but stare at the toddler’s pointed ears. 

“A version of me truly married you in another universe? And you…bore his children?” 

“Oh, now you want to talk?” She gives Miya multiple kisses until the little girl is squealing and giggling. Her dark eyes then meet his gaze. “Ah, look at you, day-dreaming. You want to marry your Shuri, don’t you?” 

He feels his face heating up. “No, I’m curious as to how you two came together, that’s all.” 

“Uh-huh. I’m not telling you anything until you admit you want those claws scratching your back again.” 

She told her about that!?

Queen Shuri extends her arm when passing by him and scratches his chin lightly. He’s too stunned to retaliate. She sets Miya down and the toddler runs off. “She’s glaring at us right now. Don’t look, though. Jealousy is good. It means she feels something for you.” 

Namor doesn’t glance at the Black Panther, but he does sense a spike in her heart rate. His eyes are locked on Queen Shuri’s. She has a gorgeous pair of amber eyes under the sunlight, much like the Black Panther. They’re hypnotic. 

“Hold me close as though you’re comforting me during my difficult time.” She puts her hands around the back of his neck and he instinctively grabs her by the hips. She rests her cheek on his chest. “There you go. You have a mission with her tonight, right? If she brings it up, you can tell you were comforting a heartbroken woman and she might see that softer side of you.”

Queen Shuri continues to shock Namor when she’s looking up at him with tears streaming down her face. She forced them out of nowhere. 

“For added effect. It can’t hurt.” Queen Shuri smiles. “My father forced me to become K’uk’ulkan’s bride at eighteen. It created an alliance between our nations. It was good until it wasn’t and now I’m here.”

“I think there’s more to it than that,” Namor whispers and lifts a hand to wipe her alligator tears away. “I have to go.” 

Queen Shuri backs away from him and waves, then without saying anything else, she walks to where the Black Panther is sitting on a lawn chair. 

She’s visibly upset by their interaction. 

Namor’s wings flutter and then he dives into the water, fighting off his grin until he’s completely out of sight. 

These missions are always so pointless. 

The soldiers are taken down quicker than one can blink, especially when she’s working side by side with Namor. Their policy is to not kill, only render them unconscious - a rule that Namor had to be forced to live with if he wanted this alliance to work. 

Once they’re all in a pile, Shuri sends a message to a War Dog to come to imprison them until M’Baku decides what to do further. She sits with her back against one of the bloody walls and avoids glancing at Namor when he sits beside her. 

“I believe we broke our record.” 

Her fingers strum against her thighs. She’s not in the mood for small talk. Not after what she saw earlier today. “Probably. It was definitely quick.” 

Namor getting quiet on her bothers her even more. She glares at his profile and he glances at her in confusion. 

“Is something wrong?” 

Yes. 

“No.”

“You don’t sound very convincing.” 

“What were you doing with your arms all over Queen Shuri!? You don’t know her! And you’re sick trying to take advantage of her during her state of mind right now!” 

“There’s nothing sick about comforting her, Shuri. She confessed that seeing me reminds her of her husband and she started to cry. What was I supposed to do? Leave her like that?” 

“ Yes! Because you left me like that! The one you actually hurt!” 

Both of their eyes widen as soon as she cries out those words. She never, ever wanted to confess that to him. Now all she wants to do is run away. She gets up and jogs out of the outreach center and onto the platform, looking up desperately at the sky in hopes that the plane will be here soon and she can disappear. 

She can hear Namor behind her; practically feel his breath on the back of her neck. 

“Do you think that’s what I wanted to do, Princess? I passed by Haiti many times during your getaway. I heard you. You had your family there to comfort you, but I considered approaching you. Especially when you were crying in the sand. But I listened to every single word. I felt your pain. And for as many centuries that my life has left, I will regret what I’ve done to cause it.” 

With her eyes burning, Shuri faces him. He’s as close as she expected him to be, but he doesn’t touch her. He knows better. 

But… 

She does wonder how Queen Shuri felt, having his arms around her. 

Her gaze lowers to his lips which look so soft and kissable, causing the feeling inside her belly to worsen. She’s so damn conflicted by this constant push and pull, this fight between her desire and her hatred. 

Tonight, the struggle continues.

The lights from the plane shine down on them and Namor dives into the water. 

For once, she didn’t want him to leave her. 

And that scares her. 

“Mama?” Uuka asks her as soon as she gets Miya to go to sleep after an intense back rub. 

“Yes, baby?”

“How long are we going to stay here? I don’t want Baba to start missing us too bad.”

Shuri feigns a smile and runs her hand down his curls. “A few weeks more, mehen. That’s what I told him.”

“Oh. Good.” Uuka yawns. “Goodnight, Mama. I can’t wait to see what we do tomorrow.” 

“Me, too, sweetheart. Goodnight.” 

The lights go off and Shuri pulls the cover up to her chin. She doesn’t know when the Black Panther will be returning from her mission, but if she’s acting like she did before she left, she’s going to be in one bad fucking mood. 

Until she can get the girl to admit she wants to jump Namor’s ancient bones, she’s not going to stop. 

It’s her form of entertainment around this place, considering she can’t go to any sex clubs or parties. She’s trying to be a better version of the woman she left behind. 

About an hour later, the bedroom door opens and Queen Shuri watches as the Black Panther’s suit dissolves. Shuri is left standing in a tiny pair of shorts and a sports bra. Whatever happened to her during the mission has ruined her because she doesn’t even bother washing her face before falling onto the bed. 

Queen Shuri waits until she’s settled in before addressing her. 

“How was your mission?”

“Fine. Good night.” 

“What’s up your ass?” 

“ You are!” Shuri growls. “I don’t know what you’re trying to do, but it needs to stop! I don’t want Namor thinking he can touch me just because you keep…flinging yourself at him!” 

“ Flinging!?  Oh, fuck you. That was a hug! You don’t hug people with your miserable self!?”

“I do, but that wasn’t regular hugging. What I saw was way too intimate.” 

She’s not about to go through some drama after everything she has already gone through. Queen Shuri keeps the peace and decides to tell the truth, even if it ruins her fun. 

“I wanted to make you jealous, alright? I sensed the tension between you as soon as I got here. He had a gift for you that he was hiding when he was on the balcony and I know he makes your panties wet so… yeah. Fuck me for trying to get two idiots together.” 

The room gets quiet. Too quiet. 

And then… 

“He doesn’t make my panties wet. Stop talking like that. You’re disgusting.” 

“What would you prefer me to say, hm? Aroused? Horny? Ready for that Feathered Serpent dick to rail you?” 

“Oh, Bast! Enough!” 

“Denial ain’t just a river in Egypt.”

“I’m not in denial! Why would I want…anything like that with the man who drowned my mother!?”

“I didn’t say you needed to love the bozo. All I said is that you want to spread your legs for him.” Queen Shuri props herself up on her elbow and looks down at her furious counterpart. “Come on… You’re not at least a bit curious how he kisses?” 

Shuri scowls at her. “And how would you know!? You kissed him when I wasn’t looking!?” 

“No, stupid. My husband is his exact double and I’ve kissed that man for ten years. If you’re curious, I can show you how he does it.” 

There’s silence again as the two women stare at one another. Shuri is writhing slightly on the bed the longer they look and then she’s whispering very quietly. 

“What do you mean by ‘show me’?” 

Queen Shuri positions herself on top of the Black Panther and holds onto the sides of her neck. 

“He likes to do this,” she murmurs to her full lips. “He’s very possessive and likes to remind you. His hands eventually go to your tits or your ass, but this is how it usually starts. And then he presses his mouth against yours. He likes to use his tongue. It’s so wet and hot, which is what he intends on making you.” 

Shuri’s lips part for her and Queen Shuri sucks her upper lip into her mouth first, then moves down to her lower one. Her lips are very soft. When their mouths finally meet in the center, Queen Shuri licks Shuri’s tongue and the Black Panther groans quietly. Queen Shuri’s tongue explores deeper and she moans feeling her counterpart’s strong hands roaming her backside. She breaks it off before they can get any more carried away. 

“That’s how he does it,” Queen Shuri breathes out. “Now imagine that mouth on your pussy.” 

“Oh…” Shuri’s body is hot underneath her. “Um… G-Goodnight. Get off me, please.” 

Queen Shuri rolls off and can’t believe that her cunt is aching after that. It’s unfair, especially in this situation where she has no way of relieving it. She can fight it off with cigarettes, though, and that’s exactly what she does. 

She grabs what remains of her pack along with her lighter and goes out onto the balcony after everyone is asleep. Before she can light it up, her heart goes wild at the sound of familiar wings and Namor lands right beside her. 

“The fuck are you doing here!?"

“Something was different tonight between the Black Panther and I. I saw it in her eyes.”

“... Okay, and!?”

“It takes a lot for someone like me to ask for help, but… If you are willing, Queen Shuri, I would appreciate all the advice you have. You are…quite knowledgeable when it comes to yourself.” 

She blinks. This is completely unexpected. 

“Uh…Sure. I’ve got nothing else going on. Besides, I doubt it’s going to take long for her to give in. She got all hot and bothered tonight.” 

Namor arches an eyebrow. “How?”

“It was nothing, really.” Queen Shuri shrugs. “I kissed her to show her how you might do it and I could tell she enjoyed herself. So…she’s excited, to say the least.” 

She sees his chest move exactly once before his hands are holding the sides of her neck. The cigarettes and lighter drop from her hands as his hot tongue licks right across her lips. She’s left breathless when he brings his mouth to her ear next. 

“That was to get her taste off you. You will not be doing that again.”

Goosebumps form on her skin and she rubs her thighs together when he gently chokes her. 

“You got it. She’s all yours.” 

He smiles at her before taking off and she watches him as he flies into the sky. She’s aching worse than she was before. 

“Fuck…” she mutters to herself. 

He’s not as shy as she thought. 

He knows exactly what he wants. 

Queen Shuri finally lights up her cigarette and shakes her head as she smokes. 

The Black Panther doesn't even know what awaits her. 

Earth-1113

K’uk’ulkan arrives in Wakanda, knowing damn well his wife wouldn’t be stupid enough to hide from him here. He knows he won’t find her. He came here for her family. 

The veins in his eyes and his forehead haven’t stopped throbbing since he learned of her disappearance. It’s driving him insane as he pounds on the door of the citadel and the King and Queen of Wakanda reveal themselves. 

“Aj K’uk’ulkan! I double-checked the calendar and there is no meeting today. What is the purpose of your visit?” 

“Where is she?” He asks through gritted teeth and T’Chaka blinks.” 

“Who?”

“You know who! Your daughter!” 

T’Chaka clicks his tongue and shakes his head. “Have you lost control of that woman again!? Did you go check nearby brothels or other whore houses!? Why do you insist on letting her do whatever she-” 

The queen screams when T’Chaka collapses to the ground with his body contorting painfully. Ramonda notices K’uk’ulkan’s hands moving and she screams. 

“What are you doing to him!?” 

“Hydrokinesis controls water, which includes water inside our body. If you don’t tell me where she’s gone, I’ll kill him from the inside out.” 

“For Bast’s Sake, K’uk’ulkan! We would’ve sent her back to you right away if she came here! You know that!” 

“ Do I, Ramonda!?” He roars and she goes down with him. He stands above them, wanting to burst their organs and obliterate them. “She stole Uuka and Miya from me and I have a feeling she has been planning this for a long time! Someone knows something! People don’t simply disappear!” 

“King!”

K’uk’ulkan’s eyes dart up to N’Jadaka. 

Shuri’s cousin and best friend. 

He releases his hold on Ramonda and T’Chaka, leaving them coughing and gasping for air behind him as he approaches the War Dog. N’Jadaka puts his palms in front of him. 

“Hey, hey, hey. I heard everything. If she’s missing, I want to help you find her. That’s some serious shit.” 

K’uk’ulkan listens carefully to N’Jadaka’s heart. He’s either a very good liar, or he’s telling the truth. 

“She didn’t tell you where she was going?” 

“Nah, man. I would’ve told her she was fucking crazy doing that to you. Everyone knows how it goes down with the two of you and we respect it. I’m scared for her knowing that Uuka and Miya are with her, too. We gotta figure this out.” 

“If you are lying to me-” 

“I know, I know. I don’t have a death wish, King. I ain’t lying. I have some places she always wanted to visit already entered into the system of my plane. Let’s go check them out and see if she’s taking a vacation.” 

K’uk’ulkan’s hands open and close multiple times. He’s not left with many options. She told N’Jadaka a lot more than she ever told him. He’s knowledgeable enough to find her. 

“I wish to go now, then.” 

“Let me get some snacks together and I’ll meet you out by the platform!” 

K’uk’ulkan nods, grateful to have some help that’s actually going to get him somewhere. He steps on T’Chaka’s hand on the way out.

Chapter Text

Somehow, she’s not surprised to find both M’Baku and Namor waiting inside the kitchen. They’re both wearing smiles, one larger than the other, and Queen Shuri rolls her eyes. 

“Good morning!” M’Baku greets her with his boisterous voice. “We had another meeting and decided to check in and see if you were making those omelets again.”

Yeah, right. 

“As long as my son can eat food, I’m always making omelets. You want the same as you did yesterday?” 

“I will be honest with you, Queen Shuri. I am a vegetarian and had a lot of guilt in my heart for consuming that salmon. Would it be too much to ask for one with perhaps just cheese?” 

“Mmhm.” She looks at Namor and she licks her lips remembering last night on the balcony. He has a strong tongue like her husband. “And you, Aj K’uk’ulkan ?”

“I will have whatever you decide to make.” He grins at her. “In fact, I’ll help you.”

She raises an eyebrow, knowing what he’s actually trying to do. He wants more ‘Shuri advice’. She motions with her head for him to join her and she gives him eggs to crack in a bowl while she heats a pan. 

“Teeche’ a tsiikbal maaya?”

He’s asking her if she speaks Mayan. Clearly, he doesn’t want his little bestie at the table knowing what or who they’re talking about. 

“ Chen jumpit.”

Their conversation continues in Mayan.

“I want her to eat breakfast with us today.” 

Queen Shuri glances at him. “Yeah, I don’t think that’s happening. She said she doesn’t like mornings and has no appetite for breakfast.” 

“Then why do I hear her rummaging around her bedroom?” 

“It’s probably my kiddos waking up.”

“It’s her. I know that heartbeat anywhere.”

“Aw, isn’t that romantic?” Queen Shuri pinches his cheek and laughs when he gently slaps her hand away. “Before you can even think of getting close to her or getting in her or whatever you’re trying to do, there’s a big obstacle in the way and I think you know what it is.” 

“I am aware that I need to apologize to her. She doesn't like to hear it.” 

“ Make her hear it, then. We can be stubborn, you know. Just use some of that…sexy seduction of yours and she’ll be weak enough to listen.” Queen Shuri breathes in and out of her nose slowly when Namor is already looking at her with those eyes. “If K’uk’ulkan ever apologized for what he did to me or how he treated me, I would’ve never tried to hurt him in return or left. Fix it before it gets worse.” 

Shuri finds herself being guided to the kitchen by Uuka and Miya, both of them holding her hands tightly. She’s still a bit discombobulated being up at this ungodly hour, but there are a few things she wants to accomplish in the lab today. 

“You’re gonna love Mama’s cooking!” Uuka tells her with a smile. “She’s the best! She can do anything!” 

After that hot kiss last night, Shuri believes it. She feels her face burning up at the memory and clears her throat. 

“She seems like a very talented woman.”

“What can you do, Miss Shuri?”

“Eh, I can do a few things. I’m the chief science officer of Wakanda, so I’m always creating something. I’m also the Black Panther!” 

“I heard about that! That’s so awesome ! I bet you beat up people all the time!” 

“Only if they’re doing something wrong.” 

“My baba beats people up. He kills people, too. Does Mr. Namor?”

“Yes,” Shuri whispers and Uuka nods his head.

“They really are the same!”

Miya kicks open the door with her little foot and the children slip away from Shuri’s hands as she watches Queen Shuri giving Namor a forkful of food to taste. She clenches her fists and tells herself to calm down.

“Ah! She lives!” M’Baku laughs. “Have a seat! This is your home, after all!”

Her eyelids lower. She’s seriously going to reprogram her security to keep M’Baku from entering without her permission. 

“Morning, beautiful!” Queen Shuri calls out to her once she’s sitting in a chair. “What kind of omelet do you want?” 

“I don’t want any,” she mumbles. “I’m not hungry.” 

“Well, I’m picking for you with that attitude, then!” 

Shuri catches Namor approaching and her eyes immediately drift down at the table. Out of all the chairs, he sits right next to her. At this proximity, she can inhale his masculine scent. It’s a mixture of the ocean and the earth after it rains. 

“What are you doing here?” Shuri whispers over the various sounds inside the kitchen and Namor taps his fork against the plate.

“Having breakfast.”

“You know what I mean. There is no meeting today.” 

“And I meant what I said, Princess. I came here for breakfast. Your twin is quite the cook.” Namor takes a bite and Shuri watches the way his jaw moves as he chews. 

Imagine how it would feel on your pussy.

“Oh, Bast…”

“What’s wrong?” 

“Um…nothing.” She adjusts herself on the chair and her eyes widen when she feels Queen Shuri’s breast on the back of her head as she leans over to put her plate in front of her.

“There ya go. Don’t ask for seconds because I’m done with making dishes. There’s already too much to clean.”

“Oh…We have maids that do that, you know.”

“I sent them home.”

“Well…I can help clean them for you. I already told you I’m not hungry. Here.” She gets out of the chair. “You enjoy it. I’ll start cleaning.” 

Queen Shuri puts her hands on her hips. “I promise I’m not a bad cook like you. This stuff is edible.” 

“I’m not saying you are. I’m saying I’m not hungry. I’m not going to force myself to do anything I don’t want to do.”

Queen Shuri rolls her eyes and takes the Black Panther’s chair. Shuri goes over to the sink and as she reaches for the sponge, she gasps feeling someone’s hard body pressed against her. She’s inhaling a familiar scent once more. 

“I overheard you mention to the child that you’re doing some work in your lab this morning. I wish to speak with you while you're there.” 

“For…” Shuri stutters as he holds her hand that’s clutching the sponge and they bring it under the water together, soaking it completely. “For what purpose?” 

“There’s something I need to tell you.” 

She bites her lower lip as he pumps the liquid soap out of the container and then he’s controlling her hands as they scrub one of the plates together. Her ass is slightly shaking against his pelvis with the rapid movement and she’s growing so hot underneath her clothes, wishing she didn’t put on a turtleneck dress today. 

“Queen Shuri!” She shouts suddenly. “I’ll have Griot contact the maids through their beads ASAP! I have to get started with some work in my lab!”

“Alright, but why does your voice sound like that?” Queen Shuri teases and the Black Panther glances over her shoulders at Namor’s beautifully haunting eyes. 

“Whatever you have to say in there, make it quick. Come on.” 

She leaves the kitchen in a hurry with him right on her heels. She shivers feeling him so damn close to her, like he’s right where he can be without touching her. She doesn’t know if Queen Shuri is trying to punk her again by setting something up and she hates that she’s feeding into it. 

They take the elevator together down in painful silence and as soon as the door opens, Namor grabs the nearest chairs and positions them to where they’d be facing each other.

“Please, Shuri. Sit down.” 

She often doesn’t take commands but she finds herself lowering onto the seat. Namor’s knees are touching hers once he’s sitting as well.

“Tell me what this is about before I go insane…”

“I brought you here to offer my apology.” 

“Bast, Namor! Not this again!” She can feel her forehead throbbing. “I don’t want to hear it! Nothing is going to change what you did and give back what you took from me!” 

“I’m going to make you listen because I’ve been wanting to tell you this since that flight back to our people after I yielded!” 

Shuri closes her mouth and she focuses on Namor as her eyes begin to sting from the tears she’s fighting against. Although his words are spoken with such power, his expression is soft and sincere. 

“Fine,” she whispers with her voice cracking. “Go ahead. Just this once.”

“All of my life, I’ve only had one purpose and that is to protect Talokan. When two of my people died after my guard was let down, I took it very personally. I didn’t see Ramonda as your mother, but as the leader of the nation that attacked Talokan. I drowned the citadel and she died saving the life of Riri Williams. I returned to Talokan not feeling victorious in the slightest since I lost you. I sat for a long time, wishing that you’d summon me with the conch shell I gave you, knowing that everything changed for the worse.”

Shuri sniffs loudly. He’s holding her hands and she’s not fighting back. Once she sees his eyes watering, she finally allows her tears to fall freely. 

“I’m so sorry for everything I’ve done to you,” his voice drops to a tortured whisper. “You made me excited about this centuries-old existence of mine and I ruined it.”

“Namor…Your apologies…” I’ve been wanting to hear it. You really do care about me. “It’s meaningless.” 

“I’m aware, Black Panther.” He squeezes her hands and gives her a sad smile. “Even if you’ll never forgive me, I wanted to let you know this is the only thing I’ve regretted in almost five hundred years.”

He leans in and her heart nearly stops as his lips press against her cheek tenderly. He stands up to head to the elevator and she shouts.

“ Wait!” 

He turns around slowly. Now she has to think of something to say as she stands in front of him pathetically. 

“Would you…like to stay a little longer? You can watch me work.” 

Namor nods without a word and Shuri swallows harshly. She decides not to talk anymore, no matter how awkward it makes everything. 

She has no fucking clue what she’s doing in here. 

She wanted to take some extra time to create some more heart-shaped herbs to grow the garden further, but her mind can’t piece together the ingredients and calculations right now. 

So she does something unthinkable and so very much unlike her. 

She turns her back to him and opens up her various touchscreens and holograms. As she shuffles through different pieces of data to look busy, she arches her back and shows off her ass to him. She doesn’t even know if he’s staring and she probably looks like an idiot.

“Is that how you always stand when working, Princess ?” 

When Namor growls out her pet name, she really does feel that wetness Queen Shuri talked about last night. 

“Um, yes. It’s very good for my body to be in this pose.” 

“By all means…keep doing it, then.” 

She takes a risk glancing over her shoulder. His eyes flicker up from her ass to her face and his gaze lights her core on fire. 

“I need to return to my people. I don’t like leaving them for long.” He steps forward and her breath hitches when he touches her hips. “You should come down to Talokan soon and visit our laboratories. I’ll be able to last for hours with you. Goodbye, Shuri.” 

“Bye…” She whimpers and although his hands leave her, the warmth from his touch remains there for the rest of the day. 

“Mama, I’m bored!” 

“I’m bored, too!” Queen Shuri repeats in Uuka’s same whine as they watch another episode of the cartoon he selected from the streaming service. This time of day, he’s usually at school learning something and not letting his brain rot. At least Miya appears to be having fun with a coloring book in the corner of the entertainment room.

“Maybe we can visit Miss Shuri in the lab?” 

Not if she’s in the middle of fucking Mr. Namor… 

“Not today, baby. She said she had a lot to do. I’ll see if she lets us in another time.” Queen Shuri sits up straight and taps her fingernails against her thighs as she looks around. She catches Okoye walking past the window and she runs over to the door to stop her. “Hey!” 

“Oh! It’s you!”

For once, the former general isn’t dressed in that blue octopus outfit. She looks beautiful in a modest but form-fitting black dress. She’s wearing a panther fang necklace and panther head earrings, all a mix of silver and purple. 

“Where you off to looking so fine?” 

Okoye laughs. “I’m heading to church. I was trying to convince  Shuri to go, but she says she’s too busy. That girl just doesn’t want to reconnect with Bast, I guess…” 

Queen Shuri blinks. “...Church? Right now? It’s not even Sunday.” 

“You can go to church anytime. Bast is always available.” Okoye’s eyes narrow a bit. “Did you not attend church in your world?” 

“Mm, nope. Not that one. My soul was bound to the church of K’uk’ulkan. I was only allowed to worship Chaac. My husband didn’t want it any other way.” 

“I…see. Well, your husband isn’t here now. Why don’t you and the kids come with me? Bast knows you need her. Oh…” Okoye gives her outfit a judging up-and-down stare. “Change into something more modest, please. And perhaps wear a face covering so you aren’t asked too many questions.” 

Queen Shuri makes a face. She really doesn’t want to change out of her little comfortable shorts and she really doesn’t want to go inside a church. She has lived a life of sin, after all. 

But damn is she bored out of her mind! 

“Uuka! Miya! Wanna go to church!”

“Shursh!” Miya yells back happily and Uuka grins. 

“Hey! I’ll go anywhere!” 

“Well…there you have it.” Queen Shuri salutes Okoye. “Give me a second to raid my sister’s closet and I’ll meet you on the platform.” 

Okoye claps her hands together. “Excellent decision! I look forward to spending time with you and your family.” 

After she leaves, Queen Shuri and the children rush to the bedroom where she changes Miya quickly while Uuka puts on his own clothes brought from home. She finds a decent-looking long-sleeved yellow dress to borrow and then she finds a few masks inside one of the drawers. 

They meet up with Okoye and she guides them to North Triangle, the oldest village in Wakanda and where Bashenga became the first Black Panther. His sword that he plunged into the ground is still there, serving as a sacred memorial. 

Wakanda isn’t much different from the one she knows very well, aside from women having most of the power. 

“There’s nobody here,” Queen Shuri whispers to Okoye as soon as they step inside the old church. 

“And I told you that’s why we came here today so that you can have one on one time with Bast.”

She refrains from cursing as the holyman approaches them. Her face covering only reveals her eyes, but it doesn’t stop him trying to figure her out.

“Sister Okoye, who have you brought with you today?” 

“This is…Ilanga, one of Shuri’s relatives visiting from Haiti. She has brought her children with her to worship Bast.”

“Miss Okoye, Baba told us that Bast isn’t real and that all members of the Panther Cult are brainwashed dummies. He said something meaner, though.” Uuka points at the holyman. “Are you dumb?” 

The holyman chokes on air. “Ch-child, your ears!” 

“Relax. He’s the son of the Feathered Serpent God, not Satan.” Queen Shuri then mumbles under her breath while Miya rips her dress shoes off her feet. “Although, it’s not much of a difference…” 

The holyman is trembling. “I-I don’t understand… The father of your children is Namor!?” 

Queen Shuri shrugs. “We got down and dirty in Talokan long before he attacked Wakanda.” 

“Stop it,” Okoye whispers harshly and then smiles apologetically. “You have to forgive her. She has not been to church in a very long time. And as far as the children go, aren’t all of Bast’s creatures deserving of love and understanding? They are the same as you and I, M’Kala.” 

M’Kala relaxes at Okoye’s words and even more when he notices that Uuka and Miya aren’t doing anything except looking around curiously. 

“That is absolutely correct. Forgive me. Please have a seat and we’ll begin.” 

Queen Shuri allows Miya to have a free for all, checking occasionally to make sure she isn’t breaking anything as the rest of them sit down in front of the altar. She notices that on one of the platforms, there’s a large picture of T’Challa, their late king. She frowns. 

Shuri lost her brother shortly before she lost her mother. Queen Shuri did not have that kind of relationship with her family to where she’d be devastated if they died. 

Her counterpart, on the other hand… 

M’Kala opens up with a sermon about Bast’s love and ability to forgive. Queen Shuri holds up her hand when something doesn’t sound right, and although Okoye is trying to make her stop, M’Kala ends up calling on her.

“Yes, Ilanga?”

“That’s the issue I have with Bast. It’s like, no matter what we do or how horribly we treat each other or the crimes we commit, all of us end up in the Ancestral Plane. None of us face any consequences. It’s not like other religions where there’s Hell or an underworld for torture. Any person, any monster gets a pass in the afterlife. How is that fair?” 

“My dear, that is all part of the greatest lesson Bast teaches. If she can forgive those who hurt people, their victims can, too. It’s how they’re able to live in peace.” 

“So… A man can violate a woman time and time and time again and she’s just expected to… forgive him?”

“Yes, that’s part of it. It’s not for the man to feel better. It’s for the woman to heal. Otherwise, our time spent in this realm is wasted with bitterness and anger.” 

“Well, yeah, I’m angry ! The type of forgiveness Bast should believe in is stabbing them through the throat and leaving them in purgatory! The victim can live her best life from there and the bastard can be forgotten about and never bother her again!” 

“ Ilanga,” Okoye tells her with a fake smile. “I don’t think you should be talking about stabbing people in front of your children.” 

“It’s okay, Miss Okoye. I like this story!”

Queen Shuri breathes heavily realizing she’s getting too far and that she’s getting too worked up over nothing. “I don’t see the point in talking to you about this. My husband was probably right when he said Bast doesn’t even exist.” 

M’Kala closes his book and rests his hands on the podium. “Only those of us who die know that answer, but those of us on Earth still believe. We believe because it brings us comfort. The idea that there’s a higher being who loves us at our worst point and that we never truly walk alone in the darkness is all some people have to cling to.” 

Queen Shuri doesn’t say anything else and slowly, M’Kala continues the sermon. Miya returns to her and she holds her in her lap, burying her nose in the back of her head and inhaling the scent of coconuts. 

Forgiveness.

What a bunch of bullshit. 

Forgiving her husband won’t do anything except stroke his ego some more and encourage him to repeat history. 

She can feel Okoye staring at her again, but she doesn’t react. She rushes the children out of the church while Okoye takes a moment to speak with M’Kala, and when Okoye is outside, she’s holding the Panther Cult bible. She hands it to Queen Shuri. 

“Here. Some late-night reading for you if can’t sleep.” 

“I don’t want that.” 

“I know, but I think you could use it. And perhaps some time for yourself.” Okoye knows something. Queen Shuri can see it in her eyes. “Miya, Uuka? Would you two like to get some ice cream?” 

“Yeah!”

“I-cream! I-cream!” 

“Then that’s what we’ll do!” Okoye laughs and addresses Queen Shuri again. “Go back to the citadel and relax. I’ll take good care of them and return them in an hour or so.” 

Holding the bible underneath her arm, Queen Shuri hugs her children goodbye and tells them to behave themselves for Okoye. She watches the three of them walk away together, with Uuka rattling on scientific facts about panthers. 

Shuri lies down on her bed, thankful to be alone for the first time today. Shortly after Namor left her lab, she had assistant after assistant coming in as well as some interns needing their projects approved. She had her mind on Namor the whole time to the point she started aching  in between her legs. 

She still is. 

Okoye sent her a message earlier saying she was taking Queen Shuri and the kids out. She’s completely alone right now. 

Maybe she can solve her little problem and move on with her day. 

She hikes up her tight dress slightly and slides her hand down her underwear. She feels the damp spot that Namor caused underneath her knuckles and she closes her eyes, imagining him. With his scent on her from his close contact earlier, it’s almost as if he’s in bed with her right now. It makes her mouth water. 

She slides a finger through her folds and releases a gasp when she brushes her clit. She slaps a hand over her mouth and then lowers it to her neck, choking herself lightly, picturing him doing this to her. 

That’s my good little princess… 

“Oh, Bast,” she moans behind her hand, hearing his sexy, deep voice in her ear. She pants pleasurably into her palm as she caresses her clit, feeling herself start to drip. “ Namor…” 

The door opens wide and Shuri releases a scream, scrambling to get her hand out of her underwear. Her counterpart is standing there with an arched eyebrow. She tosses the book at the wall and closes the door behind her. 

“ What is going on here?” 

“I…I…I thought you were with Okoye and your children!” 

“I was… But she offered to take them out for ice cream so…” Queen Shuri’s lips curl back. “Were you touching yourself and thinking about him?” 

“N-No! I was…” 

Bast, what can she even tell her? This woman knows what masturbation looks like. She’s too frazzled to say anything. 

“Do you need help finishing?” 

Her eyes widen and her heart thumps against her chest. Queen Shuri crawls across the mattress and hovers over her body. 

“I asked you a question, Princess.” 

There’s something seriously wrong with this. She thought this… relationship with her counterpart ended with a kiss. Now she wants to touch her most sacred area. 

And Shuri is curious… 

“This is sick,” she whispers. “This isn’t what variants do to each other. That’s not why you’re here.” 

“Look, I was inside the worst place of my entire life today and I need to do something filthy to forget about it. I don’t like washing away sins. I like creating them.” Queen Shuri’s fingers descend on her thigh. They trail up her flesh until she reaches her folds. “You got so wet thinking about him. You want him, don’t you?” 

She brings her fingers to her clit and Shuri’s head falls against her pillows. Queen Shuri rubs delicate circles that make Shuri squirm beneath her. Her head is spinning. 

“ Y-Yes…” 

As far as she knows, Queen Shuri is physically weak. She does not possess the strength or skills that the Black Panther does. But the woman Shuri is staring at right now is anything but weak. She has complete control over her. 

Her husband must be going mad without her. 

She can see why he hasn’t let her go. 

And Shuri… 

Well… 

She’s never had anyone but herself do this. Only her fingers have been inside her. 

Shuri is a novice and what Queen Shuri is doing to her is a display of the counterpart’s expertise. 

It’s not until Queen Shuri slaps her cunt that Shuri makes the confession with her eyes open in shock. 

“W-Wait…” Her clit stings in a deliciously painful way, but it frightens her. Queen Shuri pauses, hearing her out. “I’m… I’m a virgin.” 

Queen Shuri blinks. 

And then she’s pulling her hand out completely. Shuri’s belly coils seeing how wet her fingers have become. 

“Shit… Really? That explains all the extra horniness. You’re depraved.” 

“I’m not depraved ! It’s just…hormones, that’s all. I haven’t had sex yet because I didn’t want to give myself away to someone who wouldn’t be in my life long. I’ve seen that happen to a lot of young women. Is it so wrong to want it to have meaning?” 

“No,” Queen Shuri says gently. “Nothing wrong with that at all.”

Shuri notices she’s staring off at something in the corner, no longer making eye contact. “What’s wrong?” 

“Hm? Nothing.” She smiles at her. “Sorry for getting a little aggressive. Do you want me to lick you clean instead?” 

“Um…” Is she seriously considering it!? “N-No, that’s okay.” 

Queen Shuri crawls off her and lies by her side. Both women stare up at the ceiling. 

“You know… My first time was with K’uk’ulkan. He wouldn’t have married me if I weren’t a virgin. Anyway… He was surprisingly gentle. It only hurt for a little. And all I felt was pleasure each time after that.” Her voice gets quieter when she continues. “Most of the time.” 

Shuri turns her head to stare at her profile. “Most of the time?” 

“Yes. The few times it hurt… That’s part of why I’m here.” 

There’s a tear in the corner of her eye. 

Shuri gets as close as she can and holds her. 

The smoke rings in the sky are a Queen Shuri symbol for Namor. He flies to the balcony of the citadel and finds the woman he’s looking for enjoying one of her favorite activities. He lands next to her but she doesn’t acknowledge him right away. 

“I apologized.” 

“I figured as much. She touched herself to thoughts of you so it worked. Congratulations.” 

Namor tightens in his shorts and watches her painted lips wrap around the end of the cigarette as she inhales once more. 

“I’m still going to approach her cautiously. I haven’t earned her forgiveness.” 

She blows smoke at his face and he sees a glare in her eyes after it fades away. 

“I wasn’t going to air out her business to you, but since you’ll find out anyway, she’s a virgin. She wants her first time to be special and mean something. So don’t fuck her just because you want to fuck her. You need to earn that shit more than her forgiveness because frankly, she doesn’t owe that to you. She owes you nothing. ” 

There’s something more off about her than usual tonight. She means everything she’s saying, though. 

“My end goal is to make her my wife. My happy wife.” 

“Of course it is,” Queen Shuri laughs and stomps her cigarette out. She caresses his cheek when she fully faces him. “You’ve got a long way to go, handsome. I look forward to seeing you get there.” 

Earth-1113 

K’uk’ulkan stares out the window of the plane N’Jadaka parks in the middle of a forest. Their first stop is on an island that contains a dance club Shuri always wanted to visit. Although he doesn’t understand why she’d bring their children to a place like this, it’s not the first time she has severely disappointed him. 

“Alright, before we go in, we gotta come up with code names. Can’t have anyone tracing us back to the Wakandan royal family. Not when I’m out spending the old man’s credit card.” N’Jadaka laughs evilly and holds up the platinum rectangle. “All it took for him to allow me to leave Wakanda was to bring back his baby girl. Can’t imagine why.” 

K’uk’ulkan feels a headache coming on. His wife’s cousin always talks too damn much. He hasn’t shut up since they boarded the plane. 

“Just call me Ch’ah. I don’t have time for this. Let’s go find her.” 

“Ch’ah? Where the heck did that come from?” 

K’uk’ulkan punches a button that opens the door. “That’s my birth name.” 

“For real!? I never knew that! Well, Ch’ah… I’m Erik Stevens. That’s the name on my fake ID! You got yours?” 

“...Why would I need a form of identification on me?” K’uk’ulkan asks as he puts a hat on to cover the points of his ears. He already has his wings stuffed into a pair of white shoes. 

“Ah, you right. You look old as fuck. They’ll let you right in.” 

K’uk’ulkan knows he doesn’t look older than thirty-five, but with the way his atan has stressed him out, he isn’t sure anymore. 

The two of them walk through the forest and onto the busy street that’s lit up with restaurants, hotels, and clubs. There are a few topless women whistling at them that K’uk’ulkan ignores while N’Jadaka whistles back. 

They’re let inside the club and it doesn’t take long for N’Jadaka to get distracted by the fully naked dancers that are up on the stage. He runs over to an automatic money machine and after swiping the cards, he has bills to toss at them. 

K’uk’ulkan studies the dancers on the stage, but only to see if Shuri is one of them. 

Thankfully, she’s not. 

He would’ve spotted that sexy petite body in an instant. 

The music is so fucking loud in this awful smelling place that he can’t hear properly. He’s trying to listen for his wife’s voice, or his children’s. While he’s in the middle of concentrating, a woman dressed in bunny-like lingerie approaches him. 

“Would you like a dance, big boy?” 

“Do you work here?” 

“I do. They only hire the pretty ones here.” She winks at him and shakes her large chest at him. His eyes remain on her face, unimpressed. 

“Well then, can you turn the volume of the music down?” 

“Sorry, handsome. That’s out of my control.” 

“Then get your useless fluffy-tailed ass out of my face.” 

The woman looks offended and curses at him as she struts away to N’Jadaka, who happily accepts her offer. The idiot isn’t even helping him look. 

And this music is too fucking loud!

K’uk’ulkan sets his eyes on the DJ, the one causing all this irritation. With a flick of his wrist, he causes the DJ’s face to smash against his set-up and the music abruptly stops. The patrons and the dancers are groaning and K’uk’ulkan listens once more. 

His Shuri is not here. 

He yanks N’Jadaka away from the dancer and drags him outside while a medic comes in to check on the condition of the unconscious DJ. 

“Come on. We’re heading to the next spot.” 

“Man, no way! We just flew for over twelve hours! Let’s get a place for the night and we can go to the next spot tomorrow. Besides, you need it more than I do.” 

K’uk’ulkan does feel drained. He hasn’t slept since losing his family. But the longer they’re away, the more terrified he is that they’ll be gone forever. 

And if that happens, he’s going to burn the world. 

“We leave as soon as the sun is up and not a minute later.” 

“I’m sorry, Mr. Stevens. The only room we have available has one bed.”

N’Jadaka glances over his shoulder at K’uk’ulkan who is sitting on one of the lobby chairs, pouting. 

“Yo! Ch’ah! You good with sharing a bed with me tonight!?”

“I’d rather drive a spear straight through one of your eye sockets and leave you pinned against a wall!” 

N’Jadaka shakes his head and smiles at the horrified concierge. “Sorry about him. He’s been in a bad mood. His wife ran away with the kids. We’re on a trip around the world trying to find them so he can apologize.”

“Oh…Will you be taking the room?” 

“Yes, ma’am. He can sleep in the bathtub.” He notices the snack bar behind her and shouts at K’uk’ulkan again. “Ch’ah! You want chocolate!? I know it’s your favorite!” 

“ No.”

“It has peanut butter in the middle!” 

“…Fine.”

N’Jadaka grabs some little pre-packaged cereal bowls and milk in addition to the chocolate. He pays for everything with T’Chaka’s credit card and receives the room keys. The heartbroken god-king follows him and N’Jadaka drops everything on the table. 

He pours the milk for K’uk’ulkan’s cereal first and then the two of them eat their cheap meal in silence. N’Jadaka continuously glances at him until he finally asks him something. 

“King?” 

“What do you want now?” 

“What are you going to do to Shuri once we find her?” 

Something flashes across K’uk’ulkan’s eyes. 

“If you’re asking if I’m going to hurt her, I’m not. I’m going to ask why she did it.” 

N’Jadaka swallows the last of his cereal. “Hey… Don’t get pissed and try to bloodbend me or whatever… but man to man? I think you know exactly why. Maybe you can try apologizing instead of questioning her. But… What do I know? It’s your marriage.” 

K’uk’ulkan doesn’t say anything else. He pushes his chair back and locks himself in the bathroom. 

At least there’s a public one down the hallway.

After he fills the tub with lukewarm water, K’uk’ulkan climbs in and sinks to his shoulders. His head rests against the damp walls and he closes his eyes, thinking about his wife and children. 

They were fine.

Well.

Not fine, but his atan finally calmed down and gave up the wild lifestyle she picked up. She returned to Talokan and no cheating occurred for months. She took care of the children and took care of him - aside from sex. 

She was there. 

But she wasn’t happy. 

Their entire marriage failed. He kept convincing himself that something was still there but that’s only because she was forced to be there. 

Now she’s gone. 

If he doesn’t get her back, he’s going to start by flooding Wakanda. He’ll move on to other parts of the surface world until every place is destroyed and she can fully understand what she has done to him. 

If he does get her back… 

He’s going to have a long talk with her and give her one more chance. 

He’s going to beg for one more chance. 

Dear Chaac, he prays that she returns. 

He holds his hands up in the air and starts whispering a tearful prayer to his god. 

“Please, please, I ask as your most devoted child… Please return my wife and my children to me. They’re my entire world. They’re my everything. I will do anything, give anything, be anything just to have them home again.” 

He wipes the tears away from his eyes with the back of his wet hands and then there’s a knocking on the door. 

“What!?” 

“Sorry. I’m pretty sure you’re butt-naked in there, so I was wondering if you wanted me to wash your little fish-green bodysuit and the only pair of human clothes you brought with you. Our next spot is ten hours from here and I don’t need you funking up the plane.” 

One more prayer, Chaac. Please give me strength not to murder this man. 

Chapter Text

“Mama?”

“Yes, mehen?”

“Do you think we can go on a hike this morning before it gets too hot?”

Queen Shuri finishes putting Miya’s tight ringlets into two little space buns on top of her head and takes the thin comb out of her mouth. She hands her young toddler the mirror and she giggles at her appearance.

“Miya pretty!”

“She is pretty.” The mother then addresses her son’s questions. “You sure that’s what you want to do today?” 

“Yeah…I don’t like watching TV all day.”

“I don’t either, sweetheart. Maybe I’ll talk to Miss Shuri later about us hanging out in her lab with her and I’ll see where I can send you to school here.”

Uuka blinks. “I already have a school.”

“Well…You might not be going back to it for a long time. I don’t want you to lose your smarts.” 

“What!? I thought you said this was a vacation and we’d only be here for a few weeks!”

Queen Shuri closes her eyes the louder her son’s voice gets. She grabs a wooden puzzle from the nightstand and has Miya play with it while she calmly responds to Uuka. 

“ Mehen… Do you want me to tell you what you want to hear, or can you handle the truth?” 

“I want the truth, Mama. You and Baba lie all the time. It would be nice to know what’s happening for once.”

Queen Shuri leans back on the pillows. As bad as their marriage is, both K’uk’ulkan and herself have done their best to convince the children otherwise. That’s why they kiss in front of them and act happy when they’re together. 

But Chaac knows what those sensitive ears can hear.

Uuka overhears the conversation she had with N’Jadaka about switching lives with a different version of her and this is how they all ended up in this universe together in the first place.

“Baby…Baba and me are having a really tough time right now. It has nothing to do with you and Miya, okay? I had to leave him and I don’t know when I’ll feel comfortable going back.” 

Uuka frowns and inches closer to her until their arms are touching as they sit side by side. 

“Is it because you smelled like other men or was it because he hurt you?” 

Her eyes widen and water slightly as she looks at her son, who should’ve been innocent of all of that. But of course, he’s too smart for his own good. 

“It’s everything, Uuka. We had problems before you and Miya were born. Sometimes I wish you two had better parents.” Her voice cracks hearing the confession out loud and she’s trying not to cry in front of her son. “Especially a better mother. I’m not okay, sweetheart. I’m not a good person.”

“You’re perfect to me, Mama. I love you. And I’m really happy that you and Baba are my parents. I don’t want anyone else but you guys.” Uuka puts an arm around her and Queen Shuri hides her face behind her hands as the tears start coming out. “It’s okay to cry. I read a book in school that the clouds start to rain because they get too heavy and have to let it out.” 

She really doesn’t understand how this perfect, loving, brilliant, sweet boy ended up the way he did with the parents he has. 

She ends up holding him close and eventually, Miya gets jealous and joins in. Shuri clings to both of her children and as she’s sniffling, Uuka speaks again. 

“I don’t want to stay here forever. I want to go home…When you’re ready to make up with Baba, can we please go home?”

“Yes, baby,” she tells him quietly. “Why don’t you two go find Mr. M’Baku and see if he’ll color for you so I can change into some hiking clothes?” 

“Okay, Mama!” Uuka says excitedly and scoops his sister up, who giggles the entire time he runs away with her. 

After the door closes, Queen Shuri loses her smile and walks out onto the balcony without any cigarettes. She clings to the railing and looks down at Birnin Zana. 

She hears someone else joining her and for once it’s not Namor. 

“I overheard the kids telling M’Baku you guys are going on a hike?” 

“Don’t worry. I won’t blow my cover. I’m a clone.”

“That’s not why I asked…I wanted to come with you. I finished everything I had to do.”

She turns around and sees her doppelgänger standing there wearing a pair of tight short shorts, even shorter than the ones Namor wears. Her sports bra is hoisting her breasts up and making them look larger than they are. 

“Want to invite your boyfriend since you look so hot?” 

“He is not my boyfriend and no! ”

She can hear the familiar sound of wings and she smirks. “Make sure you say that to his face since he’s about to land on this balcony.” 

“And why is he coming here!?”

“I thought you already knew. We’re best friends.”

By the pissy look Shuri gets, Queen Shuri knows she’s jealous as hell but would rather die than admit it. A few days have come and gone since she touched her in bed and discovered her secret and during those few days, Queen Shuri has been meeting up with Namor on occasion and listening to him ramble about his interactions with the Black Panther. 

He’s doing a very friendly approach, but he’s going to have to spice it up soon. 

They both need a push. 

Before Namor lands, Queen Shuri approaches her counterpart and holds her by the hips. The Black Panther snarls at her.

“What do you think you’re doing!?” 

She brings her lips to her ear and whispers low and seductively in Xhosa.

“He’s extremely jealous, too. He didn’t like it when I told him we kissed. Well…That’s how he acted, anyway. But you know he went back to the hut and jacked off the imagery.” 

“…Why would you tell him we did that…?” 

“Because I was trying to see something, that’s all. He doesn’t like the idea of sharing you, not even with yourself. Hold me.”

The Black Panther hesitates, but eventually her hands find the small of Queen Shuri’s back. Queen Shuri rests her chin on her shoulder and grins at Namor who is standing in her line of vision. 

“Hi, K’uk’ulkan,” she sings and his eyes darken. “Would you like to join us on a hike this morning through the forest? A river runs through it. You can always refresh yourself when your body gets too hot.” 

Her eyes drift down between his legs. His bulge is growing and he’s not trying to hide it. She’s starting to think he likes seeing them together.

“Black Panther, is that fine with you?” 

“Um…” The younger of the two women is covered in sweat and she pulls away from her counterpart. She doesn’t look at Namor as she moves to her balcony door. “Y-yes, just give me a minute to put some things together and you can meet us on the platform.” 

Once she’s inside her room, Namor stares Queen Shuri down.

“And what exactly was that?” 

“Nothing. I was just telling her how your thighs are big enough to fit the two of us comfortably.” 

She swears his bronze skin is reddening. 

“You’re a highly sexual woman.”

“So I’ve been told.”

“It doesn’t bother you that your husband has no idea where you are while you act like this?” 

Queen Shuri gets as close to him as she can, gets on her tiptoes while clinging to his shoulders for support, and whispers directly to his lips.

“I fucked men right under his nose. He also arranged a threesome on my twentieth birthday and had that same handmaiden massage my tits while he ate me out for twelve hours straight after he gave me sex pills. Trust me when I say this is nothing.” 

Namor’s eyes are clouded with that familiar hunger and lust that makes her belly coil and her core ache with need. If this were anyone else, she’d jump his bones right now and ride him until he’s whimpering. 

“I can’t imagine that he’s being very sane without you.”

“Probably not, but it’s not my problem, is it?” 

“I will meet you on the platform,” he tells her firmly and pushes her away gently. “Stop trying to corrupt my Shuri. That’s my job.”

Queen Shuri laughs and winks at him, mostly because she knows that big bad man is going to be as gentle as a lamb when he makes love to her for the first time. 

As he flies away, she recalls when she lost her virginity to her husband on their wedding night.

“Like what you see?” He has a teasing smile after catching her staring, one that makes her body burn. 

“Do…you like what you see?” She spreads her legs and the corners of his eyes crinkle further. He lowers himself back down to her and aligns himself with her entrance, stroking his cock and staring directly at her cunt. 

“You have the prettiest one I’ve ever seen.”

He has probably seen plenty, so she takes it as a compliment and decides to ask, “Because it’s yours?” 

She regrets saying those words when his eyes take on a wild appearance. He’s going to fuck the shit out of her virgin pussy if she doesn’t stop him. 

“Be gentle, K’uk’ulkan! Please!” 

She doesn’t know if that’s even capable for someone like him, but that crazed look subsides and he presses himself at her entrance. He watches her face as she inhales softly at the pressure of his intrusion. Her body relaxes, indicating the trust she claimed earlier, even as her brows knit slightly as he slowly, slowly pushes himself deeper in. 

He pulls out carefully and pushes in gently again. When her breath finally catches with pleasure, his chest tightens with feeling at the sound. 

“How is that, my love?” 

Her last tear of the morning falls.

Sometimes.

Only sometimes. 

She misses him.

But so much can change in ten years.

Shuri swats another mosquito off her arm as she travels through the forest with the small family and Namor. 

“Damn repellent doesn’t work. I think it was expired.” 

“Expired bug repellent? Uh oh…” Uuka makes a face. “I hope you won’t get an ugly skin infection, Miss Shuri. Not when Mr. Namor always looks like he’s about to eat you.” 

“What!?” All three adults say at the same time with their faces in shock. Uuka shrugs. 

“Yeah. The way Mr. Namor looks at Miss Shuri is like when Baba looks at Mama before he bites her neck.” 

Queen Shuri continues to be mortified, especially with Shuri and Namor giving her a judgmental stare for letting her son witness that. 

“Baby…Your father never bit my neck.” 

“Yes, he did, just not in front of anyone. I would see him take you away and I could hear you. I think you liked it because you didn’t scream. You made a different sound, like when you relax in the hot springs.” 

“Oh, good Chaac…Hey, let’s go play in the river, yeah? You two look sweaty.” 

Miya and Uuka start running to the water when their mother begins chasing them, leaving Shuri and Namor alone. She smiles nervously at him. 

“I have no idea what he was talking about. I’ve never noticed you staring at me that way.” 

“Don’t be so sure, Princess. There might be some truth in that statement… Although I’d be eating more than your neck.” 

Her heart races and what makes it even worse is that she knows he can hear it. He has been so bold since Queen Shuri arrived. She always knew that he had some attraction for her, from the way he gazed into her eyes inside his caves when the bracelet was exchanged to the way he watches her on the battlefield during missions. But now he’s making it very clear, and she hates what it’s doing to her, making her into some shy girl when she’s now a powerful warrior. 

Someone who could’ve killed the god-king in front of her. 

Now that same god-king is making her weak in the knees. 

“If you have no plans after this, I would love for you to explore more of Talokan with me. There was so much that you didn’t get to see and I know you’re going to adore our science department.” 

You should come down to Talokan soon and visit our laboratories. I’ll be able to last for hours with you.

“I’ll definitely let you know,” she tells him quickly and faces forward. She’s saved by Queen Shuri hollering to him. 

“Hey! You can keep up with these kids more than I can, K’uk’ulkan! Can we switch!?” 

Namor squeezes the side of her waist before he trades places with Queen Shuri. He dives underneath the water and Shuri is quietly thankful he never checked out her counterpart’s breasts that are visible through the light yellow shirt that’s now sticking to her body and dripping. 

“You could’ve worn a bra,” she mumbles. 

“And you should take yours off. He’s going to see them soon, anyway.” 

Shuri can’t stand that all her thoughts have been on sex, sex, and more sex since her counterpart invaded her bathroom, but she’s safer talking about it with her than anyone else. 

She waits until Namor completely disappears underwater with the children. 

“Hey… How… you know, large is he?” 

Queen Shuri shows her with her hands and Shuri feels light-headed. 

“Oh, Bast…” 

“Yeah, I’ve seen your toys. You ain’t ready for all that. But it’s okay. You’re the Black Panther. Your pussy is made of Vibranium, isn’t it?” 

“It’s not made of Vibranium! I’m not some sort of cyborg!” 

“Okay, okay. Enhanced or whatever. It’s probably strong as hell and I bet after that first stretch, you’re going to be bouncing on it like a pro.” 

She really doesn’t understand how one person can be so open to this kind of conversation. All of it is making Shuri burn up. 

“The man who was directly involved in my mother’s death shouldn’t be doing this to me… It’s wrong on so many levels…” 

“Who the fuck cares if it’s wrong!? Here’s the question I always ask myself. Do you want it?” 

Shuri bites her lower lip and then sighs. “Yes…”

“Well, there you have it. It’ll be nobody’s business but yours. You can tie that man up with Vibranium ropes and sit on his cock all night and day and force him to be your sex servant if you truly wanted to. You can turn this into punishment. He’d happily oblige and you can milk him for all that he’s worth, giving you as many orgasms as you require until it drains him and he dies. It doesn’t really matter.” 

She doesn’t know why that fantasy excites her. How shameful. 

“It’s just… I don’t know how I feel about him being my first…anytime after that is okay, but-” 

“I can fuck you first.” 

Shuri chokes on air while the queen remains as serious as ever. “Don’t say things like that!” 

“What? I can. There’s no better person to love you than yourself, right? Namor can be your first if that’s what you prefer, but if it bothers you that much, I’ve had sex with women. I don’t mind getting your body ready for him.” 

There’s no doubt in her mind that Queen Shuri is capable of pleasuring all genders. It’s the fact that she’s herself that boggles her mind. 

“That’s so…strange.” 

“Only if you make it strange. I’m just another woman with your name and beautiful face. Telling Namor all about your experience with me is a definite way to have him fuck you to the seafloor.” 

Shuri is growing way too flustered to comprehend all of this. There’s some commotion in the water and the two women stand together, watching as Namor emerges from the river. Water trickles down his thick chest toward his abdomen. When he pushes his wet hair back, the muscles on his bicep flex and suddenly this forest feels a lot hotter. 

“Eh?” Queen Shuri nudges her. “Look at that. Like what you see?” 

“Stop,” she whispers harshly back. “He can hear you.” 

Uuka and Miya shoot up from the water next and Namor starts chasing them around in a game of tag, making the children laugh. 

“ And he’s good with kids? Shoot… I’ll take him off your hands if you’re not interested.” 

“And I’ll break those hands,” Shuri mutters by accident and when she looks at Namor, he’s fighting back a smile.

“Uuka! Miya!” Queen Shuri shouts. “Come out of the water for a second and have a snack!” 

Namor is left standing alone in the river and she doesn’t know why, but Shuri finds herself heading toward the edge. He ends up meeting her and he’s so damn beautiful this close up. 

“You look like you have something to tell me, Princess.” 

“I thought about your offer. Please take me to Talokan.” 

It appears that she has gotten her own suit since her original visit here. It looks like her Black Panther suit, except with an oxygen tank attached to it. It’s very tight and shows off every curve. That’s why he doesn’t mind when she gets curious and goes on ahead of him. 

She’s in the middle of admiring the various science domes and he’s falling more in love with the sound of her voice now that’s full of excitement. His eyes leave her eyes right before she turns around and he grins at her. 

“I take it you enjoy what you see.” 

“I do! This is incredible! I can’t believe you have such large spaces for all the different fields of science and technology. How is this even possible down here?” 

“I’ve had centuries to figure it out, Princess. We’ve learned a lot by listening to conversations on the surface through our wires and devices. The Vibranium we are blessed with down here has allowed for us to do wonders.” 

“I see that… Namor, I’m so incredibly impressed. It would be amazing if I could work inside one of these labs soon, maybe even bring some of my assistants. Or if that makes you uncomfortable, your scientists can come to Wakanda. It’s about time our alliance meant something more than keeping secrets and fighting people together. We need to share our resources and culture.” 

Namor’s heart feels so full suddenly. “I have been waiting a long time for you to make that offer, Princess. I wasn’t sure how your people feel about us. Talokan has forgiven Wakanda and I hope Wakanda feels the same way toward Talokan.” 

“I mean… You guys did destroy so many homes. Children were swept away in those floods, too, you know. They were thankfully rescued, but many parents experienced the pain of that horrible loss for a few minutes.” 

Namor inhales and exhales slowly, remembering that day more than he wants to. “I understand it’s going to take some time. I can assure you history will not repeat itself.” 

He can’t tell what her expression is underneath her thick mask, but her voice is much quieter this time. 

“Is it alright if we return to your caves for a bit so I can rest? I’m not used to swimming like you are.” 

“I can imagine you’re exhausted. Would you like me to carry you?” 

She nods and he opens his arms out to her. She settles herself on them and he holds her tightly as he heads back to where they started. He occasionally glances down to find her staring and he smiles small in return. 

“So how have you been enjoying your visitor?” 

“She’s…interesting, to say the least. I’m sad for her sometimes, though. I think whatever her husband did to her has messed with her a lot. Even so, I also think that she still loves him.” 

“If they are soulmates, it might be impossible to stop.” 

His grip on her tightens and there’s an aching in his chest for her that usually happens at some point when they’re together. 

He believes that what he felt when they met and spent those five days together was love. 

He hasn’t let go of it this entire time, no matter how hard he has tried. 

Although the way it happened might be different in K’uk’ulkan’s case, Namor hurt his Shuri in an unimaginable way. It’s a guilt he’s going to carry forever and he knows his counterpart - if he has a heart - is feeling the same way right now knowing his wife and children left him without a trace. 

“I know he might be dangerous,” Shuri continues. “But do you think we should convince her to work things out with him or at least talk about her feelings with him? Maybe he can do it here so you and I can beat his ass if he does anything.” 

Namor laughs loudly. “It would be even better if she was the one ‘beating his ass’.”

“You know…that’s not a bad idea. We should train her together. I think it would be fun… The three of us.” 

Namor licks his lips and looks forward. 

Alright, so he’s not a saint. The first thought he had earlier today when seeing the two Shuris hugging each other was what it might be like to be in between them. Queen Shuri seems to be a very experienced woman. They could take turns making the Black Panther feel amazing and take all her pain away… 

“We’ll see, Princess,” he murmurs and flies them out of the water. As soon as he sets her down on her feet, her suit dissolves and she’s wearing that same little outfit she wore during their walk earlier. He wants to pull that bra off with his teeth. He notices her erect nipples sticking out. “I’m going to grab you a towel and a poncho. I will return shortly.” 

As soon as he’s inside his hut and rummaging through his clothing, he hears her approaching and doesn’t have enough time to stop her from entering. It doesn’t take long for her to discover what he was hoping would be kept a secret aside from Namora knowing. 

She silently walks across the hut and stands in front of his hammock, gazing at the wall where there’s a mural of a god-king fighting a black panther. 

“This wasn’t here before,” she says softly. 

“I added it after you defeated me.” 

She stares at it a bit longer and then her eyes find his next wall where there’s a portrait of her face holding some ropes. There’s an eclipse painted behind her. She glances at him, completely speechless and he tries to explain. 

“I added this here to immortalize your story for my people. I wanted generations to know of the nurturer from the upper realm who brightened our dark undersea world and unified our two nations.” 

“You…make it seem like I’m a goddess or something,” she whispers and now her body is facing his. 

“You are,” he confesses. “You are to me. As you can see, it’s very hard for me to forget about you when you have won me over completely. You have all my respect and admiration, Black Panther. The only surface person who does.” 

The fingers on his left hand interlock with the ones on her right. His free hand holds the side of her neck and he tilts her head back with a movement of his thumb. Her gaze scorches him and he savors the burn. 

“And like the sun and the moon in a solar eclipse, I wish to make love to you. I only want to cause you pleasure. No more pain.” 

Her lips part and before she can say anything, the privacy curtains open again to reveal a group of five very nosy Talokanil children. He keeps a firm grip on Shuri, refusing to let her go anywhere as he addresses them. 

“Why do you think it’s acceptable to enter my sacred hut, my children?” 

“We heard the princess from the surface was here!” A little girl says while bouncing on her heels. Her twin adds,

“You were so sad when she left here the first time and now you’re not! You’re about to kiss her, huh, Aj K’uk’ulkan?” 

“I-”

“Are you going to marry her and have a prince or princess!?” 

“I think he will,” a boy laughs and points at him. “My brother said he was about to but fumbled hard!” 

Shuri is laughing, too, and Namor finally releases her. He points at the entryway and speaks as sternly as he can despite loving children. 

“Please exit and return to your parents immediately.” 

The two girls cling to Shuri’s legs and she’s smiling sweetly down at them. 

“Hello!”

“Hi. Don’t go. Marry our Feathered Serpent God and make babies with him. He’s not that bad! Give him a chance!” 

“Yeah… Please stay!” 

Shuri gives them a neutral response, something about having too many duties as protector of Wakanda but promising that she’ll return soon. 

He was hoping that she’d say ‘yes’. 

To everything. 

Earth-1113

“You could’ve told me you were bringing me to a fucking desert!” 

“Relax, King. I was going to check out the snowy mountains first, but this is the last weekend of Coachella. You know as well as I do that Shuri talked about coming here all the time.” 

K’uk’ulkan glares at him as he opens another bottle of water and pours it all over his body. He has already stripped down into his black boxers, but has to keep his shoes and hat on to hide his mutant features. Nobody here seems to complain about it or find it strange. There are women walking around dressed half-naked and a lot of surface dwellers wearing feathers even though they’re colonizers. 

Two women in black bikini tops and denim shorts approach him holding two large buckets of water and giggling. 

“Can we soak you next?” 

“Did you put contaminants in the water supply?” 

“Um…no?” 

“Ignore him, he’s a dick. Go ahead. The man’s is hot!” N’Jadaka laughs and starts taking pictures as the two women splash him with water, which would’ve pissed him off if it weren't refreshing. 

“Why are you two still here? The water has disappeared. Be gone.” 

“Gosh, you really are mean,” one of them teases him. “That’s okay. I like men I can fix. What’s your number?” 

K’uk’ulkan glares at her. “Why are you interrogating me!?” 

“Shit, relax, man!” N’Jadaka shakes his head and offers her a charming smile. “Sorry. He has a wife who might be here and we’re trying to surprise her.” 

“Oh…Oops. I don’t mess with married men… What about you? Do you have a wife?” 

“Hell nah!” 

The young women end up dragging a happy N’Jadaka away, leaving K’uk’ulkan alone and he’s thankful for it. Now he can focus on the task at hand. He searches the crowds for his wife and children. He encounters a few women who look like her and capture his attention for the briefest of seconds, but he quickly knows they’re not her. 

A decade of being married to his atan has made her scent and her heartbeat unforgettable. She probably doesn’t even know that; that she’s so unique and stands out in a crowd without him even having to see her. 

Then again, he never told her. 

The last few years of their marriage have been nothing but fights, lies, and insults. He has raised her voice at her one too many times and called her horrible words he can’t take back. There’s a lot more that he shouldn’t have done, but focusing on it now will make him stress out even more. 

There are a lot of women and a few men who approach him wanting to get to know him, but he gives them the cold shoulder and continues on. He doesn’t know how easy it was for Shuri to cheat on him when everyone else except for her disgusts him. That’s why he tries to tell himself none of those affairs meant anything and she was trying to hurt him. 

It worked. 

He stops to get more water, feeling horrible about throwing the plastic bottles into the bins and hoping it at least goes somewhere responsible. He doesn’t feel like asking the people who work here for information. 

Sometime around sunset, he concludes that this Coachella place isn’t where his wife has gone. He ends up finding N’Jadaka with a stupid grin on his face and hickeys and lipstick all over his neck. 

“That was a time! You find wifey?” 

“No. Did you? I bet you weren’t even looking. You don’t even care that she left me.” 

“Aw…Don’t say that, King. Why do you think I’m taking you to all these places? I could’ve not been helping you out at all. And you’re wrong, I did look. I was at the music festival area where she would’ve been dancing. She ain’t there.” 

“So another bust.” 

“Afraid so. But I do have something for you.” N’Jadaka motions with his head for him to follow. “C’mon. Let’s get on the Ferris wheel.” 

“I don’t do amusement rides.” 

“Trust me, man. You’re gonna want to do this one.” 

They get in line for the Ferris wheel and crawl into one of the passenger cars when it’s their turn. K’uk’ulkan stares out at the festival the higher they get, not seeing anything about this that would appeal to his wife. 

Maybe the clothing and music. 

Maybe. 

She always did love dancing. 

He should’ve never made her stop. 

“Pst,” N’Jadaka whispers and K’uk’ulkan glances at him. He’s rolling up a green grass-like substance inside a brown piece of paper. “Those girls gave me the good shit.” 

“...What is that?” 

N’Jadaka uses his lighter to burn the end and he inhales it like a cigarette. The smell reminds K’uk’ulkan of a skunk and then he knows exactly what he’s smoking. 

“Shuri smoked some of those drugs when she was with those surface men. I’m not interested.” 

“Kuk… Kuk. Trust me. You gotta try it and see why she did it. It’s relaxing as hell. You need it.” 

K’uk’ulkan observes N’Jadaka a bit longer as their passenger car sways gently with the wind as they reach the very top. Once he sees the War Dog isn’t turning feral or trying to jump out, K’uk’ulkan holds his hand out. N’Jadaka lights it for him and K’uk’ulkan groans feeling the burn of the smoke inside his mouth. He tilts his head back and sends smoke rings up to the top. 

“It’s very smooth.” 

“Told you. Good shit. ” 

A few more puffs in and K’uk’ulkan feels boneless. He ends up making eye contact with N’Jadaka and they start laughing for no reason. 

“I just thought of something.” 

“What’s that, King?” 

“What if I lost all three of my babies for good? What if they traveled to space and they’re part of the stars now?” 

“Or living on Mars.” 

“Or living on Mars, yes. It wouldn’t surprise me. Shuri hates me.” 

“Nah… She don’t hate you. She just hates what you did.” 

K’uk’ulkan takes another hit and slumps all the way into his seat until he’s folded in half at the bottom. N’Jadaka joins him and they rest their heads together as the Ferris Wheel starts to go down. 

“They’re gone.”

“You can’t give up. You can’t! Just like…Shit, I don’t know. My lil cuz did tell me about an issue she had with one of your friends. She never gave me a name, though. What if he had something to do with her leaving?” 

K’uk’ulkan squints at the pole. 

Is he talking about Quetzalcoatl?

His mind is a little fuzzy at the moment, but he recalls one of the last arguments he had with Shuri. She told him Quetzalcoatl hit on her and he didn’t believe her. 

What if N’Jadaka is right…?

“My brother. I know what I’m going to do next.”

“What’s that, Kuk?”

“I’m going to kill Quetzalcoatl.”

N’Jadaka starts laughing hysterically, which causes K’uk’ulkan to do the same thing until they’re both in tears.

“You’re so fucking crazy !”

“I am, I am. I’m going to stab him through his throat and break every bone in his body if he doesn’t tell me where she is.”

They start hitting each other playfully while laughing again, not realizing the Ferris wheel operator is glaring at them. 

“If you two potheads don’t get out, I’m calling security!” 

Chapter Text

“Wow! This is so cool, Miss Shuri!” Uuka’s wearing the virtual reality glasses she created and he’s trying on different suits, pretending to fight as the Black Panther in the middle of a rainforest. 

Miya is having fun drawing pictures on Shuri’s board that ‘magically’ turns colors while Queen Shuri flips through notebooks with her eyebrows pinched together in confusion. 

“I’m glad you two are having fun,” Shuri laughs and then joins her doppelgänger. “Why do you look like you’re in pain?”

“Because there was a time when I actually understood what all of this crap meant and now it looks like chicken scratch to me.”

“You were actually into science before?”

“Yeah. Before I married K’uk’ulkan. I was ready to have my own lab just like this one but it went to Nakia instead while I…”” Queen Shuri watches what she says around her children. “…became Queen of Talokan.”

Uuka takes off his virtual reality glasses and grins at her. “Wow, Mama! I didn’t know that! How come you didn’t start a lab in Talokan?”

“Because I had more important things to do, honey. Like make good food for your baba and take care of you.”

“But you could’ve done all that and had a lab, right?”

Queen Shuri doesn’t say it, but Shuri knows the truth. Her husband didn’t allow it. Not that she thinks her variant is dumb, but she has a suspicion that K’uk’ulkan didn’t want her to be too smart. Shuri ends up smirking as she thinks about how that failed to have his wife open a portal to another universe without him knowing. 

“Sometimes, life doesn’t work out how we want it, baby. But we make the best of it.”

Shuri frowns when she hears the sadness in her voice and she whistles for her assistant to come over.

“Yes, Princess Shuri?”

“Can you keep Miya and Uuka entertained for a bit? Maybe give them a few snacks and drinks from the break room? I need to talk to their mother.”

Her assistant bows his head respectfully. “Of course!” He looks at Uuka and Miya and claps his hands together. “Do you two want to see a working robot!?”

When Uuka gasps, his sister comes running over and does the same thing. 

“I do!”

“I do, I do!” Miya repeats and the assistant laughs.

“Great. Come with me!” 

“Bye Mama, bye Miss Shuri! We’ll be right back!” 

“Okay, sweetheart. Don’t let your sister out of your sight.”

“I won’t!”

Miya waves goodbye, but then comes running about to give her mother a big kiss on the cheek. She then flies up and plants one on Shuri’s before running after her brother. 

“Aw, she’s such a cutie. So happy.”

“Surprisingly,” Queen Shuri says with a sad smile and looks at her counterpart. “What did you want to talk about?” 

“Come with me to a special room I have here.”

Queen Shuri follows her to a soundproof control room that looks like something a person at an insane asylum would be stuck in. There’s nothing inside except for steel walls and some cameras and panels up above. 

“What is this? Your crying room?”

“No. I use it when I want to train. I can control the temperature and make it any climate I want to. Harsh winds, rain, extreme heat…whatever. I installed it after I defeated Namor to continue my training. One of the robots my assistant is showing the kids is part of the training. I set them on advanced fighting mode and end up destroying them. You can never be too prepared, you know?”

Queen Shuri arches an eyebrow. “Impressive, but why am I here?”

“Because you don’t know if your husband might show up one day and in case Namor and I aren’t close by for whatever reason, you need to learn how to defend yourself. Do you know any fighting moves at all?”

“Um… yeah. Boxing.”

“Cool. Show me what you got.”

Queen Shuri gets into a stance that she must’ve seen in a movie. She raises her fists that aren’t properly formed and bounces on her toes. She lunges forward and Shuri easily dodges each strike.

“It’s a good thing it’s not landing. Without a proper fist, you’ll end up breaking your hand.”

“What do you mean!? A fist is a fist!” 

“ Bend the thumb down so that it falls across the top halves of the index and middle fingers. Like this.”

Queen Shuri ends up copying it and Shuri nods in approval.

“Perfect. I’ll let you get one shot in for free.”

Queen Shuri grins and when she strikes Shuri’s chest, the younger woman doesn’t budge at all.

“Damn, you couldn’t even wince or anything!?”

Shuri laughs. “I don’t want to deceive you, but don’t worry. We’ll work on getting you stronger. Try one more time. Maybe think about all the pain he has caused you and manifest it in your fist. To be honest, my rage is what helped me defeat Namor.”

She stands back and watches as whatever is going on through Queen Shuri’s mind is shown all over her face. Instead of fighting and getting angry, Queen Shuri falls apart and starts to cry. Shuri immediately goes over to her and holds her, not expecting this at all. 

“I know you said you don’t like to talk about it,” Shuri whispers as she rubs her back. “But it’s good to get it out. I was suffering through my grief until I talked to my sister-in-law about it. You can trust me.”

It takes a few minutes but eventually Queen Shuri ends up whispering to her. 

“You said this room is soundproof, right? I don’t want Uuka to hear.”

“He won’t. I promise.”

Queen Shuri releases a ragged breath and pulls back to look her in the eyes. 

“There’s so much that man did to me that I can look over. He’s a product of the world I live in where men have complete power. I knew going in it was always going to be his word over mine. I can forgive him for berating me and having sex when I didn’t want it. I can forgive him for taking my dreams away and making me be who he wanted. I can even forgive him for what he did to me when he found out I poisoned him because my intent was to kill him. But there’s one thing I’ll never get over. The one thing that changed it all and took away my hope.”

“I’m listening,” Shuri tells her quietly. “Tell me.”

Another shaky breath and some tears roll down Queen Shuri’s cheeks. “In my world, there’s another underwater kingdom ruled by a god-king who goes by Quetzalcoatl. K’uk’ulkan and Quetzalcoatl are close friends. I never liked the guy and told him he needed to find better friends but it went nowhere. One day…when I wasn’t getting pregnant after Uuka and K’uk’ulkan was growing impatient, Quetzalcoatl convinced him that a ritual would solve all our problems and my stupid husband took the bait. I was paralyzed by K’uk’ulkan’s blood bending while he fucked me in front of Quetzalcoatl, who was looking right at my face the entire time. He did it for his own sick, sick pleasure. I told K’uk’ulkan that before it started but he trusted him over me.”

Shuri is getting angry for her as she hears everything and does her best not to imagine the traumatic experience. She holds her hands tightly.

“I can’t believe a husband is capable of doing that to his wife that he’s supposed to protect. I’m so, so sorry.”

“That’s not even the worst part. Prior to that, I was quietly drugging my husband’s meals with a male birth control because I didn’t want to give birth again after how painful it was with Uuka. I probably could’ve tried a better way of convincing him but I wasn’t sure he’d go for it. At one point I decided to stop and accept him for who he was, flaws and all. I wanted to love him and be the best wife I could be. I was pregnant before the ritual even happened.”

“Oh, Bast,” Shuri whispers, unsure of what else to say. 

“I don’t know. I brought a lot of this on myself. I should’ve made better choices. I’m a fucked up person.”

“Don’t say that. Your husband didn’t have to do what he did.”

“I just feel so angry all the time,” Queen Shuri whispers painfully as her tears slip inside her mouth. “I feel angry and guilty and I don’t know what to do.”

“Can I tell you something?” Shuri asks her with a weak smile. “I feel angry and guilty, too. I don’t think I should be the only one of my family still alive. But I’m here. You’re here. Let’s help each other free ourselves from it.”

Queen Shuri wraps her arms around her and cries into her shoulder.

“I wish our K’uk’ulkans didn’t have their claws in us so deep.”

Shuri laughs quietly. “Don’t worry. We’ll get you claws of your own one day.”

“Is this all to your liking, K’uk’ulkan!?” Attuma shouts from one side of the caves as he finishes decorating it with all the flowers he could find. Namor takes a look and gives him an approving smile.

“Perfect. Thank you, my child.”

Attuma claps his hands together after all his hard work and places them on his hips as he stands up straight. “Do you think the Black Panther will accept another date so soon?”

“She enjoyed herself very much when she was here. There’s no doubt in my mind she’ll agree.”

“And you’re going to ask her to become your queen this time?”

“It depends on how everything goes, but that is my goal, yes.”

“Let’s hope no Wakandan spies drop in like last time, hm?” Attuma laughs but quickly stops when Namor glares at him. “I apologize. I will give you some privacy so that you may contact her.”

“Thank you again for all your help.” Namor presses his forehead against Attuma’s and then his soldier walks away. 

The god-king takes a seat at the table that’s going to be decorated with food, candles, and gifts by tomorrow night. He calls Shuri using the beads she gave him and his eyes soften seeing her face appear on the hologram. 

“You look beautiful today, Princess.”

“What!? The shirt I’m wearing has a bunch of holes and stains on it!” 

“You could wear a trash bag and I’d still find you stunning.” Namor smiles when she appears flustered and continues. “I have a question for you. Are you busy tomorrow night?”

“Mm…let me check my calendar. Nope! Why?”

“I would love it very much if you could accept another date with me. We will be in my caves this time. If you say yes, I’ll have a dress delivered to you immediately.”

“A dress, huh? Very tempting. What happens if I decline?”

“The dress will be yours regardless. But I doubt you’ll say no to me.”

Shuri arches an eyebrow and he chuckles softly. “Is that a threat?”

“No. I think that once you hear my plans for you, you’ll be unwilling to give it up.”

“Alright. Let’s hear it.”

“Once you’re here with me, the evening will start off with a delicious dinner made by my handmaidens. You’ll be receiving plenty more gifts and we’ll share a dance or two. One thing will lead to another and I’ll end up kissing your beautiful lips. I’ll slide my tongue in and swirl it around yours, making love to that precious mouth.”

He watches as she clutches her necklace and her breathing becomes more labored. Chaac, he wishes he could be with her at this very moment to do everything he’s telling her.

“And then?”

“I’ll kiss you all over as I slowly take your dress off. I’ll take my time on your breasts, making them feel good, and I’ll go lower and lower until my tongue laps at your cunt and I won’t stop even after you explode on my mouth. I’ll fuck you until you can’t walk and you’ll end up having to stay here as I pleasure you for days on end.”

“Bast,” Shuri whispers and her hand travels lower. His eyes light up when he sees her touching her breast through her shirt. His shorts tighten. He wants her and he’s tired of waiting.

“Does that sound like something you’d be interested in, Shuri?”

Her hand returns to her necklace and she’s nodding up and down. “Y-yes. I accept.” 

“You’ve made me the happiest man in the world saying that. I look forward to it very much. Thank you, Princess.” 

“You’re…You’re welcome. Thank you for the invitation. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

He’s made her so weak and he hasn’t even touched her yet. He can’t wait to worship her like she deserves and do what he can to repent for hurting her so badly. 

He doesn’t mention his plans to ask her for her hand in marriage. He’ll let that come naturally. But once he has her tomorrow night, he’s never letting her go. 

“The dress he sent me is this jade one and I have no idea what kind of makeup to do with it. Can you help me out? I want to look perfect.”

Queen Shuri glances up from the stupid Bible of Bast passage she was reading. She knows Shuri had something to do with Okoye randomly asking to babysit the kids. She either pities her after their conversation earlier or there’s an ulterior motive.

“You know that man is going to fuck your face no matter how pretty you paint it, right?”

“Just-Just help me!”

Queen Shuri rolls her eyes and follows her into the bathroom. “Go ahead and sit up on the counter so I don’t have to hunch down.”

Shuri sits on the edge and closes her eyes as her counterpart starts cleaning her face for her before applying primer. She keeps thinking about Namor’s dark and sexy voice telling her all of those naughty things. She doesn’t want to end up being horrible in bed or not impressing him. 

She recalls the offer the queen gave her the other day and swallows audibly. It’s only weird if she makes it weird and there’s no better person for it. It’ll be like making love to herself and she doesn’t have to be worried about getting involved with another man or messing up. She can be herself. 

Her eyes open slowly and she grabs Queen Shuri by the wrist gently before she can apply the foundation.

“What is it?” 

She’s really going to ask for this…

“I think…I think I want to be prepared…By you.”

Queen Shuri inhales and exhales slowly as she looks the princess up and down. She never thought she’d hear those words coming from her seemingly innocent mouth. She wasn’t being serious about being a practice run, but…

“Are you aware of what you’re asking me?” 

The Black Panther holds Queen Shuri’s face with her soft hands, making the older woman’s eyelids close halfway.

“I don’t want Namor getting someone inexperienced. I want to make him yield again.”

Queen Shuri smirks and holds onto the ends of her doppelgänger’s shirt and lifts it over her head. She reaches behind Shuri’s back and unhooks her bra. She tosses it to wherever the shirt has gone. Queen Shuri then holds the back of the younger woman’s head.

“I’ll start by kissing you. Is that alright?” 

Shuri nods after releasing a shaky breath and Queen Shuri’s lips capture her own. It starts off slow, with a gentle pressing that grows into hunger and passion. Shuri hooks her legs around Queen Shuri and gently massages her back. Queen Shuri moans into her mouth at the sensation and sends heat straight to the younger woman’s core. 

They part and Queen Shuri presses kisses along her jaw and down the column of her throat. Her hands run up and down the Black Panther’s sides until she’s holding onto her modest breasts. 

“Is this okay?” Queen Shuri’s whispers into her counterpart’s neck.

“Yes,” Shuri nearly pleads, wanting her hands all over her. 

Queen Shuri goes right back to sucking spots on her neck and running her fingers across her stomach and sides. Her mouth traces the lines of her collar bones and down the valley between her breasts. Her mouth feels so good on the Black Panther’s skin that it’s all she thinks about.

Queen Shuri puts her mouth on Shuri’s, then on her jaw, her neck once more, and finally her nipple. She sticks her tongue out and circles it around. Queen Shuri puts the nipple in her mouth and gives it a light suck. The sensation is so damn good that Shuri mewls and kisses her counterpart’s forehead.

“Does Namor like to do this to us?”

Queen Shuri’s warm tongue travels back up her neck where she whispers to her pulse point.

“K’uk’ulkan loves doing everything to us.”

Shuri breathes out and closes her eyes, imagining Namor’s mouth is on her breast instead. She bets that he’s greedier than Queen Shuri and takes even more in his mouth. She bets that he sucks a lot harder, too. Her panties dampen further at the possibilities.

Fingers rise up her body and Queen Shuri plays with the other nipple, circling it, lightly tugging it, and squishing the breast. Shuri really shouldn’t find it hot - having this kind of contact with her variant - but it is. She loves the feeling of Queen Shuri playing with her, making her feel good. More heat shoots down through her, moving lower until she involuntarily bucks her hips.

Queen Shuri pops off her nipple and blows on it, making it perk up against the chill. 

“Are you growing impatient, Princess? Do you want something more?” 

Shuri responds  by jumping off the counter and yanking Queen Shuri into a hungry kiss. She presses her tongue into the other’s and moans against her while walking her backwards into the bedroom where they both fall onto the bed. 

Shuri sits on top of Queen Shuri’s pelvis and gropes her over her shirt. She finds it admirable that she hardly ever wears a bra. 

“Does K’uk’ulkan ever suck on you while you’re wearing clothes?” 

“Yes,” she groans and holds Shuri’s hands. She forces her to squeeze her tighter and she makes more of those beautiful noises. “Especially when I was pregnant…He couldn’t get enough.”

“I can’t get enough now,” Shuri whispers and lies on top of her counterpart. She doesn’t know if she’s doing it right when she sucks Queen Shuri’s erect nipple and some of the cotton of her shirt into her mouth, but judging by the way she’s squirming underneath it, it must be alright. 

“Hey…Stop…I’m supposed to be preparing you.” 

Shuri lifts her head up and has her lips hover above the queen’s. “I know. I want you to feel love, too.”

“Worry about me after,” Queen Shuri murmurs. “Take your shorts and underwear off.”

Shuri gives her one more kiss before crawling off her and getting completely naked. She has no insecurities in front of a woman who looks exactly like her. Queen Shuri is sitting up with her legs spread and patting the empty spot in between. Shuri settles in all the way against her until her ass is pressed into the crotch of Queen Shuri’s leggings.

Queen presses kisses against her shoulder from behind as she gives Shuri’s breasts a few more possessive squeezes. 

“Be still for me, okay?” She requests. “And be sure to tell me if I do something you don’t like. I’m going to touch you. Your clit and inside. Is that okay?”

Shuri nods. It’s quickly becoming her only form of communication with the other.

The first touch of Queen Shuri’s thumb on her clit has pleasure rattling in her bones and it travels upwards. Shuri’s spine arches as she moans. 

Queen Shuri’s thumb travels a little lower, collecting some of the slick between her folds and bringing it back to her clit. She gently rubs at it and Shuri arches again, moaning even louder. Queen Shuri brings her head around to catch the moan with her own lips, wanting to taste the sounds of the younger woman’s pleasure.

The circles keep up, causing Shuri to squirm. It feels so good, she already feels so close, and the pressure keeps building and building. Then, with a thumb still rubbing against her clit, Queen Shuri brings a finger to Shuri’s  folds and parts them. A finger worms its way inside and it feels so different from the times Shuri tried this on herself.

At first, Queen Shuri focuses on letting the finger pump in and out, stretching her counterpart open. When she’s finally relaxed enough, Queen Shuri puts a second finger.

Shuri keens, the stretch feeling incredible. Another moan escapes her and runs right into her doppelgänger’s mouth.

Queen Shuri scissors her fingers for a bit, allowing Shuri to be stretched to accommodate what Namor’s thick cock is going to feel like inside her. And then she curls her fingers upward.

Shuri gasps, breaking away from Queen Shuri’s lips to moan out, “Yes…yes! Right there. Again.”

Queen Shuri repeats the motion, rubbing against her g-spot and at her clit simultaneously.

Something was building up inside the Black Panther. Something both familiar and foreign. It felt like she was going to pee but slightly different.

Queen Shuri’s skilled fingers bring her closer to the precipice. Her moans grow in frequency as the speed and force of the fingers are increasing slightly each time.

Finally, it gets to be too much. Shuri nearly screams as she’s pushed over the edge. Her vision grows white around the edges, and she feels something soak the sheets beneath her ass.

Queen Shuri’s fingers work her through her orgasm, slowing down but never stopping until Shuri finally bats her hand away, overstimulated. Queen Shuri brings her lips to her ear. 

“You’re a squirter, hm? Poor thing. Once he finds out, he’s going to be so obsessed with you, never letting you go.” 

Shuri is still panting and recovering from what just happened. She groans when Queen Shuri is biting and sucking on her neck again.

“Mm…You did what you were supposed to do. I can take care of you now.”

Queen Shuri’s breath is felt on her nape. “I want to go down on you to clean you up. Is that fine?”

Shuri’s eyes widen. She knows it’s going to be too much, but she also knows she wants it. Besides, a god-king might last for hours in his domain…

“Yes, please…”

Queen Shuri crawls around and instructs her to lie down. Her lips travel down the valley between Shuri’s tits and towards her belly button. Her tongue dips in for a bit before her lips go to her hips. Her fingers play with Shuri’s cunt lightly, the stimulation working the younger woman up again. 

Shuri wants more. She lifts her head weakly and whimpers. “Please…taste me.” 

Queen Shuri’s hand leaves her mound and she lowers herself to stare at her cunt, just a centimeter away. Her breath against Shuri’s pussy made her quiver in anticipation. 

Queen Shuri sticks out her tongue and teases the area around Shuri’s clit, avoiding directly touching it.

“Oh, Bast!” Shuri groans and reaches her hands down to grab the back of her counterpart’s head. She presses Queen Shuri’s face deeper into her and that’s when the variant’s tongue finally licks at her clit, flicking it up and down. It’s so wet and warm. 

“More,” Shuri moans. “Need it.”

Queen Shuri chuckles and becomes more forceful. Her arms wrap around Shuri’s thighs as she buries her face in her cunt. Her tongue alternated between swiping between her folds and licking her clit.

Shuri’s second orgasm is coming way too quickly. She presses the queen’s face deeper in. The older woman’s nose rubs against her clit as her tongue dives inside her pussy.

Shuri’s hips start bucking as she begins to hump Queen Shuri’s face. Her movements are desperate, almost pathetic, as she chases her release. When it finally comes, she convulses around Queen Shuri’s tongue, still inside of her, and rides it out by grinding her face.

Shuri stills once it’s over and Queen Shuri moves up to shove her tongue down the younger woman’s throat, letting her know exactly what she tastes like. Shuri moans into it, finding it incredibly hot.

“That’s his favorite way to rehydrate,” Queen Shuri purrs against her cheek. “I’ll be right back.” 

Shuri can hear her rummaging around the box she had brought into the room earlier and she lifts her head. She burns up when she sees the giant red dildo in Queen Shuri’s hand. In the other she gets out a bunch of leather straps.

She sets the dildo aside and she wiggles out of her leggings. Shuri gets a good look at her toned back and ass as she straps the leather harness into place. She then grabs the dildo and attaches it to the front of the harness. 

The older woman finally turns and meets Shuri’s gaze. “What do you think?” She slaps the dildo and Shuri’s pussy clenches when she sees it jiggle.

“Um…Did you get that just for us?”

When the hell did you even make it to a sex store!? Who saw you!? 

“Well, no. I never thought you’d ask. I got it for you to use on K’uk’ulkan when he’s a bad boy.”

Shuri burns up further. “Oh, Bast…”

“But tonight, that’s not the case.” Queen Shuri climbs on top of her and leans down to whisper in her ear. “Tonight, it’s for us. It rubs against me just right. It’ll be like I’m actually inside you.”

The very thought of that gets Shuri’s body ready for another orgasm all over again. Exhaustion wipes away in favor of complete and utter need. 

Queen Shuri starts sucking on Shuri’s neck as she rubs the dildo through her folds. Up and down, up and down. Sometimes, she lets it nudge Shuri’s clit, causing her to buck and beg.

“Inside,” Shuri pleads. “I need you inside me.”

The words go right to Queen Shuri’s head, and she makes quick work of making sure the younger woman is loose enough for her. Two fingers went in without any resistance. She wiggled a third in and began spreading her fingers, getting Shuri ready to take the truly massive length and girth of the dildo strapped to her. It’s the only one she could find that comes close to K’uk’ulkan’s cock. 

She grips the middle of the dildo, aiming it towards Shuri’s pussy. She gently presses inside, and Shuri moans at the feeling. Queen Shuri moans alongside her as the dildo presses back against her clit. Her hips buck, causing the head to slip inside Shuri. 

“Oh, fuck!” Shuri’s chest and stomach rise erratically with her breathing. There’s a cock inside her for the very first time and all of the foreplay doesn’t make the intense stretch painful at all. She’s working herself up at the mere thought of Namor feeling this way. 

Queen Shuri slowly moves her hips closer to Shuri’s, gently rocking back and forth as more of the cock enters her. She cups the younger woman’s cheek and her thumb swipes at the tears collecting under her eyes. 

“How does it feel, beautiful?”

“M-more,” Shuri whines and moves her hips, trying to get more of it inside of her. Queen Shuri doesn’t allow her.

“You don’t want to be hurt, do you?”

“I know what I can handle… I’m stronger than you.”

“So damn impatient and bossy,” Queen Shuri rolls her eyes and continues her gentle rocking until the entire cock is settled inside Shuri’s pulsing cunt. 

Queen Shuri takes a moment to breathe. The rocking motion stimulates her clit just enough to really work her up. She wants nothing more than to drive into her variant with all she has until they both come.

She moves her hips back until just the very tip remains snuggled in Shuri’s pussy. She then pushes the entire thing back in with one powerful thrust.

Shuri can damn near feel the cock in her throat. It rams against her cervix and drags across her g-spot just right. She moans uncontrollably and Queen Shuri sets a cruel and fast pace.

“He’s going to do much worse and much better,” the Queen grits. “But you can take him. Such a good, good girl.”

Ignoring her cries, Queen Shuri chases after her own pleasure after putting it off for so long. Her eyelids flutter shut and she remembers one of many nights when her husband would be in the position she is in now, making her fall apart underneath him. She should be thanking him for making her the expert she is now, but in doing so, he made her addicted. 

The idea of being used for pleasure gets to Shuri as she watches ecstasy taking over the queen’s face. She can’t do anything to stop her, and she doesn’t want to. Queen Shuri deserves to feel this amazing, too, with someone who respects her. 

Queen Shuri keeps slamming back in, causing strangled moans and screams to leave Shuri’s mouth.

“That’s it, pretty girl. You’re going to take everything he gives you, won’t you?”

“Yes!”

“You never had sex before tonight,” Queen Shuri’s pace picks up even more. “And here you are. About to have your third orgasm of the night. You’re so talented and powerful, Black Panther.” 

Shuri moans, the slamming of the queen’s hips against hers causing vibrations in her steady stream of exclamations.

Queen Shuri notices Shuri’s thighs around her hips are starting to quiver. “Don’t let him take advantage of you, Princess. He’s going to want to fuck you until you break. You need to break him. You’re too good for him and always will be after what he took from you. You need to make him aware of that.”

Shuri whines and reaches out to drag her closer. Her arms wrap around Queen Shuri, nails digging into the skin of her shoulders. A sob escapes the younger woman. “More, please. Faster.”

“Not yet, Princess. Tell me what you liked the best,” Queen Shuri requests, still pounding away. Every inch of their skin is covered in sweat. 

“All of it,” Shuri moans out. “I loved all of it… You’ve made me feel so good…” A scream tears through her throat as Queen Shuri drills into her even harder.

“Come one more time for me, beautiful.”

Shuri does exactly that, falling apart as Queen Shuri continues to use her. Her vision whites out as her orgasm is lengthened by Queen Shuri still pounding into her cervix. Sobs and moans continue to leave her as Queen Shuri chases after her own pleasure.

“How-“ Queen Shuri pants. “How would you like to try it on me so I can show you a few things?” 

Shuri nods repeatedly and gasps loudly as the large dildo finally leaves her body. It was in there for so long that she feels empty without it. She watches as Queen Shuri takes off her harness and gives it to her. Shuri stands on her weak legs while attaching it to her pelvis and Queen Shuri gets on all fours on the bed with her ass facing her. 

“He loves this pose the most. He gets the best view of your ass and the angle is super pleasurable for both of you. Put it in me and I’ll give you some advice.”

Shuri swallows as she stands in between spread feet. She grabs the dildo and strokes Queen Shuri’s swollen and soaked folds.

“Mm…I don’t think you’re ready for it.”

“And what would you know about-“ Queen Shuri lets out a yelp when Shuri flips her over abruptly. The younger woman sinks to her knees and keeps the queen’s legs apart with her shoulders. 

“I don’t think I’ll be as good as you, but I’ll try my best.” 

“You don’t need to be doing it all,” Queen Shuri murmurs, but Shuri can feel her relaxing as she squeezes her thighs.

Shuri breathes out against Queen Shuri’s cunt and her mouth meets her warm, wet center. She licks her gently all over, enjoying her natural taste. She gives sweet kisses to her lips and flicks her tongue at her clit.

“K’uk’ulkan…” Queen Shuri sighs out of nowhere and Shuri pauses to look up at her with a scowl.

“Are you seriously thinking about your husband right now?”

“Sorry…This is bringing back a lot of memories.”

“Well, I’m going to make you forget all about him.” Shuri winks at her and her variant mutters a curse. 

She knows that her husband, that any version of Namor, must be spectacular at oral sex having lived so long. But the Black Panther never backs down from a promising challenge. 

She gets right into it, licking her mercilessly, like she’s dehydrated. She eats with purpose; slurping loud and humming in appreciation of being able to please the queen. Her tongue laps and sucks her clit as noises - broken moans and whimpers - escape Queen Shuri. 

Shuri slows down a bit, helping her build up to an orgasm and enjoying this beautiful melody coming out of her mouth. She hopes she sounds just as sexy when she’s getting pleasured. 

Queen Shuri rocks her hips, grinding against the Black Panther’s face. Shuri licks and sucks to the rhythm she sets, letting her clit ride her nose as she fucks her with her tongue. She wracks Queen Shuri’s body until she has nothing left to give and her fingers dig into the flesh of the variant’s muscular ass.

Queen Shuri convulses around Shuri’s tongue with a silent scream and she licks up and swallows every last drop of her release. Feeling accomplished, Shuri looks up at her with a glistening face. 

“How was that, Queen?”

“Uh… Oh..,,” Queen Shuri continues to fumble her words as the Black Panther gets her into the position she was in before on all fours. “That was, uh…”

Fucking phenomenal.

Queen Shuri clears her throat. “O-Okay. Put it in me now.”

Both women gasp as the ease of the cock sliding into the queen’s pussy. Her back is already arching as Shuri holds her by the hips. 

“Fuck, I’ve missed this,” she murmurs and then speaks up. “Stay still and watch this.”

Shuri’s heart races watching Queen Shuri’s ass shaking as the cock slides in and out of her cunt. It looks so damn good and feels even more amazing when it’s in fully and Shuri feels the harness rubbing her clit. Queen Shuri is laughing darkly and continuing to dance on the cock, but what really gets Shuri is when she glances over her shoulder at her with a dangerous, sultry, and lustful expression. 

“Mmhm, he makes a face just like you’re doing, in shock. You look him right in the eyes and say, ‘Is that all you got, K’uk’ulkan?’”

Shuri flashes her teeth at her counterpart and starts thrusting into her rapidly at full force, causing the bed to shake wildly and the springs to bounce. She’s holding Queen Shuri’s hips so tight that she’s close to breaking them and the older woman is whimpering.

“I’m sorry. Do I need to be more gentle?”

“I was fucked by a god-king for ten years straight. I can take the Black Panther, too.”

Truthfully, Queen Shuri isn’t positive about that as she’s pounded into from behind. She has gotten it a lot worse by K’uk’ulkan, but the Black Panther has a sharpness to her that causes Queen Shuri’s face to collapse on the comforter while her ass remains in the air. 

It’s so very hard to believe that at the start of this, she was only a virgin. The princess is an overachiever through and through. She’s going to make Namor’s centuries-old heart stop. Queen Shuri is barely hanging on herself. She’s so proud of her. 

Arousal is pooling in Queen Shuri’s core and when her counterpart reaches around her to rub circles on her clit, she falls apart completely. She comes all over the cock and her tears from the overstimulation soak into the comforter. 

Shuri pulls out the wet dildo and collapses next to Queen Shuri as she comes down from her high. Her hips are still twitching as Shuri pats her gently on the ass. 

“Do you think I’m ready for tomorrow?” 

“Yes…But I don’t think Namor is ready.” 

Both women laugh exhaustively. The bed and themselves are covered in their fluids. They decide to take a bubble bath together and Shuri keeps her arms around Queen Shuri the entire time. She kisses the older woman’s shoulder and then rests her chin on it. 

“Thank you.” 

“You don’t have to thank me for anything. I just helped you get out what’s always been there.” Queen Shuri nestles into her closer and plays with some of the bubbles in front of her. “It was nice, you know, to be with someone who understands me.” 

Shuri frowns and wraps her arms around her tighter. “You don’t think your husband ever did at all?” 

“If he did, he wouldn’t have done what he did to me. I wouldn’t have done what I did, either. Do you know how sad it is to live with a man for ten years, have two children, and still feel like a stranger? I was who he wanted me to be and when I wasn’t…Well, I wasn’t who I wanted to be then, either.” 

Shuri rests her cheek against the queen’s shoulder blade and stares at her bathroom wall. “Do you regret it?”

“Which part?” 

“Any of it.” 

“I can’t say I regret meeting and marrying K’uk’ulkan because then Uuka and Miya wouldn’t exist. They’re the best parts of us and none of the bad. I  don’t regret cheating on him, hurting him, and lying to him. But I do regret the effects of my choices. Innocent men died, I let my body get abused, and Uuka thought I was sick. Maybe I am.” Queen Shuri sniffles and clears her throat. “I wish that I killed myself instead of cheating to get my freedom. At least I would’ve gone out as an innocent victim. Nobody respects me now. Not even myself.” 

Shuri’s eyebrows pull together at her counterpart’s words and then there’s a painful lump she has to swallow down. “I’m going to tell you the words I needed to hear when I had those dark thoughts, too.” Shuri lets go of her to allow her to turn and face her. She holds her hands under the water. “I’m happy that you’re alive and that you’re here because there’s so much more to life than our misery.” 

“You believe that?” Queen Shuri asks with her voice breaking. Shuri nods as she tears up with her. 

“There has to be. I wouldn’t have seen a crazy lady and her kids coming through my mirror if I ended it a year ago.” 

They laugh through their tears and remain in the tub together until the water turns cold and they’re shivering. 

After calling Okoye and checking in on the kids who are now sleeping after an eventful evening with her new auntie, Shuri steps out onto the balcony and flicks her lighter in hopes it’ll alert somebody.. She smiles when she hears the familiar flapping of wings. 

“I’ve got something to confess to you and you’re not allowed to beat me up because of it.” 

“You don’t have to worry about me harming you, Queen Shuri, and I already know. I can smell her all over you.”

Queen Shuri looks up at his dark, dark eyes and pats his bare chest. “You’re going to be thanking me tomorrow night. That’s all I can say. I didn’t brush my teeth yet if you were curious about her taste again.”

Namor leans in and heart races at his proximity to her mouth. She parts her lips for him but instead of sticking his tongue in, he’s whispering. 

“I’ll get it from the source.”

“You really have no questions at all about what we did or what it’s like to be with her?” 

“I’ll get my answers tomorrow.” Namor smirks and grabs her chin. “And once I do, she’s going to be officially mine and you can’t pull this little stunt again. I won’t be so kind next time.” 

“As much as I hate admitting it, you’re so sexy when you’re possessive.” She returns his smirk. “You better live up to that, too, because if you don’t make her yours, I’ll fuck her harder than I did today.” 

Namor’s eyes soften the longer he stares at her and then his hand returns to him. “As I said before, your husband must miss you dearly. It’s hard to believe he’ll give up searching for you.”  

Shuri’s mouth forms into a firm, straight line.  “If K’uk’ulkan comes here, we’re all dead, especially me. I took his kids from him. If I stand a chance, I need to be someone stronger because being human isn’t enough.” 

“There are ways to make that possible but a lot of training comes with it. I will join you and the Black Panther in one of your sessions in a few days once I get my fill of her. She’ll be in no condition to train after I get through with her, anyway.” 

Queen Shuri snorts and his eyebrows raise. “Mmhm. Don’t be surprised if she knocks the air right out of your lungs, madala. You better hope you impregnate her that night so you have an heir left to rule Talokan after you die.” 

Namor laughs and after a moment, he grabs her by the shoulder. 

“You’re going to be able to handle yourself against him once you learn from us, Queen Shuri. You have my word.” 

Something about a version of K’uk’ulkan promising her something makes her so uncertain, but she knows Namor is different. He’s who K’uk’ulkan could’ve been in another life. 

“I’m trusting you. Goodnight and good luck tomorrow. I better not hear her coming home telling me how much you sucked, either.” 

“Oh, she won’t be coming home at all.” Namor winks and flies off, leaving Queen Shuri alone to finally smoke her cigarette. 

Earth-1113

N’Jadaka opted to continue searching for Shuri on land and it’s the best choice considering what K’uk’ulkan has planned. The two parted ways on a California beach where they promised to meet up again once K’uk’ulkan has his answer as to where his wife and children have gone.

Once he arrives in Talokan, he’s greeted by Namora and some very concerned soldiers of his. 

“We’ve searched all seven seas and there hasn’t been any sign of u yatan K’uk’ulkan,” Namora tells him with her head lowered as if ashamed of herself for failing. “I hope to hear you were more successful on land.”

“I was not, my child, but fear not. I am going some place where I might find out the truth. Is everyone doing fine here?”

“Yes, we are just very worried about the royal family. You’re all loved.” 

K’uk’ulkan gives her a half-smile, knowing she’s lying on his behalf. They’ve been indifferent towards Shuri after learning about her affairs. Perhaps if she actually were loved here, it would’ve been harder for her to leave.

“Thank you. I’m going to speak with a friend of mine. You know how to reach me if anything happens here.”

His army bows to him and he takes off to Tlalocan without another word. He’s great at hiding his emotions when he needs to, such as remaining calm in front of his children when he knew what his wife was doing on the surface with other men and being polite to T’Chaka even though he hates his guts. 

He’s not counting when he bloodbended him and stomped on his foot.

K’uk’ulkan smiles at the guards protecting Quetzalcoatl’s caves from underwater and they immediately allow him to pass through. 

As soon as K’uk’ulkan has his feet on the limestone, he sees Queen Nenetl, Quetzalcoatl’s wife, cooking while some of their many children are running around the kitchen area. 

“Oh! Aj K’uk’ulkan!” Nenetl lowers the heat and approaches him. “It’s a pleasant surprise to see you here. Where’s Queen Shuri?”

She sounds sincere, but he can’t be too sure. She always has to put on a front. He goes along with it.

“She’s with the kids elsewhere at the moment. I came by myself because I needed to vent to Quetzalcoatl. Men problems and all that.”

“He should be in his private hut. I believe he’s alone.”

K’uk’ulkan feels sorry for Nenetl. Shuri thinks she has the worst husband, but he’s far better than Quetzalcoatl. Quetzalcoatl has loud sex with other women a few meters away from her. K’uk’ulkan can at least say he’s never had extramarital affairs even though he has had many, many, many opportunities. Shuri was always enough for him. That’s why he married her in the first place. 

“Thank you.” K’uk’ulkan lifts her hand and kisses it gently, leaving Nenetl blushing as he walks away. He can’t hear the sounds or detect the scent of sex as he stands in front of Quetzalcoatl’s hut.

“Come in, K’uk’ulkan. Let’s have a drink.”

K’uk’ulkan pulls back the privacy curtain and finds his friend filling up two glasses with a whiskey that isn’t going to do anything to them but relax their bones. He secretly looks around for any of Shuri’s belongings and smiles when Quetzalcoatl hands him the glass.

“What brings you by? Heard you telling my queen that u yatan K’uk’ulkan is missing.”

K’uk’ulkan pauses with the glass against his lips and drinks the liquor down slowly. He said Shuri was with the children elsewhere. Not that she was missing. 

His suspicions heighten. 

“I think I need to sit down for this.”

“By all means, pick your poison and let’s chat. You don’t seem to be yourself.”

K’uk’ulkan sits down on a chair and Quetzalcoatl is directly across from him. He finishes what remains of his drink and sets the glass down on the table between them. 

“That’s because I’m not. My Shuri…she left and took Uuka and Miya. I don’t know where she has gone or if I’ll ever see her again.”

Quetzalcoatl frowns. “Why’d you let her out of your sight in the first place? I told you that one needs to be watched at all times.”

K’uk’ulkan’s fingers twitch. His secrets being revealed won’t matter soon.

“She tricked me. She said she wanted to spend time with Uuka before taking him to school in the afternoon and I trusted her again. I know I should’ve known better after she betrayed me so many times, but she gave herself to me and I thought maybe she was ready for us to get back to what we had.”

Quetzalcoatl nods along. “You know women can never be fully trusted, K’uk’ulkan. They all lie, whether it’s a big or small one. It’s our job to keep them in line.” 

K’uk’ulkan gives Quetzalcoatl a dead stare, recalling what his wife said about him. 

“Hey…There’s something I need to tell you. About Quetzalcoatl.”

“Tell me, atan.”

“He made a pass at me. He told me some disgusting things and basically how he wants to have sex with me.” 

K’uk’ulkan’s lip twitches. “You’re always trying to start something, aren’t you?”

“What!? No! That’s what he-“

“I’ll ask him myself later for the actual story. Call our children for dinner. I’ll be there momentarily.”

Why the fuck was he dismissive of her concerns!? She recently got done with her sex-a-thon and partying on the surface, and he was hurt and embarrassed, but it was the first attempt at a conversation in weeks. She opened up to him and he shut her down. 

“You’re right. I don’t know how I could be so foolish. After all, you told me that she was the one who approached you before and asked for sex, right?” K’uk’ulkan’s lips quirk into a grin. “But being my trusted friend, you declined her.”

“Exactly. You can always trust me. We’re like brothers, you and I. Our wives are meant to serve us in every possible way. The four of us are bonded by a sacred ritual. If anything were to ever happen between her and I, you’d be present with Nenetl.” 

And it’s right there that K’uk’ulkan knows.

Quetzalcoatl is attracted to Shuri. 

He wants her. 

His wife wasn’t lying. 

K’uk’ulkan maintains his grin as he leans back in the chair. “That ritual was something, wasn’t it? You were able to watch my Shuri getting pleasured by me. She makes the most beautiful faces and sounds. Did you enjoy it?” 

Quetzalcoatl mimics his pose and smiles slowly. “Now, K’uk’ulkan. The purpose of that ritual was to get our wives pregnant. Why would I have looked at her?”

“Because she’s a goddess. Because she’s mine.” K’uk’ulkan leans forward and lowers his voice. “It arouses me to imagine being observed as I fuck her. I know it arouses whoever watches. Once I have her again, we should arrange something. I’ll be more aggressive with her this time around. Maybe you and Nenetl could join.”

Quetzalcoatl licks his lips and K’uk’ulkan can hear his heart rate accelerating. He’s getting off on the idea.

There was nothing sacred about that ritual.

“Please…Sthandwa, please!” Shuri sniffles and he’s releasing her hands. She places them on his chest and his eyes are softening. “You’re supposed to protect me and this isn’t making me feel safe at all. I want to go home. Please, baby…take me home. I’ll let you do whatever you want in the privacy of our hut.” 

As Quetzalcoatl talks about a place and a time, K’uk’ulkan’s heart begins to ache as he recalls his wife’s pleads. She called him baby and sthandwa, two terms she rarely used, and she looked so scared. 

And he refused to hear her out. 

No wonder she started to resent him after that. 

K’uk’ulkan flashes his dark eyes up at Quetzalcoatl. His atan knew the truth about him and now K’uk’ulkan needs to do right by her. 

He listens to the steady bubbling of Quetzalcoatl’s bloodstream and latches on, starting with behind the eyes. He’s more trained than K’uk’ulkan and doesn’t need his hands to bloodbend. That’s not the case if his eyes don’t work.

K’uk’ulkan squeezes his fists together and Quetzalcoatl’s scream permeates throughout the hut as his eyes combust and he’s left with nothing but bloody sockets. 

“What the fuck did you just do to me!?” Quetzalcoatl screams while getting up on his feet. K’uk’ulkan wastes no time attacking the rest of his body from the inside out. He breaks his hands, his cock, and as Quetzalcoatl lies writhing in pain on the ground with his wife and children watching in horror from the entrance, K’uk’ulkan stands over him. 

He kills the guards before they can even get close to the hut and then he looks down at the painfully dying god-king of Tlalocan, drenched in his blood and guts as he struggles to breathe.

“I hope you can hear me,” he addresses him in Nahuatl over all the screaming. “And understand that I don’t care about your reasons why you deceived me. All I care about is that my wife returns home knowing you no longer exist and you died an agonizing death.”

Even if she doesn’t forgive him in the end, at least K’uk’ulkan was able to do this for her.

He takes a picture of Quetzalcoatl with his beads to show her later and then he finishes the bastard off by bursting his heart. K’uk’ulkan waits until he takes his last breath and his chest stops moving before he sets his eyes on a petrified Nenetl, who shouts at her children to run while she remains frozen in place with her lips trembling. 

K’uk’ulkan grabs her by the throat and brings his lips to her ear.

“Where’s my Shuri, Nenetl?”

“I… I don’t-“ She begins to choke when his hands tighten around her.

“Let’s try that again. I know you’re her closest friend. I know you two hate your husbands. I know she saw you a few days before she disappeared. Tell me where she is so your children don’t become orphans. Or buried with their parents.”

“There’s… a book,” Nenetl manages and his hands loosen. “I don’t… I don’t know if she retrieved it or if it worked. But there’s a book in the village above you that contains a spell. It opens a portal to another world. She was going to switch lives with another Shuri and replace herself but…I guess if she did open the portal, she decided to take the kids with her through it instead. That’s all I know. Please don’t harm my children.”

He was never intending on doing so, but he doesn’t mention that to Nenetl. He needs to keep her afraid of him to prevent her older sons from foolishly attacking Talokan. 

His wife going to a different realm makes sense. If she were in this world, he would’ve found her by now.

“That wasn’t so hard, was it?” K’uk’ulkan kisses her cheek and then frees her. She’s left gasping when he does and he walks away.

His next stop is the village. 

Chapter Text

What could not be accomplished on the former night is done with great care on this night. Shuri sits on her vanity chair as Queen Shuri decorates her face with extra-strength waterproof makeup. It’s stronger than the one Shuri chose to wear on the day she wanted to murder the man she’s about to have sex with.

“Pucker your lips for me like a fish. That’s a good girl.” 

The lips are the last thing Queen Shuri paints on her. She does everything so meticulously. It reminds Shuri of herself when she’s working in the lab. 

“Do you do your makeup often?” Shuri asks her once her lips are dry. She has yet to open her eyes for the big reveal. 

“K’uk’ulkan loved it when I got dolled up for him during ceremonies. Can’t say he enjoyed me dancing in them, though. He took that away from me when one of his soldiers used to watch me too intensely.”

“I’m sorry. I hate that he controlled your life like that.”

“Don’t be.” Queen Shuri settles her lips against her ear. “I ended up fucking that soldier months ago.”

Shuri almost chokes on air and her eyes open once Queen Shuri pulls away. There are only two soldiers she can think of that K’uk’ulkan would be hurt by an affair.

“Namora or Attuma…?”

“Attuma. He came too fast. I had to give him the same pill K’uk’ulkan used on me for punishment just to get my own release out of him.”

“Good Bast…I can only imagine what your husband did to him after he found out.”

Queen Shuri holds her hand out flat and makes a chopping motion on her palm. “Cut his blue cucumber right off.”

“What the hell!?”

“Mmhm. Threw that thing down right in front of me. He figured Attuma having half a dick would be worse than death.” Queen Shuri claps her hands together and grins. “Anyway, how hot are you!? Check it out for yourself!”

Shuri swivels around on her chair and feels a bit emotional seeing her reflection. She looks so much like a younger version of her mother. 

“You did amazing,” she whispers. “Thank you.”

“Now all you have to do is put on that sexy number he sent you and go meet him on the beach.” Queen Shuri winks at her. “I don’t want you coming home to me asking for more of what we did. You get multiple orgasms out of him. Got it?” 

Shuri is grateful that Uuka and Miya are far too focused on the loud entertainment room to overhear any of this. 

“Thanks again for…that. I feel ready.”

“I sanitized the dildo if you plan on bringing it.”

“Um…let me reserve that for another night.”

“Ah, your honeymoon!”

Shuri narrows her eyes. “ No. I have said nothing about marrying that man.” 

“Mmhm. You say that now, but wait until he has you floating in the air with his cock in your ass.”

“ Ohhhhkaaaay, you need to go now. Bye.”

Her counterpart shrugs and goes off to join her children, leaving Shuri to get dressed by herself. She feels like a beautiful, elegant siren the way Namor’s gift fits her like a glove. She catches sight of her face in the mirror and grows a bit nauseous out of nowhere when she hears a voice inside her head.

What a shame to be giving yourself to that man while looking just like the woman he took away. What’s everyone going to say when they find out? It’s wrong and you know it, more wrong than having sex with your counterpart. You need to get a grip.

She sighs heavily as her head begins to ache from the negativity within. 

Do you really think something is going to come from this? It’s only sex. He gets what he wants and you? You’ll be scarred. You’re never going to marry him because you know your people will be confused and judgmental. You don’t want to bring shame to your dead family. You’re already a disappointment.

“Shut up,” she whispers to herself as she fights off tears. “Just shut up!” 

It’s only going to hate yourself more. Just stay home. Cancel the date. You’re a fool for even-

Shuri screams and sends her fist through her mirror. It shatters on the vanity and she trembles as her knuckles bleed. 

Pretending like that didn’t happen but still very much jarred from it, Shuri goes to the bathroom to take the glass out of her hand and wash it gently. Once she composes herself, she goes out onto the platform and catches a ride with one of the Wakandan pilots. 

She can already see Namor waiting on the shoreline and the pilot doesn’t question why they’re meeting so late at night. She descends through the opening and Namor immediately has his eyes on her.

“Black Panther… you are a vision.” He takes her hand in his and kisses her knuckles as tenderly as she expected him to, but she can’t crack a smile no matter how fast her heart beats for him. He knows she’s off, too. She can see it on his face when he releases her hand. “What’s troubling you, Shuri?”

“Us,” she confesses in a painful voice. “I don’t…” Her lower lip quivers and she looks away from him to the unquiet sea. “I don’t know. I’m so torn and I think you know why. It doesn’t feel right.”

Namor steps in front of her and her vision becomes full of him again. Everything is full of him. Her mind, her heart, her dreams, her nightmares. She can’t escape him. 

She doesn’t want to. 

“While I respect any and every decision you make, Princess,” Namor stretches out his hand until his fingertips touch the side of her neck, feeling her pulsing with life. “I wish for the opportunity to make this feel right.” 

His touch is harvesting inside her mind, taking every doubt and painful truth away, replacing it with a dark fantasy. 

“Harder,” she pleads while her fingers splay across his chest. “Choke me harder while taking me further into the water.”

He doesn’t hesitate or ask questions. He cuts off her airwaves with a tightening of his hand around her throat and backs her into the ocean, all while giving her that smoldering look. The salt water is cold on her warm skin as he takes her deep enough for it to cover their entire lower halves. 

He kisses her slowly, lazily, rocking back and forth with the gentle motions of the waves. Her tongue licks salt from his lips, slips into his mouth, and tangles with his as he moans. 

Her legs tighten around his waist and draw him closer. She wriggles against him, slotting his cock against her crotch and deepening their kiss. 

“Mm,” he breathes into her mouth, and she breaks away to lave at his neck, following the droplets of water down his throat. “I see you’ve already changed your mind.” 

She sucks hard enough to leave her marks on him, feeling possessive all of a sudden. The noises he makes are even sexier than Queen Shuri’s moans. She loves being the one doing this to him. She loves being the only person to make him yield. 

His hand slips inside her panties, stroking lightly over her folds. She sighs happily and laces her fingers behind his neck as an anchor so she can float in the water. She lets her eyes drift closed as his finger slips inside her. His other hand moves to her breasts, where her nipples are already standing out against the wet material of her dress, erect with cold and arousal. He teases her through the fabric, rubbing the pads of his fingers over the sensitive skin, before taking hold of one side and moving it, baring her breast to the moonlight. Shuri gives a low moan, eyes still closed, bobbing lazily with the gentle waves. 

He uses his hand at first but soon wants more, pulling her back towards him so he can bend his head and take her nipple in his mouth. He sucks it in, flicks his tongue against it to taste hints of perfume and  salt on her warm skin, then shifts to the other breast and takes that nipple in his teeth through the material of her dress. Gently, he bites down and is rewarded with a long grain of pleasure from her lips.

“Thought you had some lovely plans for us in Talokan…”

“I do. We can get to them after.” That adoration from earlier has been replaced by hunger and lust as he gazes down at her. “I’ve waited centuries for you, Shuri Udaku. I can’t do it anymore.”

And suddenly she finds herself unwilling to wait, unwilling to care about how she’s perceived, unwilling to accept anything except how good he’s making her feel. 

So she gives herself to him, pressing her wet lips against his and he swims them toward a rock. Her back becomes pinned to the solid stone while the salt water continues to cover her from the belly down. His eyes are dark with desire after he hoists her up completely onto the rock and settles on top of her. 

How he wishes out of all the powers he was given, telepathy was one of them. He wants to know every thought running through that beautiful mind. He wants to hear every desire, every praise, every fear. He wants to know her from the inside out and never hurt her again. 

His chest heaves as his eyes scan her body. The jade dress when soaked is completely see-through and why he wanted it on her. He can see every detail of her underneath, especially since she left her lingerie at home. She’s bare for him. 

Her heartbeat sounds like a turtle drum in his ears as he covers her body with his own. She reaches up to wrap her arms around his neck and pulls his lips to hers, claiming him hungrily. 

His damp chest slides against hers, and she shivers with desire at the feel of his weight atop her. She cradles him between her thighs and feels the wet tip of his cock sliding against her as their mouths clash together. 

“Why didn’t you stop?” Shuri breathes out as Namor gives her a chance to take in some air. The waves crash against the rock so violently that one might think a storm is approaching. He strokes her cheek and gives her those same soft, passionate eyes he gave her in the cenote. “After everything… Why didn’t you stop and move on to someone else?”

“I could ask the same of you, Princess.” Trailing kisses down her neck, Namor continues his murmurs. “But to answer your question, you exist on a level too high for anyone to compare to you. You protect, you love, and you trust despite what you’ve been through.”

She chokes out his name as her nails dig into the skin of his shoulder blades. He almost wishes they were her panther ones. He missed the sting sometimes. His head plunges into the top of her damp dress, his tongue licking up the salt water and then sliding up her neck and to her chin where his lips almost meet hers.  

“You’re powerful and you’re beautiful beyond words. I can’t explain the depths of what you mean to me, but you’re going to feel every ounce of it tonight.”

Shuri’s mouth consumes him, biting down hard on his lower lip. He growls from the pain, welcoming it, delighting in it. He will share her pain forever if she lets him, if it will finally prove to her how important she really is to him. 

For a long time on that rock, they are nothing but teeth and scratches and sweat and pain, lust and need taking over as they roll around on the hard, unyielding surface that echoes their relationship. Namor ravages her, making sure she understands how worthy she is of praise and pleasure. 

He settles his mouth against her ear at one point while she’s eagerly grinding up against his solid erection.

“I understand your twin had a taste of you before I could.”

She’s going to kill her for telling him. 

“I wasn’t aware you two were close enough for gossip.” 

He laughs and kisses her lobe. “Don’t be jealous. The thought of it is arousing. But I feel sorry that your first experience was mediocre. I’ll more than make up for it right now.”

Oh. If she did this for motivation, Shuri will reconsider killing her counterpart.

“I’m going to move off you now. I want you to sit right on my face and I’m not letting you go anywhere until you’re wrecked.” He gives her one final kiss before rolling onto his back. Shuri feels like her heart is going to burst right through her chest as she sits on Namor’s chest with her ass facing him. “Don’t be shy, my panther. Put it right on my mouth.” 

She nods to herself, convincing her that although he’s going to destroy her, it’s going to be a blissful way to go out. Queen Shuri always talks about how her husband is an expert. Namor will be no exception. She lifts her hips while moving backward and without thinking about it too much, her cunt descends onto his hot, awaiting mouth.

His large hands splay against the meat of her ass and he cups it as he yanks her forward. He hums loudly beneath her, the vibrations feeling heavenly on her aching pussy as he seals his lips over her pulsing clit. She whines his name, the sound of it dripping off her tongue like honey. 

Each lap of his tongue and sucking of his lips feels like worship. Her head tilts back and her eyes roll the deeper he delves in. Queen Shuri was amazing, but this… 

It’s sending her to a different galaxy. 

Nothing feels as good as Namor’s beard . Rough hairs scrape against her sensitive folds, burning in the best way. She can’t get enough of it, needing that burn to last for days. Needing that intoxicating soreness. A reminder of how he’s having her. 

In the midst of her haze, she sees his big cock painfully throbbing underneath his red loincloth and she’s now noticing how dressed up he got for her. 

She stretches her arms down to untie it until his green shorts are revealed. She licks her lips slowly. 

She never told Queen Shuri this, but after the dildo was clean, she practiced sucking on it and seeing how much her small mouth can take. She wants to make Namor just as weak as he’s making her. It’s time to put her good practice to use. 

She lies flat; her chest now resting on his abdomen as she frees his cock from his shorts. It’s slightly bigger than the toy she used the other night and the warm, human flesh on her hands feels amazing. Yes, human. Nothing mutated about it. Flawless. 

“Shuri,” he says to her cunt, low and sultry. “What are you doing?” 

She spits on his cock and uses that to make it slick and shiny. She wraps her lips around him once again, wasting no time in bobbing her head up and down to taste his skin and arousal on her tongue. She hears a deep moan rumble in his chest, feeling it on her thighs, and he purses his lips around her clit,  sucking long and hard.

She pops him out of her mouth and bites her lips to contain the sob he’s coaxing out of her. He’s so, so good at this, but she wants to be, too. She wants to win another round with the god-king.

She twists and tugs her fist along the velvety skin of his shaft. His breaths come out shaky and he lets out a pleased sigh. He licks a broad, flat stripe along her throbbing pussy and she whines. 

Shuri moves to kiss his tip, feeling the remnants of his pre-cum coat her lips. She jolts forward with a yelp when she  feels a sudden vibration against her clit, but he doesn’t give her time to react because he’s back at it soon after, abusing her with his lips.

The way he attacks her most sensitive part bombards her with mind-numbing pleasure. She’s so desperate to make him feel this good and her hand leaves him, feeling comfortable enough to take as much of him as she can into her mouth. 

He slaps her ass and massages the flesh with his huge hand as she grinds against his mouth. At this point, Namor doesn’t care if dies of asphyxiation if it means she’s going to squirt all over his face. He wouldn’t mind dying that way in the slightest. 

He’s starting to reach his peak around the time he feels her clenching around his tongue. His length throbs angrily in her wet, hot mouth as she runs her tongue along the shaft, while sucking his rotten soul out of him.

She digs her nails into his muscular thighs, enjoying the way his hips buck up in response. She’s feeling overwhelmed and just about ready to explode, and Namor’s arm locks around her waist. His abs bunch beneath her as he rolls his hips in time with her movements, his moans muffled but still the most beautiful sound she’s ever heard. 

It’s enough to help the cord that has been stretched so thin inside her snap. Her orgasm washes over her like an aggressive tidal wave and Namor happily drowns in how much comes out of her. A woman’s release normally has a natural flavor; a warm, almost bitter. But the Black Panther tastes the way she smells, like water lilies. Sweet and savory. He greedily drinks it all down and licks all over , not wanting any of it to go to waste. Her moan is hoarse and broken and he wishes he could see her face right now in her most vulnerable state. He needs to see it tonight. 

But she’s breaking him, taking her fill, milking him until he’s rendered helpless beneath the goddess. With a loud grunt against her swollen cunt, he spills into her mouth and down her throat. He shivers hearing her swallow it all and his hands are twitching when she pulls herself up effortlessly. 

With a satisfied sigh, Shuri goes to her side of the rock and smiles innocently at him while he’s trying to make sense of his world. 

“If you need a second to recuperate, I understand.”

She regrets being smug when he sits up and stares at her with his pupils completely blown with lust and something else. Awe-struck. He shows all of his teeth to her and shakes his head before lunging forward and knocking her off the rock and into the chilling water. He drags her under and she screams, not having activated her water suit yet. 

He doesn’t seem to care. He takes her further and further, straight down to the ocean floor and while she’s panicking about running out of oxygen, she realizes that she’s breathing perfectly fine. Her ears don’t need the jade amplifiers he gave her the first time to hear him as he murmurs to her mouth.

“You smell and taste like Talokan. I knew it had to mean something.” 

She’s overwhelmed by the beauty of her new senses awakening and Namor forces her into a heated kiss. Her back slams against the sandy surface, reminding her of when he slammed her on the desert ground when they were trying to kill each other. She automatically pops her claws out and digs them into his back, earning a hiss felt on her tongue. 

“ More,” he begs. “Tear me apart.” 

She listens, giving him everything he desires. A masochist who has never been loved properly because nobody he has been with can hurt him. Nobody he has been with can handle him, the true him, all of him. 

“Ruin me, Aj K’uk’ulkan,” she whispers to the pulse point of his throat as her nails rake down his back. She catches a glimpse of someone new in his eyes, someone finally ready to give his lover his all, to feel everything. 

Her heels are thrown on the top of his shoulders as he kneels in between her parted legs. He grabs her hips bruisingly and elevates them off the seafloor. His nostrils flare as he waits for a command to proceed. 

“Fuck me hard enough to forget everything except you, my sthandwa. ”

That’s all it takes. He slides into her and she screams at the deep penetration of the real thing instead of a toy. It stretches her out in a different way, a burn that subsides into immense bliss. Her hands grasp at rocks and plants as he shows no mercy, pounding into her like he has been waiting on this his entire life. 

Namor can’t help himself when it comes to her. He wanted to take his time, really make her feel it, but everything about her is too easy to indulge in. Her pussy is tight, her slender belly allows for his imprint to be seen moving inside her, and her breasts bounce with each thrust. He’s holding her tight enough to break the hips of the average woman, but she doesn’t notice. He’s fucking her hard enough to kill the average woman, but she’s taking it. 

Oh, how she’s taking it. 

And he’s giving it his all. 

Shuri is being taken to a place where she’s elevated beyond this realm. She’s starting to feel like the goddess he claims she is as he pounds into her far more intensely than her counterpart did. She knows his eyes are on her, but she can’t keep hers open anymore, not when she’s elevating. 

You’re too good for him and always will be after what he took from you. You need to make him aware of that. 

Using what little remains of her willpower, Shuri moves one of her feet to the center of Namor’s chest and kicks him off her. He growls at the sudden loss of her tightness and heat, but quickly calms down when he sees her on all fours while facing forward. 

Waiting for him. 

He swims forward and plunges into her again, loving to see her in this position as he gains control once more. He curses loudly when she’s shaking her ass up and down, mesmerizing himself enough to stop his movements and watch her pussy wiggling along his cock. His heart practically ceases its beating when she looks over her shoulder at him with sultry eyes that match her voice. 

“Is that all you’ve got, K’uk’ulkan?” 

She truly is going to be the death of him. 

His wings flap rapidly as he flies them upward until they’re floating above the seafloor. He hunches over while his strong thrusts resume and he reaches his hand underneath her, finding that sweet pearl in between her legs that he presses on. Her cries become deafening as he bites down on her shoulder, not wanting this to ever end, wanting to feel her sweet release.

“My tongue is always going to remember the way you taste and my cock will always remember the way you feel.” Namor licks the shell of his ear as she whimpers his name and some other words in Xhosa. “I’m going to remember everything about this night and everything about you for as long as I live. Come for me, my itzia. Allow yourself to come for me.” 

His movement, his touch, his words, everything about this man is defeating her and killing her softly. Her body is so torturously close to betraying her. 

I want to make him yield for a second time. 

“Let me get on top of you first,” she rasps weakly. “Please, my K’uk’ulkan. Please…” 

Hearing her beg is too much for him and he almost comes right then and there. He gives her what she wants - as he forever will from this day forward - and allows himself to sink into the ocean floor once again. His angel from above swims down to him and rubs her cunt against his aching erection, eliciting moans from him as he yields at last, letting her have his way with him. He needs to get used to it, after all, being bested by her. 

She wraps her hands around his neck as she rides him, bouncing up and down to the rhythm that’s more than pleasing for both of them. He’s regretting everything he has ever done to her as he’s being fucked at her full strength. His hands are going everywhere, wanting to explore her, wanting to have all of her, all the time. He grabs her breasts, spanks her ass, massages her abs, and finally plays with that special button that increases the pleasure already soaring within her. 

Her eyes brim with tears that are invisible in the water as she looks down at the god-king. As she sees love reflecting in his gaze, she realizes that this has never been a competition for dominance and never will be. This is love-making between equals. This is something real. This is something that’s going to change her entire life from now on. It might even destroy her. 

But she takes that chance as she stands on the precipice. She falls over, plummeting to her sweet, sweet destruction. He thrusts up exactly once and she’s full. She’s full, she’s happy, she’s free. 

And to Namor, she’s the single most beautiful thing in existence as he watches her orgasm flood through her. The way her lips part, the way her skin glows, the way she convulses elegantly until she stills on him with her chest rising and falling rapidly. 

He’ll never know anything greater. 

He fills her with his warmth after whispering her name and he wraps his arms around her tightly, bringing her flat on top of him as he pulses within. He can’t stop kissing her cheek as she pants into his collarbone. 

“From this night forward, I am yours, Black Panther.” 

Queen Shuri nearly slips on the wet hardwood floor as she chases her naked toddler down the hallway. 

“Miya! Get back here and put your towel on! You’re going to get sick!”

“No, Mama!” Miya giggles hysterically and before her mother can catch her, Miya flies up into the air, sticking her tongue out at her. Queen Shuri sighs heavily, forgetting how terrible the terrible twos can truly get. 

“That’s why Chaac made you so cute!” Queen Shuri shouts at her. “Because you’re so naughty and can’t get in much trouble!”

While Miya continues to fly naked around the citadel, her mother searches for anything to catch her with. She ends up finding a large night in one of the supply closets big enough to catch a Feathered Serpent God’s baby. She leads Miya into the dining room where she runs across the table, leaps off at the end, and traps her in the net like she’s a butterfly. Miya laughs as her mother pulls her out and snuggles her close to her chest. 

“Crazy girl,” she growls teasingly into her cheek before giving her a sweet kiss. “C’mon. Let’s get you lotioned up, dressed, and off to go night-night.” 

“Miya night-night!”

“Yup. Exactly. Let’s do this.” 

The entire process takes another two hours. Uuka must’ve slipped Miya something with sugar when their mother wasn’t looking because there’s no other possible explanation for a child who normally goes down right after sunset to be bouncing on the bed at midnight. She sings lullabies until her mouth grows dry and she rubs Miya’s back until her arm is sore. Eventually, her baby girl knocks out. 

She tiptoes away to go check on Uuka, who has moved to his own room willingly. She taps gently on the door, opens it a crack, and smiles when she sees his curls of hair on his pillow. She returns to her room and snuggles into bed on the opposite side of her daughter. A few minutes later, someone visits her. 

“Mama,” Uuka whispers, and her eyelids flutter open. “Can I tell you something?” 

She’s exhausted after finally getting Miya to sleep and all she wants to do is close her eyes and rest her weary body. But instead, she speaks softly to her son and hears him out. 

“You can tell me anything.”

“I’m really proud of you. You’ve been working really hard and I’m happy that you’re my mama. I’m going to love you even when I’m old and twenty-eight.” 

She bypasses the fact that he thinks her age is ancient as her eyes mist over. She sits up straight and pulls him in close, forgetting all about how tired she is. 

“I love you to the moon, past the end of our solar system, to the next galaxy over, to the alien planet no one knows about yet, and all the way back home.” 

“Dang…That’s a lot of love! I’m a lucky kid!” Uuka crawls into bed with her, sandwiching her between her two children and she’s not complaining about it. “Do you think Baba loves me that much, too?” 

She fights hard not to lose her smile, although it does lessen. “Baba loves you and Miya more than anything in his life.” 

“And you, Mama. He loves you a lot.” 

“Baby…” She hesitates about exactly how she’s going to say the truth as she sees it and wonders if it’s even worth bringing up. She has been pretending that their marriage is perfect for so long for the sake of Uuka and Miya. Uuka is now aware that there are problems, but he thinks it can be fixed. She doesn’t want to disappoint him. “I need to tell you something.”

“What is it, Mama?” 

“Your baba and I don’t love each other. Not in the way moms and dads should love each other. I don’t think I’m going back to him.” 

Uuka sits up and his big brown eyes turn watery, making her instantly regret the honesty. 

“What!? You can’t just leave him, Mama! Maybe you don’t love him, but he loves you !” 

That’s not love, sweetheart. That’s obsession. 

“He doesn’t make me happy, Uuka. I don’t make him happy. I know you love the two of us being together, but baby…” Her voice cracks. “It’s not fair to any of us. You and your sister can’t be raised in that misery.” 

Uuka sniffles loudly, trying to maintain a whisper as his sister sleeps. “But I love our family. I don’t want us to be broken up.” 

“We’re still a family, mehen. Nothing changes that. Your father and I…when the time is right…will discuss our future living arrangements. But the four of us will still do plenty of things together. You’ll see that nothing will be different except we’ll be a lot happier.” 

She tells him all of this as though K’uk’ulkan will ever accept a divorce. He’s going to kill her if they ever see each other again. 

“What did he do?” Uuka asks suddenly in a dark tone she wasn’t expecting at all. For a brief moment, she sees a mini version of her husband. 

“What…?” 

“What did Baba do to make you feel this way?” 

How could she ever tell him that truth? As much as she resents K’uk’ulkan, she can’t do it. It would cause more damage to Uuka than anyone else involved. 

“It’s just a change of heart during our marriage, honey. Sometimes people fall out of love and there’s nothing you can do about it.” 

“Let me see him.” 

“Uuka-”

“I want to see him. I want to give him a piece of my mind!” 

“ Mehen-”

“I need to tell him to stop being stupid and make you feel better! To apologize and buy you flowers and boxes of xocolatl and become a vampire with you again!”

“...While I appreciate the gesture, I’m not ready for that man to come to us. I’ll let you know, Uuka. I promise I won’t keep you from him forever. Just…please, baby. Don’t try to open the portal without my permission. That’s all I ask.”

Uuka relaxes into the bed once more, seemingly okay with the situation. For now, anyway. 

“Okay, Mama. I won’t.” 

Queen Shuri breathes out as she closes her eyes for what she hopes is the last time. “Thank you. Goodnight, my love.” 

“Where’s Miss Shuri?” 

“With Mr. Namor?” 

“ Ohh. Do you think they’re making an Uuka, or a Miya?” 

“...Goodnight.” 

“You built this death trap after our battle?” Namor asks as he examines the soundproof training room. He already watched her through the camera fighting some of the robots and had to yank her out to get a quick one inside her lab before joining her inside this place. 

“I always thought I’d have to beat your ass again at some point, so yeah. Needed to work on my skills, too.” Shuri points up at the panels on the ceiling. “I can control the temperature here, too. Make it any climate I want. Snow, rain, wind. Would you like me to turn on the heat?”  

He lowers his eyelids while she laughs. “No, thanks. When’s our little trainee getting here?” 

“Mm, not sure. She should’ve been here already. She’s a morning person.” 

“And you’re starting to be,” Namor wraps his arms around her from behind and she’s glad he can’t see the dopey smile she wears because of it. “I’m very impressed with you. You’ve been getting up ready for more no matter how hard we go the night before.” 

She rolls her eyes as he presses deep kisses into her neck. “And you have a problem, constantly begging for it.” 

“Well, of course. I’d fuck you all day long if I could.” 

“Sheesh, and I thought K’uk’ulkan post-wedding night was bad,” Queen Shuri announces as she walks through the parting doors. They shut as soon as she’s in the training room. She smirks at the two lovers. “Congratulations, Feathered Serpent God. This is the first time I’ve seen her in three days. The sex didn’t suck after all.” 

Namor refuses to let his Shuri go as he grins at the queen. “You of all people should know what I’m capable of.” 

“Mm, K’uk’ulkan would’ve had me unable to stand on two legs for a week. Do better.” 

“Alright, that’s enough,” Shuri mutters as she finally breaks through. “We need to start training. Ch’ah and I have plans and you got here late.” 

“ Ch’ah!?” Queen Shuri laughs loudly and then whistles. “Damn! Maybe I was wrong if he has you calling him that !”

“ Anyway - how come you didn’t get here on time?” 

“My son kept me up after midnight talking about his father, that’s all. I was exhausted. Had to get my daughter cleaned up and dressed, feed both of them, and get them to Okoye before coming here. Give me a break. I’m a mother. You’ll understand soon enough.” 

Namor makes a little amused sound while Shuri sighs. 

“He’s going to start you off since he knows your husband’s style the most.” 

Queen Shuri opens her mouth to say something, but ultimately decides to keep it to herself. She gestures to her ‘teacher’ and gives him her full attention. 

“Our ancestors have always attacked at close range with thrusting, stabbing, and crushing. That is how I’m going to train you today.” 

“Got it, coach.” 

“Throwing power comes from the lower body, not the upper body. Stand with your legs evenly spread apart and keep your chest slightly open to me.” 

Queen Shuri gets into the position he asks for and then she creates the fist that her counterpart taught her how to make a few days ago. Namor checks it out and nods in approval. 

“Now strike the air as though you’re hitting your opponent.” 

Queen Shuri punches nothing so hard that she ends up stumbling forward. She yelps when Namor’s fist appears inches away from her face. 

“See? You have weak footing still. You’re not throwing correctly. I could’ve easily broken your jaw or your nose right now if I was the wrong person. Try again. Don’t stumble this time.” 

As Namor instructs her counterpart over and over again, Shuri starts to feel something deep in her core. He’s insanely attractive this way, being so commanding and getting someone to listen. It doesn’t help that the someone in question is a version of herself. She can almost imagine the two of them getting naughty with it thanks to all the frustration when something goes wrong. 

She clears her throat and snaps out of it when Namor asks her a question. 

“Can you repeat that?” 

“I need you to pin her down, in yakunaj. See if she can escape you. Don’t make it easy.” 

“Don’t worry. I won’t.” 

Her ache worsens when he winks at her and she settles her gaze on her prey. She works herself up by getting angry that her twin is wearing her favorite pair of orange shirts and she tackles her to the floor. She holds her wrists above her head and Queen Shuri blows her a kiss from underneath her. 

“I knew you’d be asking for more.” 

“Shut up and stay out of my closet!” Shuri whispers harshly and puts all of her weight on her while Queen Shuri huffs and puffs. 

“Chaac, are you made of fucking Vibranium now or something!?”

It’s dangerous for Namor to watch them like this for long. There’s something about his Shuri being the dominant one and having complete control of the situation that’s making his shorts tighten. She’s giving the woman underneath her low-level threats and their mouths are so close to kissing. His mind takes him to a dirty place of his Shuri eating out the queen and he has to force them to stop. 

“Alright, Black Panther. That’s enough. Her body is too physically weak for it.” 

“Fuck you,” Queen Shuri mutters after her counterpart helps her up. “And I already know that which is why I think this whole thing is pointless. If my husband for whatever reason finds a way into this world, I can’t defeat him like this. Nobody can. He has powers that you two can’t comprehend. He’s a killer in the full sense of the word.” 

“Well… That’s why I’ve been thinking about it.” Shuri holds up a finger and disappears through the doors. She returns holding a bowl full of purple liquid. “This is one of the man-made heart-shaped herbs I created. I know you have a Black Panther in your universe…T’Challa…so I’m not sure how it all works but you don’t have to tell anyone. You can always have it stripped away from you after you protect yourself.” 

“You mean if it doesn’t kill me first, right?”  

Namor’s eyebrows pull together. “What do you mean by that?”  

“That shit is strong enough to stop your heart and you die. If Bast deems you worthy, you return. If not, it’s life on the Ancestral Plane.” 

“...You drank this knowing it was going to kill you, itzia? You were that desperate to kill me?” 

Shuri shrugs as if it’s no big deal. “Don’t listen to her, anyway. It doesn’t kill you and it has nothing to do with Bast. What you experience is a cardiac arrest that you can awaken from easily and you hallucinate during it.” 

“Of course, a non-believer would say that…” 

“You don’t even believe in Bast anymore!”

“Either way, I’m not trying to die and leave my kids behind in this world.” 

“Relax. You’re not going to die. I will do everything in my power to prevent it.” Shuri gets into a sitting position and taps her lap. “Rest your head here and open your mouth. It’s the only way.” 

Queen Shuri releases a deep breath and gives in, trusting her counterpart. As soon as she’s in position, the purple liquid travels down her throat and she closes her eyes. 

This isn’t the endless field of purple she was always told. 

She stands in a room of endless white, where there are no walls or ceilings. She’s wearing the dress she had when she was younger at her grandmother’s funeral, which is who she expected to see. Not the woman approaching her. 

Her braids have tiny pieces of golden jewelry in them and her make-up is feline-like. Queen Shuri has never seen someone so beautiful. There’s a glowing aura behind her and she reminds her of a…

Goddess… 

“Bast?” 

The goddess smiles at her once she comes to a stop in front of her. “Hello, Shuri Almehen. Fancy running into you in this universe.” 

Shuri doesn’t even know what to say. She pinches herself and gasps when she can feel it. This isn’t a damn hallucination or a dream. 

“Am I dead?” 

“At the moment, yes. But you won’t be.”

“...You’re…You’re giving me the power?” 

“I am. Your brother is the one who rightfully deserves it in your world, but there’s something I want you to do with it. Something I’m curious to see. But first… There’s a question I need to ask you.” 

Shuri doesn’t think there’s any way to avoid it. 

“Y-Yeah, go ahead.” 

“What are you doing in that world, my child? Why have you run away?”

Her hands clench into fists. “Clearly, you weren’t watching over me to ask such a question. I expected as much.” 

“I see and hear everything, Shuri. I have witnessed everything your body and soul has experienced. It is not a goddess’s duty to intervene.”

“And that’s exactly why I never had faith in you in the first place.” 

Bast’s smile turns into a sad one as she gets a bit closer. Shuri flinches in the shine of her glow. 

“Running away won’t abandon him from your life. Only death will do that. You were born a child of mine and to me, you will return. He will go to Xibalba. But that won’t happen for a very, very long time.” 

Shuri’s breath almost leaves her at the discovery. She’s too afraid of what that means for her children and can’t ask. 

“If I’m not ready to die, and I can’t run away, what am I supposed to do? No strength is enough to take him down. You’ve seen what he’s capable of. Not even the Shuri I’ve been with can survive him. Not Namor. Nobody can defeat him. So what’s next?” 

“I apologize for saying this in a language you’d use, but I have no better way of expressing it.” Bast holds her face in her warm hands. “Shuri Ramonda Almehen, you need to fuck that man up.” 

Queen Shuri wakes up gasping for air and then coughing violently. Her counterpart is patting her back gently and trying to get her to calm down. 

“Shh, shh. Breathe. It’s okay. You’re back with us in the training room.” 

Queen Shuri’s heart returns to a mild canter as she notes her surroundings. Her gaze then settles on Namor standing a few feet away. She jumps to her feet, charges toward him, and strikes in the way he taught her. 

They’re all stunned when the punch sends him crashing into the wall on the other side. 

“Is the stinging finally gone?” 

Namor loves how tender she is toward him now that he almost wants to lie to her to keep being treated like this. “Yes, Princess. Thank you. That ice helped a lot.” 

Shuri kisses his forehead before returning the pack to the freezer. “I know it hurt, but I’m glad it worked. Hopefully, our next sessions will be a lot more intense and successful now.” 

Rather than thinking about the three of them getting worked up together in that cramped room, Namor pulls Shuri down onto his lap before she can leave him again. She’s scolding him in a quiet voice. 

“Hey… Not here. What if someone sees us together?” 

“My ears can pick up any sound, Shuri. Nobody is coming.” Namor makes a large circle on her thigh with his palm, excited to see her in that yellow bathing suit again. “I never took you for someone who cares about the perception of others.” 

“I usually don’t. I’m trying not to. It’s hard, you know?” 

Namor kisses her above the breast, understanding her. She’s still struggling with her feelings of wanting him and fully forgiving him. It’s not something he deserves - she isn’t someone he deserves - and he’s not going to push what he’s been given. 

“As soon as it no longer complicates you, you will be my wife. I’m afraid you have no other choice.” 

“ Don’t tell me what to do, Ch’ah,” she threatens to his lips before biting them. He groans at the sensation and his hands start to roam her entire body until she forces him to stop. “Come on. They’re waiting for us at the beach.” 

Namor, always wanting as much time as possible with her, has agreed to the beach date with the family before he has to return to Talokan. They travel there separately to avoid anyone getting suspicious and they share a kiss once they’re on the sand. She goes off to cool down in the water and as soon as Namor is sitting down, Uuka joins him. 

“Mr. Namor?” 

“Yes, Uuka?” 

“Do you think Miss Shuri is beautiful?” 

Namor’s gaze shifts from the child to the young woman playing in the water. She laughs every time Miya pops out and scares her. There’s nothing in this world like that smile. 

“I do.” 

Uuka’s eyebrows go up. “So that means you find my mama beautiful.” 

“Well…They look exactly alike, so yes.” 

Uuka leans in close and his entire face darkens. He hovers two fingers in front of his own eyes and then points at Namor. 

“I’m watching you, bozo.” 

Bozo?

Namor puts his hands up. “There’s only one Shuri I want, child, and it isn’t your mother.” 

“ Good, because I’m on a mission.” 

He’s trying hard not to laugh at the boy. He wonders if his father is this dramatic. “And what mission is that?” 

“Operation Get Mama and Baba back together. I’m going to find him and talk some sense into him. But…” Uuka frowns and looks down at his sand-covered feet. “There’s a problem with that.” 

“You can tell me, Uuka. I’m here to listen.” 

The child looks at Namor so sad that it hurts the god-king. “Mama won’t let me summon Baba, but I tried. I can’t do it because I’m not another version of him. You are, though. Do you think if I gave you the book, you could open the portal?” 

Namor inhales sharply. Everything, straight down to his bones, is telling him not to accept and to keep that version of himself on the other side where he belongs. But he has always been a sucker for children and seeing one in so much pain over his familial situation is making it difficult. 

“You know your father better than I do, Uuka. Do you believe that he can be reasoned with?” 

“Oh, yes, especially if it means keeping Mama as his atan. He’s crazy in love with her.” 

Although Namor knows it’s heavy on the crazy part, he sighs. 

“I’ll see what I can do. Let’s keep this between us for now.” 

Uuka sticks up his pinkie and Namor wraps his own around it, securing their secret in the most sacred way. 

Earth-1113

As soon as K’uk’ulkan’s feet touch the ground of the village, person after person is bowing to him and making their offerings. He ignores all of them, his eyes dead set on the witch’s hut. He rips the privacy curtain off and Rosa jumps seeing him in the doorway. 

“Aj K’uk’ulkan! I-”

He flies straight for her and wraps his hands around her neck as he shoves her against the wall. The potions and blessed trinkets she had on the shelf fall and break on the ground. Her terrified eyes water as she clutches his wrists. His upper lip twitches before he speaks. 

“Did you sell my wife a spellbook?” 

“Y-Yes, b-but-” Rosa’s skin starts to change color as she chokes and he loosens his grip. “She… She said it was to h-help you… I wouldn’t have given it to her otherwise…” 

His jaw clenches and he listens to the sound of her blood bubbling lightly over her frantic heartbeat. 

“Did you not find it suspicious when she came here without me being present?”

“I-I’m s-sorry, K’uk’ulkan…I…I didn’t know…” 

“Give me the spell that she used and I’ll spare your life.” 

“I…I don’t-I don’t know it by heart! It was in the book and I have no copies!”

He contemplates killing the weeping human. Poisoning her bloodstream. Making her bones crack and her flesh tear. But she’s a victim of his wife’s manipulation and his stupidity. He throws her to the ground with her broken potions as she remains crying and he heads outside. 

Everyone is staring at him in the same frightened manner as the witch, backing away from him as he walks toward the forest. He’s on the verge of setting the whole damn place on fire but he controls it when he hears children asking their parents what’s wrong with Aj K’uk’ulkan. They tell him that he’s lost. 

With labored breathing, he holds his wrist up and tracks N’Jadaka’s location. He’s currently flying back home to Wakanda after his bullshit journey around the world. That fucking bastard had to know where Shuri was this entire time. 

Every fucking person he has ever had a morsel of respect toward has disrespected and betrayed him. 

He’s done with it. 

He travels through the air, zigzagging through the clouds until he’s above N’Jadaka’s plane. He flies straight through one of the side windows and N’Jadaka screams at the sound of glass shattering. He sets the plane on autopilot and jumps to his feet. 

“Fuck, man! The hell is wrong with you!?” 

K’uk’ulkan forces the War Dog’s body to contort and N’Jadaka collapses to the floor, unable to move anything except for his eyes. He kneels in front of him and clutches his chin. Any tighter and it’ll break. 

“I know the truth about Shuri and where she has taken my children. Something that reckless and risky… she had to have told her beloved cousin and the only family member she loves about it. You knew the entire time. You had me looking like a fucking idiot. ” K’uk’ulkan causes N’Jadaka to break his own arm and he cries out in agony. “ All of you did. I’ve been tragically underestimated and I’ve grown tired of it. She cried to you so much about how evil I am. She doesn’t know what she created.” 

“King…” N’Jadaka wheezes as his entire body trembles. “You…You ever think about why she thought that was her only choice!? Did you know she wanted to kill herself!?” He’s sobbing now as he tells a secret. “That day you dragged her to Wakanda… she told me she was going to stab herself with my dagger when you came in to take her! She was in so much pain because of you! Y’all look down on her constantly for the cheating and drugs and shit but guess what!? You created that !” 

Seething, K’uk’ulkan forces him onto his back and yanks that same knife out of N’Jadaka’s belt. He points the sharp point of the blade right at his pulsating throat. N’Jadaka continues yelling at him through his tears. 

“I ain’t crying because you’re gonna kill me. I ain’t scared of death or what comes after because I know the kind of person I’ve been. I’m crying for her because nobody else does. She wasn’t even going to take the kids, you know that? Because as shitty as you have been, she didn’t want to do that to you! I don’t know what changed! But she kept seeing the good in you when nobody else saw the good in her anymore! She was going to take herself away and give you someone she thought was better! You don’t deserve her or anyone!” 

As rough as his breathing has become and all the red he sees, K’uk’ulkan cannot bring himself to shove the blade in. He’s frozen. Numb. 

“What would you say, huh? What would you say if she were here right now? Call her a fucking disappointment again? A whore who would be nothing without you? Worthless? Yeah. That’s right. I heard all of it. Imagine someone saying that shit to your daughter. They’re not just words now, are they? Don’t get me started on the fucking actions.” 

The knife falls and K’uk’ulkan starts backing away to the window he broke, crushing fragments underneath his feet. N’Jadaka, getting his senses back, brings himself up and shakes his head at him. 

“You had everything, man. She loved you. You call her ilanga, don’t you? Your sun? Look at how you stole her light. Even if it means that I lose her and the kids, too, I hope they never come back.” 

“She will come back to me,” K’uk’ulkan manages in a voice that’s foreign to him. Weak, pathetic, and torn. “She will. You’ll see.” 

Feeling disgusted with himself, the god-king exits the plane and descends to the water before his tears can be seen. 

He can’t feel anything as he swims to his caves. Flashbacks of everything he has said and done to his ilanga haunts him and he doesn’t know what to do. The only thing that brings him out of his misery is the sound of unfamiliar people inside his caves. He shoots out of the water and remains floating in the air as he looks down. 

Quetzalcoatl’s eldest sons, Xopili and Montezuma, along with some members of their army, are holding Namora and the handmaidens hostage. They’re frightened and begging him to save them. 

“They will not be harmed as long as you come with us back to Tlalocan for your execution,” Xopili tells him through clenched teeth. “For murdering my father and our god-king.” 

K’uk’ulkan tilts his head to the side. Suddenly, he doesn’t have a single care in his body for these young men who are somebody’s children. 

Not when he has lost his own. 

While his face remains emotionless, K’uk’ulkan locks into Xopili’s and Montezuma’s bloodstream at the same time. Screams echo throughout the caves when their heads explode and their bodies fall forward on top of a handmaiden and Namora, who are kicking them off. K’uk’ulkan follows the other soldiers as they make a run for it, snapping his fingers and making one heart after another burst. There’s a particular fast runner that he purposely chases down on foot and his fist travels straight through the back of his head and out the front. 

The god-king’s arm is covered in his blood and parts of his brain as he pulls it out. He steps on the bodies as he walks in the direction of his hut where he plans to stay forever until Namora appears in front of him. 

“I overheard one of them talking in Nahuatl. Attuma has been working with them this entire time. He needs to be taken care of, too.” 

A former trusted friend betrayed him time and time again even after he spared his life. It doesn’t surprise him. Nothing does at this point. 

K’uk’ulkan tracks the traitor down and finds him hiding in the depths of the ocean far away from Talokan. He doesn’t give him a chance to speak. He doesn’t want to hear the excuses anymore. He grabs him by the throat, tears his tongue right out of his mouth, and drags the screaming warrior back to his caves by his long hair. 

Once he’s on land, Namora offers him the machete he used to chop his cock off and slices Attuma’s head clean off. He drops it to the ground and stomps on it repeatedly until it’s unrecognizable like everyone else in here. 

The handmaidens are cowering in the corner as he stares at them with his bronze skin drenched crimson. 

“Are you frightened, my children?” 

They shake their heads and fall to their knees in front of him. They bow their heads, thanking him for saving their lives. Their praise gives him no meaning, no value. They’re not the ones he wants to hear it from. 

He ignores them as they ask what they can feed him or do for him. 

He pulls his curtain back and enters his hut that’s still a mess from when he searched it. He grabs a chair and brings it to his mirror. He sits in front of it, staring at his blood-soaked reflection. Crimson droplets stain the once-clean floor.

And he waits. 🩸

And he waits. 🩸

And he waits. 🩸

Chapter Text

“And…go!” Uuka starts the stop watch and Queen Shuri takes off on foot across the grasslands. Miya is trying to keep up with her, but keeps getting distracted by beetles. “Faster, Mama! Faster!”

She pumps her arms and legs as quickly as she can. She touches the bark of the tree and returns to her children completely out of breath. She puts her hands on her knees and tries not to throw up as she stares at the grass.

“How was that?”

“Slower than last time, Mama…” Uuka arches an eyebrow. “I think I know what the problem is.”  

“Mehen, I’m not smoking anymore.”

“I was gonna say it’s because you’re old.” Uuka puts his hand on her sweaty back. “But that’s okay! Baba is a fossil and he’s fast. We’ll get there. I’m sure you’re trying your best.” 

“If you call him that to his face, I’ll take you to Xcacel to see the turtle eggs hatching next season.”

Miya points excitedly at the sky as Namor and the Black Panther are approaching. “Bozo Baba!” 

Queen Shuri laughs loudly at her daughter’s observation and accepts her water bottle from Uuka. She’s screwing the cap back on as her trainers land. 

“I see you two took your sweet, sweet time.” 

“Not for the reason you’re thinking, pervert,” Shuri mutters under her breath as she hands her counterpart a golden fang-toothed necklace. “Here. I was making something for you. Might make your training easier.”

Queen Shuri admires the jewelry for a moment before clasping it around her neck. “Is this what I think it is?” 

“Yup. Command it with your mind, telling it to protect you. Your body should be covered instantly.” 

As soon as she does so, Queen Shuri feels her entire skin being overtaken. She has no idea what she looks like, but by checking herself out through her mask, she sees that her suit is very similar to Shuri’s, except hers is purple where her counterpart has gold.

“Dang, Mama! You look awesome! Can I have one of those, Miss Shuri? Miya, too?” 

“I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s a going away present when you three are ready to head home.” 

Queen Shuri is glad her disappointment can be hidden. She has told everyone - including her children - that she’ll be returning to her universe soon. The truth is, she doesn’t want to, even if she misses N’Jadaka. She’s felt so safe and important here. She doesn’t want to return to the underworld where the dark king controls her, where she has to be reminded of everything she’s done and everything that has been done to her. 

But she can serve no purpose when there’s already a Shuri who exists, and that Shuri is pretty great. 

The instant she sees her husband, though, he’s going to kill her from the inside out. Nothing she can say or do will be enough to stop him. She took his pride and joy away. If he didn’t kill her for all those other things, he’s going to do it now. 

At least she can try to go down fighting. 

“You should see how fast you can run now, Mama.”

“The Prince has an excellent idea,” Namor comments. “Speed can make a difference in battle.”

“Battle?” Uuka asks with a tilt of his head. “Who is Mama battling?” 

“No one in particular, baby. It’s just training.”

“Ohh. Baba is going to be so proud of you!” 

“…Mmhm. Can you time me again?”

As soon as Uuka presses the button, Queen Shuri speeds through the grass, feeling less resistance to the wind this time and moving a lot faster than before. She touches the bark of the tree and returns, not as out of breath as before. 

“How was that?” 

“Better, Mama!”

“Eh…” Namor crosses his arms and Queen Shuri glares at him. “I think she can do even better than that.” 

“I’m not some video game character able to travel at the speed of light, you know!” 

“No, but you’re too slow. Your opponent…They may have the upper hand in strength. You need to beat them with agility. Get faster.”

As Queen Shuri forms fists, her counterpart is close to her ear.

“Think about it this way. That tree you keep tagging? Imagine it has everything you need to escape what’s coming after you. If you’re not quick enough, it’ll catch up to you and consume you. But if you’re fast, you’ll be able to overcome it finally.”

Queen Shuri breathes through her nose and faces the tree in the distance. She imagines that behind her is everything she wishes she could let go of. Her anger, her pain, her trauma, and her sadness. She imagines the people who did it to her. K’uk’ulkan, Quetzalcoatl, her parents … even herself. The person she wants to leave behind. 

As soon as Uuka shouts at her to go, she’s off. Her demons are closing in. She must go faster, faster, faster still. She draws her claws out, swipes four lines into the tree bark, and breaks through all of her torture to get back to where her children are. 

“Wow, Mama! A new record! That’s the fastest I’ve ever seen someone run!” 

Miya claps loudly and cheers for her mother. “Good job, Mama!” 

Queen Shuri’s mask dissolves and she looks at Namor, seeking his approval. He gives it to her with a light laugh. 

“Looks like it is possible, after all.”

The Black Panther hugs the panting variant from the side. She taps one of the sharp tips of her claws. 

“I told you that you’d have your ich’ak one day.” 

Throughout the week, the training continually switched from outside to inside. After her children joined her in the outdoor training, Queen Shuri would take them to a little private schoolhouse down the road from the citadel where Uuka could get his studies in and Miya’s in the daycare section socializing with other toddlers for a few hours. 

Queen Shuri always heads to the lab  beneath the citadel right after, where her trainers are waiting for her. She occasionally catches them with their tongues down each other’s throats and as much as she teases Namor about it, it secretly makes her yearn for that passion again. 

K’uk’ulkan has fucked her in front of a mirror plenty of times, but it’s different seeing it from this perspective. She knows from that one time Namor kissed her that he kisses the same as her husband. Queen Shuri shivers , remembering the passion K’uk’ulkan used to have for her. 

He was her very first kiss, too. Her first…everything. 

“You have a very beautiful body, Princess Shuri. I wish to put my mouth on it.”

“What a good wife you’re going to be. I want to steal you away already. Make you mine.” 

“Shh, shh. I’m here, atan. I love you so much.” 

She can feel her eyes starting to burn at the memories. There were red flags from the start and they were never perfect. She gave up her autonomy the day she was forced to marry him for a political alliance. He controlled everything; the way she dressed, the way she lived, the way she spoke. Her beliefs and her dreams all had to be what he made of them. 

But damn it if he didn’t make her feel amazing, protected, and loved for a little while. There came a point where she accepted him for who he was and she was willing to give him his second child and be the best wife she could be, ready to accept him with her entire heart. He was so, so good the days leading up to that…to that ritual. He used the necklace he bought her to keep her mouth shut while he…. 

“Hey. Are you ready?” 

Loving him was impossible after that. It was the beginning of her self-sabotage as well.

Queen Shuri clears her throat. “Yeah. Let’s do this.” 

Namor is standing in front of her, clutching his spear tightly. “I’m not going to stab you at all, but I’m still taking this fight seriously. You better do the same. I’ll know if you aren’t and I don’t think you want that.”

Queen Shuri’s lips pull back into a smirk as she draws her claws out and circles around him. “Are you going to punish me for being a bad girl, táatah?” 

“Something like that.” 

Shuri stands off in the corner as she watches the two of them go at it. Both of their teeth are bared, there’s sweat starting to build up, and the feral noises they make are starting to get to her. 

Namor ends up grappling her, trying to throw her down, and the claws on her feet dig into the floor while the ones on her hands cut into his back. The groan the god-king releases as Queen Shuri rakes her claws all the way down is almost too much for the Black Panther. 

Instead of being jealous like she thought she’d be to witness this intimacy, a different feeling is stirring within. Hunger. Pure hunger. 

Namor is so rough with Queen Shuri, not giving her any chance of victory. He slams her down and she squirms underneath his body until clawing his face gives her a chance to move. Something of hers is always around him; an arm, a leg, even her teeth at times. She leaves a big bite mark on his shoulder and in between their movements, Shuri notices that Namor is turned on by it, too. 

“I think it’s my turn now, Ch’ah.”

Namor and Queen Shuri break apart, both panting and bleeding in different areas. Namor gives the floor to his goddess and he stands in the corner she was at. 

The usual flirtatious remarks from Queen Shuri aren’t heard today and she gets right to it. She goes in for the attack, lightning fast and moving like a hurricane. She cuts left, dodges right, and kicks the back of the Black Panther’s knees. She raises her arms, prepared to send a punch to the face this time, and the Black Panther pulls herself up and flips behind her. 

His lover slashes at her variant’s back, cutting the suit open that slowly repairs itself. The moans and whimpers coming from both women whenever they penetrate each other with their claws is causing that dark fantasy to plague Namor’s mind no matter how hard he fights it. 

He knows the two of them - himself and Queen Shuri - can make his beloved pantheress feel the most amazing she has ever felt. It’s not about his pleasure. He wants to bear witness to someone as harmless as Shuri’s counterpart putting her mouth on her. They work in tandem to coax orgasm after orgasm from her until all of her senses are numb and she’s fulfilled beyond a doubt. Queen Shuri is the only one he wouldn’t mind sharing her with. 

And…perhaps because it’s a common fantasy for a man to engage in sexual activities with multiple versions of the woman he loves…Namor wouldn’t mind shutting that smart-mouthed queen up by having her explode on his tongue. All the ideas of what his Shuri could be doing to her during the act is nearly giving him chest pains. 

“Enough,” he announces gruffly. “She’s too afraid to give it her all, Princess. Why don’t you send in that robotic creature she can destroy?” 

The two women stop with both of their hands around each other’s waists and their mouths too close. They separate when they notice and the Black Panther breathes out, 

“Sounds like a better idea. I’ll call him in.” 

It’s hard for Namor not to detect the scent of arousal coming from both women. He can’t bring up this fantasy to the Black Panther, the one he intends on and prays to make his wife and queen. It might be taboo in her eyes or worse, she seems him as some sort of pervert. He avoids making eye contact with the other Shuri, even when she’s cursing at the robot that comes walking in. 

“The fuck is that!?”

“One of my fighting bots. I know he looks like a big box with legs and arms, but I swear he’s useful. You can turn up the settings from easy to killmode. You can destroy him and I can repair him quickly. All you have to do is give him a name as soon as I press this button. Ready?” 

“...Sure. Why not?” 

The robot wakes up and straightens up. The surface of his rectangular body blinks green from red. 

“Hi…Bolt?” 

“Bolt?” Namor mumbles.

“Shut up,” Queen Shuri whispers and then smiles at Bolt. “Your name is Bolt.” 

“Bolt is here to listen to Shuri. What fighting mode do you prefer, Queen?”

“Fuck it. Let’s do killmode.” 

She yelps when the arms turn into blades and Bolt zooms toward her. He puts up a good fight, but Queen Shuri comes out on top, destroying him within twenty minutes. She kneels in front of the broken parts and pats the box.

“Sorry, Bolt.” 

“Do not fret, Queen Shuri. We will have a rematch soon. Powering off now.” 

The light turns to red and the Black Panther calls for one of her assistants to come load Bolt’s dead body onto a stretcher and carry him out of the training room. Shuri follows, leaving Namor and the queen behind. 

She glances at him, smirking when she catches him admiring his love at work. 

“You still haven’t asked her to be your atan?” 

“She isn’t ready.”

“And how do you know that if you haven’t asked properly?” Shuri’s smirk turns into a genuine grin when he looks at her. “If you want her that badly, I can put in a good word. We’re having a little girls’ day tomorrow to take a break from all this.” 

“Mm…It won’t be like a certain girls’ night you had with her not too long ago, will it?” 

Queen Shuri pinches his cheek. “Relax, King. The next time we’re together like that, you’ll be a willing participant.” 

“How does it feel to be able to breathe underwater?” 

“Honestly? It’s…pretty incredible. I never thought I’d be able to see the world like this unless I had all this protective gear surrounding me.” 

Queen Shuri offers her twin her hand. “Let’s go out a bit further, yeah? There’s something I want to show you.”

Shuri accepts and the two travel deeper into the ocean, leaving the shoreline of the Wakanda beach behind. She takes her to see a group of jellyfish floating aimlessly in one direction. Shuri smiles wide seeing the beautiful colors mixing together. 

“Beautiful. Do you come out here often back in your own world?” 

Queen Shuri’s voice is as solemn as her face. “Sometimes. I used to, anyway. K’uk’ulkan brought me here shortly after we were married. He said he wanted to be more than husband and wife. He wanted to be friends. Best friends.” 

“Oh… That sounds kinda sweet? Obviously it didn’t turn out that way, but…” 

“Obviously,” Queen Shuri laughs quietly and then turns to face her. “K’uk’ulkan and I couldn’t make it. But it wasn’t always bad. There were a few times early on where I felt like that man genuinely loved me and I loved him. I didn’t originally like the idea of you falling for a Feathered Serpent God, but I know Namor is different. I see it, especially in the way he treats you. He’s going to be your best friend. He’s going to be a wonderful husband when you’re ready.” 

Shuri can feel her heart and stomach doing all kinds of flips. “Did he tell you to say this to me?” 

“No, but he did mention how he’s willing to wait for you. He knows he fucked up. He knows you’re struggling with it. I just wanted you to tell you that I have a good feeling he’s never going to hurt you again.” 

“That’s not what I’m worried about,” Shuri says with her voice breaking a bit. She glances up at the jellyfish. “It’s…wrong. I think about all the people I’m going to disappoint if he’s the one I want to spend my life with, especially my mother. To marry her killer… that’s the ultimate disrespect, isn’t it?” 

“Respectfully, your mama is dead.” Queen Shuri holds her hands up defensively when her counterpart gives her a murderous stare. “I’m just saying! She can’t really do or say anything about it. But if she’s looking down on you and sees that you’re finally happy again, no matter who brought you that happiness, why can’t you accept that? And as far as these other losers or the elders go, who cares what they think? They’re not the ones getting their ass clapped by the Feathered Serpent God.” 

“...Oh, Bast…” 

“I’m serious. While they’re being judgmental or talking shit, you’re living your best life getting an orgasm every day and feeling good for once.” Queen Shuri smacks her shoulder gently, trying to get a smile out of her again. “You really need to adopt the ‘I-don’t-give-a-fuck’ attitude when it comes to stuff like that. I told you this before. It doesn’t matter if it’s right or wrong. Do you want it, Shuri? Do you want Namor?” 

“Of course I do. I just-” 

“Ah, ah, close your mouth and don’t doubt it. You want him. So, take him. Make him yours. Become a queen, unite your nations, hold your middle finger up high to the naysayers, fuck your husband, and have lots of babies. Our mortal lives are too short to not do whatever the hell you want and stop wallowing in pain. We’re more than our misery, remember?” 

Taking her words to heart, Shuri gives her counterpart a tight squeeze and takes off in the direction to Talokan, leaving the queen laughing behind her. 

Shuri is growing tired the further she has to go, but she’s determined to find him. She stops to greet the Talokanil with respect as she encounters every single one of them, and Griot translates in her ear what some of them are whispering. 

What a great queen she would make. 

K’uk’ulkan chose well. 

She’s perfect for him and for Talokan. 

Their praise gives her the motivation she needs to reach the city, where she can see Namor sitting on his throne above everyone. His ears twitch and he’s about to get off when he sees her, but he freezes as she gets closer and closer. 

She straddles his lap, holds his face, and presses her lips against his. He groans into her mouth while his large hands roam her backside and bring her as close as she can into him. 

“Ask me,” she whispers against his throat and then pulls her head away. She continues to stroke his face with her thumbs while he stares at her, completely mesmerized. 

“Ask you what, Princess?” 

“The question you’ve been dying to.” 

There’s a new light that forms in his eyes. She can see the sun behind her reflecting in his dark irises. 

“Shuri Udaku, Black Panther, Princess and Protector of Wakanda. Will you take on another role of being my atan and Queen of Talokan?” 

“Beya,” she agrees in his language and watches as he melts even further in the cold waters. “Ewe, sithandwa sam.”

Yes, my love.

She isn’t sure how it happened - maybe she blacked out at some point - but one minute she was being pounded into from the back by the emotional god-king to soaking in the cenote with him.

She inhales the scent of copal and cinnamon that the handmaidens have burned for them as he nibbles and sucks on her marked-up neck tenderly. 

“When should the wedding take place, my queen?” Namor asks her after he licks her collarbone. She’s this close to tangling her legs around his waist for yet another round.

“Hm…How about after I talk to my sister-in-law and nephew? I want them to attend.”

Namor gives a brief annoyed glance before he buries his face in her neck again. “You want the spy who killed two of my people to have a place in our wedding?” 

“The groom killed her child’s grandmother.”

“Fair point…” Namor kisses her one last time before relaxing with her. He puts an arm around her shoulder and backs them up until they’re near the edge and admiring the crystals up above. “When will you be leaving me to see them?” 

“Probably by the end of the week, but I’ll return within a day or two. I think it’s impossible to leave you for long.”

He squeezes her shoulder and throws his head back with his eyes closed, allowing his body to heal after she rode him for hours. She bites on her lower lip the longer she stares at him, wondering if he’d be willing to indulge in something naughty before they’re officially husband and wife. 

“Ch’ah?”

“Yes?”

How in the hell is she supposed to ask if he wants to do a threesome with her counterpart!? If he declines, it’s going to be so embarrassing…

“Never mind.”

His eyes open and he clutches her chin before she can look away. “Now you have no other choice but to tell me what’s on your mind.”

“Well…I was thinking that since Queen Shuri helped us a lot in getting together and she has been training really hard, maybe we can…reward her with something…very personal?” 

Now those opened eyes darken. 

“How personal?”

“Offer her…ourselves. You know. Three’s company?” Shuri panics the longer he goes without cracking a smile. “I-I know it’s strange. I’m sorry. I know she would enjoy it and I thought you would because she’s me and you love me and-“

“My love.”

“…Yeah?” 

His tongue slips inside her mouth and rolls around, making her weak all over again. He kisses her lips softly and she finally sees a small smile. 

“Is that the pre-wedding gift that you want?” 

She nods wordlessly and Namor sets his forehead against hers. 

“It will be the first and only time, Shuri. Sharing you with yourself doesn’t bother me and I know it’s going to double your pleasure.” His intense eyes search hers and her heart skips beats. “But you have to trust me. If it gets too much for you to see me with her, you have to tell me and it will all stop.” 

“I do trust you, Ch’ah. I know you’re never going to hurt me again.”

“Never,” he confirms and then his grin turns into a menacing one. “Come with me under the water, my pantheress. Let’s discuss your fantasy.”

Queen Shuri can’t place her finger on it, but something is different about the training today. Both her partners are on edge, snapping at her over small things and constantly correcting her. 

She hasn’t been laid, she hasn’t smoked, and she’s running on very little sleep. Now isn’t the time to test her. 

The one pissing her off the most is Namor, not only because he looks like K’uk’ulkan, but because he’s nitpicking over everything. 

“You can’t just blindly swipe at someone! Each hit has to mean something and be intentional! You’re getting sloppy.”

She’s had enough. The thin line of patience that remains in her finally breaks. 

“Fuck you, Namor!”

“You result to using that foul language because you know I’m right.” 

“You suck at training like you suck at eating pussy! I know for a fact your wife-to-be is better at both!” 

Shuri pinches the bridge of her nose and mutters under her breath. “Are you serious right now? Why can’t you two get along for once in this damn room?” 

“I’m getting tired of you running your mouth, variant,” Namor tells her coldly, darkly, and Queen Shuri feels a bead of sweat trickling down her neck. “I’m starting to believe that’s exactly what you want from me. You’re taking all your anger out on me because I look like your husband, including your sexual frustration. You want to fuck him more than you want to kill him and that’s why you’re never going to win.”

“Namor!” Shuri hisses at him and he glances at her. “Stop!”

He grabs her by the wrist and pulls her into him, where she automatically holds his neck while he squeezes her ass and whispers in her ear.

“This is what you wanted, isn’t it? To get her worked up so we can proceed with your request?” 

“Yeah, but…” Shuri gasps and shuts her eyes when he sucks underneath her jaw. It’s working her up, too. Her suit ends dissolving the lower his mouth goes, wanting to feel him there. 

Queen Shuri feels a deep aching in her core watching Namor plant his lips all over her twin’s neck and chest. The look of ecstasy on the Black Panther’s face and the way Namor handles her is turning the queen on badly. They’re so good together. All she can think about is being in the middle as her brain grows hazy.

Her suit dissolves and she’s left standing in a pair of tight biker shorts and her sports bra. She approaches the couple and carefully puts her arms around them, rubbing their backs gently. Without breaking away from his lover’s neck, Namor settles his palm on her lower spine and brings her in. He breaks away from his panther’s neck to address her counterpart. 

“You never responded, Ix Kan. Do you wish to have my mouth on you?” 

Serpent Queen. 

It’s so much better than being called u yatan K’uk’ulkan, wife of the Feathered Serpent God. 

“You’re something else, asking me that while your future atan is right there. I don’t think she’d enjoy that very much.” 

“Maybe I’m tired of hearing you talk down on him, too. Especially when I’m positive he’s a better eater than your husband ever was.” Shuri’s hand grazes her ass and Queen Shuri’s eyes widen. “Answer the question.” 

They’re both giving her a lustful gaze that’s starting to hypnotize her. It’s like a fever dream, but their hands on her tells her it’s real.

“You’ve never had a threesome before. You don’t understand the complicated emotions that can come from it.”

The Black Panther moves her arm up and wraps her hand around her throat, giving it a gentle yet possessive squeeze. 

“Answer. The. Question. Do you want his mouth on you?” 

Her nipples swell at Shuri’s grip and the promise of what her answer might provide.

“Yes…”

She’s lowered  to the floor by her counterpart, who she maintains eye contact with the entire way down. Shuri crawls behind the queen and keeps one hand on her throat again while the other presses down on her belly. 

Queen Shuri’s heart pounds rapidly when Namor appears in between her legs to strip her of her shorts and panties. His hands are so big when they’re on her hips and her breath hitches remembering how she used to disappear in K’uk’ulkan’s grasp. 

Namor lies down with her legs parted and thrown over his broad shoulders. His fingers are digging into the meat of her ass and between that look he’s giving her and Shuri stroking her ear with her tongue, the queen fears she’s going to end up being a sobbing mess by the end of it all. 

“She really is like you, Princess.”

“She is perfect, isn’t she? She’s always hot and wet.”

Shuri slides her hand up the queen’s shirt until she’s cupping a breast. A moan catches in her throat and she’s having trouble keeping her eyes open on the god about to devour her. 

“Do I make you nervous, Ix Kan?”

She’s starting to love being called that. 

“No…I have very low expectations.”

She can feel the warmth of his breath against her cunt as he laughs. 

“You deserve to be pleasured appropriately, Ix Kan, no matter what you’ve done or been through. I’ll show you how your altar should be worshiped.”

He licks between her folds, teasing her hole and lips with his tongue. She grabs at his hair and her back arches when she gets to her clit. He licks and sucks at the swollen bud, never looking away from her face, wanting to experience what he’s doing to her. Tears prickle in her eyes when all she can see and feel is her husband, the way he was before. All of her nerves are on fire with his touches and her loud moans fall from her lips. Her nipples harden and are being massaged so thoroughly by the woman acting as her anchor. 

“He’s changing your mind, isn’t he?” Shuri teases and the queen wants to kiss her desperately, but Namor works her up further. 

His mouth is hot and wet as he bends her to his whim, slipping his fingers into her pussy as he eats it. 

And still, those damn eyes do not leave her and she cannot look away. 

“K’uk’ulkan…”

He winks at her and Shuri kisses her cheek. It’s then that she realizes it’s okay to be vulnerable. It’s okay to miss what could’ve been and accept that in another life, K’uk’ulkan and her could’ve been Namor and Shuri. She gives in to both of them, allowing them to take care of her. Trusting them. 

Namor’s lips close around her clit again and her spine curves unwittingly while grasping at his thick strands of hair. He growls into her pussy when she tugs and the sound makes her face bloom with heat. 

“That’s it,” Shuri whispers as pinches a nipple in between two fingers and rolls it. “Let him adore you.” 

His mouth is so soft and every languid stroke of his tongue drives her to perfect delirium. He’s savoring her, spearing his tongue into her entrance and consuming her from the inside out. His nose nudges her clit and she grinds against his face, dragging her pussy against his lips. Her release is starting to simmer in her veins. 

And still, those damn eyes do not leave her and she cannot look away. 

The fingers inside the warm channel of her cunt curl and press into the soft spot behind her pubic bone. She tenses and clenches around his thick fingers as he sucks her clit between his teeth. 

There’s a burst of heat and she sobs as her pussy clenches and spasms. White hot pleasure burns her blood and Namor pulls his fingers away to lap at every inch of her with his tongue. 

And still, those damn eyes do not leave her and she cannot look away. 

As her body calms to the serene aftermath, Shuri kisses her from temple to collarbone and Namor keeps his mouth on her, gently running his tongue from her entrance up to her clit in a continuous motion, moaning as he flavor soaks into his taste buds. 

He finally breaks away, his bearded face covered in her slick, and he kisses her so she can taste herself, too. Her tears soak into Namor’s mouth as she thinks about her husband loving her this much again, wanting her this much again. He leaves her and kisses his own Shuri, giving her more passion than what he gave her. 

It’s giving her an idea. 

“K’uk’ulkan,” she murmurs as he’s mid-kiss. “Lie her down.” 

He obeys without question, lowering his beloved onto her back without breaking up the kiss. It’s not until Queen Shuri is kissing the corners of their lips that Namor allows Shuri to lock lips with her. He admires the two women having a moment and he follows the variant’s lead as she kisses the Black Panther’s neck. 

Shuri’s nails dig into the cold tiles beneath her as Queen Shuri and Namor work their way down her body together, taking extra time to suck her breasts into their mouths. 

“Oh, fuck,” she curses and writhes underneath them. “Ah…Just…Just like that…” 

They’re both so good and so different. Whereas Queen Shuri is delicate and careful, Namor sucks hard and fast, trying to draw something out of her. Both motions of their lips and tongues are driving her crazy and then they go lower. 

“I…I don’t think I can get my legs to spread that far-” 

“Yes, you can,” they both tell her in unison in a commanding voice and she swallows hard. She’s thankful the heart-shaped herb made her flexible as one leg goes around Namor’s shoulder and the other around the queen’s. Her eyes roll back the instant she feels two tongues on her pussy. 

They work in tandem, their tongues exploring every inch of her cunt and lapping at her like she holds the holiest of waters in between her thighs. They’re getting lost in her sex and she’s getting lost in their mouths. 

Queen Shuri occasionally sneaks a kiss onto Namor’s lips before returning to pleasuring the woman who gave her a temporary home. With Shuri’s moans getting louder and sexier, she knows Namor must be leaking in his shorts already. Poor god-king needs some worshiping of his own. 

She leaves Namor to destroy his future wife on his own and she lies on her side by the drenched panther. She rubs her breast softly and smiles at how ecstasy is taking over her features. 

“Come for him, pretty girl. Your husband needs us.” 

Shuri can feel it in the tips of her toes. She spreads her hips as wide as her pelvis allows and pushes her cunt against his tongue. He licks at her with renewed fervor until he feels her pussy clench around his mouth. Her cries fill the training room as she comes and she doesn’t have time to bask in the aftermath. 

Her king needs her. 

Endorphins run through Namor’s veins as he allows the two women to push him onto the floor and together, they pull his shorts off. He lifts his head for a minute to study the two beautiful goddesses as their fingers scratch and ghost over his stomach and pectorals. His chest drums under their fingertips and his heart thumps violently. 

Two parts of the woman he loves more than himself. Their eyes sparkle and he thanks Chaac for her, for them, for this. 

His Shuri wraps her hand around the base of his cock and her lips envelop his tip, sucking him in. Queen Shuri drags her tongue over his sensitive skin and he releases a hiss as the women alternate between sucking and licking. 

His eyes are open, but he can no longer see. He can’t tell if he’s shouting out or silent. He can’t register any taste or smell. All that exists is a blinding pleasure that keeps rolling over him, stroking a fire deep in his groin. The womens’ magical hands keep moving, their hot mouths keep sucking, and the inferno within him blows. His release is painful, which adds to his high. He doesn’t know how long his orgasms lasted, but when he can finally see, his first sight is Shuri’s cheeks puffed out slightly over his tip, taking in all that she can, and Queen Shuri is lapping up whatever falls from her mouth. 

He groans and slams his head back down, enjoying the Shuris clearing his cum from his body until both of their mouths leave. He opens his mouth wide as he wills his heart to calm down, his pulse as loud as an engine in his ears. It only worsens when he sees the Shuris breasts crushed together as they swirl their tongues around the other’s, passing his white cum from one mouth to the other. He prays that his heart won’t give out. He doesn’t want to explain to Chaac how he died. 

After they both swallow their share, the Shuris latch their lips together and sensually kiss while eliciting moans from the other. He slowly sits up and rubs circles on both their asses until Queen Shuri smirks down at him. 

“I want to feel you fuck your wife, Feathered Serpent God.” 

“Get on top of her, then,” he says darkly and they fall into place. With the two women pressed together, Namor approaches from behind and enters his Shuri heat while his pelvis rests against the queen’s firm ass. He gazes into the blissed-out eyes of his lover as her chin is on Queen Shuri’s shoulder. 

“Plow her hard, K’uk’ulkan,” the Ix Kan commands. “Make me feel it.” 

Namor thrusts into his Shuri in earnest, savoring the feel of his woman’s tight pussy around his cock. His fingers graze Queen Shuri’s smooth skin as he finds his lover’s hips and holds on tight. 

Each delicious stroke sends the Black Panther to heaven and her pleasure only increases as Namor’s rough movements cause Queen Shuri’s soaking wet pussy to rock feverishly against her mound. Queen Shuri whines the harder Namor makes her bounce up and down, their clits rubbing together in a sinful harmony. 

Shuri stares up at her grunting, growling husband with eyes half-closed as Queen Shuri dips her head to suck on her breast. Her mouth puckers up in an ‘o’ of lustful oblivion as her god-king fucks her and her counterpart humps her. 

She has never felt so alive and so free, allowing desire to overtake her instead of the darkness. Wave after wave of pulsing pleasure rolls through her body and her eyes flutter shut as Namor coats the inside of her with so much of his warm liquid that it leaks out of her. She also feels Queen Shuri creaming on her pelvis and mound, further drenching her. 

Namor collapses and Queen Shuri rests in the middle of the heavily breathing bodies like a sandwich until he finally moves back. He helps the women separate and Shuri immediately cuddles up with him, having the need to be rocked to sleep all of a sudden. He cradles her and looks at Queen Shuri after giving his panther a tender kiss. 

“Why were you crying, Ix Kan?” 

Her chest is heaving as she addresses Namor in an exhausted voice. “I didn’t cry.” 

“Yes, you did. When we first started. You had tears in your eyes.” 

“Why do you care?” 

“I want to be sure I didn’t do something wrong.” 

Queen Shuri shakes her head and laughs in disbelief at the kind of guy he is. To experience something as filthy as that together and to still care about her wellbeing is unfamiliar. Her counterpart doesn’t know how lucky she is. 

“I thought about my husband, that’s all. He…used to stare at me the same way. It brought back a lot of memories of when we used to be intimate.” 

“So it was pleasant, not painful. I wasn’t aware you had any good memories the way you were desperate to get away.” 

She could really use a cigarette right about now. She pulls her knees into her chest and smiles sadly seeing Shuri fall asleep in his arms. 

“There were more downs than ups, but it’s those good times that get to me the most. We almost had it.” 

Namor glances down at the Black Panther and then back up at Queen Shuri. “You love him.” 

“I loved him. I loved what we were for that briefest of time. But now?” Her eyes water again as she once more allows herself to be vulnerable. K’uk’ulkan hasn’t seen her cry in years. “He doesn’t love me, either. I hurt him, I hurt others, and I hurt myself. I’m not innocent, Namor. I did things I shouldn’t have. I didn’t even want to bring my children here. Everyone in my world deserves a better version than me. That was supposed to be your Shuri. I was going to trade lives with her and swim off into the sunset. Now I brought all this chaos here and Bast knows what K’uk’ulkan has done knowing we abandoned him. I’d be surprised if anyone’s still alive.” 

“You said Bast.” 

Queen Shuri sniffs loudly. “...What?” 

“You said Bast instead of Chaac. It sounds to me like you’ve been finding yourself again here.” Namor speaks gently as his arms tighten around his Shuri. “I don’t know what you did and I don’t care. You can’t take any of it back. All you can do is better yourself and move forward. Take it from someone who has lived through centuries of regret.” 

Her smile turns into a hopeful one at his words and after some silence, she finally speaks again.

“You better have gotten her pregnant after that or I’ll be booing in your ear if this happens a second time.” 

Namor catches the kiss that Shuri blows him through the window of the plane as she takes off toward Haiti. He debates tracking her down and spying on her through the shoreline like he did shortly after their battle to the death, but he wants to respect her privacy. 

He stands on the beach, feeling the warm wind kiss his wet skin and hair as he thinks about Queen Shuri and her husband. Those tears that he saw during their little training session told him that love and yearning still exists. Seeing how his chest is in pain at Shuri’s very short trip, Namor knows that Queen Shuri’s husband is suffering without her. Adding in the children, none of this feels right. 

He glances up when he hears a hummingbird sound and sees Uuka coming in for a landing, holding the spellbook wrapped in a waterproof bag. He’s frowning as he hands it over. 

“Why can’t I come with you!?” 

“I  need to do this alone, Uuka. Your father might be too upset or not in a good place and I know how to calm him down. I don’t want you to see him until he’s okay. Does that make sense?” 

It takes Uuka some time, but he eventually nods. “ Promise to have him come see me once he’s fine?” 

“I swear. You can count on me.” 

Uuka wraps his arms around his father’s counterpart tightly and Namor pats him on the back. “Thank you for doing this for me, Mr. Namor. I miss him so much. Miya does, too. I think Mama does but she doesn’t wanna say it.” 

“I think you’re right,” Namor tells him quietly. “Get back to her before she gets suspicious, okay? It won’t take me long and we’ll get the book back to the hiding spot.” 

“Got it.” 

Uuka takes off after saluting him and Namor jumps into the ocean, holding the spell book against his chest and knowing he’s making a difficult but right decision. 

Queen Shuri helped with his relationship. 

It’s only fair to return the favor. 

Earth-1113 

“Perhaps you should eat, Aj K’uk’ulkan. It has been a few days.” 

K’uk’ulkan doesn’t take his eyes off his reflection despite Namora appearing in the mirror as her concern for him grows. He had very little appetite and the scent of charred bodies after his soldiers burned all those he killed in his caves worsened it. 

“I can’t.”

“You should… U yatan K’uk’ulkan will be concerned if she comes home to find you skin and bones. If I recall, there was a time where she would compliment your physique quite loudly.” 

K’uk’ulkan’s gaze drifts slowly to his chest that’s still thick with muscle. He’s thankful Shuri fed him so well over the years. He has had some fat to spare that he remains appearing fit and healthy despite mistreating his body over the last few months without her. 

“See if anyone can make the salmon omelets she used to and I’ll reconsider.”

Namora bows to him and exits the hut. He stands up and looks around his home, realizing what a true mess it is after his outburst. He gets to work cleaning it up. He picks up the shelves and puts the items back in their rightful place; Uuka’s books, Miya’s toys, and Shuri’s clothes.

He goes out to the kitchen area and a handmaiden moves aside as he takes cleaning supplies out from a locked cabinet. She offers to clean for him but he respectfully declines. 

He mops the blood off the ground and while it dries, he floats above it to dust various areas. Eventually, his hut is sparkling clean and it’s making him feel better. He catches another glimpse at himself in the mirror and makes a face, noticing that his skin is still stained with enemy blood. 

He bathes in the cenote where his plate of food is left for him on the edge. He swims over to it and eats it slowly, unsurprised that it fails to compare to his wife’s cooking. He eats it all nonetheless, wanting her to believe that he has been taking care of himself this entire time. 

“Aj K’uk’ulkan?” Namora asks mid-bite. “You have a meeting with the elders from South Talokan. Would you like me to cancel it and tell them you're still under the weather?” 

‘’Yes, please. And tell them that I apologize sincerely for it and if they have any emergency needs to send the list back with you.” 

“Understood.”

K’uk’ulkan is grateful he still has one person in his life he can depend on. 

After Namora leaves, K’uk’ulkan climbs out of the cenote and walks with a towel around his waist back to his hut. He changes into a green wetsuit that squeezes all of his muscles perfectly and exposes his chest down to his pelvis. He remembers when his wife used to lick him all that area and his cock throbs at the memory. 

He wants to throttle and scream at that woman just as much as he wants to kiss and fuck her. 

He puts his hands on his hips as he looks around at anything he might’ve missed and he sees something happening in the corner of his eye. He faces his mirror and his heart races seeing it start to change.

There’s a Feathered Serpent God looking back at him, but it’s not his reflection. K’uk’ulkan takes a giant step back as the look-alike speaks calmly. 

“I have to be certain that I opened the right portal. Are you currently missing your wife, Shuri, and two children, Uuka and Miya?” 

K’uk’ulkan’s eyes are stinging hearing the name of his beautiful family. He nods without words and the other version of him speaks again. 

“May I step through and have a word with you?” 

“Ah…Of course, of course.” K’uk’ulkan - unsure of what’s happening but knowing it has to be something huge - takes a giant step backward and the stranger enters. The portal behind him that shows the other Feathered Serpent God’s hut remains open. K’uk’ulkan has a clear view of his hammock and can’t see his wife or children lying on it. 

“To make this easier, you can call me ‘Namor’ although I am not your enemy. Your son asked me to summon you. Your wife and your children have been living in Wakanda with my…atan. Your Shuri sought her out looking for an escape. She said you two were having difficulties although I don’t know what that is. She misses you, though. Your children miss you. I told your son I would talk to you before I take you with me to see them.” 

K’uk’ulkan wants to fall to his knees and praise Chaac for his miracle he has been praying for. He’s too overjoyed knowing he’s finally going to see his beloved family again that he doesn’t care that his wife has been in proximity with this extremely handsome stranger. 

“Please, come sit at my table. I’ll have one of my handmaidens make us xocolatl.” 

Namor smiles at him. “I’d appreciate that, Aj K’uk’ulkan. Thank you.”  

K’uk’ulkan exits his hut as soon as Namor is sitting down and he encounters Namora, who notices the change in his expression. 

“I’m about to get them back, my child. This is what we’ve been praying for.” 

Curious to see what he’s talking about, Namora pulls the curtain back and her eyes widen seeing a second god-king sitting inside. She closes it immediately. 

“He’s from the universe the queen escaped to?” 

“From what he’s said so far, yes.” 

Namora, knowing that the other god must have sensitive ears, communicates through sign language. 

“And she didn’t…You know…” 

K’uk’ulkan’s jaw clenches, not wanting to think about that very high possibility right now. “Make us two mugs of xocolatl, please.” 

“Yes, Aj K’uk’ulkan.” 

He re-enters the hut and sits directly across from Namor, listening to the steady beating of his heart. It’s a good sign that he isn’t nervous at all. It means he has nothing to hide. 

“So…My wife has been living with your wife this entire time. Must be quite something seeing two gorgeous women like that together.” 

“She’s not my atan yet,” Namor admits with a quiet laugh that K’uk’ulkan grins at. “The word comes from me out of habit. We are going to get married soon.” 

“Why, congratulations. Be sure to cherish her properly or she might break the rules of the multiverse to escape you.” 

“...I plan on it.”

“Mmhm.” K’uk’ulkan thanks Namora after she sets the xocolatl down. He picks up his mug and blows on it. “What has that wife of mine been up to in your world?” 

“Spending a lot of time with your children and my Shuri. They’ve gotten very close. I’d say they’re best friends at this point.” Namor drinks his xocolatl slowly, wearing a pleased expression when the taste is similar to how he makes his own. “You two have done well raising your son and daughter. They’re very sweet, intelligent children.” 

K’uk’ulkan swallows and maintains that neutral grin. “Don’t do this.” 

“Do what?” 

“Sweet talk. That always happens before I get fucked and I didn’t see you step in here with any lubricant so tell me exactly why you’re here.” 

Namor sets his mug down and clears his throat. “As I said before, your son wanted me to speak with you. He wants you to work your issues out with his mother in a peaceful way before coming home.”

K’uk’ulkan’s fingers strum against the wooden table top. “And what does my wife want, Namor? Has she explicitly mentioned wanting to fix our marriage?”

“No, but she did mention the love you two used to know. I could see it in her eyes when she talks about you that it’s still there.”

K’uk’ulkan is torn between wanting to hear him out further and wanting to gouge out his eyes for looking at his wife that deeply. His wings flutter underneath the table the more he considers the first option.

“I love my Shuri tremendously. That is one thing that has never changed. We aren’t perfect but I believe that would be incredibly boring if we were.”

”I understand and believe me when I say I’m far from perfect myself. I…caused the death of my Shuri’s mother.”

K’uk’ulkan’s eyebrows shoot up from behind his mug. What a fucking monster. This is the kind of man she’s had his children around? 

“And you two are getting married?”

”Yes. I realize every day how blessed I am to have her after what I did. I believe it’ll benefit you if you were the same with your wife.”

K’uk’ulkan sets his xocolatl on the table. “I don’t like this attitude you’ve brought into my home, Namor. You might be another version of me, but you have zero clue what my thoughts, feelings, and experiences are.”

”I apologize if it came out that way, but I mean no harm. I want to help your marriage because your wife helped my relationship. I owe it to her.”

K’uk’ulkan can only imagine the ways his promiscuous wife “helped” him. He’s had enough of the preaching. He can get Shuri by himself and he’ll drag her back here kicking and screaming if he has to. 

Namor grunts as his head is slammed down by an unseen force. He can feel it inside him, crushing him and making him unable to move, and he doesn’t understand until his eyes land on K’uk’ulkan’s twitching fingers. “W-What are you…doing to me…?”

“My pretty little Shuri didn’t tell you everything about me, did she?” K’uk’ulkan slides his chair right up to Namor and lifts his chin off the table, forcing him to look at nothing else but him. “I’m not going to kill you yet since you opened that portal, but once I find out that you touched my atan, I’m going to murder you in front of her and your soon-to-be widow. For now, have a great sleep.” 

K’uk’ulkan reaches behind him for his mallet on the wall and strikes Namor as hard as he can in the back of his head. The other Feathered-Serpent God falls off the chair and onto the ground. 

He stands over Namor’s body. Seeing his twin’s beard makes him thankful he has been growing his out. His eyes drift lower. All the man wears is a pair of tiny, tiny shorts. K’uk’ulkan has a similar pair somewhere. 

As far as Namor’s muscle and tone goes, K’uk’ulkan decides that he himself is the one with the better body. If he can get everything else right, nobody else in that world should notice a difference between the two of them. 

He trims and shapes his beard to look identical to Namor’s and after he slips on the shorts, K’uk’ulkan shakes his head. This guy just shows off all day long wearing these, letting everything hang out. 

Namora enters the hut and gasps at the sight of the unconscious god-king. 

“Is he-“

“He’s taking a little nap, that’s all.” K’uk’ulkan yanks him up and presses his cheek against his while grinning. “What do you think, my child? Did I get it right?” 

“You are the splitting image of each other. What do you need me to do with him while you take his place?”

“Nothing. He’ll still be out by the time I return with Shuri and the children. And thank you again for the xocolatl. That hit the spot.”

Namora smiles at the compliment and K’uk’ulkan breaches the unknown by walking through the portal. Once he’s on the other side, he covers Namor’s mirror with a blanket. As soon as he steps out, he sees Attuma and Namora approaching him. 

“Aj K’uk’ulkan, are you ready to visit West Talokan?”

He ignores Namora’s question for a second as he stares in between Attuma’s legs. He can somewhat see the bulge through his skirt. His cock hasn’t been chopped off in this universe. He mustn’t have fucked Namor’s wife. 

“I actually have some last-minute business to handle in Wakanda but I’ll be there shortly.” 

Attuma and Namora are convinced enough to leave him alone as they dive into the water. He waits a few minutes before diving in next and heading toward Wakanda where his wife and children are. 

Once he’s close to the familiar beach, he shoots out of the water and flies above the various cities. He notices something in the forest that makes him freeze mid-air. 

Uuka and Miya are down below, observing the flowers. 

A painful lump forms in his throat as he descends to them, not caring about blowing his cover. As soon as he lands, Uuka whips his head around and squints at him before his eyes grow large. 

“...Baba?” 

He cannot hide himself from the ones who know him best. 

“Mehen…”

K’uk’ulkan is able to hold back his tears until Uuka jumps into his arms. He soon feels Miya holding onto his leg tightly and kissing his knee. He kneels and holds onto both of them as strong as he can without hurting them, kissing each of their foreheads. 

“I’ve missed you two so damn much…”

“We’ve missed you, too, Baba. Did Mr. Namor tell you to come find me?” 

K’uk’ulkan looks his son right in the eyes. “He did. We had a very pleasant conversation. What are the two of you doing out here by yourselves?” 

“Miya’s teacher allowed me to take her to go see the ladybugs since I finished my test early. We’re about to go back.” There’s a twinkle in his hopeful eyes. “Are you gonna go see Mama and apologize?”

“That’s exactly what I’m going to do. Then the four of us will head home and do anything you want. Don’t tell anyone you saw me, though, alright? I’m sure they didn’t react well when your mother first appeared here and I’m not trying to cause a commotion.”

“Yeah, that was a bit crazy!” Uuka laughs. “I won’t say anything, Baba. Can we talk after you’re done with Mama?” 

“Of course, mehen. I’m sure you have a lot to tell me.” 

K’uk’ulkan kisses them again and allows Miya to tuck a flower behind his pointed ear. He watches with a heavy heart as his babies walk to the school house holding hands, not wanting to let go of them again but knowing this is going to be very, very temporary. 

He closes his eyes and listens for his wife’s distinct heartbeat. He hears it along with the sound of running water. She’s in the shower. 

K’uk’ulkan shoots back up into the sky and lands on the familiar balcony. He turns the knob to find the door unlocked and steps in, catching some steam from her very hot shower seeping out from underneath the space of the wood. 

He sits on the edge of the bed and waits, eventually hearing the water turn off and his Shuri’s lovely sighing after relaxing. He straightens up as the doorknob moves and she steps out with her beautiful body covered in a white towel. She gasps in fright seeing him there. 

“Bast, Namor. You scared me. Shuri isn’t back until tomorrow, remember?” 

One look at her and his plan to deceive her back fires. She looks like an angel, with some parts of her body shimmering from the water. 

He rises to his feet and approaches her as she stands with her back against the wall. Each step he takes, the more her dark irises grow and her lower lip trembles.

K’uk’ulkan unties the knot keeping her towel together and it falls to her dainty feet. His breath is shaky as he touches her neck first, feeling her pulse point there, and then his hands trail down to her breasts that he lifts up and she cries. 

“No…”

Her skin is soft, warm, and electric in his palm. She’s real. She’s real and she’s here. 

All of the rage that has been building up dissipates as she’s melting under his touch. His beautiful sun is more radiant than before and her heartbeat is singing in his ears. 

He’s never letting her out of sight again. 

He ghosts his fingers along her torso and then drags his knuckles up her side until he’s clutching her throat again. He hears that faint gagging sound he loves so much before loosening his grip to one hand only. He takes the flower Miya gave him and places it behind her ear instead. He licks her tears right off her cheek and whispers to her quivering mouth. 

“I found you, ilanga.”

Chapter Text

Wakanda 

Queen Shuri’s back presses against the soft comforter of the bed that no longer feels safe as her husband lies on top of her. She feels her entire body shaking underneath him as he gently runs his knuckles down her right cheek. 

“Where’s my kiss, atan?” He smiles warmly at her while her lips continue to tremble. “Hm? We’ve been apart for months and you can’t give your husband a kiss?” 

Her stinging eyes close and she purses her lips for him, knowing she can’t get out of it. Not yet. She feels the heat of his mouth on hers and he licks at her tongue, taking it deeper and deeper. Her body betrays her and she moans softly with her legs hooking around him. He’s growing rock solid against her and she allows him to touch her and kiss her however he pleases as she comes up with a plan. 

There’s only one way he could’ve gotten into this world. A portal opened by his counterpart. Uuka must’ve given Namor the book and she shouldn’t have been so fucking stupid to leave it where her son could easily find it. She should’ve known with all that talk about wanting to see his baba again. 

Did K’uk’ulkan kill Namor? There’s no way he would’ve let her husband come here by himself willingly. Asking K’uk’ulkan about it might result in rage, accusing her of being his lover and his jealousy will destroy this world. 

She can’t do that. 

All she can do is pray that Namor is somehow okay, that Shuri stays away a bit longer, and that K’uk’ulkan is in a place where can’t hurt anyone. 

She sucks on his tongue when he squeezes one of her breasts and he groans. That large hand slides up to her throat and holds it while he whispers to her open mouth. 

“Put some clothes on and let’s get you home where you can be taught a lesson.” 

Her eyes shoot open. That can mean so many things and the one she fears the most is the likely choice. She cannot let him take her. She will lose in his domain. 

“Wait, iicham,” she whispers while running her hands up and down his muscular arms. She hates that she’s speaking so sickeningly sweet to him, but it’s the only means of convincing. “There’s a soundproof room underneath this citadel. Why should we wait until we make it home? You can do it here…while the children are at school and we’re completely alone.” 

K’uk’ulkan’s eyes have a fire to them that frightens her further. It’s nothing bright or warm. It’s cold and deadly. A dark flame. The hand on her neck tightens some more. 

“You’ve lost my trust, Shuri. Why would I do anything you ask of me?” 

She knows her heart must be pounding like a jackhammer in his ears. She slides a hand in between their bodies and pulls his shorts down. She takes his cock and rubs the tip against her damp folds. Sparks are starting to appear in his pupils as he clenches his jaw and fights against the noises she knows he wants to make. 

“Meent’ uts, táatah,” she pleads in his language as she strokes him. “If I’m lying to you, you’re still going to do whatever you want to me in that room. You know I’m helpless against you. Everyone is. You’re the greatest warrior to have ever existed. Nobody compares to you. Nobody can win against you.”

He grits his teeth when she has the tip intrude her. He slaps her wrist out of the way and crawls off her. 

“Clean this off.” 

She can see the precum on the head and with a shaky breath, she moves toward him as he sits on the edge of the bed. She swirls her tongue around slowly, tasting both of them, wishing she could bite the fucking thing off without dying. She lifts her head, meeting his lethal gaze. 

“Does my king require anything else?” 

“Put some clothes on,” he tells her in his deep, husky voice. “Quickly. We have a lot to discuss.” 

Queen Shuri nods and presses her lips against his cheek before going to the closet. She can feel K’uk’ulkan staring at her backside as she slips into her golden dress that matches the serpent jewels on her arms. 

K’uk’ulkan’s still giving her those dark, smoldering eyes as she approaches him with her fang-toothed necklace. 

“Mind putting this on for me?” 

Once he takes it, she turns around and moves her braids off to the side. As he clasps it around her neck, she shivers at the sensation of his warm breath and his rough fingers. 

“Are you ready to take me to that…room now?” 

“I think so,” Queen Shuri tells him as innocently as possible and he snakes an arm around her, keeping her glued to his hip as they exit the bedroom. They see M’Baku down the corridor, looking at them in confusion.

“Is that another one of your boyfriends you had during your vacation?”

“No, bozo,” she snaps at him, forgetting the softness she was supposed to display. “I fed him sometimes. That’s it.” 

“Might as well be bearing one of his children!” 

At that moment, she hears K’uk’ulkan’s stomach gurgling loudly. She’s noticing now that although he’s still muscular and thick, he has lost some weight in his belly area. 

“Have you been eating?” 

“Yes.”

“You can tell me the truth, sthandwa.” She pauses and reaches a hand up to cup his chin, careful not to be too rough and reveal her strength yet. “You love my cooking and you’ve been eating it for ten years straight. Do you want to stop by the kitchen and I’ll feed you so we don’t argue on an empty stomach?” 

K’uk’ulkan is searching her eyes for the truth and she keeps herself collected. She doesn’t care if he starves to death, but stalling is always good. If Namor is still alive, there’s a chance he might come to her aid before they make it to the training room. If not, she’s not going to go down without a fight. She wants to do more than break his heart. She wants him to feel the physical pain he put her through, even though she knows she’s going to lose in the end. 

“Come on, iicham. Let me spoil you like I used to. I owe it to you after leaving with the children and making you worry yourself thin.” 

K’uk’ulkan doesn’t look away from her as M’Baku stands in front of them now. The king of Wakanda clears his throat. 

“Queen Shuri… I thought that the Black Panther was with Fish- I mean, K’uk’ulkan.” 

“Oh, she is. We have an agreement. She’s letting me take care of him while she’s in Haiti. A man has his needs, ya know?” 

M’Baku clears his throat yet again, awkwardly looking between the two especially since K’uk’ulkan is paying zero attention to him. 

“I never understood the appeal of polyamory… But I do not wish to know any further information about your strange relationship. K’uk’ulkan, I came here to inform you that our meeting will have to be postponed until Friday. There is some business I have to handle in Jabariland.” 

K’uk’ulkan grabs her by the ass and pulls her into him while he glances at M’Baku. 

“She’ll no longer be cooking for you. She’s mine.” 

M’Baku holds his hands up and chuckles nervously. “Relax, brother… As I’ve mentioned, I want no involvement in whatever this is. I’ll see you on Friday.” 

“You can stop squeezing me there so tight,” Queen Shuri murmurs as soon as M’Baku is out of sight. “I’m not going anywhere.” 

“That’s what you said once before and I found you drugged out about to get assaulted by two men you allowed to-” K’uk’ulkan closes his eyes and she swears she sees the pain of the memory pulsating in his eyelids before he reopens them. He speaks in a softer tone and his hold on her eases up. “We will eat - together - and then you may take me to that room.” 

Shuri takes him by the hand and guides him to the kitchen where she washes her hands at the sink while he sits and watches her cook for him, checking out every single one of her angles as a fire burns inside him. 

She’s a liar. 

She’s plotting.

Whether it’s his death or something else. 

But he wants to see how far she’ll get before she realizes what a poor decision she’s going to make. 

He frowns as her back is turned to him. 

Doesn’t she know how much he loves her? Doesn’t she know that he’d burn the entire damn world for her? Doesn’t she know that he wants to save what sliver of a chance they have at a happy marriage? Doesn’t she know that he would kill for her? That he would die for her? That she has her roots in him, that she controls his thoughts, that she is in every beat of his tainted heart? 

He feels his eyes watering and he quickly looks away until it stops. 

“Here you go.” 

In this unfamiliar kitchen where he has eaten a few times in his own universe, K’uk’ulkan stares at the wide assortment of foods his wife has set down in front of him. Instead of sitting on the opposite end, she pulls her chair up next to him and stabs the fork into some salmon.

“This looks like the last meal they serve to inmates before execution.”

“You said you were hungry, didn’t you? Open your mouth.” She feeds him the small piece of fish and after swallowing, he feeds her some as well. 

He watches it travel down her throat and he realizes it’s not poison. She’s not going to use that trick this time. She’s going to destroy him in a different way.

His eyes follow her tongue as she lubricates her lips.

“If it were our last meal, K’uk’ulkan, we’d have some sins to confess.” 

“If you keep looking at me like that, we’re going to have some more sins to make.” 

She shows her teeth to him as she laughs softly. The strings on his heart tug when he sees her dimples. He hasn’t seen them in so long. He hasn’t heard that laughter in so long. 

“Let’s save that for the room, yeah? Eat while it’s warm.” 

Their mouths end up becoming too full to have any conversation and it’s for the best. K’uk’ullkan can hear people lurking in these hallways, curious to know what ‘the clone’ is doing with the Black Panther’s paramour. 

At least it’s putting him at ease that maybe his wife didn’t have anything emotional or sexual going on with Namor. 

Maybe he won’t kill him. 

They backtrack to the bedroom after they help each other clean the dishes in silence and she has him brush his teeth and wash his hands with her. She’s stalling for some reason  and he doesn’t understand why. There’s nothing to save her from. Her heart is racing like she thinks he’s going to kill her and that couldn’t be further from the truth. 

Perhaps fuck her until she’s in love again. 

But he could never kill her… No matter what she’s done to him. She’s his atan, his queen, and the mother of his children. She’s not perfect but she’s enough. She’s everything. 

She needs to be reminded of who she belongs to and where she belongs to. That’s all. 

They walk through an empty laboratory and to a door in front of a steel wall. She presses a button and talks into the speaker. 

“Griot, it’s Ix Kan. Can you let me in?” 

“Yes, Ix Kan?” 

“Ix Kan?” He asks her as the doors slide open. They step into an all-white room with nothing inside except for a hunk of metal in the corner. “Is that your name now?” 

“Griot,” she continues as she stands in front of him. “Do not let anyone in or out of this room.” 

“Yes, Ix Kan.”

K’uk’ulkan stares down at his little wife and tilts his head. “How intense is our discussion going to get, Shuri?” 

Her expression remains stoic. “Let me see your hands, iicham.” 

He gives them to her and she holds on tightly while they make eye contact. Yes, she’s his little wife, but right now, she’s larger than life by the way she stands fearlessly before him. 

“There were so many times where it petrified me to be in the same room as you. It still does. N’Jadaka told me when we first got married that abuse isn’t always visible, but you left marks inside and out.” Her thumbs massage circles on the meat of his palm while he grows breathless at her words. “Sometimes, I think you delighted in verbally stripping away my integrity. And…” 

“Atan-” 

“I’m not finished.”

He closes his mouth and everything starts to feel heavier when he sees her eyes prickling with tears. 

“There’s a lot that I did wrong in our marriage. I was a teenager when you married me and my personality has never been soft. I was disrespectful when I shouldn’t have been. I lied to you. I cheated and innocent people lost their lives because of me. I’m a mess, always have been, but hoping I won’t always be.” Her fingers interlock with his and her tear-stained face is destroying him. Her lips curl back and she snarls at him. “But you have never apologized for anything you’ve done to me. You don’t deserve to be called iicham. You abandoned your rights as husband the first time you raped me. And you didn’t stop there.” 

Her heart rate elevates and she’s quaking with rage. To hear her say that out loud is making K’uk’ulkan weak.  

“Shuri, I-” 

“You kept doing it. You’d stop and be loving and then you’d do it again and then you’d stop. I thought… Hey, why do I keep fighting this marriage? Why don’t I love him, flaws and all, and learn to be happy? He’s not that bad. And you weren’t, K’uk’ulkan. I was so ready to be the best wife and queen I could be.” She shakes her head and licks the tears off her lips while K’uk’ulkan’s eyes mist over. “And then you forced me into that sick, sadistic ritual. You put that beautiful obsidian heart in my mouth to keep me quiet so you couldn’t hear my screams and pleas.” 

“Ilanga, I know how wrong I was now. Please…” He wants to gather up in his arms and make her feel all of his love. But he can’t move. 

Her voice falls into a whisper as she stares down at their hands. “There’s so much more I want to say to you. So much. But as I stand here reminding myself of why I ran from you, I realize that it was never the right choice to make. I should’ve broken you more than I already did.” 

K’uk’ulkan’s eyes widen and a scream rips through his throat as white-hot pain surges throughout his hands. He can faintly feel the flesh of his wife leaving him and his arms are shaking as he sees that all ten fingers have been snapped backwards, breaking them all and rendering them useless.  

“Shuri, what did you do!?” 

His question is roared in the direction where he last saw her, but she’s gone. Before he can turn his head, something pierces his abdomen and leaves a viscous stinging sensation within him. His blood drips to the white tiles as he glances down to see a claw mark; a deep gash that has cut through his flesh. 

Another strikes his back unexpectedly and there's a breeze in his hair as a body flips over him. 

His wife is standing in front of him, wearing a tight black and purple panther suit that covers her from head to toe. 

“Griot.” 

“Yes, Ix Kan?” 

“Turn up the heat.” 

Haiti 

Shuri brings her knees to her chest as the Haitian beach’s breeze kisses her face. She cheers when Toussaint finally gets his sandcastle as high as it can go without toppling over and being destroyed by the tide. 

“Yes! What are you going to do next!?”

Toussaint rubs his chin as he thinks deeply about the question, and then he’s snapping his fingers. 

“Oh! I’m going to decorate it with shells! Gotta make sure no hermit crabs are in them, though! They won’t be too happy with me!”

“Good thinking.” 

Shuri watches her nephew resume working hard on his creation and that same old lump that appears every time she’s with him returns. There’s no denying who his father is. He has T’Challa’s entire face. 

Mama wasn’t lying when she said a piece of her brother remains with them. 

Well… 

Now he just remains with Shuri. 

She shakes the sad thought away as Nakia sits down beside her. Her sister-in-law puts an arm around her as they take in the warm sun. 

“So what was this important thing you came here to tell us?” 

Shuri knows the conversation is going to get awkward eventually, so she rips the band aid right off.

“I’m getting married, Sisi. To Namor.” 

She watches as Nakia’s face switches from excitement to shock and then concern. Nakia grabs her hands and whispers quietly. 

“Did he threaten you into doing it?” 

“What? No.”

“Are you doing this to secure the alliance, then? Make sure he doesn’t drown Wakanda again? I’m sorry. I don’t understand.” 

“No, Sisi. I’m not marrying him for any benefits other than becoming his wife. Look, a lot has happened the last few months that you’re not going to believe or understand but Namor and I have been spending a lot of time together and… I love him. I know I shouldn’t, I know it’s wrong, but I can’t deny my feelings for him. I love him and I’m going to marry him.”

Nakia opens and closes her mouth a few times before facing the ocean. She remains silent and ignoring Shuri as Toussaint slides up to his auntie. 

“You’re getting married!?”

Despite being hurt by - yet understanding - Nakia’s reaction, Shuri smiles at her nephew. “I am. I don’t have a date yet, but I’d love it if you and your mama could come to the wedding.” 

“Toussaint,” Nakia says suddenly without looking at either of them. “Can you go inside and get more sunscreen, please?” 

“Yes, Mama!”

Shuri glances over her shoulder and watches as her nephew runs inside the small house. She hears Nakia sigh.

“You want me to go against your brother’s wishes of keeping Toussaint hidden from Wakanda so we can witness the marriage between you and your mother’s killer?”

“I don’t know if it’s going to be in Wakanda yet but most likely not since everyone is going to react the way you are.” Shuri can start to feel her inner Queen coming out, remembering what her counterpart told her. “Namor has made his amends and it’s always going to be difficult between us, but I can’t explain it, Nakia. I love him and he loves me and that’s all that matters. I wanted you to be aware so you’re not shocked when you receive an invite in the mail. I don’t care if you accept it or burn it.”

The two women stare hard at each other as Toussant returns with the bottle of sunscreen in his hand and Shuri’s beads in the other. 

“Auntie! This thing was going off like crazy!”

Shuri takes it from him and glances around to make sure nobody is watching before she checks out the notification. She has an alert that someone has entered the training room. She narrows her eyes and opens up the video app to view one of the small cameras inside. She zooms into the hologram, watching in confusion as Namor and Queen Shuri engage in a battle. 

“Why is he training her alone? We were supposed to give it a break while I was gone…” 

Nakia leans in close without Shuri realizing it until it’s too late. “Is this an old recording of the two of you play fighting?” 

“Dang, Auntie! You don’t look like you did too good!”

Shuri gasps as Namor wraps his forearm around Queen Shuri’s throat. He’s whispering something into her ear as she’s biting hard into his skin and flailing her legs around. Something… 

Something isn’t right. 

Shuri moves away from her family as she listens to the audio in case it’s too explicit. 

“Is this what you want, ilanga!?” 

“K’uk’ulkan…” Shuri whispers to herself in horror when she realizes what’s going on. 

The queen’s husband has somehow gotten into Wakanda. Now Queen Shuri is all by herself, fighting for her life. 

The Black Panther can hear Nakia and Toussaint asking a million questions while she calls Namor in a daze. Her foot taps against the sand impatiently, waiting for him to respond but it dials and dials and dials. It does it every single time she tries and it hits her that K’uk’ulkan most likely encountered Namor before anyone else. 

She calls Okoye in a panic and the former general’s face appears on screen. 

“Shuri-” 

“Okoye. I need you to get to my lab immediately with the other Midnight Angels and the Dora Milaje. Namor’s counterpart is inside the training room fighting Queen Shuri and she’s struggling.” 

Okoye doesn’t hesitate to get on the move. Shuri can feel anticipation building in her belly as she opens up a second hologram and sends a signal to one of the pilot to come and get her. 

“Sisi.” Nakia touches her shoulder from behind. “What’s going on? What do you mean ‘Queen Shuri’? Is there another royalty visiting Wakanda with your name?” 

“Yeah, and who’s Namor and what’s a counterpart?” 

Shuri’s heart thumps wildly in her chest as she watches Okoye enter the lab with everyone in tow. Griot is not granting her access. 

“Hold me up to it! Now!”

Okoye brings her beads up to the speaker of the door and Shuri shouts, 

“Griot! Open up!”

“I am sorry, Princess. Only Ix Kan has access.” 

“GRIOT! OPEN UP! NOW!”

“I am sorry, Princess. Only-” 

Shuri groans loudly as Griot repeats what he already said. She runs to the hut and scrambles to pack her bag as Nakia and Toussaint hang in the doorway. 

“Shuri, you have to tell me what’s going on. It’s scary seeing you this way.” 

“You’re not going to understand,” she mutters as she throws her backpack over her shoulder. “I have to go. I love you guys.” 

“Is Namor harming Wakanda again!?”

Shuri pauses with her hand on the front doorknob. She takes a few deep breaths and addresses Nakia without turning around. 

“The reason I am in a frantic hurry like this is because Namor might be dead and my best friend is in danger. I am not going to lose another loved one after what I’ve been through. Excuse me.” 

With tears in her eyes, Shuri runs to the shoreline where an invisible plane is already there, waiting to take her away. 

Talokan 

“I wish that Aj K’uk’ulkan was present during this meeting,” an elder from South Talokan tells Attuma and Namora. “But I understand there are pressing matters in Wakanda to handle. Please send him my best and tell him I hope to see him soon.” 

“We will, Abund,” Attuma tells the old man kindly and the two faithful warriors fake their smiles as the remainder of the South Talokanil swim away. Namora slaps Attuma’s chest. 

“Something occurred to me during that meeting.” 

“Is it the fact that the Black Panther is currently in Haiti and K’uk’ulkan refuses to go there if she’s missing?” 

Namora points at him. “So you find that strange as well.” 

“Do you think that he’s messing around with the Black Panther’s twin?” 

“You know he’s too faithful for that.” 

Attuma narrows his eyes. “So what do you think it is? Clearly, he was too busy to come to this meeting and handle Talokanil affairs.” 

Namora tenses as she thinks. “I don’t know… But something isn’t right. Let’s go back to the caves and see if he’s in his hut. Maybe he did  have business with the king of Wakanda and this meeting with South Talokan slipped his mind.” 

Attuma nods and they swim back to the sacred caves, where they’re greeted by some  of the handmaidens. They claim that they haven’t seen K’uk’ulkan, but Namora isn’t buying it until she has confirmation with her own eyes. 

She feels Attuma grabbing her arm from behind her. 

“What are you doing!? Nobody is allowed to go inside K’uk’ulkan’s hut without his permission!”

Namora yanks her arm away from him. “If he’s not in there, there is no issue. If he is, I’ll tell him I was concerned. You stay out here, though. He favors me more.” 

Attuma mocks her and she pulls the privacy curtain back. It doesn’t take her long to see that her god-king is not inside. She’s about to walk away when something catches her eye. There’s a book on the floor, flipped open to certain pages. She enters fully with Attuma now following her after she nods at him. 

He bends down to retrieve the book and they study the words written together, realizing that it’s a spell to open a portal to another world. 

“Huh. Do you think this is how the Black Panther’s twin got here?” 

Namora rereads it a few times and pulls her eyebrows together when it mentions a mirror. She looks up to see K’uk’ulkan’s mirror is covered with a red fabric. 

Purposely placed there. 

She puts a finger to her lips when she looks at Attuma once more. The two of them can hear faint noises coming from behind the fabric. They nod at each other and Attuma steps forward to yank it down. 

Namora gasps when she sees K’uk’ulkan on the floor with dried blood on his face. She shoots her arm through the mirror, realizing that she can feel the wall on the other side. She runs through the portal with Attuma and they kneel beside their unconscious god-king. 

“Quick! Grab that container and fill it with water!” Namora commands Attuma and the large soldier listens, careful to peek outside and make sure nobody is watching him as he takes off to one of the pools. 

Attuma returns with a full container and dumps it on his god-king’s face. Almost instantly, K’uk’ulkan is sitting up and gasping for air. He reaches up and clings to his children. 

“Thank you,” he coughs a few times after realizing that these two are his. “Thank you, my children. We…We have to go to Wakanda. He’s going to kill her.” 

“Who?” Namora asks quietly as she rubs his back. 

“This universe’s K’uk’ulkan. He’s going to either kill or hurt his wife and she needs us. Let’s go.” 

They help their god-king to his feet but before they can leave, a spear travels through the air. Namor catches it blindly and the three of them see Earth-1113’s Namora standing in the entryway. She’s breathing heavily and planning her next attack. 

Namor calms his two soldiers down as he drops the spear and approaches her. 

“I know you’re faithful to your K’uk’ulkan and I respect it very much. But you know he hasn’t been himself. My intention isn’t to harm him. It’s to help bring the royal family back here peacefully and together. You understand that’s what he needs. Please… Let’s keep the peace between us as well, from one Talokanil to another. We are the same no matter what universe we come from.” 

The other Namora darts her eyes between all three of them before finally settling on Namor again. 

“If he does not return here, your universe will collapse.” 

“I understand. My people would do the same for me.” 

The other Namora glances at her counterpart, searching for the truth. She must see something she trusts because she turns her back to them and exits the hut without another word. 

On their way through Namor’s own hut, he snatches up the Kimoyo beads Shuri gave him and wraps it around his face. He sees he missed one too many calls from her and returns it in a hurry as he zooms through the water with Attuma and Namora. 

“Oh, thank Bast, thank Bast, thank Bast…” 

Namor smiles sadly at her beautiful face as she sobs. He can see that she’s on a plane. 

“Why are you crying, my princess?” 

“I thought he killed you…I thought I lost you…” 

It hurts him to see her break down like this, but it also warms his cold heart that he thought stopped existing when his mother died. 

Shuri loves him. 

That goddess loves him. 

“No. It takes more than that to kill me. I wish I was there to dry your tears. Don’t cry, okay? I’m fine. I’m here.” 

Shuri sniffles and looks at him with those large, tender eyes. “Namor… I don’t know if I’m going to make it to Wakanda in time. Queen Shuri is currently fighting for her life inside the training room against her husband. Can you try using all your strength to break the door down?” 

“You can count on me.”

She blows him a kiss and he hangs up, swimming at lightning speed through the Atlantic. He has to leave Namora and Attuma behind as he soars to the citadel, where a Dora Milaje member is waiting outside to let him in. 

He enters the lab and sees everyone standing around the training room, either trying their best to get inside or pressing their ears against the wall to try and listen to whatever is happening, not realizing that it’s soundproof. They all move out of the way as Namor uses all of his strength to break the door, but of course, his Shuri’s brilliant mind has built it with the strongest vibranium inside. He barely makes a dent. 

Namor doesn’t stop, determined to bust it down, determined to save Queen Shuri’s life. Right when he’s starting to get close, his sensitive nose detects a scent. 

Burning rubber. 

The door is growing hot, too. 

His eyes widen. 

“Move back! Everyone! Get out of the way!”

They all make it to the opposite side and shortly after, an explosion is heard, followed by smoke seeping through the cracks.

He controls all of his bloodbending with his fingers. That’s why she went for them first. She circles the bleeding, broken, clawed-up serpent, waiting for him to make a move so she can dodge it. There’s no way she can survive multiple hits from him but with persistence and the heat, she might be able to wear him out. 

K’uk’ulkan lowers his arms to his sides and laps the blood off the corner of his lip that’s falling from the gash on his cheek. 

“What is this, ilanga…? How do you now have the strength to break my bones when you could barely form a punch before?” 

“I have the power of the Black Panther coursing through my veins, given to me by Bast herself. This suit was a gift from the ones who have been training me.” 

K’uk’ulkan’s laughter starts off quiet and then gets louder, almost maniacal. 

“My love, my powers were given to me by Chaac. Do you think it’s possible for me to fear you? Look at you…” K’uk’ulkan grins as he eyes her up and down. “…In your tight, sexy outfit. Show me that beautiful face real quick.”

She doesn’t know what she’s doing, entertaining him like this. A part of her is still hoping that seduction and sweetness can play a role in her unlikely victory. If K’uk’ulkan really wanted her dead, it would’ve happened already. 

Her mask dissolves and he laughs again.

“Exactly what I thought. My warrior doesn’t have any face paint on to show she’s in battle. Come here and I’ll do it so we can begin.”

Queen Shuri keeps her claws on display, nice and sharp for him  to see. 

“I know you’ll slash me with your ich’ak again, ilanga. Let me do this and then our fight will be fair.”

“How can you paint it when your fingers are broken?”

“You’ll do that part on your own. Dip the tips of your fingers in my blood and put it on your perfect skin.”

Queen Shuri swallows harshly as she gets close enough to inhale his natural sea scent combined with the copper of his blood. She bats her eyelashes as innocently as she can at him. 

“How do I know you’re not going to hurt me like I did to you?” 

He smiles at her. “It’s a risk you’ll have to take, my sweet Shuri.”

Figuring that she might as well look like a badass no matter what’s going to happen, she retracts her claws on one hand and gathers a trail of blood that’s about to stain his shorts. She draws two lines across her cheek with it. 

“You need more than that, love,” he whispers and then he groans as she presses a finger into his wound to get some from the source. 

She draws two more lines on her other cheek and one straight down her forehead. She holds the back of his neck with her clawed hand and drags her tongue along the lines of the mark she left on his cheek. She can feel his erection sticking straight up and she straddles it with her thighs. 

“Even your blood tastes good, tàatah.” 

“Because we’re soulmates, no matter how you feel. You’ve made your point and everything you’ve said has affected me. I’ve been thinking about the pain I’ve caused you for a long, long time and I’ve hated myself for it. Let’s get our children and go home, atan. I’m going to be a different husband from now on.”

His chest is heaving and he appears close to fainting as sweat pours down his body. The tips of her claws break the skin on his nape and he hisses at the burn. 

“Are you saying that to get out of this heat, or do you mean it?” 

“I mean it, Shuri. There are two choices to make here. We leave this world and mend our marriage, or neither of us leaves at all.”

“It’s too late for us to be saved, K’uk’ulkan.”

Her fist comes flying toward his face and he knocks it away with his elbow. He locks his arm around her neck and chokes her, then snarls into her ear.

“Is this what you want, ilanga!?” He chokes her harder when she reaches her hands up and claws mercilessly at his face. He can hardly see with the blood and sweat pouring over his eyes. “You want us to die together !?” 

Right when she feels that oxygen is going to leave her body, he throws her to the floor. He gets on top of her and she digs her claws into the flesh of his back as deeply as she can get them. He presses his forehead against hers and groans loudly to her lips. She struggles to get up from underneath him, overwhelmed by the strength of his unmoving body. He’s not letting her go anywhere. 

As he drenches her with his sweat and they  pant heavily, their eyes meet. Unrelenting. Deadly. Bloodshot. 

Passionate. 

He leans toward her neck and kisses a trail from her ear down to her shoulder. 

“K’uk’ulkan…Don’t…”

Her weakness when it comes to him always has been how good he makes her feel sexually and he has to know that. But good sex isn’t everything. Good sex has led her into frightening, trauma-inducing, painful, non consensual sex. She cannot let him have this power over her any longer. He’s an addiction that she has to quit if she’s ever going to heal. 

“Take off this suit, atan,” he murmurs to her collarbone after kissing it. “I want to feel your hot flesh in my hands.”

Using all of her newfound strength, Shuri presses her palms against his chest and shoves him off her. She scrambles to her feet and puts up her fists as he gets into a fighting stance of his own. 

He drops his weight just a fraction, then a moment later he throws it back on his heel as she comes at him.

She blocks his sweeping high kick with her forearm but fails to throw him off balance. In turn he deflects one, two, three of her punches and catches her wrist in between his own on the fourth, using it to pull her close enough to grapple. He barely gets an arm around her before she has him with fists and elbows.

“Shuri!” K’uk’ulkan grits as she strikes him while he attempts to block with his arms, still unable to feel anything in his broken hands. She doesn’t realize that he can use his sweat to heal them in an instant. She doesn’t realize that he can paralyze her and end this fight right away. She doesn’t realize that he can stop her heart. She doesn’t realize that he loves her far too much to do any of that. He wants this to end. “Atan…There’s something I have to show you!”

His wife is fast and this is becoming a battle of speed. Her hits land as she ignores him, her focus honed to a knife’s edge. 

He has never seen her looking so beautiful before. 

He’s so distracted by her that he fails to deflect a sharp punch to the jaw that has him drooling blood. The pain lances through the left side of his face. He spits carelessly to the side so he won’t choke and the metallic taste of blood on his tongue awakens something hot and primal deep in his bones. 

Like an apex predator on the hunt, K’uk’ulkan flies at his prey and wraps his arms around her ribs like a boa constrictor. He can hear the faint cracking of her ribs as he holds against the wall and she’s crying out in agony. He keeps her arms trapped in his impossibly tight hold and she can’t defend herself. 

K’uk’ulkan is growing more nauseous and light headed by the hour. He needs water. He needs her. He needs to get out of here. 

His wings flap strongly as he keeps her above the floor. Her small feet are dangling. Her eyes are misty. 

“Ilanga, you have to quit. Turn the heat off and open the doors. Let your husband tend to your every need. I promise that I won’t be upset with you over this. I know you had to get it out of your system. It’s over.”

It can’t be over. There’s no sense of satisfaction, no point to any of this if she walks out that door in his arms. 

“You’re hurting me…”

“And I’ll heal you, my love. Turn the heat off and open the doors.” 

“Okay, K’uk’ulkan. You win. Please put me down and I’ll do whatever you say.”

He presses his mouth against hers in the form of a hard kiss and she doesn’t open her eyes until her feet touch the floor. She turns away from him to face the door, where she hears and sees someone helplessly pounding against it. 

“How am I deceitful, Shuri!? How!? You’re mine to do with what I please, you’re mine to breed, you’re mine. It has been over eight years and you still don’t understand that?”

She trembles, unable to step any further. Unable to speak. 

“You’re very lucky, Shuri. Anyone else who pulled what you did today would’ve been wrapped up in cloth with a piece of jade in their mouth. Because you’re my sun, my ilanga, you get a second chance. I’m putting my faith in you that you won’t break my trust again. You have nothing and nobody else. Don’t forget that.” 

“K’uk’ulkan…?”

The warmth of his breath is on her neck. “Yes?” 

“The last time I tried to kill you, you left me close to dying on a bed in Wakanda. What’s going to happen this time?”

“I can’t let everything you did go unpunished, Shuri. That will be part of our discussion.”

From all that has happened between them, she can’t see this getting any better. She can’t see K’uk’ulkan changing. She can’t forgive herself for the last ten years. 

It has to end here. 

They’re not making it out of this room. 

Despite the ache of her swollen, broken ribs, Shuri uses her speed to knock him flat with a sweep to the knees, overbalancing him and slamming him into the ground. His ears ring as his head hits the tiles with a dull thud. The dizzying ache, combined with his nausea from dehydration, makes it too hard to bounce back up. All he can see through blurred vision is Shuri kneeling in front of his feet. 

“Atan, what are you doing-“

His screams fill the small space of the training room as his wings are ripped completely from his ankles. Indescribable pain shoots throughout both legs and his head is spinning when he sees nothing but the humerus bones of the wings sticking out of him. She tosses his feathers at him and uses her claws to scale one of the walls, hiding in the top corner. 

Shuri is terrified at the murderous glint in his eyes once his screaming subsides. Despite what she did to him, he’s up on his feet and limping toward her, leaving a trail of his blood behind. 

“Get down here. Now.”

“Why don’t you fly up and get me?” 

His nostrils flare and a feral growl escapes his bleeding lips. 

“Atan…I gave you multiple, multiple chances. You no longer have a choice to leave here unscathed. It could’ve been different.” 

His hands press against his abdomen and Shuri panics seeing that he’s absorbing his sweat and blood to slowly heal them. One of his fingers snaps back into place and it won’t take long until he’s able to kill her from the inside. 

Her eyes land on her inactive robot. It’s her last resort. 

“Bolt.”

K’uk’ulkan’s ears twitch when he hears the sound of metallic parts moving. He glances over his shoulder to see that useless pile he noticed early getting up. It’s some sort of robot, with a box for a body, and metal parts for legs and arms. The button in the center turns green.

“Good afternoon, Ix Kan. Which mode would you like today?”

“Bolt…I need you to detonate.”

“It has been a pleasure working with you, Ix Kan.”

Shuri doesn’t know what sound to focus on next as her mask covers her face for protection. K’uk’ulkan is demanding to know what Bolt is, someone is continuing to pound at the impenetrable door, and Bolt is ticking like a bomb. 

The next thing she knows, there’s an explosion and an inferno spreads throughout the training room. The sizzling heat of a flame scorches part of her back and she cries out until it’s over. 

When all she can hear is the cackling of the fire and K’uk’ulkan’s faint groans, Shuri drops to the floor and limps weakly toward him. His body is burnt in various areas and he’s twitching every so often. His dark brown eyes are full of something she never thought she’d see. 

Fear.

Regret.

Something else. 

She takes a piece of Bolt’s arm - one of the blades the robot used to swing at her - and she straddles K’uk’ulkan’s pelvis as she holds the tip to his throat. Her tears fall uncontrollably as she looks at the fallen god-king. She wants to penetrate him and have this be over once and for all. But she can’t seem to find it in her to give that single push. 

“If you accept this gift, it means you’re accepting me as your husband.”

Shuri’s eyebrows push together and she manages to ask, “Aren't I the one who is supposed to be accepted by you , not the other way around?”

His lips curl back into a genuine smile. “I accepted you the instant you came stomping down those stairs. Will you accept me?”

Shuri opens and closes her mouth a few times before something finally comes out. “…I don’t have a choice, do I?”

“No. After meeting you, I cannot let you go.”

Shuri whimpers at the memory of when she first met him. Before this. Before everything. 

“How come I have my own pair of claws now and yours are so deeply embedded into me?” She shakes as her emotions overcome her in painful waves. “Why can’t I … Why can’t I…”

“Ilanga,” he manages weakly and lifts up his right arm. “My watch…There’s a picture that I took…I need you to see it…Need to see your face before I die…”

As she cries, Shuri takes his Kimoyo beads off and does her best to navigate the gallery after learning how to from her counterpart. Her heart stops when she sees a face beyond recognition because it’s far too mangled. 

The only identifiers are the long black hair and the turquoise earrings. 

She lowers the hologram away from her to stare at K’uk’ulkan in disbelief. 

“…Quetzalcoatl?” 

“Yes…I killed him while you were away…I should have trusted your opinion on him from the start, Shuri…I should have done better for you. I should have been better for you. I’m so sorry…” 

Her eyes squeeze shut as he gently rubs his hand against her side before his arm falls on the tiles. 

For so very, very long… 

That’s all she wanted to hear. 

An apology. 

For him to believe her. 

“Griot…”

“Yes, Ix Kan?”

“Turn on the rain.”

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Chapter Text

The rain pours down from up above, drenching the battle-torn husband and wife. He’s looking at her through heavy-lidded eyes, not saying a word. 

She stands up slowly and asks Griot to open the door. She waits in front of the metal as it pulls apart and she feels relief washing over her to see Namor there, alive and well.

“Chaac, look at you,” he murmurs while holding her shoulders. He briefly glances at all the water gathering in the training room and the broken god-king on the floor before meeting her eyes again. “But you won, didn’t you?”

Queen Shuri laughs weakly and winks at him. “I was trained by the best.”

They hear the sound of light feet running fast and the Black Panther appears, sliding into the hallway. She’s tearful as soon as she sees the two of them together and she hugs them both at the same time. 

“I thought I lost you both…” Shuri looks up at her god-king. “Thank you for saving her.”

Namor kisses her forehead. “I didn’t do anything, Princess. Ix Kan did it all on her own.”

“And now I need to finish it,” the Queen says softly as she pulls away from them. “You can send everyone home. He’s not going to do anything. Not anymore. Once Uuka and Miya get here, tell them their parents are talking and we’ll be going home soon.”

Namor and Shuri promise to do exactly that and Queen Shuri walks backward into the training room. She closes the doors and sits on K’uk’ulkan’s pelvis where she was before. The rain is already healing him; the burn marks are slowly disappearing. Her claw marks are a bit harder to get rid of. 

“What made you decide to kill Quetzalcoatl?” 

“I went to see him after I remembered you telling me about him a few days before you left. He knew too much about your disappearance and his attraction to you was painfully clear. It took only a few seconds to do it. I started with his eyes, exploding them. I broke every piece of him from the inside out before bursting his heart. I killed him as brutally as I could for you, ilanga.”

Queen Shuri knows she’s a sick, sick woman when hearing all the gory details is quietly turning her on. She fights against her needs as her fingers fall on his chest. 

“I wish you would’ve done that ten years ago.”

“I know, atan, I know.” K’uk’ulkan lifts his arms and settles his hands on her small waist, not wanting her to go anywhere or be anywhere except right here with him. “I should’ve done a lot differently. I killed Attuma because he was working as a spy this entire time trying to tear us apart.”

Her heart drops. She fell right into the trap, too. She let Attuma in her life and used him when getting her twisted revenge. Little did she know, it was all according to Quetzalcoatl’s plan. 

“But that’s not it… Xopili and Montezuma were in our caves waiting for me after I killed their father. I murdered them instantly along with their soldiers.” 

Now that part makes her cry. The rain drops are mixing with the teardrops as she hangs her head and shakes. Her best friend has lost her two oldest sons. 

“Nenetl…She…She wouldn’t be without them if I didn’t leave.” Her hands cover her face as she feels what remains of her heart breaking. “It never stops. All these innocent people get hurt because of my choices. Why…Why do I keep doing this? Why can’t I stop being such a terrible person?” 

K’uk’ulkan sits up straight all of a sudden and wraps his arms tightly around her. 

“Please stop crying, in yakunaj. I don’t want you to feel this way about yourself anymore.” He pries her hands away from her face and resumes holding her tight. She trembles nonetheless, especially seeing the warmth, the pain, and the sorrow in his brown eyes. “I played a part in it. I caused it. I drove you to make those decisions. I need you to let go of the guilt, Shuri. I don’t want you to suffer anymore.”

Her hands find his neck on his own and she clings to it while she shakes her head. “It’s hard, K’uk’ulkan. It’s so damn hard to move on. I hate myself and…  I love you. After everything… I still love you…” She sniffs loudly while his expression softens. “But I can’t forgive you and I can’t forget. Ten years of a toxic marriage can’t be fixed instantly.”

He squeezes her hips tightly and his thumb glides across the material of her suit.

“Take this off,” he whispers. “I can make you feel better, even for a moment. I can make you love yourself and your life. Take your suit off for me.”

“K’uk’ulkan…”

“Shuri. Let me care for you as a lover should. One more time. I’ll take your pain away in the best way I can. If you still believe that we can’t be fixed when we’re done, you have full power to decide our fate.”

She doesn’t know if it’s the chill of the rain, his words, or his very presence that’s making her skin prickle. Her body is telling her to give in. Her heart is, too. But her mind, the one organ of hers that never acts logically, is warning her. 

“I’m afraid to.”

“Why?” 

His question doesn’t come out as demanding or cruel. He’s being sincere. He wants to understand. 

“Because… It’s how you have a hold on me and you know it. It’s like a drug I can’t stay away from.” She can see that his eyes are red once again, but their tears are being washed away by the heavy rain that’s slowly seeping into the drain in the center of the training room. Even if it flooded in here, they’d be fine. “I had those affairs because I wanted to hurt you, but I was also looking for someone to make me feel as good as you did. I wanted your sex but not from you because of what you did… I’ve been seeking pleasure as a clutch and not something that should be a reward or something intimate. I’m an addict, K’uk’ulkan. That’s why I’m afraid.”

Confessing it for the first time sends a shock through her system that causes her to collapse into him. She goes limp in his arms and buries her face in his shoulder. He’s holding her as though he’s a mere mortal drowning in the sea and she’s his anchored float, saving his life. 

“I don’t want to feed into it if it’s making you feel this way, atan… I…” K’uk’ulkan sighs into her chest. “I haven’t had sex with you in a year, Shuri. I know I deserve the torment that has come with it, but I’m hurting more than you know. More than I let on. I want us to get the help we need but I…” 

She knows she doesn’t owe him anything. She knows he’s going to be the death of her. She knows she needs to end it all now. 

But as this big, bad, powerful, deadly man cries into her and becomes vulnerable for the first time, her heart fights for its voice and it comes off the tip of her tongue. 

“One last time, K’uk’ulkan. That’s it.” She pulls her head away from him and stares at his broken, beautiful face. “And I don’t mind the pain. We aren’t ourselves without it.” 

He doesn’t seem to believe her until her suit dissolves and she’s left in the golden dress she put on for him in the bedroom. The rain causes it to instantly cling to her body and he stares at her longingly as his hands travel up her abdomen and to her breasts. As he holds the light weight of them in his large hands, Shuri rolls her hips, creating friction between their most sensitive areas as she performs a dance on his lap. 

He hisses her name and allows his wife to move at her own rhythm. To have her this close, to feel her this way, is all he’s been wanting. 

“You always were a phenomenal dancer. I’m sorry I made you stop.”

“I’m sure you are,” she teases and it gets a grin out of him. She holds onto his shoulders and throws her head back as her entire body rolls for him now. He can’t keep his hands off her. Each part of her that he touches feels like worship. A soft moan escapes her lips as he presses deep kisses into her belly. 

“You’ve always been the only one I’ve danced for, my K’uk’ulkan… Just wanted you to know that.”

Her confession makes him squeeze the plump flesh of her ass, lifting her further up his chest and his mouth is so damn close to her precious cunt that he can’t take it anymore. Her panties rip apart with one strong tug and the rain takes the pieces away. He lifts her until she’s sitting on his shoulders and his tongue lies flat on her warm mound. Each tender lick that follows has her moaning louder than before, but it mixes with some light coughing. 

Their unique abilities allow them to breathe comfortably in water, but he knows what a nuisance heavy rains can be. He twitches his fingers that are against the smooth skin of her bottom, controlling the water and bending it to his will. 

While her thighs squeeze the sides of her husband’s head tightly, she realizes that water is no longer falling on her. She looks up and smiles in amazement at how it’s raining everywhere except on them. There are archways in front of and behind them in the shape of hearts and she laughs weakly. 

“You romantic bastard…” 

K’uk’ulkan responds by planting small kisses along her slit. Shuri closes her eyes at the sensation of his mouth on her. How badly she wants to tell him that his counterpart is nothing compared to him, but that means another argument will break out. She’ll tell him all about what she did here in this world, once they’re safely away from the others. She’ll tell him everything. She’ll tell him about her tubal ligation, about what she did to his meals, every single dirty and dark secret. She knows forgiveness won’t be possible for either of them, but they’ve hurt each other so much that the least they can do is make each other come. 

One last time.

It has to be one last time.

So she savors it all. 

Between kisses, he drags his tongue up her sex, her slick wetting it. Shuri shivers and her thighs tensed.

He makes broad laps up to her clit, again and again, lips closing around the nub and pulling each time the tip of his tongue finds it. Shuri bucks, a cry escaping her. His tongue was soft, hot, and fleshy. Each time he touches her with it, little shocks of pleasure rush through her. She’s nearly tearing his hair out. 

“K’uk’ulkan…ah…I just remembered there’s a camera in here…” 

His laughter is felt against her cunt and he lifts her up slightly so he can speak. 

“Good. They can see how it’s supposed to be done.”

He pushes her against his mouth and closes his lips around her clit, sucking hard. Her voice cracks when she moans his name and she grinds herself against his lips while her eyes dart to his. 

Intensity meeting intensity. 

It makes her legs quiver. 

“Spread them as far as you can for me, ilanga.”

Shuri isn’t sure how he’s going to do it, but she knows he won’t let her down. Her legs part wide and rest on his muscular arms and his next lick has her whole body shuddering. She stammers out his name, her hips riding his mouth helplessly. His groans of delight at finally tasting her again cause her stomach to flip pleasantly and her toes to curl. He keeps sucking and licking, sucking and licking, sucking and licking until…. 

Her head stops working, her mind wipes blank. Her body tenses, locking up tight. Her thighs clenched around his head. Her orgasm rushes through her and forces his name once again from her lips as her back arches deeply. K’uk’ulkan keeps her pinned to his mouth, showing no mercy as his tongue has her writhing. It’s not until he’s satisfied and she’s spent that he kisses her clit gently, lifts her up, and slides her down until she’s straddling his lap. Shuri is left panting and blissed out while he smirks proudly. 

“Was it what you remembered?” 

She falls off him exhaustively and lies with her back on the damp tiles. She’s not as tired as she usually gets thanks to the heart-shaped herb, but he still has the power to knock the wind out of her. She breathes in and out with her eyes closed, knowing this is far from over. 

And then there’s a vibration in between her legs. 

She lifts her head immediately and sees a tendril of water circling around her aching pussy rapidly. K’uk’ulkan is sitting there, twirling his finger and watching her intently. She digs her human nails into the tiles the faster he goes. She feels like all four seasons of the year are growing inside her, giving her life meaning as she sees stars.

 The pleasure that’s spreading from her center through her whole body is overwhelming and she cries out to Bast. She’s teetering closer to the edge, her stomach clenching and her hands grasping at her aching breasts. He’s taking her higher and higher to the thirteenth heavens and at the same time her second orgasm splashes through her, his control on the rain ends and water comes pouring down on her hot, used body. 

With labored breathing and a bit of a snarl, she forces herself to get up and crawls across the floor to get to him. She pops her claws out and tears his shorts apart until the tiny pieces float away and he’s naked aside from his jewelry. She wraps a hand around his throat while her other finds his cock that’s hot and leaking with need. It throbs in her grasp and they stare at each other. 

Shock meets determination. 

His wife’s touch is like liquid fire, her thin fingers spreading down over his length before curling around his shaft, squeezing momentarily tight. K’uk’ulkan vocalizes a curse in his mother tongue and he tilts forward until their foreheads touch. There’s something so incredibly attractive about the way she’s taking charge. 

“You have my permission to fuck me up anytime you like, atan,” he murmurs and she laughs before she strokes him. His breath shudders from his lungs at how incredible her fingers and her hand feel. She’s so concentrated on what she’s doing, never breaking eye contact with him the faster she goes and the harder she chokes him. Spikes of pleasure simmer in his blood, feeling like a king for the first time in years. Feeling like a husband for the first time in years. Feeling like he’s wanted for the first time in years. 

It’s over quicker than he expects, not having been touched by her in so fucking long. His gut seizes, sparks wicking down his spine as hot fluid splatters across her hand. White claws at the edges of his vision but he luckily gets to see his darling wife licking his release off her small fingers. 

His little kitten is enjoying her milk. 

“There,” she purrs over the sound of the rain once she’s finished. “Now we’re even.” 

“Not quite, Queen Shuri Almehen of Talokanda.” 

Her eyes widen at her being called her full title and then he lunges at her. The back of her head hits the water that has yet to drain and he takes one of her nipples into his mouth, tugging at it lightly with his teeth. Her back arches instinctively and she feels his tip teasing at her entrance. His eyes flicker up at her and her own start to mist over. 

“Am I allowed to do this?” 

Her breath nearly leaves her hearing him ask for permission for the first time. She’s not u yatan K’uk’ulkan expected to give him whatever he wants. She’s Queen Shuri Almehen of Talokanda, finally respected. 

“Make it feel different this time. Please… Ch’ah.”

K’uk’ulkan’s horrible heart swells with feeling hearing her say his real name. He enters her agonizingly slowly, not wanting to hurt her even though he knows she can take it. He takes a few deep breaths, reveling in the feel of her surrounding him. She’s always been so tight, so welcoming, so heaven-sent. As she writhes underneath him with each gentle thrust from his hips; her mouth open, unable to speak… The guilt for what he has done to her eats at him. He never wants her to feel anguish or pain or anything other than peace and bliss for the rest of his life. 

Yes, his life, because he won’t have her as long as he can live and their time is so damn brief and only lessening with each passing day. He wants to make her happy, to keep hearing these little noises of pleasure escaping her throat, to see that smile… 

He vibrates a few fingers on her clit and watches her eyes roll back. 

What hurts the most is knowing this might be it for them, depending on her decision which he vowed to accept no matter what. She won their fight. She won his heart. She won his soul. She won his mind. She won, she won, she won. This is the first time he has lost and he accepts his defeat as he swims deep in her arousal. 

He closes his eyes and takes in a deep breath, inhaling the scent of the rain and her sex. He can hear her blood and water inside her bubbling gently and he locks into it. He’s inside of her in two different ways and as her walls clench tight around him, their eyes flutter open at the same time and she’s sobbing. 

“Why do I feel like this?” 

“Like what, atan?”

“...You’re in my skin…” 

He slows down his thrusting, pausing as he clings to her lifted hips. “Does it hurt?” 

“No… I…” Hot tears melt into her cheeks and she shoots her arms up, wanting to hold him. He leans down and hugs him close to her body. She’s whimpering into his sensitive ears while bucking against him, demanding more. “I feel alive. Like there’s the entire ocean inside me.” 

K’uk’ulkan holds her face as he fucks into her with everything he has, slamming their bodies into the shallow water and making dents on the floor from their strength. Her legs wrap around his waist and she’s yet again speaking in that sweet, beautiful, soft voice. 

“What is this, iicham?”

“Our souls are connected. As they should’ve always been. As they always will be.” He’s starting to feel his body reach the point of no return as her muscles pulse around his cock. “I love you, Shuri.” 

He’s doing something inexplicably pleasurable to her clit from the inside and she screams as her orgasm blinds her. Each wave of pleasure is more euphoric than the last and K’uk’ulkan feels all of it. He sends his sins all over her and he spills deep inside, pouring his love and his security and his promises. 

And somehow, he knows. 

When he looks into the eyes of his beautiful atan, he knows. 

It’s going to be okay no matter what. They’ll be okay no matter what. 

Above all else, his wife is going to be okay, slowly but surely. 

He remains inside of her as what remains of the rain installed in the training room empties out and they’re left soaking wet. He kisses her as lovingly as he can before pulling out and lying next to her. He thinks she has fallen asleep until her hand grabs his. 

“What are you going to do, my Shuri?”

She opens her eyes slowly. They’re still full of feeling. He’s still connected to her bloodstream but he doesn’t dare manipulate it. 

Shuri has never felt this loved until this very moment. Now that her heart has healed, her body and mind deserve that chance, too. 

“I think we need more time apart.” 

“Atan…” 

She can see the heartbreak in his eyes and she squeezes his hand tightly. 

“I don’t mean staying here in this world. I want to go back to ours. We can remain as husband and wife, but I need a break. I want to relearn things I’ve forgotten from my youth. I want to rewire my brain and get help with my problems. I want to get better.” She cries the same time he does. “If you love me as much as you claim you do, you’ll let me go.” 

K’uk’ulkan brings her hand to his mouth and kisses it for a long time before he manages to answer her. 

“At least I’ll be able to hear a goodbye this time.” 

After Queen Shuri had her counterpart hand her some clothes through the door, the husband and wife helped each other get dressed. She rolls her eyes when K’uk’ulkan is looking down at his basketball shorts in disgust. 

“And I thought your boy toy’s green underwear was horrid.” 

“ You’re my boy toy and they look good on you. Check out that petite waist!” Queen Shuri teases him as she puts her arm around it from the side. “I don’t think I want to feed you anymore.” 

“Well if you’re insisting on living in the citadel and away from me for Chaac knows how long, I’m going to starve to death anyway.” 

“Bast, you’re dramatic. Put your handmaidens to good use or learn how to cook yourself. We’ve made plenty of meals together. I know you can do it.” 

“It’s not the same when it’s not coming from you, atan.” 

She pats him on the back, letting him know that she’s standing firm on her decision, and demands Griot to open the door. Uuka and Miya run to them as soon as they’re revealed and K’uk’ulkan ends up going on the hallway floor with him as they smother him with their love. 

Queen Shuri takes her counterpart by the hand and walks away with her to get some privacy. The two women stand in front of each other and hold back their tears for as long as they can. 

“How did it go with Nakia and Toussaint?” 

The Black Panther frowns. “Not well. I don’t think she’s ever going to understand us. But I’m going to send the invitation anyway and hope for the best.” 

“Hey… If you need people to fill up some seats, you know how to reach me. Just say my name three times in front of a mirror and I’ll appear. We’re bonded forever.” 

Shuri laughs as she cries. “Like Bloody Mary?” 

“Exactly like Bloody Mary, but you can’t try beating my ass this time when I come through. I can fight back now.” 

Shuri pulls her variant into the tightest embrace she can manage and rests her cheek against hers. “What are you going to do now?” 

“I’m going to stay with my family in Wakanda and try to get some help from whoever can offer it. The kids are going to spend their time equally with us and if I end up wanting him after it’s all said and done, I’ll go back home. If not… We tried everything we could.” 

“I’m so damn proud of you. You’ve come so far.” 

“I’m proud of you, too. Don’t forget you have someone out there who loves you as much as you love yourself because she is you.” Queen Shuri pulls back and the two women smile through the bittersweet goodbye. “I wasn’t kidding about the invite. You have four guests who would be honored to see you get married. Well…three guests, anyway. The other one will come against his will and bring you the best gift there is after knocking out your man.” 

The two Shuris laugh together and the Black Panther leans in one more time to kiss her on the cheek. 

“Thank you for everything. I mean it.” 

“I should be thanking you.” Queen Shuri winks. “You gave me my ich’ak. ” 

“Something tells me you would’ve been fine without them.” 

“And something tells me you would’ve been fine without me. You’re going to be fine without me. I can’t wait to hear all about it.” 

Uuka and Miya come running up suddenly to give Shuri their sweet goodbyes, leaving the two Feathered Serpent Gods to themselves.

K’uk’ulkan stares up at the ceiling as he apologizes - not by choice, either. His wife demanded that he do it. He’s still suspicious that the bastard either fucked or tried to fuck her but he can’t do anything about it right now. 

“I suppose I shouldn’t have knocked you out like that. I wasn’t thinking correctly.” 

“Do you expect me to accept your apology?” 

What a fucking brat. 

He hopes he isn’t as bad as this K’uk’ulkan. 

“ No. I just needed you to hear it.” 

“Water under the bridge. I’m glad you didn’t make a reckless choice and hurt her. I overheard that she’s returning to her own world with you.” 

K’uk’ulkan’s jaw clenches. Is he trying to say that he’s going to miss her or something? 

No. 

Old habits and behaviors have to die. 

“ Yes. And no, she isn’t divorcing me and yes she loves me. The four of us are going home.” 

“I can’t say it has been a pleasure meeting you, but I do hope it gets better for you.”

K’uk’ulkan takes another look at his counterpart, particularly at his style. “Is this all you ever wear?”

“I have multiple pairs of the same shorts, yes. They’re porous, comfortable, and allow me to travel through the water, sky, and land without constraints.”

“How unsurprising. If you ever wish to develop more of a style, I’ll gladly have my royal seamstress exchange information with yours.” 

Namor laughs quietly to himself and then crosses his arms. “I suppose fashion guidance is all you have to offer since marriage advice is off the table.”

K’uk’ulkan clenches his fists so tight that his nails break the skin. He wants to contaminate his bloodstream and make him suffer so that smart mouth. But both of their wives and the children are watching. 

Better man, better man, better man… 

“Didn’t you say you killed your mother-in-law?” 

He grins when Namor scowls at him. 

“That’s not an issue to concern yourself with.” 

“I’m only pointing it out because it means your marriage isn’t going to be perfect, either. She’s not going to easily forget about something like that even though she loves you…” K’uk’ulkan lowers his arms to his sides when he realizes something. It’s the same case for him, too. He faces Namor fully and takes a deep breath. “And when problems arise because of that… Love her through it and treat her like she’s everything. Because she is. Don’t be a fool and hurt her worse like I did. I’d give anything to be in your position; the start. Do her right from the beginning to the end. Every minute of every day. You won’t have her for long.” 

Namor swallows audibly as he takes in his counterpart’s words. “It’s something that I fear and think about often, the difference in our life spans. I’m not going to waste any of that time mistreating her. I swear it.” 

K’uk’ulkan doesn’t want to expose more of himself or his emotions to someone who isn’t his queen. He clears his throat and tries to be friendly one last time. 

“I overheard our wives talking about your wedding. If you feel like you can trust me, I will help you prepare for your special day.” He makes a face checking out Namor’s outfit, ignoring how embarrassed he feels in these basketball shorts. “I’ll bring you a customized attire and I’ll cut your hair. I won’t even ask for a tip. Consider it a thanks for… taking care of my wife and children while they were away.” 

“I’ll consider it.” Namor is trying not to smile and he gives K’uk’ulkan the Talokanil salute that he returns. “Is your family ready to go to my caves and travel through the portal?” 

K’uk’ulkan glances at his wife who is approaching him. Seeing her holding the hands of his children, all of them looking so happy and so fulfilled, does something to his heart. 

“We’re ready.” 

Namor kisses his Shuri before he flies out of one of the open windows. Queen Shuri notices K’uk’ulkan pouting over the loss of his wings and she kisses his shoulder. 

“If you’re good, I’ll work with Nakia on a way to bring them back. In the meantime, show that human side of you and let’s take a walk, yeah?” 

She releases the hands of her children, both of whom are eager to chase after Namor and fly away. As soon as they’re out the window, K’uk’ulkan accepts his wife’s hand and her invitation. 

Once they’re outside, the sun kisses their skin and Queen Shuri comments on it. 

“The sun feels different today, doesn’t it?” 

K’uk’ulkan stares at the profile of her beautiful face. He swears that she’s shimmering and shining in a way so different from before. It’s going to hurt knowing that they won’t be together for however long she decides, but it’s a hurt that’s worth it if it means seeing his ilanga like this. 

It’s not because of him, either. It’s not because of anyone. She found her own light. Nobody can eclipse it now. 

“She’s happier, I think.” 

Queen Shuri squints at him. “I thought your sun god was a man.” 

“No. My sun is a goddess.” 

She always has been and always will be. 

Chapter Text

Earth-1113

After entering her home for the first time in months, Queen Shuri looks around, noticing how clean the hut is. She glances up at her husband - who hasn’t stopped staring at her - while Uuka and Miya start playing with all their old toys and games. 

“Did you clean this or did the handmaidens?”

K’uk’ulkan smiles almost shyly at her. “I did not too long ago. How’d I do?”

She has the urge to place her hands on that beautiful chest and praise him, but that will lead to something she’s trying to free herself from. Instead, she gives him a sweet smile in return.

“I think you did wonderful.”

There’s a softening in his eyes that makes her feel weak. She clears her throat and calls her children over. Both Uuka and Miya come close, although only the eldest will understand. 

“Yes, Mama?”

Shuri gets on Uuka’s level and holds her sweet boy’s hands. Miya flies up to her father and clings to him. 

“Baby, I’m going to be spending some time away from Talokan. I’ll be in Wakanda with your grandparents and uncles. You’ll be able to choose where you want to stay and come and go as you please.”

Uuka’s eyes begin to swell with tears and as much as it hurts to see, the mother has to remain strong. It’s never going to get better otherwise.

“Are you and Baba not going to be married anymore?”

“We are, mehen,” K’uk’ulkan tells him calmly, staying on his wife’s side and supporting her decision even though it’s not one he prefers. “We are still husband and wife but more importantly we are your parents. Our love for you and your sister will never change. We’ve both decided that in order for us to be happy, we need some more time apart. It has nothing to do with you two.”

“But I…” Uuka sniffles loudly while looking between the two of them. Miya is kissing her father’s cheek over and over again in between playing with his earrings. “I wanted us to stay together… Why can’t you two be happy in the same place?”

“You know how sometimes your feelings get hurt by somebody you love? Maybe one of us or a friend did something you didn’t like?” Shuri continues after Uuka nods. “Your father and I hurt each other’s feelings when we shouldn’t have and now we need space until we’re ready to forgive each other. I didn’t do it the right way the first time when we were staying with Miss Shuri. Now you’ll be able to see both of us whenever you want.”

Uuka lowers his head and when his tears start to hit the ground, Shuri wraps her arms around him tightly and pats the back of his curly head.

“I know it’s hard to understand, baby, but it needs to happen. I can’t be the mom you deserve until I get some help with a problem I have. You’ll see that we’ll be a better family because of it.”

“Okay, Mama,” Uuka whimpers. “But can the four of us still do things together once in a while?” 

“Of course. Don’t forget we have a wedding coming up soon. Plus we’ll be together each time you kids are ready to switch.” Shuri kisses his cheek and whispers into his sensitive ear. “You have to trust me, sweetheart. It’s going to be okay. I love you so much.”

“I love you,” he says very quietly and then looks up at his father with watery eyes. “Is it okay if we stay with you first, Baba? We haven’t seen you in a long time.”

“Of course, mehen. I was hoping you’d ask that.”

Uuka tries his own tears after separating from his mother and does his best to smile. Miya reaches her arms out to Shuri and she holds her tight while K’uk’ulkan helps pack up her waterproof bag. There’s not much she needs considering her bedroom in Wakanda is still full, but she accepts the assistance nonetheless. He’s never shown this much support before. 

K’uk’ulkan waits until Uuka exits the hut with his sister to get some snack bowls from one of the handmaidens to toss his wife’s bag onto the hammock and he grabs her by the hips. 

“Stay.”

“K’uk’ulkan…”

His forehead touches hers and she does everything in her power to keep her arms at her sides. 

“I can make this right.”

“I told you what was wrong with me. I can’t stay here. Not now.”

“But I love you, atan.”

“Loving someone isn’t enough to make it work and you know that.” Shuri forces herself to look into his red eyes. He’s so beautiful that it physically aches. “And you already promised me that you’ll let me go. That’ll prove that you really do love me; giving me autonomy.”

K’uk’ulkan gives her a very long kiss on her lips before his hands leave her. He looks away and she knows he’s shedding some tears. She finishes packing on her own and her eyes catch sight of their wedding portrait. 

A decade is a long time to be with a person. 

Her gaze drifts down to the bottom of the frame where she keeps her jewelry. She notices that the obsidian heart necklace he bought her before the worst moment of their marriage is missing. 

“Did you destroy that necklace?”

“Crushed it in my hand after I killed Quetzalcoatl.”

She releases a shaky breath. When she returns for the children in a week, she needs to talk to Nenetl and give her apologies for what happened to her sons. She can’t imagine what her friend is going through. 

Shuri reaches out for the jade bracelet that belonged to his mother, the same one he gave her the first night they met. She ties it around her wrist and swings her bag over her shoulder. 

“I’m going to say goodbye to our babies. I’ll see you later, K’uk’ulkan.”

“K’a’ak’ate,” he whispers. “Ma’taali’teeni.”

Goodbye.

I’m sorry. 

“Ma’taali’teeni,” she repeats with a lump in her throat.

And then she steps outside of the hut, leaving both good and bad memories behind her. 

Of course for the first time in her life, her mother is missing from the citadel for some appointment and the only person here is her father. 

Shuri sits in his office as he paces back and forth in front of her with a broken hand. From his ranting, she learns that it’s because of K’uk’ulkan. 

“And now you come back as if nothing happened saying that you want to live here for Bast knows how long!? That man is going to drown us all because of your selfish choices! You don’t only cheat on him, but you take his children away with a word of where you’re going!? You’re a lousy excuse for a wife and an even worse daughter!” 

She keeps her eyelids lowered the whole time he insults her. The sting of his words isn’t as strong as it used to be. She waits until he’s done and damn near frothing at the mouth before she speaks. 

“He’s not going to do anything anymore. This was an amicable decision. I know I’m the bane of your existence, but I won’t be here forever. You won’t even know I’m back. We’ll stay out of each other’s way.”

T’Chaka glares at her before he releases a loud huff and sits down at his desk. Shuri taps her fingers against her thighs, waiting for the right moment to get up and leave. 

“Damn it,” her father grumbles and she looks at him.

“What?”

“I received a letter from one of those bastards in Marseille but it’s completely in French. Who do they think I am? A living breathing Google!?”

“If you give it to me, I can translate it.”

T’Chaka arches an eyebrow. “When did you learn how to speak French?”

“Back when I was a harlot. Let me see it.”

T’Chaka mutters something under his breath and hands the letter over to his daughter. She reads through it before translating for him and when she’s done, he’s standing there with an open mouth. 

“What? He didn’t say anything bad. He was inviting you to a nice meal after the next convention is over. Although I wouldn’t put it past any of the colonizers when it comes to asking for Wakandan resources, so be careful.”

“You… You’re actually useful?”

Shuri shrugs her shoulders. “A bit, I guess.”

“Hmph…” T’Chaka glances at the stack of papers on his desk and then back at her. “How many languages do you know?” 

“Enough. Why?”

“I…” Her baba’s words sound like they’re painful to say. “I would appreciate the help.”

She wants to ask why he doesn’t simply use his beads to help him translate, but she figures it’s the only way of having some kind of connection with him. She drags her seat next to him and starts rewriting each letter in the languages he understands. She catches him staring at her every now and then and he quickly pretends to be busy. She smiles to herself.

“You missed me a little bit, didn’t you?” 

“No.” T’Chaka types furiously on his computer and pauses for a minute. “I am pleased to see you’ve returned in one piece. Don’t do anything stupid anymore.”

Shuri nods and continues her work in her father’s office until one of the Dora informs him that Ramonda has returned from her appointment. Shuri excuses herself and finds her mother inside her parents’ bedroom lying down on the bed.

“…Mama?”

Ramonda gasps loudly and immediately sits up. She begins to cry as she’s running to her daughter and she holds her tightly. 

“I thought I’d never see you again…” Ramonda sniffles and holds onto Shuri’s cheeks. “Where did you go? How come you didn’t tell anyone?”

Shuri is starting to get overcome with emotions over seeing her mother like this. She wonders if that appointment she attended was for her stress and fear. 

“It’s a long story, Mama. But I’m here now and I’m never leaving again. I’m going to stay in the citadel for a while, though. I’m not ready to live with K’uk’ulkan after what we’ve been through.”

“Shuri…I thought that incident when you were pregnant when he brought you here was a one time thing…”

“It goes beyond that. There’s a lot that happened in our marriage that I never told you because when I told Baba, he said husbands are allowed to do what they wish to their wives… that certain… assault can’t exist in a marriage. I didn’t just wake up one day wanting to kill K’uk’ulkan for the hell of it, you know. There were reasons behind it.”

Ramonda has her sit down on the side of the bed with her and she holds her hands.

“Please tell me everything. I’m here for you now.”

So Shuri does. She goes back to the start of the marriage, on the night of their honeymoon, and continues until the final exchange she had with K’uk’ulkan. Ramonda is left sobbing and Shuri can’t find it in her to look at her after saying some of the things she did in return to K’uk’ulkan out loud. They genuinely have had a fucked up marriage on both sides. 

“Anyway… I’m ninety percent sure he turned me into a sex addict. I’ve been using it as a need to escape rather than for intimacy and I need a lot of help overcoming it in addition to all my other issues. I don’t want to be this way anymore. I don’t want to feel angry anymore, Mama. But I’ve been so messed up for so long that I…”

That I don’t know if it’s possible for someone like me.

Ramonda pulls her into a loving embrace and rubs her back soothingly. It reminds Shuri of when she was a very young and innocent child and she closes her eyes, wishing she could go back to that feeling.

“You’ve always been resourceful and hard headed, my girl. If you’re willing to beat your problems, you’ll find a way. You always do.”

“Thank you, Mama…” 

Shuri spends a few more minutes on the bed with the Queen of Wakanda pouring their hearts out until the Queen of Talokan gets a ride to Bashenga mountain. 

She takes the elevator down to Nakia’s lab and looks around at what could’ve been hers if life turned out differently, but she’s no longer bitter about it. 

“Queen Shuri of Talokan,” Nakia greets her from behind and she glances over her shoulder at the scientist. “What brings you by? Does K’uk’ulkan’s tech need an upgrade?

“Uh, no… I was wondering if maybe I can be your shadow for the rest of the day and see what you do?” 

“Your husband is allowing that?”

“I’m free to make my own choices as of this morning.”

Nakia breaks out into a grin. “Well, alright then. It would be my pleasure to teach you.”

“Fuck…”

“What’s wrong now, Baba?”

K’uk’ulkan turns the stove off and glances down at his son. “Sorry for cursing in front of you, mehen. This pasta doesn’t look at all like it does when your mother makes it. I don’t know what I did wrong. I followed her recipe exactly.”

“Hm…Have you tried it yet? It doesn’t look the same, but maybe it tastes the same.”

K’uk’ulkan takes a spoonful out of the pot and blows on it before offering it to Uuka. His son makes a face. 

“You first.” 

“I insist that you have the first bite.”

They stare at each other while sweating before they both shout for Miya. The toddler comes running in with her father’s paint all over her. 

“I have some yummy food for you, Princess. Want it?”

Miya opens her mouth wide and K’uk’ulkan spoon feeds her. The two-year-old spits it out after swishing it around in her mouth and points a finger at her father with her eyebrows pushed together.

“Not nice, Baba!”

K’uk’ulkan is visibly defeated and he wants to give up until Uuka is there supporting him.

“Don’t worry. I saw Mama make it a few times. Maybe this time we can try cooking it together?” 

The father recomposes himself for his children’s sake and he gets to work boiling some water in a clean pot while Uuka searches for all the ingredients. Miya skips off to play in the paint again and K’uk’ulkan sighs.

“I’m sorry, Uuka. I’m trying my best without your mother around. I never realized how much she did for all of us.”

“It’s okay, Baba. You’re learning. I just think it’s nice you’re giving her time to feel better. I hope you keep being this way to her.”

K’uk’ulkan drops the pasta into the boiling water. He knows that his wife hasn’t told their son anything about what he has done to her or else he wouldn’t have chosen to stay here in Talokan with him. Uuka is a smart boy and always has been, though.

“I’m going to love her the way she deserves to be loved and I’m never going to hurt her again.”

“That’s good, Baba.” Uuka smiles at him once he finishes chopping the onions. There aren’t any tears in his eyes. He doesn’t have sensitive ones like his mother. “But she shouldn’t hurt you anymore, either. Moms and Dads shouldn’t ever hurt each other. When I’m a baba and a husband, I’m going to love my wife so much that she’ll never feel like running away to another world.”

K’uk’ulkan laughs and leans down to kiss the top of his head. “My wish is that you turn out nothing like me.” 

Uuka scrunches up his face. “What’re you talking about? You’re my hero. You’re a good man, Baba. I think you’re a little dumb when it comes to Mama. That’s all.”

K’uk’ulkan bites his lower lip to keep from crying in front of his son and resumes working on dinner part two. 

“I’ll take it.”

The two of them finish making Shuri’s famous shrimp pasta and K’uk’ulkan cleans off Miya before the three of them are sitting on the dining floor together. They all take a bite at the same time and sigh in relief, finding out that it tastes a bit like Shuri’s. 

K’uk’ulkan gives Miya a bath while Uuka works on his homework until it’s time for bed. Instead of the children sleeping on their individual hammocks, they snuggle up against their father and he reads them the picture book of Miya’s choice.

“If You Give a Toh Tiramisu… “ K’uk’ulkan grins when he recognizes the illustration done on the cover. “This is the book your mother and I made you for one of your birthdays.”

“Uh huh! It’s Miya’s favorite, too!” 

“Read it, Baba!” Miya encourages and K’uk’ulkan flips to the first page.

“If you give a Toh tiramisu, he’s going to want some tea to go with it.” K’uk’ulkan feels his heart beginning to ache slightly seeing his wife’s beautiful handwriting above the image he drew of a Toh bird and a little boy who resembles Uuka together sharing the dessert

They could’ve been an exceptional team together. Not just as book creators, but as anything, really. 

K’uk’ulkan manages to get through the rest of the book without breaking and Miya ends up falling asleep before it’s over. Uuka rests his cheek on his father’s shoulder after the book is put away. 

“Are you going to have time to take me to school tomorrow?”

“I should, mehen.” 

“Okay. I need you tell Miss Nicte that I was in another universe and not playing hooky.”

“You’re the prince of Talokan. You shouldn’t have to give excuses for anything.”

“Nobody is above the law when it comes to science and math, Baba. Besides, you’re always getting mad at me when I fail my tests and make me train with the soldiers so-“

“Uuka.”

“Yeah?”

“Ma’taali’teeni.”

Uuka lifts his head. “Huh? What are you sorry for?”

The tears that had been missing all day finally make their appearance when he looks into the innocent eyes of his son.

“I’m sorry for putting you through that. Your mother always told me there were better ways to motivate you but I never listened to her so she stopped trying. You’re never going to have to train with the soldiers again. You should’ve never done that to begin with. I’m so, so sorry. I love you so damn much, Uuka. You and your sister. When I thought I lost you, I lost my mind as well and-“

He’s silenced by the feeling of his son embracing him with all the love that exists in that small body. K’uk’ulkan closes his burning eyes. 

“I’m not going anywhere, Baba. I’m always going to be here for you. Mistakes are supposed to happen. That’s why pencils have erasers, you know?” 

Surrounded by the two thirds of his entire world, K’uk’ulkan finally gets the sleep he has been missing for months.

After giving Uuka’s teacher a simple glare until she changed her mind about punishing him, K’uk’ulkan is on his way to his throne when he senses a familiar heartbeat nearby. 

His own heart races as he swims in the direction of it and he encounters his wife on the way to the caves. They both float in the water when they notice each other and she offers him a very small smile. 

“Hi.”

“Hi,” he says softly. He wants to get closer but he stays where he is. “Are you ready to go to Tlalocan?”

“Only if you are.”

K’uk’ulkan nods and joins her side. As they swim together in silence, he can’t help but stare continuously at her. The rays of light from the powerful sun up above highlight her lovely features. It’s hard to believe, but he swears she has matured in the best way in only a few days' time. 

“Atan.”

She doesn’t look at him when she replies. “Hm?” 

“What have you been up to?” 

“A lot, actually. I’ve been helping my father with translations of important documents, spending time with my mother, and learning from Nakia. Did you know vibranium absorbs sound waves and other vibrations, including kinetic energy?”

He did, but he’s not going to let her be aware of that

“I did not. Please tell me more.”

She wears a smile that’s just for him as she goes into detail about every Vibranium fact she knows. He hangs onto every word, but more importantly, he notices how much it excites her. 

As though she was always made to experience the field. 

And he had her cooking and growing corn. 

“That’s pretty much it. It’s a badass metal, huh?”

“Very badass. Thank you for sharing all of that with me.” 

“What about you, madala? You must be doing alright if the kids haven’t begged me to come back and make food for them.”

“It hasn’t been easy doing what you do, but I’ve been getting better. Can’t compare to you, though.”

Her hand touches his shoulder and he hates how much it affects him. He’s so damn touch starved, hungry for her, craving her. 

But there’s nothing he can do about it. 

“I’m sure you’re doing just fine, ajaw.” Shuri motions to the entrance of Nenetl’s cave with her head. “You ready?” 

They make it to the limestone ground without much interference from the guards, who are visibly frightened by the god-king. Nenetl’s children scramble for their lives and hide in the caves after seeing the man who killed their father and brothers. Nenetl emerges eventually and her expression turns into shock when she sees Shuri standing there. 

“Cnīuhtl…” 

Shuri cries hearing Nenetl call her ‘friend’ and she runs to her. They hold onto each other tightly and fall for their knees. She hears water splashing and knows K’uk’ulkan has left to give them some privacy.

“What are you doing back here?” Nenetl whispers when their wet eyes finally meet again. “You made it out.”

“Yes and it was everything we hoped it would be but it wasn’t right. I didn’t belong there. And it appears that by me visiting… you lost so much in return.” Shuri’s lip trembles as she thinks about Xopili and Montezuma. “I’m… I’m so sorry about your sons. K’uk’ulkan would’ve never done that if I stayed and-“

Nenetl shakes her head slowly and interrupts Shuri with a broken voice. “No…We have to stop blaming ourselves for the actions of our husbands. We’ve done that enough. I warned Xopili and Montezuma not to taunt K’uk’ulkan but they didn’t listen. They were adults who made their own decisions. I can’t pretend it hasn’t destroyed me…and I’ve been crying every night since losing them… But cnīuhtl…this isn’t your fault and I don’t blame you at all.”

Shuri buries her face in Nenetl’s neck as she holds her closer. She’s relieved that she doesn’t have to deal with that monster anymore, but the fact her sons had to suffer too isn’t fair. 

“I know nothing will bring them back or make your pain any easier… But K’uk’ulkan will allow your nation to still have a relationship with his. I know you guys might be hurting without… him.”

As shitty as Quetzalcoatl was, he did always provide for his people. They might need some hope again. 

“I don’t think I can look K’uk’ulkan in the eyes and ask,” Nenetl whispers. “Shuri…he’s very, very dangerous. I wasn’t aware of how easily he could kill. I’m worried for your safety.”

Water splashes violently again and Shuri sighs before she hears her husband’s voice.

“Why would I ever kill my wife, Nenetl?”

Nenetl is trembling in Shuri’s arms. “K-K’uk’ulkan-“

“I kill for her. I would never take her life away.”

Shuri glares over her shoulder at him and leaves Nenetl behind to confront him. She crosses her arms and raises her chin.

“If you accept another alliance with her, I want to be the one handling all the affairs and meetings. Given your guidance beforehand, of course.”

K’uk’ulkan grins in that mocking manner that always pisses her off. “My love, you don’t know the first thing about leadership…” His voice then lowers and his smile turns into a genuine one. “But I can see that you’re a very fast learner. I will accept these terms.”

She mouths a heartfelt ‘thank you’ before returning to Nenetl, who appears shocked at the exchange. 

“What did you do to him!?”

“Some distance and violence can do wonders,” Shuri laughs although Nenetl remains stunned. “And now your nation will continue receiving everything it needs. I’ll be sure of it. I’m living with my family on the surface right now, but I’ll come check on you often. I love you.”

“I love you, cnīuhtl.”

The two queens hug each other one last time before parting ways. Shuri takes another look at Nenetl when her children emerge from the hut and can feel her heart break all over again at the way they cling to her. 

Nenetl told her not to blame herself, but Shuri knows she’s always going to feel some guilt when it comes to the entire situation. 

She’s going to feel guilt for everything. 

“What’s on your mind?”

That’s the first question he asks her as soon as they’re underwater. The most difficult part of today hasn’t even begun. 

“Is Miya in the caves with one of the handmaidens right now?”

“Yes…Why?”

“Because I’m going to tell you things that I know are going to make you angry and I don’t want her to see that.”

K’uk’ulkan tenses before he pulls her into him and shoots out of the water. He flies them to an isolated island where ceremonies that require fire are held and sets her down on her feet. He stands patiently in front of her, waiting for whenever she’s ready. Shuri takes a deep breath and begins. 

“I wasn’t entirely a victim in this marriage. There were a few things I did behind your back that I assume you never knew about because if you did, you would’ve made me suffer for it.  But…here it goes. Shortly after Uuka’s birth, I started lacing your food with male contraceptives so you wouldn’t get me pregnant again.”

Those killer eyes cut her like a sharp knife but she continues to stare into them as she tells him more.

“Uuka’s birth was really hard on my body. I was too scared to have a second child that you required but I knew you wouldn’t accept anything else. So…I made you sterile. My reasons for it made sense to me, but I realize I shouldn’t have done that to you. I shouldn’t have lied to you. I should’ve told you about my fears and had faith that maybe, just maybe, you would’ve heard me out. I’m sorry, K’uk’ulkan.”

The god-king wants to rip every tree from their root and tear this island apart. 

Yet her apology is so sincere that he hangs onto that to keep control of his anger. 

“You had to have stopped at one point.”

“I did…before the ritual took place. I wanted to be a good wife and a better woman. I really loved you around that time. I had a change of heart and I was even willing to give you all the babies you desired. I became pregnant with Miya before you…”

“K’uk’ulkan…” Shuri’s voice cracks as she points a finger behind her. “I don’t know what he told you, but this ritual isn’t necessary. I might be pregnant already.” 

Her husband sighs as his hands grip the neckline of her dress. He tears it right in half and she’s trembling in her bra and underwear. 

“This ritual will guarantee that.” 

K’uk’ulkan will never be able to shake that dark moment away for as long as he lives. His large hands cover his face and his warm tears soak into his palms. 

“Ilanga… That ritual should’ve never happened and nothing I can do will ever fix it. I…”

“There’s more, iicham.”

K’uk’ulkan’s hands fall to his sides and he views his wife through blurry vision.

“I had no love in my heart for you after that and I became extremely depressed. I don’t know if you knew that or not. All I could think about was how much I wanted to hurt you back. I failed to kill you so I cheated on you. I had my tubes tied beforehand because I didn’t want anyone to get me pregnant and then I…yeah.” Shuri closes the distance between as his chest heaves and she wraps her hands around his neck. For once, he doesn’t hold her back and continues to stare at her with tortured eyes. “Revenge isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. It made me feel worse than before. And I couldn’t stop myself from falling deeper…”

He’s finally starting to see her shield fall apart as she’s sniffling and her eyes are misting over. They’re both silently broken as K’uk’ulkan now holds her small waist. 

“When you did that to me, it was like you started a fire in our home that I couldn’t do anything to stop. I wanted to save it but our home burned down. I have to rebuild it but I’m always going to remember that fire… even though I conceal my embarrassment and hurt from you because I know I added the fuel. I can’t forget it, Shuri. I know you can’t forget what I did, either.”

“No…we carry it like invisible scars or something.” The next words she whispers are felt right on his lips. “Uxolo. I’m sorry I didn’t handle my pain correctly. I’m sorry…that I hurt you.”

“You don’t owe me an apology, ilanga.” One of K’uk’ulkan’s hands slides up until he’s caressing the side of her face. “It’s what I deserved.” 

But he quietly admits to himself that it’s nice to hear it. 

“There is something else you should know… About what I did while I was gone with our variants…”

K’uk’ulkan groans quietly and closes his eyes, feeling the veins in his forehead starting to throb. 

“I’m not naive. I know you let him fuck you.”

“Only his tongue.” 

His eyes shoot open and he shows all of his teeth to her. “Is that supposed to make me feel better about it!?” 

“No…I wanted you to know why I did it aside from old, unhealthy habits. I was hoping to experience you all over again. But…” She smiles sadly and uses her thumbs to dry his tears. “It wasn’t the same. It made me miss you more. And when it came to sex between myself and the other version of me, I was trying to prepare her. Maybe I was curious. I mean, you can’t tell me you wouldn’t fuck yourself if given the chance.”

As frustrated as he is, the idea of two Shuris making love is getting him lightheaded. 

“His cock didn’t enter you at all?”

“My mouth. Only for a minute.” 

He won’t kill the bastard, but he’s definitely going to have to pay him a visit as soon as his wife and children are gone. 

“I know that look, K’uk’ulkan. Don’t take your anger out on them. Give it all to me. I tempted them repeatedly because I was trying to get them together and the tension kept building and… she wanted it as some kind of freaky early wedding surprise. I felt nothing. I only thought of you.” Shuri moves her hands to his broad shoulders and squeezes them. “You know… you have every right to be with someone else. It’s not like it’s hard for you to find them. People collapse to their knees at the sight of you.”

“Haven’t we already established that these actions born out of revenge don’t help us at all? I’m well aware of the options I have. But you’re still my wife, Shuri. Legally and in my heart. I’m not going to look anywhere else until you decide to officially end it.”

“I promise I’ll let you know soon. I-“

“Need more time to heal,” K’uk’ulkan finishes for her and picks her up in his arms again. “Let’s return to the caves for now. You’re starving. Your stomach has been growling since we got on this island.”

“You don’t need to do all that…” 

“I insist. I guarantee you will survive.”

The somewhat estranged couple travel through the ocean without saying much and Shuri watches from the ground as her husband makes lunch for the two of them. It’s nothing special to the naked eye; a few sandwiches and a side of fresh fruit. 

But it’s the first meal he has ever made for her with his own hands and it means more than he most likely realizes. 

She thanks him after her plate is completely empty and stands up to stretch. Miya has returned from a swim with one of the handmaidens and she immediately wants to be held. Shuri kisses and snuggles her daughter, swaying around in a small circle. 

“Love you, Mama,” Miya tells her with that adorable smile and it makes it so, so hard to leave. At least she’ll be able to take them with her to Wakanda since K’uk’ulkan’s week is up. 

“I love you, my sweet girl.”

K’uk’ulkan’s hand touches her back while the handmaidens clean up the mess left behind. 

“I know Uuka misses hearing your voice outside of the beads. Stay here until he’s home from school and the three of you can return to Wakanda together.”

It is less of a hassle to wait instead of coming back later in the day… 

With Miya’s nap upcoming, the three of them enter the hut and K’uk’ulkan holds onto the hammock as his girls get settled in. He rocks them back and forth until they’re both asleep and then he crawls in with them. 

When Uuka comes home, he quickly finds out why his father wasn’t outside the school to greet them. He grins wide seeing his family holding onto each other in the large hammock. He changes into dry clothes before joining them.

K’uk’ulkan waits until his wife and children are far enough away before chanting his real name three times in front of a mirror. It doesn’t take long for his unsuspecting counterpart to appear and K’uk’ulkan flies through the mirror at him. 

He’s now inside a steamy bathroom with his hands around Namor’s throat, keeping him pressed against the wall with dripping condensation. 

“You tasted my wife’s sweet pussy and thought I wouldn’t do anything about it!?”

“You two were on a break and it wasn’t even my idea!” Namor shouts back while clutching K’uk’ulkan’s wrists. “Does she even know you’re here right now!?”

“I don’t need her permission when it comes to dealing with someone who interfered with our marriage!”

Through the corner of his eye, he sees a figure moving and turns his head slightly to see the younger version of his wife dressed in nothing but a white towel. 

The bathroom continues to steam up from the running shower. 

“Oh? And I suppose you’re going to deal with me, hm? Since I’m the one that asked for it both times?”

Between the naked god-king in front of him and the angry goddess standing not too far away, K’uk’ulkan is starting to see why his wife couldn’t help herself. 

His lips curl back into a grin and he faces Namor once again. His fingers rake down the sculpted body until he’s holding him by the hips. 

“What…What are you doing?”

K’uk’ulkan leans in and presses his lips to Namor’s sensitive ear. 

“Your ko’olele’ is very turned on seeing us together like this. You should be thanking me for the sex you two are about to have.” 

“…You need to leave.”

K’uk’ulkan’s grin widens when he can feel his counterpart hardening. 

“Consider yourself extremely lucky. You’re the only man to have been sexual with my wife and survived. You two are far too tempting to ignore. Will you still be requiring my assistance on your wedding day?”

Namor is visibly flustered. The scent of the younger Shuri’s arousal is strong. 

“Yes…” Namor’s hand is the one to grab K’uk’ulkan’s throat this time. “Now go.”

“As you wish.” K’uk’ulkan glances at the Black Panther, who looks ready to mangle him. “Princess Shuri, I am asking that you do not tell my wife that I was here.”

“Leave as quickly as you came and I won’t.”

K’uk’ulkan breathes out as he slaps Namor’s shoulder. “Good to know you chose a feisty one, too. Our lives would’ve been rather boring otherwise.”

Earth-199999

Namor’s knuckles gently stroke the smooth skin on her face as the sunbeam seeping through the window blinds illuminates her like an angel. 

Shuri’s eyelids flutter open and she smiles slowly at the sight of his dark brown eyes becoming melted pools of honey in the early morning sunlight. 

“You stayed,” she murmurs.

“You let me.”

She rolls over until she’s on top of him and he runs his large hands up and down the petite frame of her body. She pushes his hair back and he groans quietly as she lightly scratches his scalp. 

“Stay longer.” 

His hand travels up her back and he holds onto the nape of her neck firmly. Before they kiss, he whispers to her lips. 

“There’s nowhere else I want to be.”

He flips their naked bodies to position himself on top of her and takes her chin. He kisses her deeply, his tongue sweeping into her mouth and she can taste herself from last night. Her hands brace his ass as she feels him shift his hips into the right angle. Bumping noses with her, he looks into her beautiful eyes as the stretch of his cock burns pleasantly.

His breath hitches at the feel of her warm, tight walls embracing him, welcoming him back with only a little pleasurable resistance.

“That’s my good girl. Are you ready to take all of me?” 

She nos  feverishly, spreading her legs further when she feels his hips close the distance between hers. She can’t help but sigh when his head prods that spot within her. 

He pauses at her reaction, draws back just a little before snapping his hips forward, his cock stimulating the same spot while filling her entirely.

“Bast, you make me feel so alive…” 

He slings his arm under her body, holding her flush against him as his hips start rolling into her. Her cries and the slap of skin on skin fill the bedroom. 

The bump and grind of his hips is deliciously erotic, his cock rubbing her walls in such a way that he’s easily driving her towards a phenomenal orgasm - which at this point, it’s expected. 

The weight of his muscles as he pins her down, the press of sloppy kisses down her jawline, the lingering smell of sweat as it drips from his skin at the exertion of fucking her wildly…

She’s lost in all of it, tangled so deeply in his love. 

Her voice separates from her body as it chants his name. Her sounds are hitting a crescendo as her world shatters and her orgasm crashes over her violently. Her legs spasm, tightening around his hips and her nails dig deep into his chest as she scratches and claws her way back to sanity. Her chest is heaving, desperate for some air.

Namor showers her with praise and kisses, but he doesn’t slow his pace or give her a chance to recover. Doubling his efforts, he buries his face in her neck, lips attacking the sensitive skin with bites, kisses, licks, sucks and nibbles, marking her up in the way that makes him proud. 

“I love you,” she whispers and he crushes his lips against hers and kisses her passionately once more. They share the same air as she rocks her hips upwards into his thrusts, finding herself squeezing her walls voluntarily around his length, which never fails to make him curse under his breath. 

Nudging his forehead against hers, he bores his dark brown eyes into her amber ones. Both of their gazes are clouded over with lust. Her muscles are trembling and his hips are faltering as he approaches his own orgasm. The affection is evident in their faces as she gasps out, heat flooding her vision as she drowns in another orgasm.

Namor pulls her back in for kisses, hot and heavy against her overstimulated skin. He bites down on her lower lip with a series of grunts, slamming his hips forward like a choppy tide before releasing inside her. He’s panting as he drops to his elbows and kisses her breathless.

“Good morning, my princess. I love you too,” he mutters with his eyes closed and his face awash with pleasure. He slips out and rolls them both over, laying in the middle of the bed with her curled up into his frame. “Our special day is fast approaching. Are you excited?”

“A little… Not the marrying you part, I’m definitely ready for that. But it’s the fact that Nakia still hasn’t responded and by this point, I don’t think she’s coming at all.”

Namor frowns, knowing that his fiancée has been deeply troubled by this situation for the last few months. That Nakia woman wouldn’t be feeling this if Shuri was marrying anyone other than him. 

He might have to be the one to fix this. All for Shuri’s happiness. 

“You know…There might be something I have to do after all. I’ll come right back here tonight, though. If that works for you.”

Shuri kisses him tenderly on the cheek but not before licking a bead of sweat off with her wet tongue. 

“I’ll be upset with you if you don’t.”

After they clean each other off and part ways, Namor travels through the water to get to the beachside of Haiti where Nakia lives. He waits for a long time in the ocean, listening for a good time to encounter her. There comes a moment when he can hear no others around and Toussaint announces that he needs a nap after a long day at school. 

Once the boy is snoring, Namor flies out of the water and lands in front of Nakia’s door unseen. She cracks it open shortly after he knocks and he can see the fear in the one eye she’s revealing to him.

“Wh-What are you doing here?” 

“You have not made a reservation for our wedding and I would like to know why.”

“You know why,” Nakia whispers. “You don’t deserve her. It’s unfair that she feels like her only choice is to marry the man who took her mother away from her.”

“I assure you that she's always had a choice and she decided on me, no matter how dark our history is. We aren’t perfect and won’t ever be but we’re perfect together.”

“You’re as delusional as her. Goodbye-“

“Wait!”

Her eyes widen at the sudden volume of his voice and he catches the door before she can slam it on him. He didn’t want to use force or threaten her, but she’s leaving him no choice. He steps inside the small home and towers above her as she trembles. 

“You act as though I’m the only one who did someone wrong during a time of war. Have you forgotten that you killed two of my people? Two very innocent people who left families behind? Two people I viewed as my children? The woman you killed died in my arms, begging me to save her and I couldn’t do anything to stop the bleeding. You caused the first unnatural deaths in Talokan. You are the last person to be judging me for what I did in retaliation to what you caused.”

Nakia opens and closes her mouth multiple times, unable to get anything out. Sensing and seeing how frightened she is, Namor sighs and speaks calmer.

“But I did not come here searching for an apology or to make you feel guilty. What I did to Shuri is unforgivable and horrible. There’s nothing I can do to fix it. But I promised her I’d give her a lifetime of happiness. What’s going to make her happy now is to see her sister-in-law and her nephew at her wedding, celebrating her. I would…be very grateful if you’d accept.”

With that, Namor turns around and flies back to the sea. He tries to swim as fast as he can to Wakanda to avoid getting home too late to Shuri. He ends up finding her sitting on her balcony with tears in her eyes. He lands immediately and holds her close. 

“What’s wrong, in yakunaj? I told you I’d be here eventually.”

“It’s not that…” Shuri’s eyes have a spark in them and he realizes that her tears are ones of joy rather than pain. “Nakia called about an hour ago and we had a nice conversation. She said that she’s coming to the wedding… You had something to do with it, didn’t you?” 

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Namor smiles warmly at how bright she’s shining tonight after receiving the news he had been hoping for. “But I’m very happy for you.”

She tackles him to the balcony tiles and pins his wrists above his head. He can’t remember much after that.

“I’m surprised you didn’t do more and try to outshine me,” Shuri comments with her eyes closed as Queen Shuri finishes applying her fresh makeup. “That is a cute dress, though.”

“I didn’t come here to show off. I came here to dance.” Queen Shuri winks when the bride opens her eyes. “You really like it, though? Wanted it to be gold to match you. Makes me feel like the maid of honor.”

“You know Wakandans don’t do stuff or else I would’ve asked.” Shuri checks out her older counterpart one more time. Her dress is gold and the top is halter-style while the backside shows off her muscles and skin, covering her from the tailbone down to her ankles. Her braids are out and her gorgeous, natural, and long curls are worn like a crown on her head. “You look amazing. Trust me.”

Queen Shuri wears an odd smile as she helps the bride up from the chair. “I wore this on my twentieth birthday. I wonder if K’uk’ulkan remembers.”

She disrobes the Black Panther and goes over to the closet to get her wedding dress. It’s a custom one; completely brand new. Shuri would’ve worn the one her mother did on her wedding day, but Ramonda was buried with it. 

“Are you two back together?”

“Not quite.” Queen Shuri helps her get into the beautiful dress. “We’re still separated and I’m enjoying it, honestly. We haven’t had an argument in months and each time we are together, I love being around him. It’s like having my best friend back.”

The last part is to zip up the backside. Shuri turns around to allow her to have full access. 

“I didn’t know you two were best friends to begin with.”

“You don’t stay with a man for that long without having some kind of personal connection. He makes me laugh and he’s been kind, loving, and patient. He’s nothing like he was before. Sometimes I think I’m ready to go home with him and try it again, but… I’m scared, I guess. I don’t want us to regress. Turn around for me.” Queen Shuri is close to tears when the bride faces her. “Bast, you’re the most beautiful woman in all universes combined. Go take a look.”

Shuri goes to her full-length mirror and has to clutch her chest at the sight of herself. There are swirls of gold mixed in with all of the white and the straps rest past her shoulders. Her neckline is adorned in special jewels and she swears she looks like a doll. Or a queen. 

Which she’s going to be.

“Mama would be so proud of me…”

“Trust me. She is.”

There’s a sudden knocking on the door and Shuri shouts out to let them come in. Uuka, Miya, and Toussaint come barging in with food all over their faces.

“Auntie Shuri! Mama said you have something that can wipe this off quick!” 

“I do,” she laughs. “Give me a few minutes to find it.”

“Wow, Miss Shuri! You look like a beautiful princess! Mr. Namor is going to be so happy!”

“Aw, thank you, Uuka!” 

The Earth-1113 children get their faces cleaned and Queen Shuri takes them both by the hand. 

“I’m going to go out near the shoreline and see if K’uk’ulkan is ready. Congratulations again, Udaku-Almehen.”

“I’m not sure how I feel about you not doing this in front of a mirror. How do I know you’re not sabotaging me before my wedding ceremony?”

“Stop moving your head so much. I have a sharp object right next to it.” K’uk’ulkan trims the longer hairs on Namor’s nape when he’s finally still. “And if I wanted to sabotage it, I wouldn’t be here helping you look your best. Although I assume that most eyes will be on myself or your bride.”

“I’m starting to think you like to hear yourself talk.”

“We have very attractive voices, don’t we?” 

Namor notices the gold band around K’uk’ulkan’s finger when he switches out the tools. 

“Since you think so, I suppose I’ll talk some more. How’s everything going with your marriage?”

The only sound for a while is the buzzing of the clippers. And then:

“Complicated as it always will be.” 

“How so?”

“We are still separated, but she’s happy. Flourishing, really. I don’t sense the old bitterness she used to have and she’s been a lot softer. She’s forgiven herself and it’s beautiful to see.” K’uk’ulkan turns off the clipper, dusts off the small pieces lingering on his neck, and runs his fingers through Namor’s hair before handing him a mirror. “Tell me what you think.”

Namor checks himself out and cracks a grin. “You didn’t do half bad, after all. Thank you.”

“Mmhm. Let’s get you out of those shorts and into something with dignity, shall we?” 

Namor follows closely behind K’uk’ulkan as they head to the hut. He notices that his variant has gained some healthy weight since they last saw each other. He’s been taking care of himself, too. 

“You’re genuinely separated? No chance of reconciliation?” 

K’uk’ulkan doesn’t look back at him when he answers. 

“I lost that right a long time ago.”

“Today is the most beautiful ceremony known in our culture. Anything can happen.”

K’uk’ulkan ignores him once they’re inside and he gestures to the outfit on the table instead. Namor goes in for a closer look. There’s a special tunic; white with golden feathered serpents stitched into it. It matches the loincloth that’s meant to be worn over a pair of white pants and there are several pieces of golden armor to wear. Instead of his headdress, Namor sees a copilli to cuff on his ear. They’re feathers from a Toh bird.

“This is…very extravagant and better than what I was expecting.”

“Stand still after getting your pants on. I’ll help you put on everything else.”

Namor discards his shorts and pulls the porous white material up his muscular legs with ease. There comes a moment when K’uk’ulkan is tying the loincloth around his waist that the two men make eye contact. He’s noticing for the first time how the variant is dressed.

His face paint is pitch blac, covering everything above his nostrils with two fang-like lines going down the corners of his lips. The serpent on his headpiece has its mouth wide open and two long pieces of gold extend from the sides, covering his normally exposed chest. His golden shoulder armor has long green plumage extending outward to match the feathers he wears along his loincloth. 

“Those are a lot of feathers.”

K’uk’ulkan attaches the copilli to Namor’s ear. “I’ve earned the right to wear them. You’re all set now. The portal to the citadel is open. Travel through there when you’re ready so the water doesn’t mess with you.”

“Thank you again. I…” Namor trails off when K’uk’ulkan is making that deep and intense eye contact again. Is this how Shuri feels whenever her counterpart looks at her? 

“What? You want a kiss or something?”

Namor rolls his eyes when the other god-king is laughing, snapping out of it. 

“Just go.”

K’uk’ulkan is rendered speechless when he sees his wife sitting in one of the chairs with their children. She looks so Chaac damn beautiful, even better than she did eight years ago in that same dress. She waves at him when she notices him and he’s about to head over when his ears detect a familiar sound. 

He tilts his head back and stares up at the clouds that are close to pouring out all the rain contained within. The groom standing at the flower-covered altar hears it, too. 

“How long do you think we have until it hits here?”

“A few minutes at most. I’ll stop it.”

Namor blinks. “How?” 

“You have a lot to learn, mehen.”

The guests in attendance start murmuring when the thunder claps loudly in the darkening sky; some seeing it as an omen. They’re all silenced when the downpour begins and K’uk’ulkan creates a barrier over the venue and the aisle where he can hear Princess Shuri talking to her sister-in-law about how lucky they are that he was invited. 

K’uk’ulkan’s pretty little wife approaches him, smelling like water lilies and vanilla. 

“Do you think you’ll be able to hold off the rain for the entire ceremony?”

“Not if you keep staring at me like that. You’re too much of a distraction.”

One simple touch from Queen Shuri before she returns to her seat almost causes K’uk’ulkan to drop water on the approaching bride. His hands move in time to stop it and the pathway to Namor is clear. 

All eyes are on the Black Panther, especially the reddening ones of the groom. Her white dress has golden patterns that travel from the bust to the train, representing her tribe, while her jewels of jade and obsidian represent her new one. 

She stops in front of Namor, who is barely able to hold it together, and she whispers,

“I can’t believe it’s finally happening.”

“This doesn’t change anything,” he manages while taking her hands. “I’ve always been yours.”

His heart is acting up the entire time he stares at her as the Talokanil shaman and the Wakandan priest take turns going through the motions of thanking their higher ups and blessing the marriage.

It’s not her beauty that’s doing this to him, because she’s beautiful all the time.

The memories he has shared with her since they met came rushing over him. From the scared yet feisty girl pointing a spear at him near the river, to the vengeful and powerful Black Panther, and now his bride. His wife. His atan. He can no longer fight back the tears thinking about everything they’ve been through and how much he absolutely loves her, how he’ll always love her. He’s so damn blessed. 

They’re missing so much of what’s being said and done to them as they can’t look away from each other. At one point, they’re slipping chocolate and kola nuts into their mouths and they’re wearing necklaces made of water lilies and protea flowers. 

They repeat the sacred vows in their own languages, promising to love each other and only each other come what may. When they’re given the go-ahead to seal their marriage with a kiss, Namor holds her by the chin with his thumb on her lower lip. 

Her heart races as she watches his loving eyes become full blown with lust. 

“U yatan K’uk’ulkan.”

“U yíicham Shuri,” she whispers right before his mouth consumes her, as he’s already consumed her heart, mind, and soul.

The storm ended up stopping right on time for the food to be served. K’uk’ulkan is surprised that his wife stands right behind him as he eats, massaging his arms. He doesn’t want to tell her that they don’t hurt after controlling the rain for that long, but he has missed the attention dearly. 

“Can you go a bit deeper, my love? It hurts.”

He groans quietly when she massages his shoulders in the way he asked and his desire for her only heightens when he feels the warmth of her breath in his ear. 

“Thank you for being their hero today. She looks way too beautiful to have it get ruined.”

“What about him? A lot of work went into that.” 

“Yes, Namor is beautiful, too, but not as beautiful as Shuri.”

“Nobody can ever be as beautiful as you two,” he comments quietly and grabs her hands gently to stop. “You need to eat now. I’ll be fine.”

His gaze follows her as she walks away and he notices that there are a lot of male and female guests in attendance who check her out. It used to anger him. Now he sees it in a way that he’s lucky to be married to someone like her. It also helps that she pays them no mind. She sits right back down with her food and sits across from him with their beautiful children.

An announcement for the first dance is made and the newlyweds - looking like the perfect pair in their matching outfits - dance close and slow to each other to a romantic song. The song fills their steps and the sway of their bodies. It fills them with emotions that buzz in their chests. 

As they spin around, Namor laughs in a way that makes his eyes crinkle and leaves Shuri unable to do much more than stare, starstruck. The rest of the world fades away, and she finds herself laughing, too. It comes from the place that Namor carved deep into her chest that’s never going to close. They kiss each other sweetly and confess their love underneath the stars. 

Another announcement is made, inviting other couples to the floor and encouraging partner switches. The newlyweds find themselves being tapped by their counterparts and they switch off. 

K’uk’ulkan keeps a respectable hold on the bride, never leaving her hand and shoulder. She reminds him so much of his wife on their wedding day and it makes it hard at times to look at her, but he maintains steady eye contact. 

“You look very beautiful tonight, Princess Shuri.”

“Queen of Talokan now,” she tells him with a proud smile. “You don’t look half bad yourself.”

“My apologies, ix ajaw.” He bows to her before they resume dancing.

“Thank you for stopping the rain, by the way.”

“It was nothing. Your husband might need some private lessons from me in order to learn how to manipulate water himself. It…could make your love life interesting.”

There’s something about her lip biting that’s telling him she’s curious, but he doesn’t receive an answer. His young son is tapping his arm impatiently. 

“You’re hogging the bride, Baba!”

The adults laugh and K’uk’ulkan apologizes before making the switch. He’s now holding his baby girl Miya in his arms and he spins around in circles, making her giggle hysterically. 

On the other side, Namor is holding onto Queen Shuri, who has finished fixing his  copilli. 

“K’uk’ulkan really decked you out, didn’t he?”

“Your husband is very flashy, just like you.”

“Yeah, he’s always been a fashionista. I’m glad that part of him remained.”

It’s heartwarming how at peace she appears to be. There’s something genuine about it. 

“It’s nice to see you’re in a better place compared to when you first arrived here. Have you found what you were looking for?”

“I’m trying. Not every day is easy. I still get certain urges or negative thoughts but I’ve been distracting myself in the lab and with exercise. I think I’m always going to be halfway between hurting and healing and that’s okay.”

Namor rests his cheek against hers, holding her just a bit closer, for only a few seconds. 

“It is okay, Ix Kan.” 

“Please?” Queen Shuri, with her body covered in sweat, pleads to her husband to get up and dance to something that isn’t slow for once. Nakia and a few others have taken the children elsewhere to give the partying adults in the wedding some freedom to let loose. “Just one?”

K’uk’ulkan checks out the dance floor, where he sees a drunk bride grinding her ass against an equally drunk god-king who overindulged in some powerful balché. Come to think of it, the majority of those still here would fail a sobriety test. They won’t remember anything he does; only his wife, who remains sober. 

He sighs and takes off his headdress before accepting her hand. The song changes as soon as they’re on the dance floor and K’uk’ulkan isn’t sure what to do with the unfamiliar sound.

“How do I dance to this?”

“The moves are literally the lyrics! That’s the fun with the Cha Cha Slide!” Queen Shuri shouts over the noise and as ridiculous as that name is, he decides to give in. It helps that she presses the backside of her body up against his front and allows him to keep his hands on her pelvis as they move together. 

Each time they have to ‘hop’, her ass rubs against his erection and the temptation of her is overwhelming. 

“I want to put my hand lower,” he husks into her ear and she grabs his wrist to do it herself. He bites down on her neck to conceal his groans once he’s feeling her wetness. She continues to dance regardless, her fingers tangled up in his hair as she keeps them raised. He moves with her, rolling his hips to match her.

“You’re so good at this, K’uk’ulkan,” she tells him breathlessly. “Can you dance with me all night?”

It’s a cold, harsh truth that no matter how physically their bodies crave each other, no matter how connected their souls are, no matter how in tune they are to one another, Shuri will not be coming home tonight. 

So he takes as much as he can get, soaking in what she offers, and holding on for as long as he can.

“It would be my pleasure.”

The chill of the salt water quickly sobers up the newlyweds. They hold onto each other, checking out their guests from a distance as they bob along with the waves. 

“Do you think they’ll notice that we’re gone?”

“I doubt it.”

“Well… Good.” Shuri turns around and kisses her husband. Husband. It feels so good to say it. “I can’t wait any longer for this honeymoon to begin. I believe it’s your sworn duty to impregnate me before we return to our royal affairs, no?”

Namor smirks and reaches underneath the water to grab her thighs. She automatically wraps her legs around him. 

“Far be it from me to disappoint you, my queen.”

As they share a heated kiss, the god-king’s heart and wings are fluttering in an even pace. 

He hasn’t told her yet, but he’s been listening to their baby’s heartbeat for a few weeks already. 

After Queen Shuri tucks her exhausted children into bed and gives them both forehead kisses, her nose detects a strong and familiar smell. She smiles in disbelief with her eyebrows pushed together as she heads to her balcony and finds K’uk’ulkan smoking a joint with N’Jadaka.

“Since when did this happen?”

“Since I told this asshole to stop smashing through my airplane window and fucking me up before I call my lawyer with the red braids.” N’Jadaka exhales and offers it to his cousin. “I think I like him when he’s relaxed.”

Shuri glances at K’uk’ulkan, who has practically melted into his chair while he smiles peacefully at the night sky. It’s somewhat endearing to witness. 

She ends up declining N’Jadaka, not wanting to ruin her streak.

“No, thanks. I think I’m going to go to sleep. My feet are killing me.”

K’uk’ulkan looks at her with a frown. “You’re going to bed?” 

“Yeah. Um…thank you for a beautiful night. Everything about it and you were both amazing.”

K’uk’ulkan gets up from the chair and holds his arms out to her. She goes in for the embrace and feels her eyes water as she holds him. 

She loves him so much.

He’s touching her face and her fingers are in his hair, and they can’t help himself. They need one more. One last. 

She pours her thoughts into the way she connects her lips to his, the silent, ‘ I wish we got this right the first time around, I want to come home and rule Talokan by your side, I want to erase all of our trauma but I can’t’ making her throat tight as he mirrors the hold, K’uk’ulkan returning the kiss just as hard. It’s beautiful, the way it breaks her heart.

K’uk’ulkan isn’t able to catch her tears as she walks away and he’s left staring at a closed balcony door. N’Jadaka stands up and pats him on the back.

“You alright?”

“I have that spell book at home,” he tells him quietly. “The one that she used to open the portal. I tried so damn hard to find something that could reverse time and reset all of this.”

“And did you find it?”

K’uk’ulkan nods and tilts his head back to look at the two constellations he dedicated to his marriage. Cassiopeia and Cepheus. Cassiopeia was a vain queen who got shot up to the sky by Hera, tied to her throne for everyone to see her beauty. Her husband, King Cepheus, was so overcome by grief that he begged to join her and up there in the sky, their love story is visible for all to see. 

“I did. But I ultimately decided to burn the book instead.”

N’Jadaka inhales and exhales a cloud of smoke. “Damn…You could’ve had a chance to change everything and you didn’t?”

“No. There was no guarantee that I would have any former memories of what I’ve done and I couldn’t do that to her, either.” K’uk’ulkan laughs quietly. “She told me something I haven’t been able to forget. We aren’t us without the pain. I’m starting to believe that all versions of us out there are the same way.”

N’Jadaka crushes out the flame inside the ash tray and offers his knuckles to the god-king, who ends up gently bumping their fists together. 

“Good for you for taking the high road, King. I don’t think it’s going to be this way forever, though. Maybe you’ll get back together. Maybe you’ll both find someone else. But it’s going to be fine. I mean, what’s the point of living if we’re bound to suffer forever from past mistakes?”

K’uk’ulkan doesn’t know if it’s the drugs talking or if N’Jadaka has always been this wise, but he’s grateful for the conversation nonetheless. 

K’uk’ulkan remains on the balcony long after N’Jadaka leaves and he goes inside Shuri’s room one last time. She was so tired that she fell asleep with her golden dress and her makeup on. His mother’s bracelet around her wrist gives him a sliver of hope and he leans down to kiss her temple. 

All things end.

But maybe,

Just maybe,

It’s possible for that same thing to begin again.