If we make it or we don't we won't be alone
When I see the light shining,
We're going home…
(Vance Joy's "We're Going Home")
Shuri clenches her eyes shut at the lyrics. This was Baba's favourite song. He'd always loved deep and meaningful lyrics of songs- just like her.
But this time, she wasn't able to go home.
Not for a long time.
His cherished country, their Wakanda, now closed to Shuri, T'Challa and Okoye.
A note slides underneath the door, and Shuri almost misses it in her despair. Curious despite her miserable mood, she picks the note up.
Hey MemeQueen, it reads. Smiling softly, Shuri already knows who the author was from just the first two words. She reads on.
I know this isn't an ideal situation, because you'd rather be in Wakanda right now but I hope that we you can have some good times here in the Avengers Compound. And I just wanted to say that I'm really sorry about you not being able to go home, and that it's really nice to have you around and be someone to talk to. Maybe later you can show me how to upgrade my Spiderman suit?
Shuri swings the door wide open, revealing a very surprised looking Peter, who seemed to have been just about to escape away.
"Uhh…hi Shuri. You surprised me there." He gives a small wave.
"I thought your spider sense would've worked better." She remarks dryly.
"Haha yeah, me too." Peter grinned nervously.
Heavy silence.
Shuri turns away, looking to head back into her room.
"Uh," Peter stammers, thinking hard about what to say. "Want to get some fresh air?"
Shuri nods, "Sure."
They walk down the long corridors in a comfortable quiet.
Turning left, Peter holds the door open for Shuri. She steps through, eyes immediately drawn to the twinkling light of the stars, and her breath catches at the sight. Peter, seeing her reaction, follows Shuri to the balcony's edge.
"What's the view like in Wakanda?" he asks, gazing out into the night, lit up by the shining astronomical marvels.
"It's…as beautiful as this," she whispers at last. "The clear sky, the wind in your hair, even a nice white boy standing next to me."
"What?"
"Just kidding," Shuri giggles at his reaction.
Peter's heart lifts at her joke, chuckling softly.
"You got me there," he admits.
"I always do."
She lapses back into silence.
"Think of it as an extended holiday," he says gently. "A little unexpected but everything is still ok at home."
"Do you always have such good advice?" Shuri wonders.
"Always."
They smile at each other.
Shuri rubs her shoulders, cold in her t-shirt and pants.
Peter suggests, "Want to go back in?"
"Okay."
They return inside together, chatting quietly until they meet Tony, followed by another figure in the corridor.
"Shuri! There you are, hope you're feeling better." He motions to the person behind him, "Peter, your aunt is here."
"May! Wow, you got here fast. And with a lot of luggage." Peter mutters.
"Peter," Aunt May admonishes, "Who is this with you? Introduce her please."
"Uh, Aunt May this is Shuri, the Princess of Wakanda, and Shuri, this is my aunt."
"Hi," Shuri greets May with a warm handshake.
"Peter! You never told me you knew a princess," gasps Aunt May, returning the gesture.
"I honestly didn't know until myself until a few weeks ago," Peter protests as Shuri smirks.
"Okay, May you'll be staying on the guest floor in room number 3." Tony informs her.
"Oh, I'm in room 2, so we'll be next to each other!" Shuri says excitedly. "Let me help you with your luggage."
She grabs May's bag and the group sets off for the guest floor.
"So how long have you two known each other?" May asks nonchalantly
"Shuri did a talk at school as the Wakandan Head of Science and Information Exchange, staying as a guest of Tony's with her brother, King T'Challa."
"Wow, so you have official royal duties already? Are you 16 like Peter too?"
"Actually I'm turned 17 a few weeks ago, and yeah I help make Wakanda's technology." Shuri laughs.
"That's amazing!" May gushes.
Peter covers his face in embarrassment at his aunt fangirling over his friend whilst Tony looks slightly miffed at the praise Shuri is receiving.
"Oh goodness, we're here already." May grabs her luggage, and thanks the princess sincerely for her help.
"No problem," responds Shuri as she waves goodbye and slips back into her room.
"Well, she is an extremely nice girl! Sounds like you two have a lot in common too," May nudges Peter with a sly look on her face.
"Stop it, May. We're just friends," Peter replies shrugging casually.
"Alright alright, have a good night's sleep then. See you in the morning."
"See you," the boys head back upstairs to their rooms.
Meanwhile, Shuri changes into her PJs and brushes her teeth as T'Challa knocks on her door.
Hearing their specially formulated sequence of taps, she calls "enter" to her brother in Xhosa. He steps inside as Shuri walks into the room from her en-suite bathroom.
"Hello brother," She greets.
"Shuri," he answers seriously. "This will not be permanent, only for a while. I am looking for a way to get us home."
"Remember the movie The Wizard of Oz Baba once showed us? It feels like that. Stuck in a new land with no way to go home." Shuri remarks.
"Okoye and I will sort things out with the American government, for the meantime, go to sleep and we'll talk in the morning."
"Goodnight" she calls as T'Challa leaves.
Grabbing her phone, Shuri logs on and checks her feed, scrolling through the various updates, posts and memes.
Hey – She checks the notification, from Peter Parker one minute ago.
Hey yourself
Sorry my Aunt was so weird tonight
Shuri bites her lip in laughter, Peter was obviously mortified by his aunt's curiosity.
No it ok, she replied before adding,
Were you serious about letting me upgrade your Spiderman suit?
… Shuri waited for his reply.
I mean, yeah I guess.
What are you going to change?
Shuri wastes no time before hitting the send button
Everything
She can practically hear his panic from the multiple floors below.
What! Don't tell me there aren't some ok features- I worked so hard on it!
But you didn't have me working on it, did you?
fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine
…
But if I don't like it I'm changing it, he warns.
As if you won't like it
By the time I'm done with your suit, you'll be throwing the one Tony gave you out the window.
Settling into bed, Shuri sighs to herself,
"It's just like a holiday, right?"