Work Text:
Shuri makes a point of smiling as she wipes the anti-bacterial ointment and then wraps the freshly inked tattoo with a sterile bandage.
“There, all done.” she says reassuringly because the girl in front of her is looking a little paler than when she entered the shop and she has definitely quieted down since Shuri had started to fit the new needles into the tattoo gun.
“Oh- uh, thanks.” the girl replies with slightly wide eyes; Shuri nods as she discards her used gloves and carefully pushes away the movable work station.
“Come, I’ll explain all the aftercare procedures and give you a few leaflets so that you can take care of this properly.”
At the front counter Aneka tilts her head at them in acknowledgment with a small smile while she is busy talking to a possible new client on the phone, “Excuse me sir, just a moment,” she cups the bottom half of the receiver firmly, “This guy cannot take a hint,” Aneka says, gaze shifting from Shuri to the other girl, “we’re all packed for the next month at least and if he insists one more time that I magically make up space for him… I swear, some people are just- whatever.”
Her theatrics make the other girl giggle and her shoulders visibly relax.
Shuri only shakes her head with half a grin at Aneka’s antics, “Take your time with your oh-so-pleasant conversation.”
Aneka rolls her eyes and puts on her best customer voice again over the phone, “Sir? Yes, as I was saying…”
Shuri tunes her out and takes a few leaflets from the plastic holder on the counter desk for the girl, “Right, so, here’s pretty much everything you need to know and do. We talked about all of this while we were back there but I understand it might be a lot to remember. Oh and also, here you’ll find contact details in case you have any problems or any questions.”
The girl ducks her head and smiles sheepishly, “That yours?” she points at one of the numbers on the back of the leaflets.
Shuri keeps smiling politely, “It’s the shop’s, yes.” she answers fully knowing that’s not what the girl is asking.
She can clearly hear the ironic scoff that comes from behind her back but hopes that it passes unnoticed by the customer.
“If you have no more questions for me and you’re happy with your tattoo, I’ll leave you with Aneka to sort out all the financial details.”
The girl seems to open her mouth to add something but in the end she only settles for a shake of her head and a quick “Thank you.”
Normally, Shuri would remain close by, making sure that every query has been settled and to see their clients off but Nakia’s head peeking from behind a door catches her attention.
“Shuri, I could use your opinion on something, if you’re done over here.”
“Sure,” she nods and with a quick wave of her hand she disappears in Nakia’s direction.
When they re-emerge, Aneka is printing a copy of the appointments schedule for the following week.
“You got another devotee, uh?” Aneka sends Shuri a mischievous grin.
Nakia cocks an eyebrow, “Oh? What is she like the fourth of the week already?”
“Yeah,” Aneka replies and puts a hand over her heart dramatically, “and Shuri wouldn’t even give her number, how tragic.”
Nakia chuckles and looks over at her friend, “Did you tell her that we do check up appointments for the tattoos after a few weeks?”
“I conveniently forgot about it.”
Aneka cackles at that, “I swear Shuri, I am so glad you keep your social accounts mostly work related or we would have people showing up just to see you.”
Shuri rolls her eyes at both of them, “That’s ridiculous and I don’t pay you two to talk and make fun of me.”
“I’m your front desk woman, you literally pay me to talk to people, making fun of you is just a bonus.” Aneka banters sarcastically.
“And you don’t pay me because we both own this place of work, in case you’ve forgotten.” Nakia chimes in.
“Place of work, exactly, which means we have jobs to do and no time for… whatever this is.”
Aneka snorts, “You know, you should go out with some of these people who desperately want your attention, human connection might finally make you a bearable person.”
“Or they wouldn’t last five minutes with that attitude she has.” Nakia winks at Aneka conspiratorially.
Shuri stares at them in faux outrage, “Are you both finished with this little show?”
Nakia raises her hands in surrender, clearly fighting a laugh, “Alright, alright, let’s get back to work, I’ve got someone showing up in a few minutes anyway.”
“Oh Shuri?” Aneka calls before she can disappear behind the staff door.
“Yes?”
She slides a small piece of paper over the counter with a sly grin, “That girl left this for you, in case you changed your mind.”
Shuri’s eyes widen, “Oh my- you know what? I’m taking my break right now, GOODBYE!”
The sound of Aneka’s laugh follows her as she quickly grabs her jacket, backpack and heads out of the parlour.
***
Outside, the air is chilly but the cold is not biting. The sun is pale in the sky but otherwise the day is clear and crisp.
Usually, Shuri walks a few blocks, stretches her legs and just takes in the bustling city. She often stops at her favorite coffee shop to grab something warm to drink and to eat and ends up in a nearby park, sketching whatever comes to her mind or piques her attention. Sometimes, she texts her brother T’Challa and, if manages to get out of his busy work schedule, he joins her. Other times, he ditches her to spend time with Nakia, a fact that Shuri is forever throwing at his face without malice. It’s her duty, after all, as a younger sister to be annoying and exasperate him as much as possible.
She could walk there, the newest Headquarters of the Wakanda Design Group are only ten minutes away from the tattoo parlour, but her feet are already taking her in a different direction and she needs some caffeine to make it through the rest of the day. So she picks up her phone and calls.
“Hey loser,” Shuri greets as soon as T’Challa answers.
“Mom and dad truly forgot manners with you.” he deadpans.
“Ah! Since you and M’Baku found a deal on how to direct Wakanda Tech you’ve become annoying like him. Also your new development program sucks, if you don’t revise that soon the quarterly review is going to eat you alive.”
T’Challa tuts on the line, “Oh you’re teaching me now? What do you know... and I wouldn’t have needed M’Baku if only my sister didn’t decide to drop out of the family business to get her own tattoo place.”
“Uh-uh,” Shuri says in admonishment, “I’ve been around Wakanda Tech since before I could walk, I needed a breather and something of my own, and if I have to explain my decision further, I will start charging you for my time.”
T’Challa sighs but relents, “Fine. So what can I do for my little sister today?”
“I’m on my break and you’re clearly crying for help to be dragged out of that office of yours. Meet me at the usual park?”
T’Challa laughs lightly over the phone, “The offer is very generous and tempting, unfortunately no luck today. I have an important meeting with some investors in ten minutes.”
“Sucks to be you,” Shuri pushes the door of the coffee shop open and sends a greeting smile at the lady over the counter, “if I come back to the parlour and you’re there hanging out with Nakia, I will have you charged for treason back at home.”
“Sure, princess .” he emphasizes the term knowing how much it pisses Shuri off, “I need to regroup with Okoye and get ready for the meeting now.”
“Don’t tempt me, T’Challa. I can make that happen if I want to.”
They both laugh at the ridiculous threat.
“Can you tell Nakia to come over here for her break? I’m ordering lunch for both of us and I got her favorite.”
Shuri pretends to gag, “I will consider.”
“Thank you, Shuri.”
“Alright, brother. Don’t embarrass yourself at the meeting.”
She closes the call as she approaches the counter. The woman grins at her affectionately and hands Shuri her usual order.
“Thanks,” Shuri fishes in her pockets for the wallet.
The woman rings her up and looks at her before handing over the change, “You want to cover a drink for your brother too?”
Shuri takes a careful sip of her hot coffee and shakes her head, “He’s blowing off his favorite sister to spend time with Nakia. He deserves nothing from me. That's a tip for you actually.”
It’s playfully outraged and the woman chuckles it off and bags a freshly made cookie in exchange, “I’ll see you tomorrow, Shuri.”
“Thanks, I appreciate it.” Shuri says with a grateful smile and then she’s walking away in the opposite direction, trying to reach the park as quickly as possible.
She makes it to the crossroad with a few long strides, looking around to make sure that there are no incoming cars and then her gaze locks onto something - or rather, someone -
Shuri swallows down and remains anchored to her spot.
The shutters of the usually closed Williams’ Car Mechanic are open, and there’s definitely someone bending over a car with a wrench in one hand.
The shop is on the corner of the street opposite from the tattoo parlour but Shuri has ever barely noticed it. In the middle of their busy joint street, with the shutters always rolled down, Williams’ was easy to overlook and forget.
But now the shop is open and the girl - Shuri realizes with a squint of her eyes - is fretting about a car like she’s always been there. Like nothing ever changed at all.
Someone's elbow nudges into Shuri’s side and she’s suddenly aware of the fact that she’s been standing at the edge of the crosswalk for a good few seconds without moving.
She makes it to the other side quickly and looks around for a place to sit; there’s a small clearing a few feet away, a pathetic attempt to deliver some green in the midst of the city gray. Shuri drops her backpack on the only bench available and sets her coffee right next to her. From where she stands, she is much closer and has an unobstructed view of Williams’ shop and the girl working in it.
She seems deeply focused on a particular piece she’s trying to fix, her head slowly bopping along to the beat of a song that comes from a speaker within the shop.
Shuri watches on enthralled, something magnetic about this stranger makes her unable to tear her eyes away. An idea tickles her brain and before she knows it, she’s getting her sketchbook out of the backpack and starting an impromptu live drawing session.
The stranger moves around a bit but not enough to disrupt Shuri’s work. The girl is pretty, the kind of face Shuri has never seen in anyone else. She has long braids which are tied up in two buns almost at the base of her neck, and she’s wearing a light gray mechanic jumpsuit. The fabric is dirty in places and it runs a bit bigger for her size so that both the arms and legs of the jumpsuit are rolled over a few times. She has some white hollowed out at the bottom sneakers that Shuri recognizes immediately like the similar pair she keeps in her own wardrobe. It’s a brave choice given the nature of the work this girl does, but Shuri can see that so far the sneakers have managed to remain spotless and files the information as another reason why she’s so intrigued.
The stranger seems lost in her own work as Shuri’s pencil runs fast on the paper. The sketch is not really refined but it’s detailed enough to commit most of the girl’s features to the paper truthfully. She stops halfway through and examines what she has drawn compared to the real life woman in front of her. There’s something incredibly hard about her to pin down. Like the girl is full of life to ever be captured on a still drawing and, despite her careful and contained movements, there’s a constant buzzing about her impossible to settle down.
Shuri bites her lower lip as she focuses on getting some more details right and considers getting closer to catch a better glimpse of the girl's face, of her eyes, of her mouth. But that would be too obvious and possibly invasive. The last thing she wants is for this stranger to call her out on-
“Yo, hate to be the one saying this but if you take a picture it lasts longer.”
Busted.
Shuri lifts her head, an apology ready on her tongue but the other girl is not looking at her weirded out or angrily, instead her expression seems to be half amused and half curious by the singular approach.
“Uh-oh shit,” Shuri scratches the back of her neck and stares back as the girl makes her way towards the bench where she’s sitting, “sorry, I didn’t mean to- I didn’t think you noticed me.”
The girl tilts her head to the side and quirks an eyebrow, “You were staring and, I don’t know if anyone told you, but your eyes are kind of intense.”
Shuri tries to laugh it off to mask her embarrassment and closes the sketchbook, hooking the pencil behind one of her pierced ears. She doesn't miss how the girl follows her movements instinctively.
“Sorry, I hope that didn’t bother you or make you uncomfortable in any way.”
The girl just shrugs, “Nah, you’re good,” she motions with her head towards the closed sketchbook, “and I was kinda intrigued. I don’t think I’ve ever been… drawn before.” she looks back at Shuri with half a smile, “You do that often?”
Shuri stands up from the bench because it feels weird to talk to the mysterious mechanic girl like that and notices that she has a few inches on her. It makes her feel a little more in control and not like a scolded child who just got caught with her fingers in the jam jar.
She might be wrong, but there’s a hint in her guts that the girl’s tone might be somewhat teasing, so Shuri does her best to reciprocate, “I don’t make a habit of it.”
It seems to work because the girl’s grin widens as she slowly swings back and forth on her heels, “And what’s so special about this time?”
And because Shuri’s brain suddenly seems to lack common sense and a filter to her mouth, she blurts out, “You.”
The girl’s movements still completely and none of them says anything for a few seconds. Shuri wants to slap a hand to her mouth but considers that to be a bit over dramatic, so she clears her throat and tries to change the topic as fast as possible.
“So uh, you work at the car shop?”
The girl looks down at her dirty jumpsuit, “What makes you think so?”
Shuri takes the mocking in good stride, “Just a hunch.” she looks at the girl as if she’s trying to commit every detail of her face to memory, “I’ve never seen you around, are you new in town?”
“No, Chicago born and bred. I’ve been away from the city for a while but then I decided to return to take care of my dad’s shop.”
Shuri connects the dots, that’s probably why she has never seen Williams’ car shop open before now.
“Oh that’s cool… family business then?”
“Pretty much.” the girl says dismissively but not unkindly, “And you? You don’t sound like you’re from around here.”
Shuri curls one side of her lips, “What gave me away?”
“Something about that accent,” the girl narrows her eyes a little and looks at Shuri pointedly, “and… your face. I don’t think I would’ve forgotten a face like yours.”
Shuri can feel the tip of her ears on fire and never has she been more glad for it not to show. But the girl seems to be seeing right through her façade because she bites her bottom lip like she knows exactly what her words have caused inside of Shuri.
“I’m from Wakanda, my family specializes in tech and my brother is in charge of the newest branch they’ve opened in Chicago.”
She hums, “But you are… an artist?”
“You could say that,” Shuri points at behind her shoulder, “I work at the tattoo studio over there.”
“Ah,” the girl smiles in understanding and nods at the hand that’s holding the sketchbook, “you designed that?”
Shuri breaks their eye contact to peek at the intricate pattern of her hand tattoo, “Yes, I designed all of my tattoos.”
“Beautiful.”
The girl is speaking about the tattoo but her eyes are fixed on Shuri’s face. Something shifts in Shuri’s chest, it grows bolder and-
-a loud honk makes them both jump on the spot.
“Shit!” the girl hisses under her breath, “That fucking scared me.”
Shuri only glares at the speeding car.
The air shifts, they’re still standing in front of each other but now the spell is broken and they’re landing back to reality.
Shuri clears her throat, “Do you maybe want to sit or… grab a coffee or-?”
If the girl notices Shuri’s coffee cup on the bench, small wisp of steam still going, she’s kind enough not to say anything.
She shakes her head with a slight frown, “That would be cool but I need to finish up with that car. The owner is coming this afternoon and I’m barely halfway through the job.”
Shuri tries not to let the refusal damp her mood - she did say ‘it would be cool’ after all - “No, yes, of course and I think my break is up anyway, I need to get back inside.”
The girl hesitates a moment longer, “Well, it was a pleasure meeting and being sketched by you… uhm?”
“Shuri.”
“Shuri,” Shuri doesn’t usually like to hear the inflection of the Chicago accent on her name but, for some inexplicable reason, she finds endearing the way this girl pronounces it, slowly like she's tasting something new on her tongue, “that’s a pretty name.”
“You think so?” she teases, something akin to hope sparks inside her veins.
The girl plays along, “Certainly one you don’t forget.”
Shuri only nods, lest she does something stupid like blurting out I would never forget someone like you to this stranger.
Stranger.
No, that would not do.
“I didn’t quite catch yours.”
“Riri Williams.”
“Riri Williams,” Shuri smiles openly, “pleasure was all mine.”
***
Aneka regards her with a raised eyebrow when she makes it back to the tattoo parlour, a plastered smile on her lips and sparkling eyes “Aren’t you looking cheerful for someone who stormed off not even an hour ago?” she notices the way Shuri’s holding her sketchbook tightly, “Did you finally draw the masterpiece that will forever change the course of your life?”
Shuri doesn’t even bother to listen to her properly, mutters a quick, “Something like that.” and disappears behind the staff door.
***
Because now the universe has set them on the same path, it seems that they always meet one another at some point during the day.
Whether it’s Riri parking her Barracuda next to the tattoo parlour and waving at Shuri through the window, or Shuri crossing over the street on her break to meet her brother, or going to the nearby park to unwind. She doesn’t stop at the clearing anymore, not when shen can greet Riri directly and spend a few minutes with her.
They are friendly with each other, somewhat timid every time they catch one another's eye but the slight feeling of awkwardness fades as soon as they start speaking.
Riri tells her that since she has reopened the shop business is starting to pick up again, and Shuri often mentions some new drawings she’s working on.
“You ever finished my sketch?” Riri asks her one day.
“Yeah, I was pretty much done that first day. It just needed a few changes and tweaks, you know.”
“So can I see it at some point?”
Shuri blinks, taken aback by the request for a moment, “Oh… yeah, sure, you should come by the studio someday. I can show you a few more pieces too.”
“Cool.” Riri smiles and Shuri’s eyes catch on the dimple at the side of her mouth.
“Yeah, cool.” she repeats trying not to stare too obviously, “I better go now, gotta open today. I’ll see you around, Riri.”
Riri nods, “You know my corner of the street now.”
***
Because they keep meeting each other, Shuri keeps drawing Riri.
It's mostly the small things about her that Shuri notices that make it on the page. Like Riri's hands at work trying to fix something. Or the way her braids swing when she walks around. Or how she has a habit of playing with the tools and tilting her head to the side in concentration whenever she’s trying to figure something out.
And it’s not that Shuri spends that much time staring at her either, it’s more the fact that Riri’s face seems to pop up in her mind of its own accord.
Riri might spare her a smile and a wave of the hand, and Shuri knows already it’s going to be her favorite part of the day.
***
“Hey guys,” Shuri says one day while both Nakia and Aneka are squinting at the laptop, figuring out the best time for an appointment with a new client, “You know anything about the car shop over the road from us?”
“There’s a car shop there?” Aneka frowns, “I never really noticed it.”
“Yeah, Williams’”
“Isn’t it always closed though?” Nakia questions puzzled.
“No,” Shuri pretends to rearrange something on the front window of the studio while subtly glancing at the shop. Riri is outside giving the car keys back to a customer and shaking hands, she looks tired as she forces a polite smile, “It has reopened recently.”
“Why do you ask? You got problems with your car?” Aneka asks mildly interested.
“No,” Shuri shakes her head, mood winding down, “it’s nothing, just wondering.”
They leave it at that.
***
Shuri’s not surprised that Nakia and Aneka have not noticed the reopening of Williams’ or Riri’s presence. It’s normal - she reasons with herself - people have busy lives and sometimes it really is hard to see something if you’re not searching for it.
Besides, she kind of enjoys the idea of Riri only calling out to her; like a moth drawn to a flame, there’s something magnetic about Riri that Shuri is unable to ignore or resist. It makes the long shifts at work go faster and the days a little brighter the thought that she will cross paths with Riri at some point.
And if the simple thought of her makes Shuri feel warm inside, well - that’s her business only.
***
As it turns out, that’s not how it works at all.
If there’s a thing that Shuri hates, is people rifling through her stuff without permission. Even worse when they go through her art pieces.
Normally, this is not the case at the studio, they are all really respectful of each other’s spaces and boundaries. Because Nakia is not just a colleague and a friend but more like family, Shuri’s often laid back with her snooping around. And as usual, she’s bound to regret it sooner or later.
“Hey Shuri, remember that flower sketch you made last week?” Nakia asks and, uncaring of the answer, she flips over the pages of the notebook, “Can I have a look at it, a client might be interested in-”
Shuri only manages a rushed “No wait!”
“oh…”
Well, fuck .
Nakia stares at the page with a curious frown, “Who’s this?”
“No one.” Shuri says curtly.
But because her misfortunes always seem to come in pairs, Aneka sneaks a glance before Shuri can retrieve her sketchbook.
“Liar. Isn’t that the girl from the car shop?”
Both of them turn to face Shuri.
She shrugs feigning nonchalance, “Maybe.”
“Nah,” Aneka taunts, “no maybe, it’s her.”
“How would you even know?” Shuri demands defensively, “You said you had no idea the car shop was there in the first place.”
“Yeah but since you mentioned it the other time it kind of got stuck in my head, and I noticed it was open while coming in yesterday.”
Nakia raises an eyebrow at her friend, “And do you know the girl?”
“Of course I know her!” Shuri scoffs, “What do you think I am, some creep that just stares at her and draws?”
“Wouldn’t put it past you,” Shuri shows her the middle finger at Aneka's mumble.
“I think we’re circling around the real issue here,” her gaze returns to Nakia, “which is snooping around and taking things that are not yours.”
“Don’t be like that, I had no idea of your little crush.”
“I don’t have a crush on Riri.” Shuri’s tone is full of indignation.
“Oh there we go, already on a first name basis.” Aneka teases.
Shuri shakes her head, fully knowing that arguing with them won’t make any difference. She finally pries the sketchbook off Nakia’s hands and stores it safely in her backpack, “You two are the worst, I don’t even know why I still keep you around.”
“Because otherwise you’d have no one to run this place?” Aneka says matter of factly.
“I could find other people.”
Nakia tries to hide a chuckle and fails, “People who could put up with you? Doubt it, that's a talent of its own.”
Aneka shares a complicit gaze with her, “Yeah, are we sure this Riri has what it takes? Maybe we should warn her.”
Shuri rubs at her temples with fond exasperation. She can’t find other employees fast enough, she reasons, that’s why she keeps Aneka and Nakia around. Nothing else.
***
The thing is, Shuri is not stupid. She likes to think that she’s at a point in her life where being honest with herself matters more than hiding her own feelings.
She’s self aware.
She’s realistic.
And she definitely has a crush on Riri Williams.
How else to explain the giddiness that takes over her every time Riri greets her whenever she passes by the shop to get to the tattoo parlour?
The simple “Hey, ‘morning Shuri.” and the occasional “How you doin? Was the shift okay?” should not make her heart jump in the chest the way it does.
And Shuri doesn’t want to assume anything because getting ahead of herself always ends in a disaster, but Riri is devastating in her simplicity. She always listens to Shuri speaking like she truly cares about what she has to say. And she always has that bright smile that reaches her eyes when they happen to lock gazes even from across the road.
Shuri wonders if Riri looks forward to their little stolen moments of the day as much as she does.
One day she’s late for work but, despite the rush that kicks at her limbs, her feet stop almost of their own accord in front of Williams’. Riri is on her tiptoes, body leaning over the engine of a car when she feels the stare on her back and quickly averts her eyes towards the taller girl.
“Oh hey!” she says and something akin to relief washes over her expression, “I didn’t see you or your car coming in this morning, almost got me worried that something happened.”
Shuri can’t help but grin openly, “Just overslept. Missed me much?”
Riri bites her lower lip, her words are slow, a little languid and honest, “Yeah, a little.”
Something hot settles in the pit of Shuri’s stomach.
***
Riri works late.
Every time Shuri is done with her shifts and walks over to her car - conveniently parked almost at the side of the shop - Riri is still in her mechanic jumpsuit.
One evening, after their ritual “hello” and “how are you today?” Shuri’s curiosity gets the best of her.
“Do you ever go home or like… live inside this place?”
Riri seems surprised by the question and just blinks.
“Sorry,” Shuri immediately clarifies, “I didn’t mean anything by it, it's that- I always see you here when I arrive in the morning and you’re always here working when I leave and I just-”
Riri’s light laugh tells Shuri that her apology is unwarranted.
“That’s okay,” she shrugs, “usually, I’m the one asking you questions and I don’t mind it at all, you just caught me a bit off guard.”
Shuri’s words make it out before her brain can catch up with her, “Do you want me to?” at Riri’s puzzled gaze she adds, “To ask you things.”
Riri looks at her with a slight tilt of her head, like she’s studying a complex equation and longs to find the right solution, “Only if you want to.”
It makes Shuri hyperaware of the thrumming inside her veins.
Then Riri clears her throat and the charged moment dissipates, “To answer you though, yeah, I do get home but I’m kind of the work better when it’s late person. Besides,” she continues with a slight motion of her head towards the shop, “it’s the only time I can focus on my own projects.”
Shuri raises an eyebrow intrigued, “What projects?”
And Riri’s face instantly brightens, “Wanna come and see?”
***
The back of Williams’ is made of a few separate work stations, all cluttered with different things and almost none of them have anything to do with fixing cars.
“I can’t really afford to have my own private lab yet, so I gotta keep most of the stuff I’m working on here.”
Shuri walks around admiring Riri’s designs, her eyes sparkle with curiosity. It’s been a while since she has put her hands on any tech project or built one. Most of the time now, she’s happy to dedicate herself to her art and tattooing but there are some moments when she does miss tinkering with the Wakanda Design Group, always being a step closer to the next breakthrough innovation.
“Are you going to tell me you’re some kind of secret vigilante superhero or what?”
Riri snorts at the assumption, “Nah, too much fuss, y’know. I’m an engineer, well- mostly anyway. I’ve always liked to build things, always dreamed of making my own custom parts and designs. World moves really fast and you gotta put in the extra work if you wanna make it through… especially when you’re young, black and a woman.”
Shuri hums, the words resonating deeply within her. She stops her inspection long enough to send Riri a playful glance, “And how does a brilliant engineer find herself working in a car shop?”
Riri rolls her eyes at the praise but her smile remains genuine, “Told you, this was my family's business.” she leans against one of the work tables in front of Shuri and waits to meet the dark deep eyes that seem to have taken permanent residence in her mind, “My stepdad, Gary, he uh- he had this idea in his mind that if you wanna build something that will last, you gotta own it. If you wanna have a family, you need to own a house; if you wanna make a business thrive, you gotta own the place.”
Shuri doesn’t dare to interrupt, this is the most Riri and she have spent with each other and she doesn’t want to miss a second of it. She nods, signaling to Riri that she’s following.
“Then, a few years ago, he died. My mom didn’t want to sell this place and I was away to finish my studies in Boston at MIT, so the shop just closed down until we decided what to do with it.” Riri makes a pause and then gives a shrug, “That’s pretty much the story of my life in the last few years. Sorry, that was kind of a lot to throw at you…”
Shuri shakes her head firmly, “Nothing to apologize for. I lost my dad too a couple years ago… coming to terms with it was harsh; it’s hard to understand where your life is going or what's your place in the world when you lose someone close to you.”
Riri listens raptly.
“Around that time, the Wakanda Design Group had plans to open up a new branch in America, when the project got finalized I jumped on it as soon as I could.”
“But you didn’t stay.”
“No,” Shuri admits and one corner of her lips pulls up in a bittersweet smile, “I think I realized then that I wanted something different for me. I mean, I know there’s always a seat with my name on it if I ever wish to return on board, but I wanted something that felt more like me. Not my family or my brother, me.”
“Yeah,” Riri breathes out, “I think I understand what you mean, it was pretty brave of you to make such a choice. I’m glad it’s working out the way you want it.”
Shuri considers the words, she can tell by Riri’s expression and her tone that she is not just saying them to fill up the air, they ring true and full of admiration. She wonders if her presence makes the other girl feel seen and understood in the same way.
“I never get to talk about this stuff, so thank you… and thank you for telling me about yourself.”
Riri busies her hands by playing with a screwdriver that’s laying around and keeps looking at Shuri like she’s still trying to read her through, “I figured that if you’re bothered enough to come and say hello and goodbye to me every day, you might as well be more than just a cute stranger over the road.”
It’s playful, teasing even, and Shuri bites right into it, “Never a bother, always my pleasure.”
Riri grins at her like she might have just found out what she was searching for.
***
Now that they’ve stepped into a more familiar territory, Shuri spends almost all of her break time with Riri in the car shop. Because Riri doesn’t really have any other co-workers and is the sole owner of the business, she’s more than happy to just start taking her breaks whenever Shuri is available to take hers.
Riri likes Shuri’s interest in her own personal projects and once she sees her in action, improving a prototype that Riri had been working on for weeks in a matter of hours, she actively starts seeking out her help and opinions as often as she can.
***
There’s a small fridge tucked in a corner of the shop that Riri uses specifically to keep snacks and drinks, after the first week of spending lunch breaks together Shuri’s favorite things find their way on one of the shelves. Riri refuses to be paid back for it. It’s heartwarming in its own way.
The next day, Shuri brings her a framed painting. It’s made in a unique style and full of vibrant colors that range from green to orange to blue to red, at the center is a panther and it’s incredibly beautiful like nothing Riri has ever seen before.
“Yo, where did you get this from?” she asks as she admires the painting.
Shuri smiles softly, marveling at how lost in the painting Riri seems, “I made it.”
“You made it?” Riri turns to her in awe.
“Yes, it was one of the first pieces I was really proud of, I brought it with me when I moved from Wakanda.”
“Shuri this is- this is beautiful but I can’t possibly accept it, I mean-”
“Please, I insist,” Shuri says decisively, “I think it would look good in the shop, your walls are a bit too bare.”
Riri still looks dubious, “Are you sure? Like, really sure?”
“Trust me.” she reassures, “Oh, hang on, there’s also this…” Shuri quickly retrieves another drawing from her backpack.
It’s not framed but it’s perfectly kept and finished, the paper smooth and there, staring at Riri from the page, is another version of herself.
“The sketch from the first day I saw you,” Shuri offers it to her, “I wanted you to have it.”
Riri studies the drawing, a hint of a smile on her face as she ghosts over the pencil lines, her own traits, and gently brushes over Shuri’s customized signature.
“Well,” she says after a moment, finding Shuri’s eyes unsurprisingly already on her, it’s something Riri has noticed about her a lot, “that’s some fine ass repayment for a bunch of snacks I got you.”
***
Come to think of it, Shuri finds herself paying attention to all the little things Riri says or does. Like, since the day Riri had complimented her purple tracksuit, Shuri has started to double check her outfits more times than usual in the morning, wondering if Riri would notice them again. She hangs on bits of conversations they have and every day she pieces together another small part of Riri.
It’s a bit embarrassing, to tell the truth, how much Shuri looks forward to seeing Riri. Aneka has already called her out on being ‘down atrociously bad’, and Nakia pretends to believe her whenever Shuri says that she’s stepping outside for five minutes to get some air. But the thing is that Shuri doesn’t really care about being obvious.
Until Riri catches on to her little crush, Shuri thinks she’s being discreet enough with her feelings for her.
***
One day, Riri shows up at the tattoo parlor a bit earlier than their usual meeting time. She’s out of her mechanic jumpsuit and is wearing a pair of sand colored pants and a white waffle knit sweater that rests a bit bigger on her small form, her braids are loosely tied and tossed over one shoulder.
Aneka has her back to the front door when she hears the little bell above ringing, “Hello, welcome, do you have an appointment with us today or-” she finally turns around and clocks in Riri’s presence with a cheshire grin, “-are you here to see Shuri?”
Riri looks comfortable in her own skin even as she raises a curious eyebrow at Aneka, “Is that a wild guess of yours or a normal occurrence in this place?”
Aneka opens her mouth to reply but before she can say anything else, Shuri appears from behind the staff door.
“Aneka, could you please- Riri?”
Riri flashes her a smile, the dimple at the side of her mouth showing, “Yo.”
Shuri only stares at her, eyebrows slightly pinched trying to make sense of the situation, “What are you doing here?”
Riri’s shrug is calculated to appear non committal, “You always bring me drinks from that coffee shop you like, I figured it was my turn to show you one of my secret spots for lunch today.”
Aneka tries to keep her laugh at bay watching Shuri’s stance completely freeze, like an antelope caugh in headlights.
Riri glances at the clock on the opposite wall, “I know it’s a little earlier than usual but I thought if you were not busy we could have a little more time today, that way you wouldn’t have to rush to get back.”
Shuri doesn’t mention the fact that lately she has already been taking extensive breaks and accepting extra shifts to make up for the time lost because, really, Riri doesn’t need to know about her being ‘down extra bad’ , as Aneka’s glare is suggesting.
“If you can, of course, and if you want.” Riri adds with a hint of eagerness and hope in her tone.
Shuri absolutely wants to, and she owns the damn shop - co-owns, but Nakia will surely understand - so she definitely can.
Aneka clears her throat awfully loud and Shuri finally snaps back to reality.
“Yes!” she blurts out with a balled fist in victory.
Shuri tries to ignore Aneka’s mortified “someone help her…” because Riri is chuckling at the sheer enthusiasm and is looking at her with soft eyes, like spending more time with Shuri is all she wants in the world.
***
Over the next couple of weeks, lunch dates with Riri become such a routine to the point that T’Challa starts whining about never seeing his sister anymore.
“You’re either working or with your girlfriend, we never get to spend time together.” he complains one morning to Shuri while they’re riding together for work in the Lexus.
It’s a rare occurrence which speaks lengths about how desperate T’Challa must be.
Shuri just scoffs and brushes him off, “First of all, you’re dramatic because we basically live two floors above each other, you definitely see me; and second, Riri and I are not dating.”
Her brother looks at her challengingly, “Are you telling me that or yourself?”
Shuri invites him to spend the evenings together in her own apartment for a week straight just so he shuts up.
***
Shuri loves discovering things about Riri, sure, but she loves even more the fact that now Riri asks her all sorts of questions too and doesn’t seem afraid to breach every kind of topic.
Some days, Riri might be a bit behind on her work schedule by the time lunch rolls around but she never asks Shuri to leave. She always greets her with a wide grin and points to the chair at the back of the shop for her to get comfortable. Shuri’s happy enough to watch her get on with work while she takes a look at the advancing projects on Riri’s private desk stations. Other times, they trade jokes and share looks, conversation bouncing off each other easily as Riri’s hands fiddle around with tools and spare pieces.
“Why tattoos?”
Shuri is sitting cross legged on the roof of the car Riri is fixing, weight leaning back on the hands placed at her sides, “I like the idea of my art echoing in someone else’s life. It’s a bit self-centered maybe, I admit it, but doesn’t every artist have a bit of a God complex?”
Riri ponders over the words for a moment, even when she’s not looking directly Shuri never feels dismissed or ignored, “I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad thing, and isn’t that what art is supposed to do?”
Silence takes over but it feels comfortable, like it’s just enough for both of them to bask in each other’s presence.
***
“Did you feel like you had to come back here for your family after MIT?”
“I didn’t just do it for my family, it was more… MIT was hectic, to say the least, and I needed to feel at home for a while, grounded, if you get what I mean?”
“Yes, yes I do.”
Riri turns her head and props herself a bit more on her side to look at Shuri better. They’re laying on the grass in the nearby park, which has also become a little routine place to go whenever they feel sick of spending time inside.
Riri uses one hand to shield her eyes from the sun, “Do you miss Wakanda?”
Shuri nods, “Some days more than others,” her gaze roams all of Riri’s face unhurriedly, she is possibly - without a trace of doubt - the prettiest girl Shuri has ever seen in her life. Shuri is unable to resist the pull, she doesn’t want to fight it at all, “but I’ve got reasons to be happy here.”
And maybe her voice is a little low, her heart trips in her chest, and her eyes give away a bit too much of how she feels about Riri.
But Riri is looking at her like there’s absolutely no one else in the world but the two of them, her eyes dipping one time too many to Shuri’s lips to call it an innocent mistake, and she looks one second away from losing all control and just leaning forward.
Shuri thinks that maybe this time around things will go right.
***
Of course, her plans come to a screeching halt one morning when she finds the roller shutters down at Williams’ Car Mechanic.
Shuri files it away as Riri being late for once.
When lunch time comes around and the shutters stay down, Shuri reasons that Riri must either be busy with something else for the day or feeling unwell. Happens to everyone.
And yes, maybe her shift does drag a bit, and both Aneka and Nakia look at her weirdly for remaining inside even during her break, but it’s nothing. Riri will be back the next day.
Except that Riri doesn’t.
Nor the day after or the next.
***
On the fourth day, Shuri hears more than sees the shutters being lifted and bolts out of the tattoo parlour.
“Shuri, hey, where you going? It’s barely ten!”
She ignores Nakia’s voice and crosses the street in half the time it would usually take her. The girl is turned around so Shuri knocks on metal as not to scare her and-
-she’s definitely not Riri.
Shuri’s smile falters, “Oh, uhm, hi…”
“Hey, what’s up?” the girl approaches her, “Are you one of Riri’s customers? Cause she’s kind of away for the week but she did ask me to keep an eye on the shop and- wait!” her expression lights up like she’s just remembered something else, “Are you Shuri by any chance?”
Shuri frowns a little, “That would be me, yes.”
“Ah! Look, Riri asked me to let you know that she was not disappearing from the face of earth and, honestly, I should’ve told you like a few days ago but I got caught up at work and it slipped my mind.” she scratches the back of her neck like she hopes that Shuri won’t be too mad about the confession.
It’s a lot to take in at once.
Shuri breaks it down quickly inside her own mind: Riri is away for the week and she has left instructions for this girl to warn her, and of course she couldn’t have told Shuri herself because she doesn’t have her phone number - oh and also who the hell is this stranger now?
“I’m Sharon, by the way, Riri’s sister.”
Well - at least that’s explained -
“Nice to meet you.” Shuri’s inexplicably tense stance relaxes.
“Yeah, me too.” Sharon sounds genuine, “Riri talks about you a lot and I was starting to think she had you all made up in her head.”
Oh.
“All good things I hope.”
“Trust me girl, all very good things.” she emphasizes the last part and Shuri feels the tip of her ears grow hot.
“Right, that’s- that’s uhm… I mean, Riri is great too.” it’s painfully embarrassing the way Shuri stammers the words. She stands at the entrance of the shop for a handful of seconds, enough for Sharon to look at her puzzled.
“I’m not a mechanic or an engineer, god knows one in the family is enough, but uhm anything else I can do for you?”
“No, that’s cool,” Shuri finally regains enough of her brain to muster a small smile and a wave of her hand, “can you tell Riri I said hi?”
Sharon smirks at her, “Bet.”
***
The next time Shuri sees her, it’s at a club lounge and she’s definitely not prepared to meet Riri outside of their usual work-break environment. Which is not to say that Shuri doesn’t imagine Riri doing other normal things or hanging out with other people, that would be a ridiculous assumption. It’s more the fact that she has never seen Riri in another context and it takes her by surprise.
In all fairness, Shuri is not even supposed to be there; accompanying T’Challa and M’Baku for a de-stressing dinner before the quarterly review of Wakanda’s Tech is really not up her alley anymore. But Nakia has begged her to tag along in order to avoid a complete night of boredom with the work talk, and she has even played the Okoye card.
Okoye is T’Challa’s most trusted advisor and his sword and shield - metaphorically speaking of course, although Shuri is fairly convinced the woman would make a formidable warrior if given the chance -
Okoye has been inside the Wakanda Design Group for as long as Shuri can remember and both siblings consider her part of the family. Which is why Shuri cannot do anything but fold at Nakia’s request.
“But I’m sitting as far as possible from M’Baku.” she grumbles before accepting.
Nakia beams at her, “Don’t let his manners fool you, he’s actually quite fond of you.”
Shuri rolls her eyes, “Yeah, since I left him my spot on the company.”
Nakia doesn’t bother to argue back, “Consider it done, I’ll have you next to Okoye.”
Much to her surprise, dinner is not a disaster and conversation flows easily amongst all of them. Which is why M’Baku’s proposal to offer everyone a couple rounds of drinks afterwards is met with cheers of approval. Nakia chooses a quiet-ish lounge club and they move their evening there.
“Shuri!” M’Baku sides her at the bar counter and slaps a hand on her shoulder like they haven’t already been in each other’s company the entire time.
“M’Baku,” Shuri nods at him in acknowledgment.
“I’m glad you came tonight, I haven’t seen you in a good while.” the man eyes her empty glass and signals to the bartender to get a refill, “How’s that little tattoo place of yours?”
Shuri swiftly thanks the barman and plays with the rim of her glass, “Busy, which is why you haven’t seen me around much.”
“Well, that’s good, seems like you made the right choice for yourself.” he says cheerfully, not bothered at all by the lack of engagement in the conversation from Shuri, “And how about that girl you’re seeing?”
That does it.
Shuri’s attention snaps on him as she narrows her eyes a little; M’Baku raises his hands innocently, “T’Challa and Nakia talked.”
Traitors.
She exhales, resigned to have her own little chat with the lovebirds later, “I’m not- well, I guess I am seeing her… kind of. But we’re not together.”
M’Baku hums and looks at her thoughtfully, “But that’s what you want?”
Shuri regards him more attentively, the sincerity and gentleness behind his tone a pleasant surprise, and decides that she has nothing to lose in being honest with M’Baku, “I like her, I really like her.”
M’Baku nods and half of his mouth curls up, “And does she like you too?”
And Shuri finds that the words sound surprisingly honest when she voices them, “Yes, I think she does.”
“Then all it’s left to do is tell her, right?”
She offers M’Baku a genuine smile, “Right.”
M'Baku gives her a shoulder and encouraging squeeze before walking away, and when her field of view clears, Riri is there.
***
Riri is sitting in one of the more secluded booths in a corner of the club, in front of her are a guy and a girl about her age, they are so close their sides are pressed together and they’re talking animatedly to a smiling Riri. Next to her sits a girl with vibrant green hair but, surprisingly enough, that is not the detail that catches Shuri’s eyes the most.
Yes, the hair surely can’t go unnoticed, but it’s the open palm placed directly on Riri’s thigh that makes something inside Shuri's mouth sour.
Riri doesn’t seem bothered by the contact, or rather she doesn’t seem to notice, but Shuri can’t stop staring and the turning in her guts becomes almost unbearable.
The girl with green hair whispers something in Riri’s ear that has her nodding, and then she’s dashing off in the direction of the bathroom. Riri’s gaze doesn’t follow her, instead she seems to stand up straighter in her seat like she can feel the stare on her back.
When she turns and finds the familiar deep dark eyes, her expression goes from a confused frown to a blinding smile. She’s suddenly excusing herself from the table and walking over to Shuri’s corner of the bar.
“Hey stranger,” she greets Shuri with a shameless once over, “nice outfit, it suits you.”
Shuri rolls her eyes at the awful pun and feels the telltale sign of blood rushing all over her body whenever she’s in Riri’s presence.
She tries to tame her wild heart enough to speak, “Long time no see. And thanks, you look rather great yourself.”
Riri is wearing a two piece orange set, the high waisted pants and the crop top hug her body perfectly.
“Glad that someone appreciates the effort,” Riri jokes, doing a quick spin on herself, “And about that... sorry for not warning you beforehand, and about Sharon’s awful timing.” she points at the booth behind her, “MIT friends came to visit from NY and kind of ambushed me, and I did promise I would bring them around Chicago. Y’know, wanting to be a good host and all of that.”
Shuri nods reassuringly, “That’s okay, I’m glad you sent Sharon on a quest, even though it kind of reminded me that it’s a bit strange we never thought about exchanging numbers.”
Riri bites her bottom lip, a sly grin on her face, “Damn, you didn’t even offer me a drink and already talking about getting my number? That’s bold.”
It earns an amused chuckle out of Shuri; if Riri thinks that she’s bold then she can work with that, “I would but then it would be rude of me to keep you too long from your friends. The offer still stands for a lunch date when you come back to work though.”
Riri opens her mouth to speak but an arm drapes around her shoulders and a head full of green hair drops on her shoulder, “Shit!” she hisses, her body sagging a bit under the sudden weight, “Fuck, Viv, how much have you been drinking?”
Shuri decides not to focus on the way the green haired girl - Viv, apparently - is possessively holding Riri against herself and instead stands up straighter ready to help. She doesn’t dare touching Viv without permission though and quickly meets Riri’s gaze, “Is she okay?”
Riri nods once, “She just had too much to drink I guess. I’m the designated driver for tonight, so I’ll make sure she gets to her place safely.”
Shuri frowns a little, “You sure you don’t need any help? I could-”
“Riri, baby, can we go home?” the drunken voice cuts her off.
- baby - this time the squeeze settles in Shuri’s chest; she sets her jaw, hoping that the internal turmoil doesn't show on her face.
Riri’s eyes widens and her lips release a sigh, “Yeah, Viv, we’re leaving.” she dares an apologetic glance at Shuri, “Sorry, I think I need to go… but don’t worry, she’s staying at the same hotel of MJ and Peter, so I’ll leave her in safe hands.”
Shuri nods numbly, and maybe it’s the fact that she doesn’t yet know who this green haired girl is to Riri and yet she’s clinging onto her for dear life, or maybe she just has enough of waiting for the right moment.
“Riri?”
Riri strains a bit against Vivi’s weight but manages to turn around, “Yeah?”
“See you on Monday?”
Riri’s smile lights up her entire face, “See you on Monday, Shuri.”
Shuri’s heart drops the shackles and resumes its wild melody.
***
When Monday rolls around, everything seems to have returned to normal.
The shutters of Williams’ are open and, from the front window of the tattoo parlour, Shuri can see Riri working on a new car already.
“Are you done spying on your little girlfriend?” Aneka’s intrusion makes her jolt on the spot.
Shuri doesn’t even bother correcting her friend at this point and only waves her off.
“Give her a break, Aneka,” Nakia joins them, “Riri’s been missing for a week, it’s a long time.”
“You both need to find a hobby and get off my dick.”
“So rude.” Aneka wrinkles her nose, “Why don’t you go out for your five minutes break and maybe you’ll be less grumpy.”
Shuri ignores the suggestion; she has not been able to catch Riri that morning but she can wait until lunch time. She has waited this long, a couple of hours will make no difference.
***
Shuri’s cheeks hurt from how wide her grin is while she exits the tattoo parlour for her break and saunters towards the car shop. Despite seeing Riri at the club, she has missed their usual little routine, and she longs for the uninterrupted daily hour they spend together.
When she peeks her head inside the shop though, Riri is not there.
Shuri frowns to herself, she cannot have possibly just imagined Riri being there in the morning. Williams’ is open and she vividly remembers the green overalls and yellow turtleneck Riri was wearing that day.
The sound of voices coming from the back gains her attention. Shuri cannot make out exactly what’s going on, the conversation reaching her faintly, and she doesn’t want to eavesdrop, it’s rude and disrespectful-
a glimpse of vibrant green hair enters her field of view and that’s all Shuri needs to know to walk in the opposite direction from the car shop.
***
“Shuri, your mechanic genius girl came here searching for you earlier,” Aneka says when she makes her way back to the tattoo parlour in time.
“Which is quite weird cause weren’t you just going to see her?” Nakia inquires further.
Shuri shrugs coolly, “She was busy and I changed my mind, needed time on my own.”
Aneka and Nakia exchange a confused look.
“Well,” Nakia says after a pause, “she did seem disappointed about not finding you. Asked if you can stop at the shop when your shift ends.”
Shuri wrinkles her nose, “Can’t today, I’m a little busy.” then she grabs her sketchbook, “I’m gonna work on some unfinished sketches, call me if it’s urgent.”
***
Monday becomes Tuesday, then Wednesday, then Thursday and by Friday Shuri is dreading going to work.
She barely has the time to leave the car, shoving the keys inside her back pocket, that she feels a pair of eyes on her.
“You going to ignore me for much longer?”
Riri is leaning against her Barracuda, arms folded to her chest in a protective stance and foot tapping on the ground.
Shuri swings her black backpack over one shoulder, “I’m not ignoring you, I just got caught up in the studio.”
Riri tilts her head to the side, clearly not fooled by the lie, “Which is fine, except when you don’t say a word about it and just disappear.”
“Disappear when I work across the road is a bit much, don’t you think?”
Shuri tries to sidestep her but Riri’s expression, which is positively fuming, anchors her to the spot.
“I tried and you were not there, and then didn’t show up the other days,” she says with a shake of her head, “care to tell me what’s going on?”
And really there’s no more reason to go around the issue so Shuri bites the bullet and fixes Riri with a fierce stare of her own, jaw locked and chin proudly high, “You tell me what’s going on, Riri. Shouldn’t you be spending time with your girlfriend while she’s in town?”
“My girlfriend?” Riri asks in disbelief, “Viv is not my girlfriend.”
“Does she know that?”
Riri regards her with a raised eyebrow, like she can’t believe they’re arguing about this, “Yes, she does. I made it plenty clear to her after that night at the club that she’s just a friend to me, and that I was already interested in someone else.”
Shuri inhales sharply, the verbal-non verbal admission hangs heavily in the air.
Riri’s stance loosens but she does nothing to reach over to where Shuri is, “So, when you’re done with… whatever this is and want to talk things out, you know where to find me.”
Shuri squeezes her eyes shut, throwing her head back as she fights against a frustrated groan. She dived head first, got it all wrong and-
“Riri?” she calls before she can even realize it.
When she turns around Shuri thinks that Riri might be able to see all of the emotions playing on her face - guilt, shame, hope - and she swallows down the lump in her throat because this is it. This is her chance to make things right.
“Yeah?”
Truth is, Shuri is not sure of what to say but she knows where to start.
“I’m sorry…”
“For what?”
“For… everything.” she takes a breath and steps closer to her, “For assuming things and acting like- like an idiot instead of talking to you about it.”
Riri finds one of her hands and holds it between hers comfortingly, palm against palm at first and then fingers intertwining together. Shuri lowers her gaze, studies the picture it makes and then tugs Riri closer to her. It’s the closest they’ve ever been.
“And what would you have said?”
“I would’ve told you that this someone else you’re interested in very much likes you too.”
Riri raises an eyebrow amusedly, “Does she now?”
“Yeah…” Shuri nods breathlessly, a growing smile curving her lips, “and that spending my break time with you has been the one thing I looked forward to every day for months. I would’ve said that just seeing you makes everything better, that when you left the days seemed less bright, that the thought of you being with someone else was eating at me from the inside, and that-”
“Okay, okay, I think I got it,” Riri says in a laugh while pressing two fingers against Shuri’s lips to stop her.
Shuri is still grinning heartily as she sneaks an arm around Riri’s waist to pull her flush against her body, “And do you feel the same?”
Riri wraps a hand around Shuri’s neck, her fingers playing with the shaved hair at her sides and then slowly reaching the curls at the top, “I could tell you,” she says, eyes flickering down to Shuri’s lips, “or I could show you.”
When their lips meet, Shuri knows already that no one else will ever compare. Riri kisses her slow and deep, like they have all the time in the world and then some more, her mouth giving and demanding all at once. Shuri leans a bit forward on her feet when Riri’s tongue swipes across her bottom lip, her heartbeat pulls from deep within her ribcage and settles somewhere lower in her belly.
When they part to breathe again, Riri stares at her with adoring eyes; the hand in Shuri’s curls descends to her shoulder blades to draw abstract figures on her jacket, and Shuri moves her head slightly so that their noses are brushing together. It’s intimate. It’s theirs.
There’s a whistle from the other side of the road. Shuri sends a glare at Aneka and Nakia, both at the door of the tattoo parlour, but it has little effect. She can never be mad at them for long.
“Yo Shuri, just because you and your girlfriend are official now doesn’t mean you can skip your entire shift.”
They both chuckle and marvel at the timing of it all. It feels good. It feels right.
“See you at lunch time?” Riri takes a step back.
Shuri nods firmly, erasing the distance again to steal another kiss from her. It’s brief but full of meaning.
“See you at lunch time.”
It’s not quite exactly as it was but that’s okay.
It’s exactly as it should be.