Nashuri Collection (Namor x Shuri)

21 - 23

21. Bounce

"MA-ma!"

Esishle was only a few months away from becoming a one-year-old, but she chattered away as if she had a talk show. Only her cute cries for her mama broke the serenity in Namor's room. The baby was situated in the Wakandan baby rocker Shuri had imported and was trying to wiggle out.

With his acute hearing, Namor awoke first. Shuri was knocked out. His queen was so tired. She lay with him in their hammock, peacefully sleeping next to him.

"Mama! Mama!" Esihle whimpered again. She somehow managed to slide out of the belt strapping her to the machine and unto the floor. The machine stilled before a mechanic arm scooped her into the crib next to it.

Namor rubbed at his eyes, looking for his robe. Esihle always calmed down from the feel of the fabric and his arms around her. Of course, that was only if her mother wasn't an option.

At first, Esihle angrily bounced, holding onto the crib railing, then she pummeled headfirst into Namor's stomach. It wasn't as if the softness of a developing baby could wound him, but he was truly surprised. He tried to get her upright, smoothing out her little dress when he noticed the small tufts on her chubby ankles.

Their baby was growing wings! And she had bounced and toppled over the crib until she dove right into their hammock. Her flight patterns would need to be corrected for sure, but he was proud.

A happy Esihle cooed, "Mama! Mama!"

"All right, all right child here's your reward." Namor shifted in the hammock a bit to fit Esihle snugly between them. "Your mother gets very tired after feeding your brother."

Until now Esihle had taken after her mother with her skin, hair, and inquisitive nature aside from his eyes and slightly pointed ears. Perhaps, she just hadn't grown into all of her father's attributes. He hoped she would later come to share more from him like his ideology.

There was calm now, but he could only imagine his love's reaction. She would be complaining about how would they ever enroll Esihle into a Wakandan school now.

Namor sighed, basking in his family.

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22. Fatal Attraction

Namor and his warriors Attuma and Namora sat at the large, round table. The close quarters were supposed to breed intimacy and trust among the council. Shuri thought it was just some failed designer's logic. Because the closeness only brought discomfort. She felt like she'd elbow elder Zanawari if she twisted the wrong way. 

And, of course, she had been seated directly in front of Namor himself. She was the obvious and only choice as the elders said they would rather not directly gaze upon the terror of Talokan, as he had soon been nicknamed. Shuri didn't care though she wasn't afraid of him.

"Why do you reject my proposal?" he asked her. She hadn't dreamed of him bringing it up in front of EVERYONE during their meeting. She had quietly rejected his proposal and sent Attuma back with a waterproof letter detailing her refusal.

"Because I don't love you!" Shuri spat, calmy behind a clenched smile. "Next question, please. We have a busy meeting ahead of us."

His eyes were wild, but he didn't change his relaxed posture. The picture of grace, Namor sat in his chair with his hands folded.

"Try again, princess. Many alliances are built upon more than love and yearning," he said softly though it may have been her perception.

Namora shifted in her chair uncomfortably, and Attuma only sharpened the end of his spear, bored. The Dora Milaje eyed the two warily.