SHIFTER ─ marvel

V. A Sore Loser

"Nakia, it's a pleasure to see you again."

Nakia gives him an amused look. "Hello, Alex. I see you're adjusting well to being back."

He tightens his grip on my shoulders. "Well I have this guy right here to go through it with me. We sit down, drink wine, and just get all our pent up emotions out. It's freeing really. Our experience of turning into dust has brought us so much closer. Those steel blue eyes have become my safe place."

I glare at him, not feeling amused. "I'm not afraid to punch you, Alex."

Alex pats my shoulders. "You may want to, but you love me too much to mark up my beautiful face."

"Don't tempt me."

Alex looks back at Nakia. "He's been going through these mood swings, lately. I just don't know what I do to deserve this treatment."

I shove his arms off of me, and with another smirk to himself, he walks over to Khari. T'Challa leads his sister and Lena over towards the palace. Khari and Alex are still talking with M'Baku, so Nakia and I are left alone.

"I'm happy I finally get to meet you. I'm sorry I couldn't before Thanos, I was quite busy."

I shake my head. "I wasn't in a very social mood at the time, so don't think anything of it."

"She went to see you everyday while you were frozen, you know. She would sit there in the lab, right next to your cryogenic chamber. On the night I met her, when we brought Everett Ross here, she instantly made sure you were out of sight and kept safe. I'm so glad I finally get to meet you for real."

I never knew that. She probably would have told me that if I hadn't pushed her away for all those months. The thought of her sitting there next to me everyday makes me happier than I could put into words. Nakia notices this.

"As am I," I tell her, looking towards the palace where the others have disappeared to. "Where did the others go?"

"T'Challa talked about having a movie day with Shuri and Soroya."

"And while they do that," Alex says, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. "Why don't we have some fun of our own? I haven't trained in five years, I'm getting antsy."

"I'm in." Khari says.

"As amusing as that would be, I have matters to attend to in Jabariland. Be back there in two hours, yes?" M'Baku says, nodding his head to his general, who inclines his head back.

I turn my attention to Nakia. "What do you have planned for today?"

She ponders this for a moment, before saying; "I was thinking of doing some training myself. I could use a partner if you're up for it."

I smile at her, nodding my head. "With pleasure."

-

Soroya

After watching three movies with T'Challa and Shuri, I decided I needed a break. We each got to pick one; I picked Dirty Dancing, Shuri picked Ghost, and T'Challa picked Point Break. Shuri and I had a deep discussion about which Patrick Swayze was more attractive in each movie. She thinks Sam is better than Johnny and I think she's crazy.

We all curled up on the couch together in T'Challa's room; with his arm wrapped around me and my back against his chest, with Shuri laying down on my lap. Okoye joined us about half way through Ghost, with her sitting on the floor in front of the couch. She agreed with Shuri that Sam was the best. I'm so happy I'm able to do things like this with them again. I have two of my best friends back, sometimes I still can't believe it.