T'Challa is in love with Nakia.

Shuri knows it, her mom and dad know, Okoye knows, everyone knows except Nakia, who apparently, for all that she's an amazing, badass spy, can't figure out that T'Challa has a crush on her.

Honestly, Shuri wonders how any of these dimwits had ever existed without her there to help them.

"You should ask her out," she tells T'Challa offhandedly, tapping two fingers against the table, "I think that she might like you back."

T'Challa's eyes dart back and forth, as though he expects to find Nakia waiting in the shadows for him to say something dumb and embarrassing, "No," he hisses between clenched teeth, turning bright red, "No, no I don't."

"It's okay, big bro," Shuri leans back and laces her fingers together behind her head, a shark's smile upon her lips, "I understand. She's a kickass, intelligent, badass spy who could probably take down entire empires with her hands tied behind her back, and you're into girls that could beat you six ways to Sunday."

"No," T'Challa buries his face in his hands, "No, no I'm not. I'm not into girls. I'm not into that."

Shuri blinks, "You're gay?" She gasps.

"What? No! I'm not! I just don't like Nakia, is all!"

"Oh," Shuri deflates, "Yeah, you are. I've seen the way you look at her, like how dad looks at mom..."

"No, that's not..." T'Challa stares at his fingers, and then ducks his head down, ears bright red, taking a moment before he whispers, "Is it that obvious?"

Shuri examines her nails, pretending to take a moment to think about it, "Kind of, yeah," she agrees, shrugging, "Like I said, you should ask her out."

"No, no way!" T'Challa shook his head, waving his hands in front of his face, "I've got to become king, I have to study, I need to..."

"Oh, hush," Shuri rolled her eyes, "Dad's got mom, doesn't he? Does that stand in the way of him being king?"

"Well, no, but..."

"Then there are no buts," Shuri huffs, flipping her hair over her shoulder, "Honestly, T'Challa, get yourself some guts and just confess already."

T'Challa doesn't have any ticks, can't afford to have them because he's the king, but if he did have any ticks, Shuri knows for a fact that he'd be going through them with the steadiness of a car from the outside world. (Honestly, it's a wonder that those clunks of metal even move, let along go at two hundred miles per hour. She is so grateful for Vibranium, otherwise, she wonders what kind of stone age everyone would still be living in.)

"I'm not that obvious," he finally says, jaw tight and chin lifted. It's his 'crown prince pose', the one that he assumes when he doesn't know what he's doing. For some reason, it makes him seem competent to others. Shuri sees it for what it is, though, her stupid brother posturing like a cornered snake, trying to seem far scarier than it actually is.

Shuri rubs her fingers against her temples. Bast, give me strength. "She walked into the training room yesterday and you let Okoye knock you out."

"Okoye knocks me out all the time!" T'Challa protests, and then pauses, eyes widening, "Wait, no, that was not what I meant to say."

Shuri is impassive, "Without my technology on your side, obviously, Okoye would beat you to a pulp. Honestly, T'Challa, just because you're going to be King doesn't mean that you have to be the strongest warrior of all time. There's a reason that wars are handled by the armies, not the kings."

"Dad says that the best king never has to send his people to fight a war."

"Dad also says that rooibos tea tastes good with dates," Shuri crosses her arm over her chest, "Good advice, but I'm allergic to dates."

"Okay," A small smile tugs at the edge of T'Challa's lips, "I don't see what this has to do with Nakia."

"It doesn't," Shuri sighs, "We got off topic. As usual. Go ask Nakia on a date. And not the food, ask her on a romantic date."

"That is not going to happen," T'Challa laughs.

Shuri looks mutinous, "You want to fight?" She demands, "I am trying to help you here!"

"I do not want to fight," T'Challa looks amused by the very idea, "And Nakia would never..." he turns red, "Nakia doesn't like me that way."

"Oh my..." Shuri clasps her hands in front of her face. Breathes. Shakes her head. "If you don't ask Nakia out, I will ask her out for you."

"Shuri, no."

Shuri jabbed her finger against T'Challa's chest, "Ask her out. Or I will for you."

A week later, Nakia comes to T'Challa with a hand on her hips and raises an eyebrow. "I'm told that you find my eyes beautiful?" She asks, clearly amused.

T'Challa freezes, "Well, um."

She laughs, and T'Challa is torn between strangling Shuri and thanking her.