Water Or Wine

Chapter 8

When we get back to Wakanda T'Challa takes Ross down to the lab while I head back to my room to clean off, I have blood both mine and others on my suit and body. I need to scrub it off. Once in my room I strip down and throw my suit on the floor, I unhook my daggers and drop them as well.

I finish showering and head back to my room with my towel wrapped around me. I pull open a draw and bring out a grey jumper and some sweat pants. "You aren't gonna wear those are you?" A familiar voice says and I almost jump out of my skin. Clutching my towel tightly I spin around to find Sprite sitting on my bed "Jesus Sprite." I say glaring at her "you almost gave me a heart attack."

She snorts and leans back against the headboard "like that's possible." I frown and take my clothes into the bathroom, leaving the door open but hiding so she can't see me "how did you know what I was here?" I call out as I quickly slip on my clothes. I hear Sprite shuffle around "I saw you guys in Korea, I followed you here."

I leave the bathroom and hit her hand "don't touch that." I say to her "you are lucky Okoye didn't see you. Not even I could save you from her." Sprite rolls her eyes and follows me back to the bed "no one was going to see me. Illusions remember." She wiggles her fingers.

"What do you want Sprite?" I ask crossing my legs under me, "I-" but she is cut off by a knock on the door. I stand up and motion for her to be quiet, slowly I open the door and realise Bucky is standing there. "James." I say gently as I open the door further, I know Sprite has hidden herself again.

I place a hand on the door "sorry." He says shyly "I didnt wanna barge in but Shuri said you are back and well. I remember some things." I smile genuinely and give him a soft look "that's great Bucky but can we talk about it later? I really need a nap?" He nods and steps back, his face going pink "sorry for bothering you." I give him a kind smile before shutting the door.

I turn back to Sprite who is smirking "who was that?" She asks, I roll my eyes and lay back down "an old friend I'm helping out." She props herself up on her elbow and raises her eyebrow "friend huh? Didn't seem like it. What happened to Druig being the only man for you?" I roll my eyes again.

The last time I saw Sprite 1521 when we all went our separate ways I was totally encapsulated by Druig, of course at the time he never noticed a thing and saw me just as a friend. Nothing has changed. Well my feelings have certainly weakened.

"Bucky is a friend, a trouble friend who I am helping and Druig was never the only man for me. You exaggerate." She snorts and taps me gently on the head a few times "of course I did Noelle." She says sarcastically and I swipe for her but she dodges out of the way. "You are getting slow Noelle." She teases with a smirk on her face, I sit back down and pick up one of my daggers from by my foot "or maybe I never really meant to hit you." I muse before throwing the dagger so it is mere inches from her head.

Sprite takes it out of the wall with a frown "what happened Noelle? You were always the sweet one." I chuckle and cross my legs again "I am sweet, you just know how to push my buttons." Sprite smiles and I smile back.

My bedroom door bursts open and Shuri stands there "Noelle I.... Noelle why is there a child in your bedroom." I glance at Sprite who looks just as surprised "she isn't a child." I start to explain and suddenly Sprite grows to a full sized adult and her hair colour changed to blonde "I can do that if it helps." She says simply.

Shuri looks at me and then back to Sprite "your an Eternal like Noelle." She states in awe and Sprite looks over at me "you told them?" I shrug, sitting back down "it's kind of hard not to when you were friends with their father when he was a teenager." Sprite whistles lowly tucking her hands into her pockets "cool."

I flick my still wet hair out of my face "did you need something Shuri?" She drags her eyes to me, fascination lacing every part of her face "I need your suit." She says and I grab it from the floor and hand it to her "sorry, I didn't have a chance to get the blood out of it." Shuri winces as she takes it although I think it's more about my disregard for it rather than the blood "I can get it out." She insists.

She goes to the door and turns back "mother wants you to eat dinner with us tonight." She eyes Sprite "I'll let the servants know we need an extra place." I tip my head to her and she disappears down the hall.

-

Dinner is awkward to say the least. We all sit in a tense silence before T'Challa clears his throat and asks "so Sprite, you are like Noelle?" Sprite picks up her glass and nods her head "yeah, well, we are both Eternals but our powers are different." The Queen Mother tilts her head in interest and asks gently "what is it you do?"

Sprite, who normally likes attention, goes bright red as though embarrassed and looks down at her plate of food "i create illusions." I know she has always struggled to find her place in our group, we all have offensive like Ikaris or outright helpful like Phastos. Sprite always had trouble finding how her ability worked to help human's evolve.

"She used to tell the most amazing stories." I jump in, saving her from those negative feelings. The older woman filters her head "have we heard any of these stories?" I look over at Sprite who is nursing her food and trying not to pout (unsuccessfully) When she doesn't answer I do it for her "most of the Greek Myths. Hades and Persephone were the ones she like to speak of most."

Sprite shuffles up in her chair and speaks up "I used to use stories from the others, just change their names." We all nod along and finish with our meal. After the food is finished Sprite and I excuse ourselves and head back to my room "so, little one." I say using her nickname "who were you with before you followed me from Korea."

We renter my bedroom and lay down on my bed "Ikaris, he was brooding way too much. You would think that after 500 years he would stop being upset about leaving Sersi." She explains quickly and I shrug, twisting a dark strand of hair on my finger "he loved her." I reply.

Sprite crosses her arms and turns to look at me "if he loved her why did he leave her?" I shrug and turn my head so I am facing her too "people do all sorts of things where the people they love are concerned." Sprite takes a breath before asking "is that what Druig did for you? When he-" I cut her off, my fists clenched tight "we don't speak about that Sprite." I warn.

But we certainly do think about it.