Inside the hut, James did his best to keep his distance from her within the confines of the small building. He entered first, moving toward the middle of the room to create space between them. He turned to watch her reaction as she entered.
Her eyes swept across the room in a few quick glances, taking in what could be seen.
"This is nice," she said.
James nodded. "Better than I deserve. Shuri takes good care of me."
"I can tell. She wouldn't stop talking about you on the way out here."
"I hope her driving didn't scare you too much," said James.
Danielle chuckled and gave a small shrug. "My knuckles were only slightly white on the door handle."
James laughed at the thought of Danielle holding on for dear life.
Danielle walked toward the kitchen and opened a few cabinets and the fridge, taking inventory of the contents. A few snack foods filled the spaces in the cabinets, and bottles of water took up most of the space in the fridge. A jar of peanut butter sat alone on the shelf in the cabinet, while a jar of jelly sat alone on the shelf in the fridge. The bread sat by itself on the counter, waiting to be joined with its friends.
"I see you stick to the basics even now," she commented over her shoulder.
"I like peanut butter and jelly."
Danielle faced him. "You have access to any kind of food you could want, and you only eat peanut butter and jelly?"
"I didn't say that was all I ate." James noticed her expectant look and continued. "You've met Shuri. Do you really think she would just leave me to eat sandwiches all the time?"
"Probably not."
"She delivers leftovers from the palace all the time. You just happened to show up on the day I cleaned out the fridge."
"How convenient," she smirked, as she closed the door to the cabinet back.
The silence settled over them again, making James nervous once more. He didn't know why she was here, but he was too afraid to ask her after seeing her again for less than ten minutes. He searched for somewhere to set his eyes while he thought of something else to say.
"Do you sleep on the couch, or is there more to this place?" She asked.
James straightened his back and moved his eyes back to her. "There's a small bedroom and a bathroom through that door."
Her eyes landed on the closed door in the middle of the wall. She crossed the room and stopped with her hand on the door knob. "May I?"
"Yes," said James, surprised she felt the need to ask before entering.
Danielle opened the door and saw the queen sized bed against one wall and the doorway to the bathroom on the other. The bed was neatly made, military style with not even a stitch out of place. She didn't bother going into the bathroom, knowing it would be just as organized.
"I bet that bed is nice," she commented.
"Yeah, nothing but the best from Shuri."
Danielle stepped back toward the middle of the room and nodded her head in appreciation. "I'm glad you found a place, James. These people seem to be taking good care of you. You deserve it."
James ducked his head at her last words. "I don't know about that."
"I do," she said without hesitation, in a strong voice.
They fell into silence again, with James too afraid to ask all the questions he wanted to ask and too afraid to say all the things he should say. He tried not to look at her for too long, to study her too intently. He was taken aback that he was looking at the one person he never thought he would see again, and triggering the thought of how long she was planning to stay.
"So, uh, are you staying here?" James flicked his eyes from her to the floor and back.
Danielle crossed her arms, curling her shoulders forward. "If you don't want me to, I can go back to the palace."
"No!" James said too quickly he startled himself. "I mean, you can stay here, if you want. Shuri might make you have a slumber party if you go back to the palace."
Danielle smiled. "I don't think I could handle that."
James returned her smile, glad she was willing to stay with him. Maybe if she stayed long enough he could build up his courage to apologize to her. But, honestly, he didn't know where he would begin with an apology.
James focused his attention back to the present, and realized Danielle hadn't arrived with a bag, or any other personal effect.
"Did you bring anything with you to Wakanda?" He asked.
Danielle shrugged. "I had a backpack with a few things, but nothing too special. When I arrived here, Shuri took my bag and forced me into a bedroom to clean up. After I showered I found new clothes on the bed." She ran a hand down her hip and thigh pointing out the new clothes.
James hadn't noticed they were new because the clothes were so Danielle–comfortable, well-fitted, and reliable–but now he took in her appearance, wondering where Shuri got the jeans and black cotton t-shirt.
"I can call Shuri and have her send some things down, including your backpack." As James finished speaking, the sliding of tires and the bleating of goats filled the air.
They both stepped to the window to see Shuri's SUV zooming away, leaving a large trunk, like the ones she used to deliver his supplies, behind her in her wake.
"It seems she already knew," said Danielle, looking over at James.
He shook his head as he walked out of the hut and toward the trunk. He didn't appreciate Shuri skidding through his driveway every time, but he couldn't tell her to stop.
Grabbing the trunk with his one hand, James started to drag it.
Danielle rushed to take the other side. "Here, let me help you."
"It's okay. I can get it."
"James," the tone in her voice made him meet her eyes, "let me help you."
He paused to allow her to get a good grip on her side, and together they walked toward the hut. He glanced at her, admiring the determination set in her face as they made their way into the house. He had missed that look of hers, even if she always gave it to him when she didn't agree with what he was saying.
"Let's set it in this empty space by the wall until we know what to do with it," she said.
"Yes, ma'am," he replied, smirking at her furrowed eyebrows at being called ma'am.
With the trunk settled against the wall, Danielle moved to open it and reveal its contents. Her backpack laid across the top of a large stack of clothes and other personal items needed to stay the night.
In the other portion of the trunk, laid a hot meal separated into tupperware with more than plenty for leftovers.
Danielle looked over her shoulder at James. "You hungry? I made dinner."
He couldn't help but laugh. "I'll grab the plates."