Nashuri Collection (Namor x Shuri)

Baby! pt. 2 (Two-shot!)

Co-parenting

Esihle was barely one year old when the parenting drama started.

Shuri should have known things wouldn't stay so tranquil, but it was easy to forget. Having a baby took much adjustment but being royalty, she had more than enough help. Nakia was the best godmother of course and Toussaint loved being an older cousin. Many nights after sitting at council meetings and working in her lab, Shuri's favorite pastime was bouncing Esihle upon her lap, listening to her baby's ebullient giggles with techno music in the background.

Eishle was so bright already, not genius levels though like her mother or deceased uncle. The baby took to water like spots on a cheetah. Her talent for swimming was so innate that Shuri worried if she'd sprout fish gills (thankfully, she hadn't yet). Esihle's skin was still brown and not blue and her little afro was growing more each day. All things a testament she was more her mother than her father, hopefully.

Namor had even been surprisingly pleasant for a while. He made constant trips to the surface world and sent Attuma or Namora in his stead when he absolutely couldn't get away. Esihle was terribly spoiled with gifts and her father's attention. Her only option was to be a daddy's girl.

It was on one of his routine visits with their daughter that Namor broke the facade; again, they had yet to put a name to their relationship or their voluntary co-parenting. The passion that burned between them hadn't waned, but Shuri was keeping her distance. They needed to figure things out and not inadvertently give Esihle a sibling.

Namor was visiting her rented AirBNB in Haiti, a country she had grown to adore. For some reason, the Caribbean country brought her peace when she was at her lowest.

His expression was serious, with no easy-going smile or even the threat of danger. Eerily silent. His hand under his chin, looking like his own version of the Thinking Man statue.

"Esihle needs to see her people," Namor said.

She decided to play dumb which as a genius is hard to do. She closed her laptop and readjusted Esihle on her lap. "And how many people is that? She sees me, you, and Wakandans every day. Today, she even saw the owner of this house."

He didn't even dignify her with a response. Already she felt herself frowning, knowing where the conversation would turn.

"Yes, her mother's blood is Wakandan, but she needs to see Talokan as well."

Shuri stayed calm.

"Yes, I think she should one day. Her aptitude in water is marvelous, almost second nature." At her praise for their child, he relaxed a bit. His impending storm stalled only for a few moments.

"Of course, she's Talokan—"

"And Wakandan." Shuri asserted. Esihle turned around and smiled at her as if realizing they were talking about her. Shuri smiled at the joy sitting on her lap.

Namor stood up, sauntering around her room. Kings didn't need to pace for anything. The luxurious beach house didn't impress him. Few things from the surface world did, but he had to think of Esihle now. How would she turn out on the surface? "Almost too much. I speak to her in my language, and she barely responds save for basic commands."

"Eat, sleep, and poop. That's every baby's language." Shuri smushed Esihle's cheeks together. The baby laughed in return. "She isn't fluent in Wakandan either, but she's picking it up quickly. She'll be trilingual soon: English, Wakandan Creole, and Yucatec Mayan. If I stayed here longer, she may even pick up French and Kreyol."

He drew closer to her taking Esihle from her arms in one gentle motion, but his eyes were nothing of the sort; Namor's brown eyes were turbulent.

"You'd keep her from me."