Protector of Her Heart

Chapter 2

As everyone grabbed a plate and sat down Elinora could not help but be wary of the giant warrior who succeeded in what she had always assumed was impossible. Not knowing what to do with the emotions swirling around her head she decided it was best to just avoid him. Unfortunately everyone else thought it best that he stayed by her side. She sat in between Tony and Natasha hoping for some time to process, but Tony got up for M'Baku, dashing her silent plea.

M'Baku turned his chair towards hers, getting as close as possible placing his left arm on the back of her chair in a protective manner.

"So, since this is basically the first time everyone at the table has gotten to meet you, why don't you properly introduce yourself?"

Elinora glared at Natasha while trying to muster up the courage to speak to such a large group of intimidating people, well except for Peter, he was too young and adorable to scare her. While staring and picking at her food nervously...

"Um, well, my name is Elinora, but I uh mostly go by Nora or Eli, well Nora. Only my little brother and sister call me Eli. Well, Ewi with a w cause they're still toddlers, but that's not important and I'm babbling."

M'Baku sensed her distress and started rubbing small circles at the base of her neck. She relaxed into his touch ever so slightly, taking a deep breath, she continued...

"And I'm uh, an empath, um as previously demonstrated, sorry about that. And I'm uh also a keep to myself person so I'm not used to a whole lot of interactions with people I don't know. So um can I be excused from whatever Natasha roped a 4am me into?"

She finally looked up and saw determined looks on most everybody's face. Except for Okoye, because she was still skeptical of this girl who could not even string a full sentence together, but could somehow control how they all acted. And M'Baku whose face was mixed with determination and confusion. He could not understand how such a beauty could be so intimidated by the people around her and life. It would seem they had all decided as one that she needed to get out of the house either way.
Ignoring her request Natasha took control of the situation...

"If everyone is done eating I was thinking that us girls could help Nora with some shopping and her hair. Mostly F.R.I.D.A.Y. for the hair because I haven't the first clue."

"Who's that? I don't remember a Friday being introduced. Isn't that a day of the week? You Americans have such weird names."
T'Challa leaned in and half whispered,"That is Tony's A.I. Shuri."

"You would leave the beautification of natural hair to an artificial intelligence born from a colonizers mind? I don't know how to respond to that kind of stupidity."

"Shuri!" The king looked at her with a silent look of please shut up before you get us kicked out or killed.
"What?! I'm just saying, you leave beautiful hair like ours in the hands of white people and bad shit happens, like straightening it in a non natural way. Burnt hair smells man and I'm really not in a gas mask mood."

"I apologize for her bluntness."

Natasha laughed the king's apology away, she understood the young woman's concern and welcomed the bluntness of her words.

"It's quite alright T'Challa. I appreciate her concern because it is the same as mine."

Nora spoke up just a little putting the lot of them out of their misery.

"Um guys, I kinda already have that covered, no pun intended."

"For bast sake woman! How long were you going to keep this to yourself?"

Nora didn't know how to process Shuri's question. Was she truly angry? The young woman had a way with words, always so passionate, but Nora could not tell the true emotion behind them.