Honestly I am not a writer but was thinking about the paternal side of smoke when he taught the little girl about negotiating! It was an epic part of the film that I think shows so much of his character as a father figure.. so what if his baby girl would’ve lived. I think that scene showed parallels to if she would’ve lived, how he would have been in a way. Idk my first ever anything !
“ Papa!! Papa look what I got “ the young girl shrilled excitedly as she ran into the front yard. Smoke had turned to quickly see his baby girl barreling towards him. He snatched her up before she could run face front into his lower half.
“ whoa slow down baby girl, you nearly knocked papa off his feet” he said with a chuckle. “ awe papa nobody can knock YOU down, not even uncle stack!“ his little girls faced twisted in a sly grin that mirrored his twin as she looked at him & said “cept mama.” she beamed at her papa and he looked at her bashfully knowing she was telling the truth.
“ what’s got you so in a hurry ? “ he asked his beautiful little girl. She slowly opened her tiny hand to show him the nickel that lay upon it. Smoke raised his eyebrows and scrunched his face in mild confusion. Not that he didn’t know what a nickel was, but because he didn’t understand the cats meow about a nickel. He had always given his baby girl the world. She never knew what it felt like to wake up before God to go and pick cotton, she never had to feel the burn of the Mississippi sun beating down on her back and she didn’t have to feel the blood drip from her hands because of the hard dried pericarp of cotton. And as long as he lived and breathed she would never know that life, sharecropper was another word for slave, and she would never know the feeling of being either. She was down right spoiled, let her mama tell it. “ she’ont know the meaning of the word no when it comes to you Elijah” he could hear Annie telling him when he brought her home a new doll or teddy. This was his purpose though, when he found out Annie was pregnant it grounded him.
She and the baby stabilized him. He realized he could no longer be the man who cared about nothing except protecting his brother, he had to protect himself so he could be there to protect his wife & little one. He had decided he was done with robbing and scheming and the money he had saved up he opened a shop, a shop by day servicing the black folk of the community and a juke joint by night, giving freedom to hard day and week they put in. It was so successful stack even had to invest in the business. So it puzzled him because his baby girl had plenty of nickels in the jar her mama gave her as a piggy bank, what was so special about this one?
“You got a nickel from ya bank ?” Smoke asked his little girl. She shook her head and said “ no papa, I got it from cousin Sammie” “Sammie ?” Smoke question raising his right eyebrow, what Sammie give you a nickel for ? “
“ he tried to give me a wooden nickel, said he needed me to watch out for uncle Jed while he go walk a lady down the road.” Smokes brows raised high to meet the lining of his hair he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “ he wanted you to do what now ?” “ but I told him I’m not watchin less he give me a real nickel, then he said he give me two wooden nickels.” She raised her index and her middle fingers to emphasize the number two. Smoke stared in disbelief as his daughter recounted the story. “I said 1 nickel or I’m not watching for you. He aint want too but he gave me the nickel see papa” Alisha ( Ali for short) held the nickel in between her and her papa eyeing it with pride. He couldn’t help but smile a big wide grin. Both of their deep dimples showing while he held her as she looked at the nickel and he looked at her. His heart burst with love. Ever since she could talk, which was the age of 3 , he started teaching her the ways to negotiate and stand up for herself. He would always be there, but he knew he carried a lot of sins from his past and one day that might catch up. So he wanted to teach her everything he knew so she wouldn’t be vulnerable to the ways of man. Negotiating was the first lesson. Knowing your worth and what you have to offer. He beamed with pride as he kissed her little dimple and held her close and said “ that’s papas baby girl”
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The shack scene actually is my favorite part of the movie! its a scene that so much is said without them even having to speak a word! the actors ! these amazing actors physicality and how they used their bodies to tell a story “ the breath/shutter Annie takes when smokes brushes past her “ their both holding their breaths in this scene for completely different reasons it’s an amazing and I believe is one of the reasons they both were nominated for Oscar’s and why Michael won !!
AMERICAN DREAM
soldier!smoke x virginteacher!annie
NINE.2: Try A Little Tenderness
previous next
cw: none
summary: the military does a lot to a man. for smoke it gives him dreams. dreams of a woman he’s never met a day in his life. all he knows is the sweet sound of her voice and the outline of her body. it’s like his soul is crying for her, but he doesn’t even know where to start looking.
notes: part 2 of chapter nine!
When Thanksgiving morning came, Annie slipped from the bed and got dressed as quiet as possible. It was incredibly early and it was still dark except for the faint morning light that was creeping through the windows.
Elijah was dead asleep on the couch with one arm thrown over his head as his chest rose and fell steadily. Annie smiled at the sight, walked over, and pulled the blanket up high on him. He stirred a bit, but didn't wake.
She went to the kitchen, and as quickly as possible, she scribbled a note to Elijah letting him know that she left for the day. After that she quickly started gathering the pies, not realizing that in her rush she had miscounted. She grabbed four of the pies and hurried out the door.
She stepped outside and a few minutes later she was driving through Baltimore. It didn't take long for her to pull up back home. She grabbed the pies from the backseat and headed inside. The door opened and the smell of greens and ham hit her in the face.
Annie followed the smell to the kitchen where she found her grandmother, Aunt Clarisse, Rosette, and Olivia. Clarisse was the first to say something to her the moment she noticed her niece standing in the doorway.
"Look at who decided to come back home."
"Goodmorning," Annie laughed as she set the pies down on the table.
"Mornin', baby," her grandmother said from her place by the stove.
Little baby Olivia let out an excited squeal at the sight of Annie. She was practically bouncing from her spot on her blanket on the floor. Annie melted. She crouched down and kissed Olivia's chubby cheek.
Annie straightened and looked around the busy kitchen.
"What y'all doin'? Need help?"
"No. Your cousin done already messed up the greens," Clarisse shook her head.
"I didn't mess up no damn—" Rosette started muttering under her breath. But before she could finish Mama Nette popped her with a kitchen towel.
"Watch your mouth."
"What I get hit for? I'm too old for that," Rosette rubbed her arm. "And why Annie never get hit?"
"'Cause Annie listens," Mama Nette snorted.
"I listen," Rosette looked offended.
"No you don't."
"I do."
Clarisse and Mama Nette exchanged a look.
"Yeah right, Annie mess up all the time, but y'all don't ever get mad at her," Rosette rolled her eyes.
"Annie ain't never messed up nothin' I taught her," Mama Nette looked genuinely confused by the statement. "That's why she the only one that know all my pie receipes."
A smug smile spread across Annie's face as she bent down and scooped Olivia into her arms. The baby immediately settled against her chest. Annie kissed the top of her little head.
"Can't help that I'm the favorite."
Rosette narrowed her eyes at her, but Annie just looked with that same smug smile as she bounced Olivia gently.
"Shut up."
"Don't be jealous, Rosie," Annie laughed.
"You lucky you holdin' my baby."
The room erupted into laughter. Even Olivia giggled though she didn't understand any of it.
When they settled, Clarisse looked over at Annie, giving her a pointed look, "You not gettin' outta where you was at, Miss Thing."
"She was over at that man's house."
Annie stared at her grandmother in disbelief. The older woman kept right on stirring.
Clarisse slowly nodded as she looked at Annie, "Hm. You been shackin' up?"
Before Annie could even answer, Mama Nette spoke again.
"No," Annie sighed in relief, but then her grandmother continued. "But she want to."
The relief disappeared. Annie sat there feeling completely betrayed.
"I don't know why you keep doin' this to me." Annie sputtered. "There ain't no reason for you to tell everybody my business."
"You ain't got no business," Mama Nette finally looked over. "You wasn't doin' nothin' remember?"
Rosette looked entirely too entertained at Annie getting clipped by their grandmother.
Annie opened her mouth then closed it becasue she truly had nothing to say to defend herself.
"She gonna have to repent extra hard this Sunday for all this lyin' she been doin' recently," Mama Nette shook her head. "That man be having her all twisted up and she know she like it."
Annie rolled her eyes dramatically then she buried her face against Olivia's little shoulder. Olivia just patted Annie's cheek.
A few hours later the cooking was finally almost done. Most of the food was finished and packed up.
Annie stood in the dining room helping wrap a few things while Olivia sat on her hip chewing on the sleeve of her dress. The baby had spent most of the morning attached to her. Any time somebody tried to take her, Olivia would fuss until Annie got her back.
Mama Nette was doing one final count, making sure that they had everything they needed. When she got to the pies and noticed that there were only four she eyed Annie.
"Annette, why you only got four pies here?"
Annie looked at the table only to see that her grandmother was right. There were only four pies on the table. Her eyes immediately became wider.
Rosette's face had a smirk on it, "Looks like the favorite messed up just that quick."
"Where they at and are they done?" Mama Nette folded her arms.
"Yes they're done Mama. I just forgot 'em," then she rushed over to the phone.
She dialed Elijah's number. The phone rang three times before Elijah answered.
"Hello?"
"Oh good. You're up," Annie sighed in relief.
"Bunny, I been up," His sleepy chuckle came through the line. "Why you callin'?"
"I forgot two of the pies. Can you bring them? They should still be on the counter."
"Yeah, I got you."
"Thank you, baby."
"It ain't nothing."
"I'll see you soon."
"See you soon."
After hanging up, Annie helped her family load everything up into the cars. Once everything was put up, the two cars hit the road to Ray's house.
There were a line of cars on the street when they pulled up. The front door opened and family members poured out to help take the dishes inside.
Inside the home Ray had moved everyhting around to make space for everyone. He had put some tables together to make one large table in the middle of the living room. There was also a smaller table for the children and room for the food.
The house was loud with conversation and children playing. Food was already on the table and what they brought only added to it. Everything was just what Annie missed about home. Good food and family. The only thing she felt was missing was Elijah.
Suddenly, Victoria appeared beside her.
"So when he gettin' here?"
"Soon," Annie rolled her eyes, an unintentional habit.
A while later, Annie found herself standing near the window peeking out of it every few seconds. Five-year-old Joyce had attached herself to Annie's legs asking her a million questions. It distracted her enough to not look out the window every five minutes. It wasn't like she was waiting on anyone.
But when a knock hit the door, Annie pulled away from the little girl, giving some random excuse. She hurried to the door, pulled it open, and there Elijah stood with the two forgotten pies in his hand.
He was dressed nice in black slacks, a black button down shirt, and a dark blue wool coat. He even had on polished hard bottom shoes. His look made Annie smile. And it wasn't because he never made the effort to look nice, but Annie knows that Elijah could care less about how he looked. But clearly he had decided to put a little extra effort in today.
Elijah looked into her big, soft, brown eyes and felt the hint of nervousness in him disappear.
"Hey, Bunny," Elijah smiled.
"Hi, baby," she said sweetly.
They leaned into each other so naturally. Their lips met in a gentle kiss. And once they pulled apart Annie was smiling. She was so utterly happy.
"Thank you again for bringing the pies."
"You're welcome."
She looked at him for another second. Then leaned forward and kissed him again. This one lasted a touch longer.
She pulled back and grabbed his hand, "Come on let's get you inside."
She led him inside and the warmth of the family atmosphere surrounded him. The house was loud with conversation that floated from every direction. Laughter was mixed in along with the sounds of children running and playing.
Annie kept hold of his hand as she guided him through the house of people. She could tell that her family was looking, but trying to hold in their comments. They walked until they got to the food table.
"Put them right there," he set the strawberry pies down where she told him.
Annie noticed the way Elijah looked around at everyone. She knew how overwhelming her family could be, and for someone like Elijah she knew it could be a bit much. She squeezed his hand to get his attention.
"If it get too much, you tell me."
"I'll be alright," Elijah looked at her, his face not showing any signs of overstimulation.
"You sure?"
"Mhm."
She studied him for another second then nodded.
Unfortunately she never got the chance to start introducing him around.
"Elijah come here," Mama Nette's voice carried easily through the house. "And Annie go help your uncles with the kids in the kitchen."
Both of them looked over to see the older woman sitting comfortably in a chair in the den.
"Mama—"
"Gone on."
Annie huffed as she stared into the older woman's eyes. And Mama Nette stared right back. Neither woman looked away.
Elijah tugged at Annie's hand, "It's okay, Bunny."
"Fine," Annie looked uncertain, but she sighed. "But I'll be back."
She squeezed his hand one last time before disappearing toward the kitchen.
Elijah watched her go then looked at the older woman who was waiting on him. Mama Nette gestured to the empty chair near her as a way to tell him to sit down. And he obeyed, not wanting to go against her.
The second he sat down he understood why Annie was hesitant to leave him. There were four women and a baby staring at him. They were staring so intensely as if they were trying to see straight through his skin to his bones. He sat back in the chair and gulped.
Mama Nette noticed and the corner of her mouth twitched. She knew Elijah was a strong man, but the Richard women could could break down even the toughest of soldiers.
"Let me introduce everybody to you since they just wanna stare at like you a zoo animal," Mama Nette pointed around the circle. "That's Clarisse, Annie's Aunt. Annie's cousin, Rosette and Rosette's daughter, Olivia. That's Esther, William Junior's wife. And Victoria, my oldest granddaughter."
They all still just stared at him not making any moves to say a thing to him.
"Now go on and introduce yourself," Mama Nette folded her hands in her lap.
Elijah cleared his throat. Suddenly he felt like a boy instead of a twenty-seven year old man.
"Nice to meet y'all. My name's Elijah Moore," the words managed to come out easy.
"And that's your real name?" Victoria tilted her head.
"Last time I checked," Elijah looked over at her.
Mama Nette chuckled at Elijah's audacity. She could tell he wasn't a man to back down easily. And she figured he had to be to deal with Annie.
"Oh, you tryna be Mister Funny Man?" Victoria's eyebrows furrowed, completely taken aback.
"Ain't nothin' funny to me," his answer came quick.
"Good. 'Cause ain't nothin' attractive 'bout a man who can't take nothin' serious."
"I'm takin' this very serious."
That earned him a few approving nods.
"Where you from?" Rosette asked as she balanced Olivia in her lap.
"Clarksdale, Mississippi."
"So you a Delta man?"
"Yes ma'am."
"Do you know where we from?" Clarisse asked.
"Yes ma'am," Elijah rubbed his sweating and slightly shaking palms against his thighs. Something about the intensity of these women was making his anxiety act up.
"You ever been there before?"
"A few times."
"So that means you know what we capable of?"
"I think so," Elijah didn't quite know what Annie's Aunt meant by that, but he remembered the conversation he had with Mama Nette. He didn't think he wanted to get on the bad side of a bunch of Hoodoo women.
"What you do for work?" Victoria asked.
"I work at Ray's garage."
"That what you really wanna do?" Clarisse asked.
The question made Elijah pause becasue nobody had really asked him that before. At least not recently. Usually people asked what he did, but not if that was what he really wanted to do. He looked down for a second before answering as honestly as he could.
"I don't rightly know. I guess I ain't figured out exactly what I want yet. I know I'm good with my hands, so it works out," he shrugged.
"I bet you are," Rosette smirked as her eyes dropped down to his hands.
Elijah cleared his throat and shifted in his seat at her staring. For a half a second he considered hiding them, but then he realized foing that would probably make it worse..
"Got good workin' hands too," Rosette's smirk just deepened.
"Rosette," Clarisse said in warning.
"Sorry, Mama."
The women laughed as Elijah rubbed the back of his neck.
Thankfully, Esther moved the conversation along.
"How long you been in Baltimore?"
"Since April."
"Ain't been here that long and you already got your eyes set on my niece," Clarisse said.
Before he could answer, Victoria spoke.
"How long you plannin' on stayin' in Baltimore?"
"I—"
"Everything okay?" A familiar voice cut through the conversation.
Everybody turned to see Annie standing next to Elijah's chair. She walked up and rested a hand on his shoulder. She looked from the women to Elijah with concern written all over her face.
"Girl ain't nobody doin' nothin' to this man. He alright," Mama Nette as she turned in her chair. "Go back to the kitchen."
"You okay?" Annie ignored the woman and looked at Elijah.
"I'm alright, Bunny," Elijah lightly grabbed her hand and nodded his head.
She still looked suspicious.
Mama Nette waved her hand, "Take your ass back on in there."
"If we was gon' hurt him we'd already done it," her Aunt Clarisse said.
Annie huffed dramatically, but she listened. Reluctantly she started walking away. But in the process she let her hand slide from Elijah's shoulder then down his arm. Elijah caught the hand before she could fully walk away.
The women all watched as Elijah lifted it and pressed a kiss to the back of it. He did it as if it was second nature. It was the type of affection that made Annie smile when she finally walked away.
He turned beack to see all eyes were on him again.
"What exactly you want with my cousin?" Rosette tilted her head.
Elijah eyes moved between the women, wanting them to understand how serious he was about their Annie.
"I want everything with her."
The women exchanged glances.
Nobody laughed.
Nobody teased.
"Saying everything is a might big statement. You know that?" One of Clarisse's eyebrows rose in question.
"Yes, ma'am."
"Do you know what all that means when it come to Annie? She ain't no simple woman," Clarisse studied him carefully.
"Yes ma'am I do," Elijah confidently nodded. He already knew first hand how difficult Annie could be, but some would say he was just as bad.
"What about her makes you want her so bad?" Victoria asked.
Elijah took a moment to get his thoughts together, and not because he didn't know, but because he wanted to say it right.
"Truthfully, she saved and she don't even know it. When I got back from overseas I wasn't doing well. There were days I'd wake up angry, couldn't sleep, and didn't want to be around nobody. And you wouldn't know it by looking at me. But when I found her, she lit up something in me. It was like she planted herself in my blood and I ain't have a bad day since," his voice was calm as he spoke.
"I don't want nothin' temporary with her. She don't deserve that. She's the woman I wanna wake up beside every mornin'. I wanna take care of her . I wanna spend the rest of my life fmy life hearin' her talk because she can just go on about stuff she gets excited about. And I always want her excited about something. It's my job to keep her happy and that's what I plan to do."
"I love how she takes care of people whether they ask for it or not. She remembers everything and she loves her family. She always has enough love for everybody. I love how determined she is. She works hard and she has dreams and goals. Hell, I even love how stubborn she is," that makes everyone laugh.
Mama Nette takes a moment to just stare at Elijah. She'd never heard him talk this much. He seemed like a man that didn't say more than he had to. But it looks like that when it comes to her granddaughter, he had a whole lot to say and he needed to say it. That man loved Annie and it was written all over him.
"Ain't never heard anybody talk about her like that before. You must really love her?" Esther asked.
"I'm in love with her," Elijah's answer came out so quick as he looked at her.
Nobody said anything because there wasn't really anything to say. The sincerity in his voice was impossible to miss, and they could feel the love practically floating off of him.
"Annie," Mama Nette's voice floated thorughout the house, and within seconds, hurried footsteps were heard.
Annie appeared looking rather worried. She looked at Elijah, but he showed no signs that there was anything to be worried about. So, she turned her eyes to her grandmother.
"Yes, Mama?"
"Everything ready?"
"…Yes?" Annie blinked confused.
"Everybody let's go on to the table."
Everyone in the house started making their way to the living room. Even Annie, who was still trying to figure out what happened. Elijah followed beside her not giving anything away.
Certain foods had been moved from the food table to the table. Everyone gathered around the white tablecloth covered table. Mama Nette took her place at the head of the table and reached for the hands beside her.
"Everybody close ya eyes and bow ya heads," almost everyone obeyed even the small children.
Elijah was the only one still looking around at the full circle.
Annie briefly opened her eyes to see Elijah with his wide open. She tugged his hand that was in hers.
"Close your eyes."
He closed his eyes and lowered his head just before Mama Nette started praying. As soon as she finished everyone said Amen and let their hands go. They moved to find their seats and the children scrambled to their table.
Elijah automatically reached for Annie's chair and pulled it out. Then he waited until she sat to push it in. She smiled up at him.
"Thank you, baby."
He nodded as he took the seat beside her. And as soon as he settled in his seat he had the feeling of being watched. He looked up to see Ray, Marcus, and an older man looking at him from way down at the other end of the table.
Annie lightly tapped Elijah's arm, pulling him away from the three men's stares. He gave his attention to Annie. She was holding the plate that was in his spot in her hand.
"What you want on you plate?" she asked.
"Whatever you think," Elijah glanced over the spread.
Annie rolled her eyes, but did as told. She scooped some mac and cheese, greens, candied yams, and dressing on his plate. Then she got up to put some meat on the plate for him. She knew that she didn't have to do this because Elijah was perfectly fine doing things for himself, but she felt with all this pressure from her family she would ease his mind a little today.
She sat back down and set Elijah's plate down in front of him. He thanked her and she went to grab her own plate to start putting her food together.
"Annette."
Annie looked up to see her Uncle William staring at him from the other end of the table.
"Yes, sir?"
"How long you been with him?"
Annie's eyes flickered to Elijah before returning to her uncle. William hadn't even verbally acknowledged and now he was talking as if the man wasn't sitting at the table next to her.
"We been together a few months now."
"A few months. Ain't that somethin'," William hummed as he stabbed a piece of turkey with his fork. "Must be serious if you lettin' him come to Thanksgiving."
"Yes sir. If you say so," Annie knew how her oldest uncle could get.
"Since you bringing him to Thanksgiving, I'd say so."
Several people around the table exchanged glances. Across the table Uncle Ray was trying not to grin.
"Ray," William looked at his younger brother.
"Yeah brother?" Ray looked up from his food.
"How long he been working at your shop?"
"Since April," a smirk appeared on Ray's face.
"And how'd he get that job?"
Ray looked at Elijah then back to William, "Annie mostly."
Annie breathed out in frustration. She could feel the irritation rolling off of Elijah and she knew if this kept going he would be in his right to say something.
"Uncle Ray, you know that's not true."
"And is," he shrugged. "You always tryna save somebody."
"Girl woulda brought home a stray dog if Mama let her. Guess she kept up the habit."
Annie's face showed clear irritation as she dropped her fork down.
"Okay, y'all gone stop talking about him like he ain't sittin' right here. He's a good man and comparin' him to a stray dog is disrespectful. I know y'all tryna look out for me, but I don't like how y'all going about it. You can't say you protectin' me 'cause this ain't it. These things y'all sayin' is hurtful. Get to know him before y'all try to make assumptions about him," Annie looked between both of her uncles.
"That's right," Mama Nette muttered. Her sons could be a real piece of work at times.
William sighed and Ray looked down at his plate. Neither man liked being corrected by their niece like that, especially in front of the whole family. But neither one would go against her either.
"Ain't mean no disrespect," her Uncle William looked genuinely pained by the admission.
"Me neither," Ray said right after.
This was the closest thing to an apology that Elijah had ever heard from Ray's mouth, but he didn't care too much about that when he was irritated by the older man. He face was stone cold as he stared at the two men. One of the things he wouldn't ever take was disrespect from two grown men, or at least two supposed grown men.
"I understand that y'all protectin' her and all but anything anybody wanna know about me can be asked directly to me. I'm an honest man and ain't one to just sit and pussyfoot around, but y'all makin' it real hard to act civil. I'm a grown man not a dog."
Then, before anybody could say anything else a loud crash echoed from the children's table. Little Jeremy was staring at the floor in horror while a glass of sweet tea spread across the table and dripped into his lap.
The interruption only lasted a few minutes before everybody settled back into eating. Towels had been brought out and Jeremy had been reassured that nobody was upset with him.
Elijah had managed to avoid being the center of attention again. At least until Mama Nette spoke up from her seat. She had been watching him for most of the meal anyway.
"Elijah, you likin' the food?"
"Yes ma'am. Ain't had food like this in a long time," he glanced down at the crowded plate in front of him.
"Why you ain't?" Victoria looked up from where she was helping Joyce cut her ham into smaller pieces.
"I was overseas for a few years. And before that me and my brother was movin' around so much we couldn't really get no good homecooked food like this."
"You was in the military?" William Jr. asked.
"Since fifty-four."
"You Army?" William Sr. set his fork down.
"Yes sir," Elijah kept his face stone cold.
William nodded thoughtfully. Then he took a sip of sweet tea before asking the next question.
"You hunt?"
Annie looked at her uncle and so did some of the other men at the table.
"Only done it once or twice."
"Mississippi boy only hunted twice?" William raised an eyebrow.
"Yes sir. My daddy wasn't teaching us much of nothing."
"Fair enough," William slowly nodded seeming to understand there was more to that story. "If you shoot good you'll be alright. But we'll see 'bout that."
Elijah looked on confused. And he was about to ask what exactly the man meant by that, but the conversation moved on. The entire focus of the table shifted away from the topic completely. When he looked over at Annie she seemed to be just as confused as he was. But her confusion had some understanding to it.
"Bunny, what he said that for?"
Annie cleared her throat and looked at Elijah, "I think he just invited you to go huntin' with them."
"Why he do that? Seem like he don't like me."
"He only invites the men he respects to hunt with him."
The dining table had been cleared. Leftovers had been wrapped and stacked. Somebody had put the radio on. And the card table was out. The children went back to running through the house despite being told at least fifteen times not to.
Annie sat tucked away in the den with Olivia in her lap. The baby had screamed for her the last ten minutes of dinner, so Annie had no choice but to grab her. And the girl was finally in her arms, she refused to leave.
The baby was currently fight sleep with everything she had. Her tiny eyes kept falling closed before snapping back open every time her head started to fall.
"You so tired, huh?" Annie chuckled softly as Olivia blinked up at her.
The baby just shoved two small fingers into her mouth as an answer. A string of drool followed soon after. Annie grabbed a cloth from beside and wiped the baby's chin. Olivia curled herself against Annie's chest, her other hand fisted the woman's dress.
That was when Elijah appeared beside the couch. He had just gotten out of a conversation about cars that he got roped into by Annie's cousins, Percy and Johnathon. Now he looked relieved to have found Annie again.
He sat down beside her. His eyes moved from her face down to the baby attached to her. Olivia had somehow managed to wedge herself directly into Annie's side.
Annie followed his gaze, "What?"
"Nothin'."
It wasn't nothing because Elijah couldn't stop staring. Annie looked so natural holding a baby, even if the baby was family. It was like every move of hers was instinctive. He had noticed since the dinner table.
And it wasn't just the baby that Annie seemed to shine with. The older children were just as attached. They followed her from room to room, calling for her, wanting her attention. And every single time she'd stop what she was doing and answer them.
The sight of it all made he aware of his thoughts. He found himself wondering what Annie would look like with their children. What their babies would look like. He hoped they would have her pretty brown eyes, and her smile, and her laugh.
"What you thinkin' so hard about?"
"Hm?" Elijah came back to reality, blinking the thoughts away.
Annie shook her head and let out a little puff of a laugh. She had noticed the way Elijah had looked at Olivia and wanted to test some waters.
"You wanna hold her?"
His eyebrows immediately lifted, "I don't know about that, Bunny."
"And why not?" Annie laughed.
"I ain't never really held a baby before," he looked at the baby.
"Seriously?" Annie stared at him.
Elijah nodded.
"Well that's a shame."
He looked down at Olivia and she looked back at him.
"I think you'll be fine. Olivia's easy."
"I don't know."
"Elijah."
He sighed, but she was already moving the baby. And when Olivia noticed she was getting moved out of the comfort of her arms, she made a sound of protest. Her tiny face scrunched up as if she was about to start crying. Annie shushed her as she bounced her lightly in the air.
"Oh hush. You're alright,"
Olivia clearly disagreed. Still, Annie carefully transferred her into Elijah's lap. The second the baby settled there, Elijah completely froze up. His hands hovered around her awkwardly unsure where they were supposed to go.
"Baby, don't look so scared," Annie tried so hard to hold her laughter in.
"I ain't scared," he shot her a look. "What if she fall though?"
"She ain't gone fall, just put your arm around her."
Reluctantly he wrapped one arm around Olivia.
The baby stared up at him. And after several seconds, Olivia decided she was okay with being around this strange man. She yawned and reached out to grab the front of his shirt. She pulled herself up a bit on her legs and laid down on his chest. The other tiny hand that wasn't gripping his shirt, reached around to his arm and softly started patting it.
Annie practically melted at the sight. But when she noticed Elijah's confusion on the movement she spoke up.
"She wants you to pat her back."
Elijah nodded his head in understanding and hesitantly started to pat the baby's back as gently as he could. It didn't take long for her eyes to start closing and soon enough she was asleep.
Annie watched the sight quietly, not able to look away. He was being so careful handling something so small and precious. He looked so sweet with her. It truly made Annie wonder how he would be with their kids. Maybe she wouldn't have to wait too long to find out, if they could—
"Auntie Annie!" She looked up to see the children standing in front of her. "Come play with us!"
"What y'all playing?"
"Hide and seek!"
The children immediately started pulling on her arms to make her stand up. She did and was suddenly being dragged away.
Christmas Night, 1958
Inside Elijah's apartment, the lamps cast a warm glow across the living room. The Christmas tree stood in the corner near the window. It wasn't a big tree like the one Annie has at home, but it was good enough for the both of them. They had picked it out a few weeks earlier after Annie said that he couldn't do Christmas right with no tree.
They were currently sitting on the couch, practically under each other. Annie was curled into his side and Elijah had an arm on the back of the couch behind her. They'd spent most of the evening talking about the day, like how Ray had actually gotten Elijah a gift. And now, with the day being settled, Elijah thought it was time for them to give their gifts to each other.
Annie sat up straight, excited for whatever Elijah was going to give her. Elijah reached on the table and grabbed the box. He put it in her hands and she carefully began to open.
Elijah sat back and watched as her fingers worked the ribbon loose. The anticipation on her face alone made everything worth it.
She pulled the paper away and was met with the same coat she'd been stopping to look at every single time they went to the department store downtown. It was a beautiful cream-colored wool coat that cost far too much.
"You bought me the coat?" Annie asked as she lifted it out of the box.
"You kept lookin' at it, so I figured you wanted it but wouldn't buy it for yourself since it was so expensive."
She pouted, willing herself not to be too emotional.
Then she noticed there was a small box inside. She pulled it out and noticed the way Elijah looked away from her. He had suddenly become very interested in the Christmas tree.
"What's this?"
Elijah didn't respond, just nodded to the box. So she opened it.
Inside sat a simple yet elegant gold bypass ring with two small diamonds.
"Elijah," his name came out barely above a whisper.
"It ain't an engagement ring…yet," he rubbed the back of his neck. "I just wanted yo uto have it."
"Why would you spend this much money on me?" She shook her head.
"Who else I'm supposed to spend it on?" He made a confused face as if she asked the dumbest question in the world. "I wanna take care of you, Bunny. And you need to let me without askin' about how much it cost all the time. That ain't your problem, okay?"
The tone of his voice made her body get warm. Instead of verbally answering him, she just nodded her head in fear that if she did say something it would be something that neither one expected.
Eventually she slid the ring onto her ring finger on her right hand and it was a perfect fit. But of course it was. He probably had sneakily gotten her ring size months ago.
She stared at it for several seconds before giving the kind of smile tha treached her eyes. Then she looked at him with twinkling eyes.
"I got your gift too. It's in the car 'cause I can't bring it up by myself. It's heavy."
"What'd you buy me, woman?" He raised an eyebrow in curiosity.
"You gotta go get it."
A few minutes later they were outside in the cold. Annie stood beside him in her new coat while he opened her trunk. Inside was a large gift box.
He carried it back into the apartment upstairs and set it down beside the couch.
Annie sat down on the couch and sighed as she looked at the box.
"I got this because Mama told me you didn't know what you really wanted to do, but you like workin' with your hands and fixin' things. So I'd figured you'd like this."
Elijah opened the lid to see a professional mechanic's toolkit. And it wasn't one of the cheap sets either. It was a Proto set. He ran his fingers over the polished metal while she looked on nervously.
"I picked it out myself. I did have to ask around a little for help, but I think I got the right stuff."
"You did just fine, Bunny. I really like it."
"You do?" Relief immediately washed over her face.
"Yeah."
He laughed softly the reached over and pulled her into his lap. Annie squealed at the movement. Elijah pressed a kiss to the side of her head.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome, baby."
He smiled and gave her a sweet kiss on the lips. When they pulled away Annie stared into his eyes.
"I checked your mail earlier and saw that you got a letter from your brother."
She slid off his lap, walked to the small table in the corner, and grabbed the envelope. She returned back to her spot in his lap.
"You wanna read it?"
"Don't matter," Elijah shrugged.
But Annie knew him well enough by now to know he wanted to hear it.
"I'll take that as a yes."
Carefully, she opened the envelope and pulled out several folded sheets of paper. She dramtically cleared her throat and began reading out loud.
Most of the first page was Stack just talking about anything like the people he'd met and the random arguments he'd gotten into. Though Annie had never met Stack before, she found herself smiling because it felt like she was getting a picture of him through his words. He was clearly different than Elijah. He seemed loud and reckless, but funny and charismatic.
When she got to the next page, she started reading about all the women he'd been with. She slightly lowered the paper and looked at Elijah.
"You got something to say?"
"Nope."
"You judging my brother?"
"I'm not, just seeing if this how you was."
Elijah sucked his teeth, "Woman you know me well enough to know that ain't what I do."
The next page shifted into stories about his gambling ventures and how shook several men for money. He'd become so invested in it, but it seemed to be working out for him.
"I don't think I like your twin too much," Annie shook her head.
"He's fine, just gotta let him settle in and you'll get used to him."
"Don't think I would."
"You would."
She continued reading despite her protests. Halfway through the next page she instinctively took to reading it in her head, but Elijah tried to peek at the words forcing her to go to reading it out loud again.
"How that dream girl doing? You ain't said much beside 'she's real'. If she's so real then tell me something about her. What's her name? What she do? What's she like? If she's worth writing about then you write about her. If she ain't, stop talking about her."
Annie's eyes slowly lifted. Elijah was avoiding looking directly at her, which told her everything.
She finished the rest of the letter which was mostly Stack asking questions about Baltimore and whether Elijah planned on staying there permanently, and work. Then the letter ended.
"Have you been writing about me?" Annie carefully folded the papers together.Elijah finally met her eyes.
"'Course I have. That's my twin. He know everything about me and I know everything about him. This the longest we been apart, and I had to tell him about the woman that's changed my life," the answer came easy for him.
"Can't believe you lasted this long away from him."
"I spent my whole life taking care of him. And I'd do it again. But if being apart from him now meant finding you, then I'd make that trade every time. I love you, Bunny and he should know that."
The emotion hit Annie hard. Her eyes watered as she leaned down a bit to kiss him. When she pulled back, she stayed close enough that their foreheads almost touched. Her eyes searched his and whatever she found there made her smile.
"I love you too."
Annie laughed softly at his expression.
"I'm in love with you."
His eyes lit up and the smile that spread across his face was the most brightest and boyish smile she'd ever seen him have. It was the smile he rarely showed anybody else, besides maybe Stack. Annie realized she'd never seen Elijah look happier than he did right then.
end notes: so question for the people that make it this far...when do y'all think their first time is gonna be? i, of course, know. but i'm curious when y'all think it will be. especially if you've caught all of annie's little hints that maybe's she might be more ready than we think...
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taglist: @brownskincheyenne @psychicafrorainbow @hdfen2474 @harleycativy @issfaith @virgoobaby @secretisme4 @magnifique2be @blackgirlsrock444 @lestatthelioncourt @juniooox @meannaim @ayishia101 @lizbehave @myheartsaysyes @mmbee675 @summrsovrinterlude @bananajoeclone @cocochannelmoi @lsc72 @aellesa @deceptakani @thedutifulone @atpeaceinthestars @ladychzzcake @theegoldenchild @juniooox @swtvenus @lovenykol @birchwood3657 @theogbadbitch @prettyisasprettydoes1306 @pastelprintessa @soufcakmistress @sarcastic-sunshines @sexysativa605 @mai4u @jimenaasss @brownsugarcoffy @mel-717 @jaeflair @girlmath101
when ppl criticized Smoke and Annie’s intimate scene as unromantic due to the position, I thought it was funny bc it was choreographed/ reminiscent of the scene in scenes from a marriage to me. In scenes from a marriage, the couple is also experiencing a marriage separation but love each other
Random .. never noticed the small few differences in the last two GIFs of Annie and Smoke ..
a/n: requested and inspired by this post by @dealore!! this isn’t my usual vibe, but it was fun and a quick write! i might do more headcanons if y’all are interested :3
masterlist
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sinner!annie who feels that her connection to The Most High has been tainted due to her lifestyle. recently, she has been falling into temptation, allowing Satan to wrap his hands around her throat and drag her through a life of unrighteousness.
sinner!annie who loves to pretend she's pious by running to the church house on sunday's and for bible study on wednesday's, but any other day of the week, she's fucking husbands and deacons and important men in the community, feeding off of the power it gives her to bring a man to his knees and ruin his good name.
sinner!annie who's had her eyes set on her pastor for as long as she could remember. he was tall, sexy, and thick with a disapproving gaze that sent shivers throughout her body, and all she wanted was to have him crumble beneath her.
pastor!elijah who is the shepard to a congregation of 100 souls.
pastor!elijah who knows the face, name, and backstory of every one of his sheep. he takes his position seriously to ensure they all are as close to Godliness as they can achieve.
pastor!elijah who knows annie by face, name, and backstory; who watches her enter the church every sunday, eyes straight forward as she meanders down the center aisle and sits with her legs crossed on the front pew before laying a lap scarf over her knees. he notices the sway of her hips, the jaunt of her ass, and how she begins to wear dresses shorter and shorter as the sunday's pass by.
sinner!annie who set her plan into motion the moment she sees his eyes drag over her body. she spends the entire service fanning herself and envisioning him taking her over his desk in the fellowship hall, and when she's not fantasizing, she's putting on a good show of the most pious woman to ever exist.
sinner!annie who, the saturday before church, spends her evening laid up in bed with a man stroking her from behind. he's tall and sexy and thick—but he’s nothing like pastor elijah. she’s thought of him the entire time, those disapproving eyes, that grin when the congregation obeys his order to repeat a verse. she wants to obey him just as much as she wants to subdue him, and the urge to give in to her desires makes her feel sick.
pastor!elijah who sits in his office after service, hands folded and elbows pressing harshly into the wood. he's been unclean, harboring thoughts no man of God should, thoughts of one member of his flock, thoughts that should bring him to his knees before God. but all he wanted was her.
pastor!elijah who jumps in shock when the door to his office creaks open. everyone is gone—or at least they were supposed to be—but when he sees annie's eyes look upon him, his throat bobs in anticipation. one of his sheep needs help.
sinner!annie who sits before him with a bowed head and whispers, "i have not been acting as a Godly woman should, pastor." her tone is alluring, hot and sultry as her arms clasp in front of her in mock-shame. but she's getting exactly what she wants: pastor elijah's attention.
sinner!annie who cries.
sinner!annie who begs for forgiveness.
sinner!annie who kneels before him, asking for mercy.
pastor!elijah who faces her, standing over her trembling form with his head tilted in amusement. he can read right through her. he knows she's not seeking real forgiveness, and he doesn't plan on giving it to her anytime soon.
pastor!elijah who reaches for her chin, pulling her up to face him and mutters back, "how have you sinned, sister annie? show me."
sinner!annie who shudders at the chance to obey his word; who moves with a quickness, standing before him. her breath becomes heavy, and her agile fingers move down the length of his body. "please forgive me, pastor 'lijah," she groans, upzipping his slacks and pushing them down his legs.
pastor!elijah who nearly growls when her hand wraps around his dick, but he stuffs the sound down and hides his need behind a scowl. "the bible says, 'if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.' confess your sins, annie."
sinner!annie who moans out, "yes, pastor," before she's back on her knees and swallowing him down the back of her throat. she chokes around him, rutting against nothing but the imagination of him between her legs. this feels holier than anything she's done before, closer to God than she ever thought she'd be able to achieve. she hums around him when he trembles, tears springing from her eyes.
pastor!elijah who allows himself to be conquered; who accepts the opportunity of being wrecked by her. he feels the talons of Satan wrapping tight around his throat, but the closer she brings him to his climax—the more she confesses every sin and wrongdoing—the easier he allows himself to be brought under with her.
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AMERICAN DREAM
soldier!smoke x virginteacher!annie
NINE.1: All You Gotta Do Is Try A Little Tenderness
previous next
cw: none
summary: the military does a lot to a man. for smoke it gives him dreams. dreams of a woman he’s never met a day in his life. all he knows is the sweet sound of her voice and the outline of her body. it’s like his soul is crying for her, but he doesn’t even know where to start looking.
notes: i'm so sorry for taking this long on this update. work was getting me bad. anyways, i went back last chapter so i can remember what age i made annie because for some reason it's not in my notes. so erm when ray said she was 26 last chapter let's just say that it was because he was getting a headstart on saying her age. anyways, on to the story!
September 7th, 1958
The afternoon sun poured through the classroom windows, making everything glow warm and golden.
It was the last lesson of the day and Annie stood at the front of the room with a piece of chalk in her hand, trying her hardest to keep twenty-something restless children focused for just a few more minutes.
It was Friday afternoon. The weekend was only moments away. Their little bodies were practically vibrating with excitement. Every few seconds somebody shifted in their seat.
Annie fought back a smile.
"Y'all can give me five more minutes," she said, tapping the chalk lightly against the board.
A few dramatic groans filled the room.
"Miss Annie," one little girl whined.
"Just a little longer."
And as she continued teaching, she noticed strange things were happening. The children kept exchanging secret little looks and whispers. A few of them kept reaching inside their desks and then quickly pulling their hands back out whenever she looked in their direction.
Her eyebrows pulled together in confusion because something was definitely going on. But before she could investigate, one of the students in the front row suddenly shot their hand into the air.
"Miss Annie!"
Annie stopped writing on the board, "Yes, baby?"
"We got a surprise for you!" The little girl bounced excitedly in her seat.
"A surprise?" she asked.
The child nodded so hard her braids bounced.
Annie looked around the room to see all the children were smiling at her. She was truly confused
"What kinda surprise?" she asked.
The children looked around at each other like they were making sure everyone was ready. Then all at once little hands dove into the openings of their desks. After grabbing what they were reaching for, they stood up. And the room exploded in noise as they all shouted happy birthday.
Annie gasped. Her hand flew to her chest so fast she almost dropped her chalk.
The children held up paper hearts. Some were cut perfectly, others looked like circles more than hearts. A few had glitter and crayon scribbles on. But every single one had something written on it.
"Oh my goodness..." Her voice cracked as she looked around, a little laugh coming out. Her eyes were starting to sting.
Her heart was entirely too full as she took in every little face. This particualr first grade class had only been with her for a month, yet somehow these babies had warmed up to her quickly.
She knew who needed help tying their shoes, who hated number and reading, the ones who always forgot their materials. And apparently they knew her too.
"You surprised me alright," she admitted.
A little girl in the back practically vibrated with excitement, "You really was surprised?!"
"I was very surprised."
The entire room erupted into cheers.
Annie's eyes were soft and full of love as she said, "I love y'all so much."
At that statement it was like she opened the floodgates. The children jumped up from their spots and rushed her. Tiny arms wrapped around any place they could touch. Some of them squeezed so hard Annie nearly lost her balance.
Annie laughed helplessly while trying to hug all of them back.
The kids started screaming about how much they loved her, how they didn't want her to get old, and saying happy birthday over and over.
In the middle of all the chaos, Lillian appeared in the doorway. Apparently, the noise from Annie's classroom had traveled down the hallway.
"Everything okay in here?" she asked.
Annie looked up from the sea of children attached to her. She was holding several of them while others continued waving their paper hearts in the air.
"They just surprised me, that's all."
One little girl turned around proudly.
"We made Miss Annie happy birthday hearts."
Lillian looked on at the most adorable sight in front of her and smiled.
"Alright now, y'all don't squeeze her too hard. She gotta make it to her actual birthday tomorrow," she said finally.
The children took that and started shouting about birthdays, cakes, presents, and ice cream. Lillian shook her head affectionately before stepping back into the hallway.
It took Annie a good while to get her classroom back under control. Every time she managed to get one child back in their seat, another one was popping up to give her one last hug or wave one of their paper hearts at her.
Eventually, after enough promises that she loved every single one of them and that she would absolutely remember their surprise forever, the children finally settled back into their desks.
The room buzzed with leftover excitement as Annie sat on the edge of her desk watching them pack up.
One of the kids stopped packing and turned to her with narrowed eyes, "Miss Annie?"
"Yes?"
"Does being twenty-six mean you're old?" the little boy tilted his head.
Several children gasped and a few looked at her concerned.
"Now why would you ask me something like that?" Annie bit her lip to keep herself from laughing.
"My mama say twenty-five is almost thirty and when you're thirty you get bad knees," the boy shrugged.
"Twenty-six ain't old," she managed to say.
The children seemed relieved.
"So you still young?"
Annie nodded, "Yes. Very young."
Thankfully, the final bell chose that exact moment to ring throughout the building. As they filed toward the door, many of them stopped beside her to give her a goodbye.
The room slowly emptied until the last child finally disappeared through the doorway.
Annie smiled softly before walking back toward her desk.
Usually she'd throw everything into a bag and grade it at home, but not today. Since tomorrow was her birthday, she had no intention of spending any part of the weekend hunched over papers. So, she settled into her chair and got to work.
The next hour passed and the school gradually emptied around her. When she finished, she stretched her arms above her head and groaned softly. She packed everything away, making sure to take extra care of the little paper hearts.
After checking her classroom one last time, Annie switched off the lights and headed outside. The late afternoon air felt warm against her skin. She walked across the parking lot toward her car. The bright yelowl paint practically glowed in the sunlight.
She unlocked the door and loaded her things into the back seat. Then she slid in behind the steering wheel. A moment later she pulled out of the parking lot and headed home.
The entire ride home was a bit shorter than usual but it put Annie in an even better mood.
When she pulled onto her street, the late afternoon sun was beginning to soften into evening. The neighborhood was alive. Children were still playing outside, people sat on their front stoops, and music was playing from an open window.
Annie eased her yellow car into her usual parking spot along the curb in front of the house. She gathered her purse, her grading bag, her lunch container, and her students' paper hearts before climbing out.
"Hey, Little Annie!"
She looked over and saw Mr. Jenkins and his wife sitting on their stoop across the street.
"Hey, Mr. Jenkins."
"How was work?"
"It was good."
"You ready for your birthday tomorrow?"
Annie smiled wide at the couple, "It seems like everybody's ready."
Mr. Jenkins laughed, " That's 'cause Annette been reminding people about it all week."
Annie rolled her eyes.
Mrs. Jenkins smiled.
"Happy birthday, baby."
"Thank you."
After another minute of chatting, Annie finally headed inside the house. She pushed the front door open, the familiar smell of food greeted her.
"Mama?" Annie called.
"In the kitchen."
Annie followed the sound of her grandmother's voice and sure enough, Mama Nette stood at the stove with an apron tied around her waist. Annie dropped her things on a nearby chair before leaning over and pressing a kiss against her grandmother's cheek.
"Hey, baby."
"Hey."
"How was work?" her grandmother patted
Annie's face lit up.
"The kids did the cutest thing ever," She started digging through her bag. "They made me birthday paper hearts."
She pulled out several of them and spread them across the kitchen table.
Mama Nette turned from the stove long enough to look. A soft smile graced her face. The hearts were covered in drawings and messages.
"Well ain't that just sweet? This class must really love you."
Annie nodded her head as she sat down at the kitchen table. She kicked off one heel th the table and stretched her legs, "I guess they really do. They're really an interesting group. One of them asked me if turning twenty-six meant I was old."
Mama Nette let out a laugh that echoed through the kitchen, "What'd you tell 'em?"
"I told them twenty-six ain't old."
"'Cause it ain't. But it is grown."
"I guess," Annie hummed.
Despite turning twenty-six tomorrow, there were still moments where she felt seventeen or twelve…or seven. There were still times she wanted somebody else to make decisions for her.
The conversation faded and the kitchen grew quiet for a few moments. The only sounds came from the food cooking and the occasional clink of utensils.
Annie leaned back in her chair while Mama Nette stirred a pot. Then, without turning around, she spoke.
"You been spending a lot of time with Elijah lately."
Annie already knew where this conversation was headed. Still, she answered casually.
"Well, we're together now. So…" She trailed off.
"Mhm."
"You know that."
"I know."
Annie eyed the back of her grandmother's head suspiciously, but Mama Nette kept cooking.
"You two together just about every day."
Now that they had finally gotten past their argument and officially started courting, it felt natural. If she wasn't at work, there was a good chance she was with Elijah. If she wasn't with Elijah, she was probably thinking about him. And she knew he was the same way.
Annie shrugged, "I just like seeing him. Is that hard to believe?"
"Mhm."
The hum was getting on Annie's nerves now.
Mama Nette stirred something again.
"You been spending a lot of time at his apartment too."
Annie narrowed her eyes.
Her grandmother never brought up something unless she was headed somewhere with it. Over the past few weeks Annie had splent plenty of time there. She'd be there after work and on weekends. Some Saturdays she'd stay almost the entire day. They would watch television, cook together, talk, listen to records, read, and sometimes she'd fall asleep on his couch. But every single time, she'd always gone home and her grandmother knew that. Which meant she was fishing.
Annie sighed loudly, "For your information, we don't be doing anything."
"I ain't say y'all did."
"You was trying to."
"I wasn't trying to do nothing."
Mama Nette finally glanced over her shoulder with a tiny smile tugging at her lips.
"Well you saying it like I'm doing something."
"Are you?"
"You know I'm not!"
"Mhm," Mama Nette turned back toward the stove.
The sound only made Annie more irritated.
"I'm not doing this with you," Annie immediately started gathering her things. "I'm going upstairs."
Before her grandmother could say anything else, Annie grabbed her bag and headed toward the stairs. She could hear Mama Nette chuckling behind her as she climbed each step.
A grumble came out as she disappeared into her room and shut the door behind her.
The next morning, Annie was pulled from sleep by the sound of a gentle knock against her bedroom door.
She groaned softly and buried her face deeper into her pillow. For a few seconds she debated pretending she hadn't heard it, but then another knock came.
"Come in," she called sleepily.
The door opened slowly and Mama Nette stepped inside carrying a plate in one hand. She had a smile on her face and was humming as soon as she entered the room.
The familiar tune instantly wrapped around Annie. It was a song she'd heard her entire life and it always proved that she was loved.
Annie sat up slowly against her pillows as her grandmother approached the bed.
On the plate sat a large homemade cinnamon roll covered in icing with a single lit candle right in the center. The flame danced softly in the morning light.
Mama Nette sat carefully on the edge of the bed and finished the last few lines of the song.
"Happy birthday, baby."
"Thank you."
Mama Nette held the plate toward her.
"Make a wish."
Annie looked down at the candle.
Somehow she was twenty-six now. It felt strange.
She remembered being a little girl wishing she could hurry up and become grown. Now she was grown. She had a job she loved, friends who loved her, and a man that she was actually falling in love with. Her life wasn't perfect, but it was hers.
Annie closed her eyes and made her wish. Then she leaned forward and blew the candle out. The tiny flame disappeared and Mama smiled at her.
Her grandmother set the plate on the bedside table before standing. Then a mischievous smile appeared on her face and she folded her arms.
"I got a surprise downstairs."
"What kind?"
"If I tell you it ain't a surprise," Her grandmother laughed. "So get decent and take your time."
Mama Nette headed toward the door and disappeared down the hall.
The second the door closed Annie reached for the cinnamon roll. The icing was still warm and that first bite made her groan. No bakery had ever made one that tasted better.
She ate it quickly while trying to guess what the surprise could possibly be. When she finished, her curiosityy was eating her alive. She threw on her robe, slipped her feet into house shoes, and hurried out of her room. The smell of breakfast drifted up from downstairs.
Annie gripped the banister and quickly descended the stairs. She followed the faint sounds coming from the dining room.
The second she stepped through the doorway she stopped. Elijah was in the middle of the dining room holding a huge bouquet of flowers in one arm and a beautifully wrapped box in the other. He looked up at the exact moment she entered.
Annie let out the loudest squeal of excitement and before he could even react she was moving across the floor. He had to hold the flowers out so they wouldn't get crushed as she practically launched herself at him.
"Good morning to you too, Bunny."
She wrapped both arms around his neck and squeezed him tightly. So tightly he had to adjust the gifts in his hands.
"You're here! You weren't supposed to be here yet!"
"I know."
Annie hugged him even tighter. Her excitement was impossible to contain.
"I thought I wasn't seeing you until later."
Elijah finally shifted the flowers enough to wrap one arm around her waist. His hand settled against her back.
"There was no way I was lettin' your birthday start without seeing you."
Annie's smile grew. Her heart felt so full she thought she might float away.
Elijah looked at her. Despite how she looked with her robe, still rolled hair, and a just woke up face, he thought she looked absolutely beautiful. He pressed a gentle kiss against her cheek before lowering his mouth close to her ear.
"Happy birthday, Bunny." His voice was low, warm, and just for her.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome."
Annie loosened her grip around Elijah's neck and stepped back. She really took a look at the flowers in his hand. The giant bouquet was full of flowers in warm shades of cream, pink, and yellow.
"They're beautiful."
"Even more than you."
Annie sucked her teeth and lightly pushed his arm.
Elijah set the bouquet carefully in the center of the dining room table before placing the gift box directly in front of Annie. Her eyes dropped to it.
"Open it."
Annie looked up, "Right now?"
"You think I wrapped it up for tomorrow?" Elijah raised an eyebrow.
"Okay," she laughed.
Sliding into one of the dining room chairs, Annie carefully pulled the box closer. She untied the ribbon and lifted the lid. Inside there were two smaller boxes.
Elijah stood beside her chair with one hand resting against the back of it while the other settled on the edge of the table. He watched her with the kind of attention that made her feel like she was the only person in the room.
Annie reached for the smaller box and carefully opened it. Nestled against the soft velvet fabric was a beautiful pearl necklace. These weren't imitation pearls of costume jewelry, this was the real thing. The creamy white pearls glowed softly in the morning sunlight coming through the dining room windows.
Elijah watched Annie's face as she lifted the necklace up. The wonder in her eyes made the money spent well worth it.
She gently touched it with her fingertips then slowly looked up at him.
"You really bought this for me?"
"Bunny, who else would I buy it for?"
She shook her head in disbelief and looked back down at the necklace. It was far too beautiful and probably far too expensive. She placed the necklace back into the box before setting it down and reaching for the second one.
The second gift was a gorgeous pair of red heels. The color was rich and the leather was smooth. The heel wasn't too high, but it was just high enough.
She turned them around in her hands to admire every angle. They were exactly the kind of shoes she'd stop and admire in a store window but would never actually buy for herself.
Annie looked between the necklace and the shoes then back at him.
"You spent way too much money on me."
"It's your birthday and you're worth it," Elijah shrugged. "Do you like them?"
The warmth in her eyes answered before she could. Annie instantly nodded.
"I love them. Thank you," her voice came out way softer than she intended.
"You're welcome, Bunny."
He leaned down and his lips brushed against hers in a soft, sweet kiss. It made her smile before they even pulled away from each other.
When he did pull back, Annie frowned up at him.
"What?" he looked at her with slightly suspicious eyes.
"That's it? That's the only kiss I get on my birthday?"
His eyebrows rose up as he apologized, "I'm sorry. You want another one."
She nodded very seriously, "I do."
Elija leaned down again, but this kiss lasted a little longer than the last. The kiss still being very surface level, not wanting to go too far in the presence of her grandmother. It was more like a drawn out peck than anything.
When they pulled back for the second time, Annie smiled wide. Then, Elijah pulled out the chair beside Annie and sat down. Mama Nette came in from the kitchen carrying plates, the smell alone made Annie's stomach growl. That cinnamon roll had done little to help her hunger.
The plates were stacked with bacon, eggs, biscuits, grits, and fruit. It was more than enough food to feed three people. Elijah even helped to bring some of the plates into the dining room. Together they set everything on the table, then sat down.
For a while they simply ate with easy conversation flowing every now and then. Mama Nette would ask Elijah about work or Elijah asked Annie about the school. Mama Nette caught them up on the latest news she got from her older friends from all over the block.
After breakfast finally came to an end, Annie gathered up everyone's plates before either of them could stop her.
"Birthday girl ain't supposed to be cleaning," Elijah told her as she stacked dishes in her arms.
"And birthday girl don't want dishes sitting around all morning," Annie shot back.
Mama Nette waved her hand, "Let her do it. She hardheaded."
Annie rolled her eyes but couldn't stop grinning as she disappeared into the kitchen. A few minutes later she returned to the dining room with her hands freshly washed. The smile on her face faded away when she noticed Elijah standing up looking as if he was going to leave.
His jacket was in his hand and he looked suspiciously like a man preparing to leave.
"What you doing?"
Elijah looked over at her, "Going to work."
"What?" Annie stopped walking.
"I gotta go in for a little while."
Her face scrunched up and a pout appeared so quick, "But it's my birthday."
The words came out so dramatic that even Mama Nette rolled her eyes from her chair.
Elijah opened his mouth then immediately closed it because Annie's pout somehow got worse.
"Bunny."
"It's my birthday and you're leavin'." She walked across the room and grabbed his hand.
"I'm coming back. I'm only going in for a few hours. A car been givin' one of the boys trouble for some days now."
"So?" Annie let out a huff and narrowed her eyes.
"So I told him I'd help."
"But it's my birthday."
"You done said that four times," Elijah shook his head at how dramatic his woman could be.
He truly loved this woman. The longer they spent together the more she showed him parts of herself she kept hidden ffrom other people. Most people saw the sweet, patient, kind side of Annie. And she was still all of that, but he also got to see the stubborn, dramatic, and spoiled side of Annie. And he loved it.
"'Cause you keep ignorin' the important part of it being my birthday."
He stepped closer and gently squeezed her hand.
"I'll be back before your party."
"You promise?"
"I promise."
Annie looked unconvinced.
"Bunny."
She sighed dramatically, "Fine. But I'm still upset."
"I'll make it up to you."
"You better."
He leaned down and kissed her forehead, then her cheek, then finally her lips. The kisses were so gentle they made Annie forget what she was complaining about in the first place.
Finally, Annie walked him to the front door.
When they got outside, she grabbed his arm.
"You're really leaving me now?"
"Annette."
The use of her first name and not her nickname made Annie concede to him.
"This wasn't long enough."
"I'll see you later, baby. Calm down, okay?"
She sighed and let go of his arm. They stared at each other long enough for Annie to nod and step back.
Annie stood on the stoop and watched as he got in his car and drove away. Only then did she head back inside.
The moment she stepped into the living room Mama Nette looked up from her position on the couch.
"I'm bout sick of you and that man. Glad he had to leave for work or else y'all woulda been annoying me all damn day."
Annie frowned, "Mama, you always being mean to me. It's my birthday, leave us alone."
"Girl gone on."
Annie shook her head and headed upstairs. Once inside her room, she officially started getting ready for the day.
If she was being honest, she wasn't planning on sitting in the house until her party.
She opened her closet and looked through her dresses. After several minutes she finally settled on her favorite yellow one. The bright sunny color made her smile every time she wore it. The dress cinched perfectly at her waist before flaring out around her knees when she moved. The fitted bodice highlighted her lush curves beautifully, especially her chest, while the skirt gave her room to move comfortably.
It was feminine, bright, and fun. Which was exactly how she wanted to feel for the day.
She carefully did her hair, applied a little makeup, and added some perfume. Then stepped back from her mirror only to see that she was practically glowing.
Feeling pleased with herself, she headed downstairs to the phone. She wasn't spending the few hours she had before the party alone, especially after Elijah left her. So she called Monica first.
"Monica?"
"Hey birthday girl."
"Are you dressed?"
"Yes, but for what? The party's not till later."
"Not really thinkin' too mucha bout the party right now. I want to be out, so come get me."
"Fine, but you better be ready since you callin' tryin' to make all kinds of demands and things."
"I'm ready. You just come on."
After hanging up with Monica she called the rest of the group to inform them of her spontaneous plans for the day.
Since she had a little time before they arrived, she spent it putting on jewelry and fixing the tiny details.
Every few minutes she checked the clock, then the window, then the clock again. Eventually she heard a car horn outside and she nearly tripped herself by quickly stepping downstairs. She hurried out the front door to the familiar blue car that sat parked along the curb.
Monica was behind the wheel, Michelle sat in the passenger seat, and Lillian was in the back.
The second they spotted Annie coming down the walkway, all three women started hollering. Lillian even whistled out of the window.
Monica leaned halfway out the window.
"Oh you cute girl."
"Real cute," Michelle nodded approvingly.
Annie climbed into the car, and the second the door shut, Monica pulled away from the curb taking them to the direction of Annie's favorite dress shop.
They drove down to Pennsylvania Avenue. The city moving in streaks of color through the car windows as Monica navigated through traffic. The storefronts were getting more clustered and lively.
Eventually, Monica found a parking spot near a row of boutiques and eased the car to a stop. The dress shop was nestled between a salon and a small jewelry store. The windows of the shop were wide, displaying mannequins dressed in everything from elegant evening wear to casual day to day.
All four ladies got out at once, the sound of the car doors slamming blanding into the busy city noise around them. Annie smoothed her dress down as they walked up to the entrance.
The bell above the door chimed when they stepped inside. Cool air hit them, along with the faint smell of fabric, perfume, and polished wood floors.
Instantly, they all split up, taking different areas of the store to cover plenty of ground. Annie slowly wandered between racks of dresses, fingers brushing fabric as she passed. She was just lifting a pale blue dress off the rack when Monica’s voice cut through the aisle.
“So Annie, what you doing after the party?”
Annie’s eyebrows pulled together. “The party probably gone be going on late. I was just gonna go up to sleep after.”
Monica hummed like she didn’t believe her. She continued flipping through dresses without looking up.
“So you really don't have nothing planned,” she asked.
“No. Should I?” Annie frowned.
Monica finally glanced up for half a second, then went right back to the rack.
“I figured you and Elijah was gonna want some alone time.”
Annie blinked, “We saw each other this morning.”
“I’m already tired of talking in circles. You giving it up tonight?” Monica made a small sound, unimpressed.
Annie let out a breath that sounded half disbelief, half embarrassment. She turned away, grabbing another dress off the rack like she suddenly needed something to do with her hands.
“No, I'm still not doing any of that tonight,” she said finally.
Monica’s head tilted slightly. “And why not?”
"Because I don't want to," Annie's grip tightened on the hanger.
“But y'all have been together for a long while now,” Lillian slid in.
Annie shook her head quickly, “It ain't been that long. It's barely been a month since we made it official.”
“Y'all leave her alone. If she says she ain't ready, she ain't ready,” Michelle stepped in calmly.
Monica exhaled through her nose like she was holding back something more blunt. “I’m just saying, Annie been saying she not ready for years.”
“Some people waiting ain't a crime. I waited till I married Tommy,” Michelle cut her eyes at Monica.
“That’s different. You and Tommy been together since y'all were sixteen and got married a few years later. Annie over here almost thirty and still ain’t even rub one out go—”
“Monica,” Annie said sharply. She looked around, lowering her voice even more, “Can we stop talking about this?”
Monica held her gaze for a second, then nodded once, “Alright, I’ll let it go.”
Annie exhaled. “Thank you.”
“Mhm.”
The tension eased just slightly as they all went back to browsing, the moment settling into awkward quiet. Annie tried to focus on the dresses again, brushing through fabrics with slower hands now, her earlier excitement dulled by the conversation.
Across the aisle, Michelle’s voice suddenly lifted.
“Look at what I found.”
All three turned to look at her to see Michelle was holding up a dress from the rack, stepping back so they could see it better.
The dress was gorgeous. It was a rich deep red that caught the eye without being overly flashy. The sleeves stopped just above the elbows, while the skirt flowed outward in a soft swing shape that would move beautifully whenever she walked or danced. The hem hit a few inches above the knee.
But what really caught Annie's attention was the neckline. The curve dipped lower than anything she normally wore. It was just enough to highlight her chest and collarbone.
Michelle grinned at her, "What you think?"
"I think I know exactly what to wear with this," Annie reached out and touched the fabric.
A short while later the dress was purchased, neatly folded into a large shopping bag, and the four women were heading back toward Monica's car. Once everyone climbed inside, Monica started the engine.
Everyone had reached the point where shopping had turned into hunger.
They pulled away from the curb and headed down the street. They'd only been driving a few minutes when Annie spotted realized they were heading down the same street that her uncle's garage was on.
"Can we stop up here for a while?"
All the ladies followed her finger that was pointing up the street to Ray's garage. When they realized where and why she was pointing, Lillian groaned.
"You're gonna see that man in a few hours."
"And it's my birthday," Annie said.
Lillian shook her head, but eventually the women gave in. Mostly because they knew Annie would be insufferable otherwise.
Monica turned into the lot and parked near the front of the garage. Annie got out of the car and was instantly greeted with the sounds of tools clanking and men talking. The smell of oil and grease was prominent in the air. The large doors were wide open, and a few cars filled the different bays.
When she actually stepped inside and people spotted her they greeted her happily. A whistle from somewhere deeper in the garage sounded out as they all wished her happy birthday.
She kept going until she spotted Ray near one of the lifts.
"Uncle Ray!"
Ray looked up and the second he saw her his face lit up, "Well look at my birthday girl."
Annie smiled and walked over. Once she reached him, Ray wrapped her up in a tight hug.
"Happy birthday, Sweet Pea."
"Thank you, Uncle Ray."
When he pulled away he looked her over and his eyebrows rose.
"You look beautiful today."
"Thank you," Then she tilted her head. "You still coming tonight?"
"Of course I'm coming," Ray looked offended.
"I was just asking," she laughed
"I'm getting there right when it starts. I gotta make sure the shop gets closed up right. Clara should already be over at the house helping you grandmother and them set everything up."
Annie nodded as her eyes drifted around without meaning too. After several seconds Annie casually asked, "So...where's Elijah?"
Ray's face went stoic at the mention of his employee, "He in the back taking a break.
She tried to keep her face neutral, "Okay, I'll go talk to him for a little while. I'll see you later."
"Alright, Sweet Pea."
She turned and headed toward the back of the garage where the small break room was tucked away behind the amin work area. The further she walked, the quieter it became. She reached the doorway then carefully peeked inside.
Elijah was sitting at a small table against the wall, leaning back in his chair while eating a sandwich and drinking from a bottle of soda. His work shirt sleeves were rolled up to his forearms and there were faint grease stains across his shirt from the day. He looked tired from working since leaving her house earlier that morning.
He looked up to see her standing in the doorway. His entire face changed and his eyebrows shot up.
"Bunny?"
"Hi."
For a moment he just stared at her because he genuinely hadn't expected to see her until later that night. A slight slow smile spread across his face.
"Now what you doin' here?" He set his sandwich down and wiped his hands with a rag before holding one hand out toward her. "C'mere."
Annie didn't need to be told twice. She walked across the room and slipped her hand into his. His fingers immediately closed around hers.
"I thought you would be out having some birthday fun before your party."
"I am."
"Mm," He squeezed her hand. "Then why you down here botherin' hardworking people?"
Annie laughed.
"Me and the girls were just passing by. They're out there waitin' in the car."
Elijah's eyes slowly traveled over her, lingering on the way the dress perfectly cinched her waist before flowing over the curve of her hips. The skirt of it flared out around her knees, and his gaze found its way back to her face.
"You look absolutely gorgeous."
"Thank you."
Elijah kept holding her hand. Neither one seemed particularly interested in letting go. And for a few moments they simply looked at each other in a comfortable silence.
Then Annie glanced down to the chair, and more specifically Elijah's lap. Her eyes flicked back up to him then down again.
Elijah followed her gaze and quickly understood what she wanting.
Annie smoothed her hands over the front of her dress almost like she was prepapring herself to sit.
"Hold on. I don't want to ruin your pretty birthday dress."
Before she could argue, he leaned over and grabbed an old clean towel from the table beside him. He unfolded and spread it across his lap.
"Alright, come on."
Annie's smile brightened.
It was such a little thing, but it was exactly the kind of thing Elijah always did. He was always trying to take care of her even in situations where she didn't think it mattered.
She smoothed her dress one more time before easing down on his lap.
Elijah adjusted himself to make sure she was comfortable. His arm hovered behind her to keep her steady while trying not to touch her.
But Annie noticed and she didn't quite like it.
"You know you can touch me, right?"
"Can't. My hands too dirty."
Annie rolled her eyes and settled against him anyway.
"What were y'all doin' on this side of town anyway?" He finally asked.
"We were goin' shopping."
"Y'all always shoppin'. What you was lookin' for?"
"The dress for my party."
"You ain't wearing this one?" His eyebrows lifted.
"This ain't no party dress, Elijah."
"Could've fooled me."
"Well it ain't"
He hummed.
His eyes slowly moved over her for the third time. He was taking her all in, from the weight of her body in his lap to the way her chest rose and fell with each breath. Elijah slightly shifted his legs as he tried to think about anything other than what it would feel like to have her sit on him in other ways.
Annie felt herself getting warm from his stare.
"Stop looking at me like that."
He cleared his throat as he looked away.
"So what dress you get?"
"A pretty red one that I can wear with my new birthday gifts."
Annie reached over and unconciously straightened the collar of his work shirt.
Elijah watched her do it. His heart doing funny flips in his chest.
"I can't wait to see it."
Annie felt her cheeks warm as butterflies exploded in her stomach. After another few minutes she glanced toward the door.
"I should probably go. My friends are waitin' for me."
Elijah sighed.
"Elijah."
"Bunny."
Eventually she stood and he stood right after her. They walked back through the garage together with Elijah staying close behind her.
The closer they got to the front, her smile grew. When they reached Monica's car, Annie felt refreshed and happy. She was practically glowing.
Elijah opened the car door for her. Annie smiled up at him before climbing inside.
The other three women looked at him with smirks on their faces.
"Hey Elijah," they practically called at the same time.
"Afternoon ladies," He looked back at Annie. "I'll see you tonight."
She nodded.
Then Elijah leaned into the car, only planning to give her one quick kiss as a goodbye. heir lips met softly, but when he started pulling away, Annie grabbed his shirt. She leaned forward and kissed him again, holding it a little longer this time.
Elijah let out the tiniest chuckle against her lips before returning the kiss. Annie looked entirely too pleased with herself when they separated.
"See you tonight, Bunny," Elijah shook his head, then shut he door.
Monica cranked the engine and the second the car started moving she looked at Annie in the mirror, "Ain't ready yet my ass."
After leaving the garage, the four women went and got lunch. They spent nearly two hours sitting in a little restaurant laughing and talking. Once they were finished eating, they headed back to Annie's neighborhood for the party.
People were moving around everywhere when they pulled up in front of the house. Her uncle Marcus was carrying a table with Christian helping him. Marcus's girlfriend was arranging decorations on one of the tables. People moved in and out of the house carrying things.
Ever since she was a little girl every year was the same. Her birthday had always been some type of celebration. Sometimes it would only be family, sometimes, family and friends, and even a few times, like this year, the whole neighborhood would come together.
The second Annie climbed out of the car, she heard the calls from several people.
"The birthday girl finally decided to come help?"
Annie laughed as she moved to help someone with a box of things.
For the next couple of hours she worked right alongside everybody else, helping to put things together. She carried things back and forth until her feet started hurting. Eventually her grandmother sent her on to get ready for the night.
She spent time getting ready. She first ran herself a bath, the warm water helped soothe her aching feet after she had been running around all afternoon and morning. Afterward, she dried off and got dressed.
The red dress fit her perfectly. It hugged her waist before flaring outward. The color made her skin glow.
Once she finished getting dressed she proceeded to do her makeup lightly. Then she touched up her hair, making sure her curls fell just right. She put on her new pearl necklace and the matching earrings. Then she slipped into the newly gifted red heels.
She looked absolutely radiant.
The party had just started, so she could hear the sound of music drifted through her bedroom window.
As she headed down the stairs she found Mama Nette standing in the hallway waiting.
The older woman turned and looked her up and down. She put her hands on her hips and shook her head.
"Now look at you little Miss hot thing."
Annie chuckled and wrapped her arms around the older woman. Her grandmother hugged her back tightly. They pulled back and headed for the front door, where the music was louder.
When Annie stepped outside, the street exploded with dozens of cheers and voices screaming happy birthday. The entire street was packed from corner to corner with family, friends, neighbors, church members, and even people she didn't quite know that well.
Annie was just smiling at all of the praise. She waved, thanking everyone as she started down the stoop stairs.
And waiting at he bottom of the stairs was her man. His hand extended out to her, eyes locked on her. Annie bit her lip to hold back the even larger smile that was threatening to take over her face.
"Thank you, baby."
She placed her hand in his and he helped her down, making sure her heels didn't catch on anything. He held on even as her feet touched the sidewalk.
His eyes traveled over the pearls, the dress, the heels, then back to her face.
"Good Lord woman. You are the most beautiful woman I ever seen in my life."
Her face softened.
"You like it?"
"Woman don't you ever ask me nothing like that," he genuinely looked offended.
Before she could respond, Elijah leaned in and their lips met. When they pulled back from each other, Annie squeezed his hand.
"I gotta go speak to people."
He nodded so she started to walk away, but he followed.
Annie spent half an hour making her way through the crowd. Every few feet somebody stopped her to talk. When she was finished with one conversation, someone else wanted to start another.
The entire time Elijah stayed close by with one hand tucked into his pocket while the other occasionally rested against the small of her back whenever things got a little too crowded.
Annie introduced him to so many people she couldn't even keep track. Each introduction did something to Elijah. They made his chest puff up in pride. Even though his face didn't show it, his body language proved that he loved every part of it.
At one point they stopped by a group from church and the ladies were fussing over Annie's dress. Then they started fussing over Elijah and the two of them. They started talking about how they hadn't seen much of the two in the last few weeks. Elijah let Annie do most of the talking, not wanting to say the wrong thing to the older women. He never cared about what the peopl of the church said when it concerned him and Annie, but Annie always had the right words to settle anything that did come up.
Just like how she managed to smoothly change the topic when one of the women brough up marriage and children. The women had no boundaries. Eventually they escaped before the ladies could get any more ideas.
As they went back to wandering through the crowd, Annie spotted her grandmother sitting in a shaded area underneath a big tree. Several older men and women from the neighborhood sat around her in chairs.
Elijah followed her toward the table. As they approached the area, Mama Nette calmed her laughing and waved them closer.
"Good, y'all made y'all way over here. Come here Annie."
That tone made Annie instantly suspicious.
The older woman reached beside her chair and grabbed a cup. It was filled a little over halfway with a clear liquid. And by the way the smell hit her, Annie knew wha it was.
"Mama, I don't want that." Annie's face scrunched up.
"You better take this cup 'cause I ain't raise you to be no pussy cat."
Annie reluctantly accepted the cup and with the ligquid being so close the smell got even stronger. Her head jerked back as the scent practically smacked her in the face.
"It stinks."
The old folks laughed hard.
"Well, it ain't supposed to smell pretty. That's how you know it's that good shine," The older woman turned toward Elijah. "You make sure she drinks all that."
Elijah looked down at the cup then back at Annie. His eyebrows slowly lifted as he realized how strong it probably was. At that moment, he understood Annie's reaction.
Mama Nette lifted her own cup.
"You want some?" Mama Nette lifted her cup.
Elijah shook his head, "No ma'am."
"You sure?"
"Yes ma'am."
The entire table laughed at the look on his face. He looked like a man that wanted no parts of whatever she had given Annie.
Annie took the tiniest sip imaginable, and her entire face twisted up at the taste. She stuck her tongue out in disgust. She looked absolutely horrified.
"How y'all even drinking this mess?"
Mama Nette waved her hand.
"How 'bout you just keep on drinking."
Annie stared at her grandmother for a bit, then turned to Elijah. She grabbed his arm and pulled him away knowing that if they stayed any longer she would be two cups deep.
The party went on as the sun disappeared, leaving the street lit only by porch lights, strings of hanging bulbs, and the occasional headlights from cars parked along the curb.
Any children that were there had been rounded up and sent home. Now it was just the adults. People were dancing and laughing joyfully in the middle of the street.
At some point her friends had managed to corner her near the food tables during one of the moments where her and Elijah were separated. Their conversation quickly turned into a drinking competition. They forced her to finish the cup of mooshine, and then gave another cup of something else.
And now, hours later, Annie was definitely feeling it. Her body was warm and everything seemed funnier than normal. She felt absolutely wonderful.
Elijah noticed this change in her a while ago and hadn't left her side. One of his hands remained firmly planted against the middle of her back as they moved through the crowd. He wanted to make sure she was steady in those pretty new heels of hers.
Annie took a sip from another cup of liquor and Elijah looked over at her.
"Bunny."
She looked at him so innocently, "Hm?"
"You need to slow down."
"What for? I'm fine."
"I'm serious. That stuff's strong," Elijah didn't look too convinced.
"I promise that I'm alright."
But before he could say anything else, the song ended and rolled over into the next one. The crowd cheered as the singer started performing My Babe by Little Walter.
Annie's face lit up and before Elijah knew what was happening, she grabbed his hand and was pulling him toward the middle of the street.
"Bunny—"
"I wanna dance, Elijah."
The crowd parted enough to let them through. Annie stopped them right in the middle of the moving crowd. She wrapped her arms around Elijah's neck pulling him close to her.
The movement caught Elijah slightly off guard. He knew she'd had a good amount to drink but he didn't think she'd had enough to make her this loose. So instead of wrapping his arms around her, he hesitated. And of course Annie noticed.
Her eyes narrowed as she grabbed both of his hands and pulled back from him.
"You don't wanna dance with me?"
The confusion in her voice made Elijah's eyebrows rise.
"I ain't say that," He genuinely looked surprised. "I wanna do whatever you wanna do."
"Then why ain't you touchin' me?" She tilted her head. "You scared or somethin'?"
"Naw, I ain't scared," Elijah grumbled.
"Then what is it?"
"Tonight just a little different is all," Elijah glanced down at the cup in her hand then back up at her. "You been drinkin' a lot and you not actin' like yourself."
Annie stared at him for a second, then lifted her cup in the air for emphasis, "All 'cause of this?"
Elijah looked at her and nodded.
Without warning she tipped her head back and finished the rest. She made a face as the good bit of the liquid that was left burned on it's way down. She handed the now empty cup off to a random man that was walking past.
Annie turned back to Elijah with her arms out, "See, no more drink. I'm just fine."
Then she stepped forward and reached for his hands. She guided them to her waist, and pressed them firmly against her. She moved close until there was no space left between them. She smiled triumphantly at their position.
The singer's voice drifted through the air and the crowd moved around them. People were dancing smoothly to the music. But all Elijah saw was her. Happiness was written all over her face and stamped into her body.
He finally relaxed and wrapped his arms around her properly. One hand settled against the middle of her back and the other rested at her waist. A slight smile graced his face as they started to sway to the beat of the song.
The music rolled from one song to the next as they stayed in each other's embrace. And for a while Annie had been dancing and singing along normally to the songs. She laughed whenever Elijah spun her around, waved at people passing by, and stopped every now and then to hug somebody who wanted to tell her happy birthday. But as the night wore on, Elijah could see the moonshine catching up to her.
Her movements became slower, her words became fewer, and every time Elijah looked into her eyes they were glassier than before. She was more affectionate and clingy. Whenever they danced she seemed determined to stay as close to him as possible. Every time he tried to give her some space she'd somehow end up right back against him.
She would giggle at things that weren't particularly funny. Then she started staring at him for long stretches of time.
Elijah rubbed his hand up and down her back, "Bunny?"
"Hm?" she had the happiest little smile on her face.
"You wanna sit down for a while?"
Annie blinked at him clearly trying to process the question.
"What?"
"I asked if you wanna sit down for a little?"
She tilted her head, "...Maybe."
Before he could convince her to take a break, a familiar voice called out. Elijah turned to see Michelle, Tommy, and Lillian approaching them. Michelle had two small plastic cups in her hand.
"We about to take some shots. You want one?"
Annie nodded immediately. Her head going a little too enthusiastically, "Mmhm."
Elijah's eyes narrowed as he watched the exchange. The look on his face practically screamed 'hell no'. Before Annie could grab it, Elijah reached over took the cup himself.
"She don't need anymore."
Annie frowned.
"I can drink it."
"Bunny."
"I can."
Tommy shook his head as he watched Annie sway where she stood.
Annie reached around Elijah and managed to grab the cup from his hands. And to her surprise no one stopped her.
Elijah was still eyeing her, "I don't think you should drink anymore, tonight."
"I think I should."
The stubbornness in her voice sounded exactly like sober Annie. The difference was sober Annie usually stood upright while arguing. Drunk Annie was currently leaning halfway into him.
Elijah sighed.
Michelle handed another cup to Lillian and the women gathered together. All three of them lifted their cups. They cheersed as they clinked their cups together. Then they drank them. Annie squeezed her eyes shut at the taste.
Elijah rubbed a hand down his face. At least she hadn't gotten another full cup.
A few seconds later Tommy checked his watch, then wrapped an arm around Michelle's shoulders.
"We finna head out."
Michelle nodded.
Elijah looked over and nodded his head at Lillian, "How they getting home?"
"CJ driving her and Monica in Monica's car."
Elijah nodded, "Alright."
Everybody said their goodbyes and last happy birthdays. Then they headed toward their cars.
The party continued on around them. Someone had started another card game near one of the tables. A group of older women were singing loudly from their folding chairs.
But Annie was officially beyond drunk now. And that was emphasized by the way she was standing there staring directly at his face for no reason.
"Bunny, why you looking at me like that?"
"You just so pretty," Annie smiled dreamily. "You got real pretty eyes."
"See that's enough we sitting down," she didn't argue when he grabbed her hand which worried him just a bit because Annie always argued. Instead she just smiled and followed him willingly while he guided her toward the outer edges of the party.
Elijah led them back over to the large tree that her grandmother was sitting under. He helped her down into an empty chair next to the older woman.
The party was starting to thin out considerably. A few people were still dancing, sitting around, talking, and playing cards, but most of the people were gone for the night.
Annie practically melted into Elijah the second she sat down. Her head leaned against his side and one of her hands gripped tightly onto the fabric of his shirt. Elijah put an arm around her shoulders to steady her. Annie hummed happily.
Mama Nette watched the pair over the rim of her cup. She shook her head at how drunk the younger woman was.
"It'd probably be best if she head on upstairs," she stated after taking a sip from her cup.
Elijah looked down at Annie to see she was struggling to stay awake. Every few seconds she would blink slower and slower. Then she'd catch herself. He gently pushed some fallen hair back from her face.
"Bunny, I'm gonna take you upstairs so you can get in bed."
Annie stared at him.
"Okay."
The response came so easily Elijah knew she was exhausted. She let him help her up., and he steadied her when she wobbled on her feet.
She giggled at herself just then, "I almost fell."
"I see."
He put an arm around her waist and she clung to him instantly. He led her toward the house which was luckily only a few feet away.
Some people nearby called out variations of goodnight and happy birthday as they passed by. Annie waved and thanked them lazily as she gripped Elijah's shirt.
They traveled up the stoop stairs one at a time. Which was a challenge in itself. Once inside the house was far more quiet than outside, and for that Elijah was grateful. The trip upstairs took even longer than the one to get into the house. She stumbled every few steps and would grab his arms to stablize herself.
By the time they reached her bedroom she was yawning and dragging her feet. Elijah opened the door and led her inside. He helped her sit on the edge of the bed and steadied her shoulders as she swayed. Elijah crouched in front of her, keeping a hand on her thigh.
"Where your pajamas at?"
Annie pointed vaguely toward her dresser, "In there."
"Which drawer?"
"The middle one."
He opened it and was welcomed with the sight of several neatly folded nightgowns. He didn't linger too long and grabbed one. When he turned back around Annie was rubbing her eyes.
"Bunny, is it okay if I help you?"
She nodded, "Yes."
He crouched in front of her and carefully unbuckled her heels. He set them neatly beside the bed. Then he removed her pearl necklace and earrings, setting them onto her dresser so she wouldn't miss them.
Elijah stood awkwardly.
"Can I unzip your dress?"
Annie nodded, "You can, but close your eyes."
"Alright."
Annie seemed satisifed as he shut his eyes.
Using only touch, he carefully found the zipper and lowered it.
Annie concentrated very hard on helping herself get out of the dress. Which mostly consisted of getting tangled for a minute.
When they got her party dress off, he helped her get the nightgown over her head. The process took longer than it should have because Annie kept getting distracted.
"You can open 'em now."
Elijah opened his eyes.
Annie was sitting there in her nightgown looking entirely pleased with herself.
He shook his head.
Then helped her get onto the bed properly and underneath the covers. Within seconds, she looked halfway asleep. She let out a sigh as he pulled the blanket even farther up on her.
"Did you have fun today?"
"It was the best. Especially with you here."
Elijah sat beside the bed, "I'm glad."
"Thank you," she smiled sleepily.
"You ain't gotta thank me."
"I do."
Elijah chuckled, "Even drunk you so hardheaded. "
Annie smiled proudly.
A few seconds passed. Then she opened one eye.
"Baby?"
"Yeah?"
"Can I have a kiss?"
He leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss against her lips. When he pulled away she looked absolutely content. Within seconds her eyes drifted closed again.
"Goodnight, Bunny."
"Mhm."
It was barely a response because she was already asleep.
Elijah stood quietly, looked at her one last time, then slipped from the room.
October 31st, 1958
The group of children hurried down the sidewalk with their candy bags bouncing against their legs.
"Thank you, Miss Annie!"
"Happy Halloween, y'all! Be careful going down these streets!"
Annie waved at them until they were out of sight.
The whole neighborhood was alive tonight. Children ran up and down the sidewalks and jack-o'-lanterns glowed from stoops. Somewhere down the street somebody had a radio playing old blues music.
While outside was lively, inside was just as loud. Every few seconds Elijah and Annie heard laughter drift through the open window. It was one of Mama Nette's many card game nights, and everyone was ready to gamble their money. Annie could hear her grandmother cursing someone as the sounds of smacks hit the table.
Elijah sat beside her on the stoop with his elbows rested on his knees as he watched her. Which was something he had been doing all night. And every time Annie turned around she found him looking at her.
"What?"
"Nothin'."
"You keep starin' at me."
"'Cause you pretty," he shrugged.
"Boy," Annie rolled her eyes.
"I'm serious."
Heat crept onto her cheeks anyway. She turned away before he could see how much she liked hearing it.
The candy bowl sat in her lap and she absentmindedly sorted through it while they waited for the next group of trick-or-treaters.
After a few moments Elijah spoke again.
"You really good with kids, you know that?"
"I just really like 'em," Annie looked over and smiled at him.
"I can tell. That's probably what make you such a good teacher, huh?"
Annie looked down at the candy bowl for a moment to think, "Maybe."
"Why'd you wanna become a teacher anyway?"
"I don't know. I think I always liked helping people," she leaned back a bit while fiddling with the candy pieces. "When I was little I thought about being a nurse. But then I thought about all the blood I would have to see."
She immediately made a face while Elijah let out a soft smile.
"I can handle scraped knees and little cuts. But anything else I'd rather not. No, thank you," her eyes passed over the busy street. "Besides, everybody always told me I was good with kids. I guess teaching just made sense. I like watchin' 'em learn things."
"Yeah?"
She nodded, "When they finally understand somethin' they been struggling with, it makes me happy."
Elijah found himself smiling a bit more too. That sounded exactly like Annie. She always found joy in helping somebody else, wanting everyone around to be happy, and giving pieces of herself away. After a few moments he nodded.
"I get it," his eyes drifted to the street with a far away look in his eye. "I always felt like I needed to take of somebody. Growing up it was really just me and Stack. And Stack was always gettin' into somethin'. There wasn't nobody that was gone take care of us. My mama died after she had us and my pops wasn't worth a damn. He did a lotta messed up shit to us. More Stack than me. He drank too much, gambled, and was a mean son of a bitch."
Annie immediately grew quiet. She hadn't known any of this. She knew bits and pieces about Elijah's life, but there were still huge parts of his life that she'd never heard. Like the things that happened before he joined the military.
"He'd always tell us we wasn't men. Which was some funny thing to say to a couple of boys. There were times we ain't know where our next meal was coming from. We were doin' whatever we could to survive. And as we got older it got worse. That's part of why we joined the army. We thought if we learned how to survive nobody could ever make us feel helpless again."
Elijah looked at her. Like really looked at her. The streetlamp illuminated her face, her large round brown eyes glowed with softness. She had compassion and understanding all over her face. Nobody had ever looked at him the way Annie did. Most people were either scared or full of pity knowing their background. But she looked at him as just Elijah.
Then Annie quietly asked, "Did it work?"
Elijah stared at her. The question caught him slightly off guard.
He thought about the nightmares, the injuries, the men he'd lost, and the years he'd spent feeling empty. But the more he thought the more it led him to the present of sitting on this stoop, feeling more at peace than he had in years.
A slow smile appeared, "A little."
Annie smiled back. Then another group of children appeared. She passed out the candy and told the children how cute they looked.
Another group of trick-or-treaters came and went before the conversation picked back up.
Annie settled back into her spot on the stoop, pulling her cardigan a little tighter around herself against the cool October air.
Elijah glanced over at her.
"I know we mentioned it, but you really do want kids?"
"Of course I do."
"I don't know. Some women say they want kids then end up changin' they mind."
Annie shook her head, "No. I defintely want babies. I always thought about being somebody's mama someday."
"And only three?"
"Yes," She huffed dramatically. "My grandmother had six children. I don't think I got six babies in me. Carrying a baby is a lot on the body. Your feet swell, back aches, and you just uncomfortable all the time. Then you gotta push the little sucka out."
"Well, you know twins run in my family," Elijah said it so casually.
Annie slowly turned her head to him, "And what's that supposed to mean?"
"I'm just sayin'."
"Sayin' what?"
"What if you have twins," He continued. "What if we have kids and the first time you pop out two babies at once?"
Annie looked at the street like she was genuinely considering it.
"I guess I'd cry."
"Why?"
"Because that's just too much," Annie thought for a second. "But I think I would still want to have another, so maybe four."
"Good."
Annie furrowed her brows and tilted her head.
"You awfully invested in this 'what-if' family."
"'Cause it's my family."
One of Annie's eyebrows slowly lifted.
"And what makes you so sure I'm havin' kids with you?"
Elijah turned to look at her with the driest most unimpressed look on his face. It was so serious it made her laugh. He was looking at her as if she had just asked the dumbest question he'd ever heard.
"Stop playin' with me, Annette."
Annie let out a few more chuckles then leaned her head against his shoulder.
"Okay, okay. I'm sorry, baby."
He narrowed his eyes, "You should be."
She laughed again.
A comfortable silence settled between them. The sounds of Halloween filled the silence.
Annie looked out at the glowing jack-o'-lanterns across the street. Then softly said, "I guess we'll just have to wait and see."
Elijah looked down at her to see a small smile on her face. And despite himself, he smiled too, "Yeah, we will."
The next group of trick-or-treaters came up the walkway before either of them could say anything else. It was a little boy with his younger sister who was too shy to do anything other than hide behind his leg.
"Well look at y'all!"
The boy grinned up at Annie while holding out both of their bags. Annie crouched down and handed them each a handful of candy.
"Y'all be safe now."
The little ghost nodded seriously, "Yes ma'am!"
Annie nearly melted right there on the stoop.
The children hurried away, their parents calling after them from the sidewalk. Once they disappeared down the street, Annie sat back down beside Elijah.
The candy bowl was getting noticeably lighter and the night was growing colder too. Most of the younger kids had started to head home. Soon it would just be teenagers trying to squeeze out a few extra pieces of candy.
"Thanksgiving coming up. You got any plans?"
Elijah glanced over. He thought about it for a moment, then shrugged.
"Never really had a reason to. I usually work or stay home."
"On Thanksgiving?" Annie frowned. "You can't do that."
"Why not? Been doing it for years."
"Well not this year. 'Cause you got plans now."
"Oh I do?"
"Yes sir. I'm invitin' you over for Thanksgiving," she looked at him with such seriousness. "We usually go back home, but this year everybody's comin' here."
Elijah was quiet at the statement. He didn't know how to take it. He wasn't necessarily nervous to meet the rest of Annie's family, he just didn't know what to expect.
Annie noticed Elijah's silence, and even though she was used to the quiet from him there seemed to be something else in it. She instantly recgonized what it was.
"You'll be fine, baby. I promise. My family can be a bit opinionated and ask too many questions, but they're good people. And think about it this way, Mama likes you. So they got no choice but to respect that."
"Yeah, we'll see."
Elijah looked back out to the street while trying not to think about all the reasons why Annie's family wouldn't like him.
The Week of Thanksgiving, 1958
Annie had spent the entirety of Tuesday morning being passed between family members. The second she'd walked into Ray's house she'd been grabbed into three different hugs before she'd even gotten through the front door good.
Now she was tucked away in the den with all of her girl cousins.
The television was on low in the background, a baby blanket was spread over one couch, shopping bags in the corner, and half-finished cups of tea on side tables. The room smelled faintly like baby powder and perfume.
Annie sat curled into the corner of one of the larger couches with eight-month-old Olivia balanced happily in her lap.
Olivia tried to reach for Annie's necklace, but she gently caught the baby's hand. Olivia giggled at the face Annie made. The sound made everyone smile.
Rosette, Annie's youngest girl cousin and Olivia's mother, shook her head from her spot across the room, "All these babies love Annie so much, they forget they got a mama."
Olivia immediately proved the point by stretching both arms toward Annie's face and squealed.
Victoria, Annie's oldest girl cousin, looked over from where she was stretched across an armchair, "It's 'cause she spoil 'em."
"I do not," Annie gasped.
"You absolutely do."
Annie rolled her eyes.
Olivia had somehow managed to grab a fistful of her curls. Annie carefully untangled the tiny fingers.
"Y'all are mean."
"No. You just hate us being honest," Victoria smirked.
Annie stuck her tongue out.
Victoria looked at her and shook her head, "Twenty-six years old and still act eight."
Victoria had always been this way with Annie. Being almost five years older than her, Victoria spent most of their childhood watching out for her younger cousin. She always joked about how Annie was her first baby long before she even had jeremy.
Annie learned so many things because of Victoria. She learned how to braid hair, learned how to do her makeup, learned how to drive, and learned what she did know about boys because of her.
Most of the things Annie knew about being a grown woman had come from sitting at Victoria's feet growing up. Which was exactly why she always listened when Victoria spoke.
"Anyways, I heard some things about you, Annette," Rosette's voice was teasing. "Mama Nette told Mama that you seeing somebody. When exactly were you plannin' on tellin' us?"
Annie sighed so dramatically before saying, "I was waiting."
"Waiting for what?" Victoria spoke up.
Annie opened her mouth then immediately closed it because she didn't actually know.
The women laughed at her facial expression. Even Olivia started laughing despite having absolutely no idea what was happening. Annie kissed the baby's chubby cheek.
"So when we meeting him?" Rosette asked.
"Thursday," Annie absentmindedly bounced Olivia.
The room got quieter as every woman exchanged a look.
"On Thanksgiving?" Esther, her cousin William Jr's wife, asked.
Annie nodded.
"Sounds like it's getting pretty serious," Thelma, her cousin Johnathon's fiancée, said in agreement.
"I guess," Annie shrugged her shoudlers.
"What does 'I guess' mean?" Victoria stared at her.
Annie sighed.
For the next twenty minutes she found herself answering question after question. Like how old was he, what did he do, was. henice, and was he handsome. The women were like sharks who smelled spilled blood.
Eventually Esther tilted her head, ready to ask the question that nobody else seemed to want to ask, "So, have you lost your virginity yet?"
It was quiet except for the sounds of Annie choking. The quietness lingered until Annie finally mumbled, "No."
Victoria spoke in a soft voice, "That's perfectly fine. You do that when you ready, ain't no rush."
Annie relaxed slightly as she stared down at Olivia, "I think...I think I want to."
That surprised even her. The words had come out before she'd really thought about them.
Annie rubbed Olivia's tiny back.
"I don't know," she laughed nervously. "It's weird."
"How?" Rosette asked gently.
"It's like…" Annie searched for the words. "I feel a way I never felt before. I'm comfortable now, but I still don't know how ready I am."
Rosette smiled.
"Then don't worry about it. When we meet him we'll let you know," Rosette smiled. "We'll figure him out."
Olivia yawned against Annie's chest. She smiled and kissed her forehead.
The rest of the afernoon went on with them all talking and laughing like they normally do when they all got together. Every now and then, one of the children would run into the room to ask a question or because they needed something.
After hours of family time, Annie felt worn out and ready to head home. They all said their brief goodbyes and headed their separate ways.
When Annie got back home, the noise of family didn't settle. In fact it only stayed with her.
Her Aunt Clarisse, Rosette, Olivia, and Rosette's husband Lance, were staying at her home. Though it wasn't that many extra people, Annie and Mama Nette were used to it being just the two of them. Now, the house was filled with constant noise of footsteps and a baby.
Annie stood in the foyer for a second as everyone moved around her. It was then that she decided that she didn't want to be there.
She headed up the stairs to her room. It seemed to be the only place that hadn't been overtaken by family. The silence that followed with the door closing made Annie sigh. She loved her family, but she needed a little break.
Annie walked over to her dresser and started pulling things out like a nightgown, three dresses, her hair scarf, a toothbrush, and a few other things. It was just enough for the night, and maybe another. She shoved it all into a small bag.
She went back downstairs, trying to speed past her nosey family members. But it was just her luck that she ran right into her grandmother. The older woman got one good look at the bag and made a humming sound.
"You not gone be late are you?"
"No ma'am. I promise," Annie kissed her grandmother's cheek.
She gripped her bag tight and headed out the door before anyone else could stop her.
By the time she pulled up to Elijah's apartment building, the sun was starting to set. She headed to the door and knocked only twice. A few seconds later the door opened, and Elijah stood there looking genuinely confused.
"Bunny? What you doing here?"
Annie held up the bag.
"It's too many people at my house and I figured you wouldn't mind me stayin' for a while."
Annie stepped inside as soon as he moved aside.
"No I don't," he said as he shut the door behind her.
Elijah took the bag from her shoulder and carried to the bedroom.
Annie felt herself relax at how quiet the apartment was.
When he came back, she was stretched across his couch with her shoes kicked off and head rested against the cushion. He sat beside her with one arm stretched across the back of the couch. She sat up and scooted as close as possible.
"How's your family doing Bunny? I'm sure you missed them."
Annie started telling him everything about her family. All the old things and the new ones. Like how big the children have gotten, or the new jobs and houses her cousins have, or how her Aunt Clarisse's shop is doing back home.
Every few minutes Elijah would hum, nod, or ask a question, but mostly he listened. Which was one of Annie's favorite things about him. He always listened, and hours later he could repeat the entire conversation back to her.
Eventually Annie's voice softened, and the nonstop faded away. The exhaustion of the day finally caught up to her. He wrapped an arm around her, thumb gently rubbing her arm.
The rest of the evening passed with the television taking place of their conversation. The apartment had beco e warm and quiet as the hours passed by.
Eventually Annie glanced toward the clock, and realized how late it had gotten.
"It's so late. I need to get ready for bed," Annie stood and smoothed down her skirt. "I'll be right back."
Elijah nodded, "Okay."
She grabbed her bag and disappeared into the bathroom.
The second the door shut she leaned against it and sighed. Her nerves were slowly starting to catch up with her. This was just Elijah. Yet somehow she still felt shy.
Annie took her shower and the warm water helped to ease her mind. After her shower she went through the rest of her routine, brushing her teeth, wrapping her hair, putting on lotion, then changing into her nightgown.
When she left the bathroom, Elijah was standing near the bedroom door digging through his dresser. He looked up when he heard the door open.
His eyes traveled over her for only a second before settling back on her face. Annie looked away as he stared at her. The floor suddenly seemed very interesting.
"You're gorgeous, you know that?"
The compliment sent heat rushing to her cheeks.
"Thank you," her voice came out much smaller than intended.
Elijah crossed the room, reaching her in a few strides. His hands settled against her waist and he shook his head.
"You ain't gotta thank me for tellin' the truth."
The blush on her face only deepened.
"I'm gonna get cleaned up," he kissed her forehead then stepped away.
"O-Okay," Annie nodded.
He disappeared into the bathroom. And a few moments later she heard the shower start.
Annie wandered her way back out to the couch. There was a certain feeling in the apartment now, and she didn't know what to make of it. Her head was spinning with so many things, so when the phone rang, she jumped.
Her eyebrows furrowed trying to place who would be calling Elijah this late. The ringing continued as she glanced toward the bathroom. Finally, she walked over and picked it up.
"Hello?"
There was a brief pause.
"Annie."
Annie blinked, completely taken aback, "Mama?"
Annette Richard's voice came through clear as day.
"Who else gon' be callin' this man's house this time of night?"
"What you doin' callin' over here?"
"I forgot to remind you not to forget about the pies. And you better off makin' 'em over there since the kitchen gon' be packed the next few days. I think two of each should be good enough."
"Yes ma'am."
The bathroom door opened behind her. Annie looked up and immediately forgot whatever her grandmother had been talking about. Every thought in her head completely disappeared.
Elijah had stepped out while brushing his teeth. He had on a pair of dark pajama pants that hung low on his hips, and no shirt, just bare skin.
Despite noticing her staring, Elijah said nothing. Instead he nodded his head toward the phone in question.
"Who that?"
Annie said nothing, just stared.
Elijah frowned, "Bunny?"
Still nothing.
Her grandmother's voice came through the receiver.
"Annette?"
Annie snapped back to reality.
"Huh?"
"You heard me?"
"Yes ma'am."
She absolutely had not been listening.
"You be careful. And come back the same way you left. Understand me?"
"Mama!"
"I love you. Goodnight."
Then the line went dead.
Elijah still stood by the bathroom doorway waiting on an answer.
"Who was on the phone?"
Annie's eyes darted everywhere except toward him.
"Stop lookin' at me," the words came out much harsher than she really wanted them to. t
Elijah's eyebrows shot up in slight shock, "Sorry."
The apology was so quick that Annie instantly felt bad. She rubbed her forehead.
"No, it ain't you, baby," she rubbed her forehead. "It was just my grandmother on the phone. SHe was reminding me about making the pies for Thanksgiving."
Elijah nodded slowly. He was still trying to figure out what had her acting so strange all of a sudden.
Annie looked away again. Her heart was beating entirely too fast. The image of Elijah right in fornt of her was doing nothing good to her mind. She chose to fold her arms.
"I'm just tired, that's all," she took a pause. "I think I'm ready for bed."
Elijah studied her for a long moment. It was long enough that Annie started feeling nervous.
"I don't want you uncomfortable, so you can have the bedroom and I'll just sleep on the couch."
Annie's shoulders relaxed. She was a mix of relieved and guilty.
"You don't gotta do that."
"I don't mind. I want you comfortable."
Annie looked down at her bare feet, focusing on the way the soft cotton of her nightgown brushed against her calves.
"Okay, thank you," she nodded once.
"You're welcome," Elijah simply dipped his head.
Annie faced toward the bedroom ready to escape. She needed space to feel all these feelings she had. She only made it a few steps when fingers lightly wrapped around her arm. She turned around only to find herself standing much closer to Elijah than she had been previously.
A tiny sound escaped her as her eyes widened.
"You was just gonna go to bed? You ain't forgettin' somethin'?" Elijah looked amused.
She swallowed hard.
The man was so close she could smell the soap he used. She could feel the warmth coming off him. Her thoughts were becoming less and less useful by the second.
"I—"
Elijah patiently waited with one eyebrow raised.
Annie finally managed a weak, "Goodnight, Elijah."
A 'tsk' sound quickly left out of his mouth, "Bunny. That ain't a real goodnight."
Her face heated up all over again.
He looked at her like she was the most precious thing in the world. As if she was something worth being careful with. And in his eyes she always would be.
Before she could say anything, Elijah's hand slowly came up. His fingers found her chin with a gentle touch as he tilted her face up so she couldn't look at anything but him.
Annie's breath caught in her throat.
He leaned down. His lips met hers softly at first, testing to see how far he could go. The kiss was warm and slow, lips barely pressing. When he realized that she wasn't pulling away, Elijah pressed in deeper. His tongue reached out in question.
Annie hesitated for a split second. Her heart was beating so loud so could've sworn he could hear it. Once she pulled herself together, her lips parted just enough for. his tongue to slid in against hers.
The kiss quickened after that. What had started as something gentle and soft had turned into something that could be named as hunger. Their mouths moved together in a way that made her knees weak.
Elijah's hands went to her waist, then slid slightly lower to the thickness of her hips and pulled her flush against him. She could feel his body heat through the thin fabric of her nightgown.
Annie accidentally moaned into his mouth. The sound was swallowed up by the way he kissed her so completely. Her hands came up to grip the back of his head and pulled him closer. She was desperate to taste more of him, and to feel him.
Elijah grunted in answer. His grip tghtening on her body before his hands roamed her softness like her was trying to memorize every dip and curve.
Eventually he pulled back just enough to break the kiss. His forehead rested against hers for a moment. Then he tilted his head and pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek, then another just beneath her jaw, then another against the side of her neck.
Annie couldn't help the shiver that ran through her body at the feeling.
Elijah's voice came out rough when he finally spoke against her throat, "I love you, Annie."
Her eyes went wide. This wasn't exactly shocking. She'd known this for a while. The way he looked at her, the way he touched her, they way he talked to her. The way he professed himself in front of the schoolhouse. Annie just knew. But still, hearing the words out loud was different. Her chest tightened and her fingers twitched against his scalp.
He gave her one more soft and sweet peck on the lips, then stepped back to give her air.
"Goodnight, Annie," his voice came out low and rough.
Before she could think to say it back, he pressed a brief kiss to her forehead then stepped away.
Annie stood there trying to collect herself.
"Get some sleep," Elijah nodded toward the bedroom. "Get some sleep."
"O-Okay," she nodded.
Annie turned and hurried into the bedroom before she embarrassed herself any further. The door clicked shut behind her, leaving an overwhelming silence.
She climbed beneath the blankets and pulled them all the way up to her chin. Then stared at the ceiling, willing for her eyes to close. Five minutes passed. Then ten. Then twenty. Yet sleep never came. She rolled onto one side, the other, and then onto her back again.
The room wasn't unfamiliar. She'd spent plenty of time in Elijah's apartment. But tonight everything was different.
Maybe because this was the first time she was spending the night. Maybe because Thanksgiving was so soon and her entire family was waiting to meet him. Or maybe it was the way he felt, shirtless pressed against—
Annie buried her face in a pillow, wishing for the thoughts of had happened only moments before fogged up her head.
Because for all her years of saying she wasn't ready, and the confusion, and worrying, and overthinking, she was beginning to realize that she was very very much in love with Elijah Moore.
Annie woke up a tad bit earlier than she normally did. And for a moment she forgot where she was. She stared up at the the unfamiliar ceiling until it all came back to her. She was in Elijah's apartment.
The fact that she had barely slept because her mind would not stop replaying everything from the night before. And thinking about it made her stomach flutter.
After another minute of hiding beneath the covers, she forced herself out of bed. The apartment was quiet as she padded into the bathroom and got ready for the day.
When she finished, she had on one of the dresses she brought and took down her hair. It was a bit chilly, but she didn't mind it.
She moved to the kitchen and immediately go to work. After digging through Elijah's cabinets and refrigerator, she managed to piece something together for breakfast.
Annie hummed under her breath while she worked. She was standing over the stove when she heard heavy footsteps and a yawn behind her.
"Mornin'," his voice was rough with sleep.
Before she could turn around, strong arms wrapped around her waist. A smile spread across her face as Elijah buried his face against the side of her head. His chest was warm against her back. And for every reason, Annie found it all so very distracting.
"Good mornin'," Annie bit her lip.
She turned her head slightly, looking at him over her shoulder clearly waiting.
"You waitin' on somethin'?" A smirk tugged at his mouth.
Annie just quickly lifted her eyebrows up.
He chuckled then leaned down and gave her a good, somewhat quick, peck on the lips. It wasn't quite enough to satisfy her, but it would do for the time being. Especially since Elijah hadn't gotten ready for the day yet.
"What got you up this early?"
Annie turned back toward the stove.
"I don't quite know," Annie turned back to the stove. "I do have to make the pies today."
"Sounds like a lot of work."
"Not really," Annie shrugged.
As she spoke she glanced over her shoulder at him. Her eyes landed on his hair and her brows furrowed. Annie tilted her head.
"When the last time you got your hair done?"
"What's wrong with it?" His hand immediately went to his head.
"Ain't nothin' wrong with it," she laughed.
"You makin' it sound like it is."
"It just needs a little attention is all," Annie smiled at him sweetly. "Maybe you'll let me practice on you. I think it'll look nice."
"I guess I'll let you long as you don't have me out here lookin' crazy."
They talked more while breakfast finished cooking. A few minutes later they were sitting across from each other at the small kitchen table.
Morning sunlight filtered through the windows. The apartment felt cozy and comfortable like they'd been doing this for years.
"We need to do more for that bedroom. It's sad in there."
"Well, it's enough for me," Elijah looked up from his food.
"It ain't for me," Annie pointed her fork at him. "It's only a bed, a dresser, and one picture. That ain't enough. It should feel like more. Don't you like what I did in the living room?"
"I do Bunny."
"So let me do I wat I do. I'll get some nice curtains, a rug, maybe even a chair. It'll look so good when I'm finished."
Elijah shook his head before spooning more food into his mouth, "You can do whatever you want."
A dangerous smile slowly spread across her face.
Breakfast went on with the conversation going from decorations to church to school to Christmas. They had an easy rhythm going that never let up.
When hey finished, Annie stood up ready to get the day going. She had a productive day ahead of her and needed to get an early start.
Elijah disappeared to get dressed while Annie cleaned up the kitchen. It didn't take him long. A few minutes later he reappeared dressed for the day. They gathered their things and headed downstairs.
The morning air was cool. It made Annie tuck her hands into her dress pockets while she waited for Elijah to unlock the car.
Once he got it, he opened the passenger door for her and she got in the car with a smile. He shut the door behind her and headed to the driver's side. The engine was started and the radio played softly.
He drove them to the grocery store, so Annie would be able to pick up the things that she needed. The store was already a bit busy by the time they arrived. The parking lot was half full when Elijah pulled in.
Annie looked around and sighed, "All this last minute shoppin' people doin'."
"And you one of 'em," Elijah grabbed a cart from the front of the store.
"Well, I have a reason."
"Bunny, you coulda brought what you needed over," he pushed the cart toward her.
"Oh, you just shut up."
Elijah simply chuckled at his woman.
The second they stepped inside, Annie moved with a purpose leading them around. The first stop was produce, then dairy, then baking supplies. They eventually had to go back to the produce area because Annie forgot something. The entire trip consisted of Annie bouncing from one aisle to the next while Elijah pushed the growing cart behind her.
Annie not only got the supplies for the pies, she also got some simple things just to have in Elijah's kitchen. She had ingredients for soups, sandwiches, and breakfast items. It was all things she knew were simple enough for him to make.
Eventually they found themselves in the beauty aisle. Annie examined every bottle and jar, deciding to just stick with her tried and true Murray's pomade and Madam C.J. Walker's vegetable shampoo. She also grabbed a comb and some clips.
The trip ended up taking nearly forty-five minutes. By the time they reached the checkout line, the cart was completely full.
Annie reached into her purse for her money as the cashier began totaling everything up on the register. Elijah saw that and became instantly annoyed.
"Bunny."
She ignored him and started to count the bills she pulled out.
Elijah's hand seemed to appear out of nowhere, taking the money out of her hand.
"Give me my money, Elijah."
"No," Elijah pulled his hand away as Annie tried to reach for it. "Bunny, you know you ain't paying for nothin' while I'm standin' right here."
Annie crossed her arms, a slight pout on her face.
Elijah handed her back her money and pulled out his wallet, "Put that damn money away, woman."
The deep warning in his voice left Annie no room to argue. She just sighed dramatically and did as told.
Elijah paid for the items and loaded the bags back into the cart. They headed to the car, put everything in, and headed back to Elijah's.
When they got back to his place, they both carried everything upstairs. The kitchen counters quickly filled with groceries. Annie immediately got to work with organizing it all. She left the pie ingredients and hair care on the counter, but put everything else away in its proper spots.
After everything was properly put away, Annie gathered up the hair products and turned to face Elijah. She had a little smirk on her face.
"Can you go get me a towel please?"
Elijah narrowed his eyes but did as he was told. A few seconds later he came back holding a clean towel over his shoulder.
"Thank you. Now take your shirt off so it doesn't get wet," one of his eyebrows lifted.
The look she gave him afterward made a grin slowly spread across his face.
"Elijah…" Annie immediately rolled her eyes.
"I ain't say nothin'."
Still smiling, Elijah grabbed the hem of his shirt and pulled it over his head.
The years of army life and physical labor had done his body good. Even despite the scars that she could see. He was solid with broad shoulders and strong arms. And, sure, he didn't necessarily have to take his shirt off for her to wash his hair, but it seemed after the view last night Annie wanted more.
"Come here," Annie quickly reached for the towel.
She ignored his growing grin, wrapping the towel around his bare shoulders and pushed him toward he sink. The kitchen quickly filled with the sound of running water.
"Bend down for me."
"Yes ma'am," The teasing in his voice made her shake her head.
Elijah bent over the sink while Annie carefully wet his hair. Her fingers moved through the thick curls, making sure every section was soaked.
Annie glanced down when she noticed that Elijah's eyes were closed, "You alright?"
"Yeah, this just feels good."
A smile tugged at her lips. She poured shampoo into her hand and began working it through his hair. Her fingers scratched lightly against his scalp.
Elijah let out a low hum.
Annie continued scrubbing and eventually it was time to rinse the soap away. She wrapped the towel around his head and gently rubbed away the excess water.
"Alright, go sit in. the living room."
"Yes ma'am."
He stood and walked away.
A few minutes later Annie entered the living room carrying the comb, pomade, and clips. He had urned the television on and it was playing with the volume lowered.
Elijah sat on the floor in front of the couch.
Annie settled behind him and pulled him back until he was fit comfortably between her legs. She began combing through his damp hair. The process would take some time and patience because it looked like Elijah did't care to take good care of his hair for awhile.
Annie carefully parted the first section, using a little pomade to help. Then she began braiding. She went slow and steady to get used to it. The first braid came out slightly crooked and thick. It made her frown.
She got back to work and the next braid came out a bit straighter. Her hands were starting to find a rhythm and all the braids were getting better as time went on.
The repetitive motions were gradually lulling Elijah to sleep. Every few minutes his head would dip forward and Annie would gently catch it. Eventually he keptdoing it, so she guided it sideways until it rested against her thigh.
While Annie continued braiding, every so often Elijah absentmindly rubbed her calf where it rested beside him. He even pressed a quick kiss to her leg.
The afternoon slipped by. And before either of them knew it, all eight braids were finished.
Annie sat back to inspect her work.
They weren't perfect by far. A few parts weren't exactly straight. One braid was slightly thicker than the rest. Still she thinks she's proud.
Still, she felt proud.
She leaned forward and pressed a kiss to the side of his head. The movement startled him awake.
"You're done baby," she smiled.
Elijah blinked several times before slowly standing. He stretched his arms over his head and headed toward the bathroom.
Annie followed behind him nervously.
He stood in front of the mirror examining the braids from every angle. Turning his head left to right.
"What do you think?" Annie folded her arms.
He kept looking. And the longer he stayed silent, the more worried she became.
"It's not good? I can take i down," she sighed.
Elijah looked at her through the mirror. A light smile hit her face.
"Bunny, you did good."
"Really? You ain't just saying that?"
"No I mean it."
He turned his head again and a laugh escaped him this time.
"You know what?" he stared at himself in the mirror. "I really do look like my brother now."
"Not like it's a bad thing, y'all are twins," Annie giggled.
"Naw, it ain't."
He reached for her hand and pulled her closer.
The reflection looking back at them made something warm settle in his chest. Elijah squeezed her hand then lifted it to kiss it.
"I just might have to keep you around, Ms. Richard," he said quietly.
Annie rolled her eyes despite the smile on her face.
"I got work to do," she told him softly.
He leaned down and stole one more quick kiss, "Go on then."
Annie laughed and lightly pushed at his chest. Then turned and headed to the kitchen while Elijah remained standing there watching her go. And truth be told, he liked seeing her take over his space. Whenever she was over, the place always felt less empty.
He leaned against the doorway while Annie got to work. The ingredients covered the counters. She had subtly started to rearragne the kitchen to her liking. She was moving around the area like it was hers alone.
She went from pulling bowls down, to peeling sweet potatoes, to mixing different ingredients together. Elijah stood beside the counter watching her work.
"You need somethin'?" Annie asked without looking up as she rolled out the pie crust.
He watched her hands work and concentration settled across her face. She started to hum as she poured ingredients into the bowl. The apartment was starting to smell better with every minute that went by.
At one point Elijah wandered back into the living room and turned on the television. But ten minutes later he was back in the kitchen.
"Why you come back in here botherin' me?" Annie looked over at him.
"It smell good in here."
"Don't be gettin' in my way, Elijah," she rolled her eyes.
Time went by and the sun had started to set. The apartment was growing darker so Annie switched on the kitchen and continued working.
Annie poured up the pie fillings for all six pies then put three of them into the oven.
It took a few hours, but eventually the pies were finished. She carefully placed all six pies on the counter and stepped back looking on in satisfaction.
Suddenly, a yawn escaped her. The long day was catching up to her and she was noticeably tired now.
Luckily, she had cleaned while she worked so there was nothing she needed to do. She made her way to the bedroom to get ready for bed. She brushed her teeth while Elijah checked the locks on the door.
When she finished, she met back up with him in the small little hallway that led to the bedroom. Elijah leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss against her forehead.
"Goodnight, Bunny."
"Goodnight, Elijah," Annie smiled softly.
"Sleep good tonight," He brushed his knuckles against her cheek.
"You too."
end notes: ugh i feel like this is nothing but filler, but you know what we're moving along. this chapter is actually two parts. second part coming tomorrow and i mean that fr!
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summary: all his life, smoke had heard that two is company but three is a crowd; and never had it made as much sense as it did now.
cw: smut, toxic smoke x annie, failed threesome, messyy, just read it :3
a/n: hiiii! i took a mini trip to see family, but i’m back noww. this was a request and inspired by this post by @librababe7. i kinda deviated from the idea and had this be a first time event for smoke and his girlfriend
masterlist
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This was his girl’s idea—and a stupid one at that.
Smoke could handle his own shit. He ain’t need no help pleasing his woman, and every girl he’d ever been with had nothing but good memories to look back on. But for some reason, his girlfriend just had come up with the bright idea to invite someone else into their bed. She just had to make a new friend that she was obsessed with enough to invite over.
This was her idea. Not his. And the way that he saw it, his girl couldn’t get upset with the way that things had turned out because he warned her about how ridiculous this all was.
~~~~~
When she first came home—talking about this Annie woman with blush coating her cheeks—he didn’t understand the appeal. So what she supposedly had a silky, smooth voice? So what she was the most beautiful woman his girl had ever seen? Beauty is relative, and Smoke couldn’t imagine a woman perfect enough to go there with. But if his girl wanted to give it a try, he’d be willing to do so, too.
They had it all planned out: this would mostly be about his girl getting what she wanted. Smoke was supportive. Smoke was thoughtful, and if she wanted to explore something new, he’d do it with her.
But how could anyone blame him when he finally set his eyes on this Annie woman? This Annie woman who is beautiful with a silky, smooth voice to match?
Smoke was knee deep in her before he realized what he was doing. Annie was laid out on her back in his bed, arching against the mattress with his head between her thighs. All he could hear, smell, taste, see, and feel was her. Her nails were scratching at the back of his neck as she encouraged him to keep going. She kept saying it was good, that he was so good. He had to keep going. Had to keep devouring her until she was shaking against his face.
Smoke dragged Annie to the edge of her pleasure, lips tight around her clit, and before she could cum, he pulled out. A whine leaving her lips, he shut her up quickly by settling his length between her parted thighs. He effectively hushed her cries, and her moans sounded louder than they had all night.
“Fuck,” he cursed beneath his breath. “You tight as shit, baby.” He wiped his face with the back of his hand, soon taking up both of her legs and throwing them over his shoulders.
“Oh, shit,” Annie laughed throatily, hardly finding the chance to breath between Smoke pummeling her and kissing down the length of her neck. He was too good at everything he was doing. So damn good for her.
She’d completely forgotten why she was here and who had brought her here. She’d forgotten this was supposed to involve someone else, too. But how could you blame her? Her new friend ain’t tell her that her man had it like this. She ain’t say he was this sexy. She ain’t say that he would have her dickmatized in mere minutes.
When she was asked to join them, Annie had incorrectly assumed that Smoke couldn’t be any good in bed if her friend wanted another person to join, but she was pleasantly astonished by his capabilities. Where she thought he’d be inept, the man was anything but. He could handle her with ease: picking her up, throwing her around, fucking her through the mattress—and his girl, too (when either of them could remember she was there).
Fully consumed by the moment, Smoke had Annie hanging off the side of the bed. Her head hung low as one of her hands touched the floor, trying her best to keep her upright.
"Arch that fuckin' back, baby," he groaned, eyes on the recoil of her ass.
"I'm tryin'," she shouted back, fighting the urge to crumble. Fuck did it feel good. It felt like he was fucking her raw—and he wasn't. It felt like he knew all the right spots and angles to hit. And when she would clench in a real specific way, Smoke felt like she knew what he needed, too. He dragged out and back in, forced her hips to meet his in the middle, and when she pulsed and fluttered and clenched just one last time, they came together with ease.
With her eyes closed, Annie felt him collapse against her back. His breath was hot against her neck, and the weight of him brought her relief.
"You comfortable up there," she laughed in question, sighing when he groaned in her left ear and squeezed at her side. She'd never felt this light after sex, and even though he'd put her through a lot, she felt better than she had all day. She couldn't believe her luck, couldn't believe that saying yes to a simple, yet loaded, ask would result in her body fluttering all over while her eyes sank back into her sockets.
But it felt like she was forgetting something.
She thought back to when Smoke had fell on top of her.
And when she had allowed her body to topple over the edge of the bed.
And when she was moaning his name and he hers.
And when he was eating her out with frenzied purpose.
And when he had ripped her clothes from her body.
And when she had walked into the bedroom.
And when the front door had opened and her friend was on the other side.
Annie’s eyes sprang open quickly, and with Smoke still laid out on top of her, she saw her friend standing in the door frame of the bedroom. Her shoulder was leaned into the wood. Her right foot crossed over her left while her arms folded against her chest in a strong hold. Robe covering her naked body, the woman looked like she could breathe fire and curse someone’s bloodline in the same second, and Annie didn’t exactly blame her. This wasn’t supposed to go like this, but she and the man had gotten far too carried away with each other.
“Y’all done yet,” the woman spoke up, not even truly ready for the answer the tangled pair would utter.
Above Annie, Smoke groaned in realization, cursing to himself. He’d fucked up, and he wasn’t sure how he was going to come back from this; And he wasn’t sure if he wanted to either. Head lifting from where he’d rested it against Annie’s back, he avoided the other woman across the room.
He stood upright and removed the used condom.
He huffed a breath as he moved to find something for Annie to cover herself with.
He cleared his throat as if ready to speak.
But once he met the eye of the woman across the room, all words died in his throat.
Frennnnnn please can I request a part 2 to this lol it’s so good and messy !! Smoke & Annie not even waiting for ole girl I’m in tears Ik she big mad af !! Will they continue their affair ! Will Annie feel bad and try to keep her distance from the friends or 2 me please
The girl dumped Annie as a friend after this right ? lol even tho I feel like she wrong for bringing another person in her relationship especially if she know how smoke coming what did she expect ? 😭
i’m sorry to inform you, but she’s just a dummy lmaooooo. she definitely still friends with annie.. she can’t be saveddddd. but the drama will be good!!!
Just so y’all know I AM A BLACK WOMAN! BLACK! I’m over here seeing so called BLACK authors cosplay as black and I’m so scared omfg why?!!!PEOPLE ARE SO WEIRD😭
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summary: all his life, smoke had heard that two is company but three is a crowd; and never had it made as much sense as it did now.
cw: smut, toxic smoke x annie, failed threesome, messyy, just read it :3
a/n: hiiii! i took a mini trip to see family, but i’m back noww. this was a request and inspired by this post by @librababe7. i kinda deviated from the idea and had this be a first time event for smoke and his girlfriend
masterlist
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This was his girl’s idea—and a stupid one at that.
Smoke could handle his own shit. He ain’t need no help pleasing his woman, and every girl he’d ever been with had nothing but good memories to look back on. But for some reason, his girlfriend just had come up with the bright idea to invite someone else into their bed. She just had to make a new friend that she was obsessed with enough to invite over.
This was her idea. Not his. And the way that he saw it, his girl couldn’t get upset with the way that things had turned out because he warned her about how ridiculous this all was.
~~~~~
When she first came home—talking about this Annie woman with blush coating her cheeks—he didn’t understand the appeal. So what she supposedly had a silky, smooth voice? So what she was the most beautiful woman his girl had ever seen? Beauty is relative, and Smoke couldn’t imagine a woman perfect enough to go there with. But if his girl wanted to give it a try, he’d be willing to do so, too.
They had it all planned out: this would mostly be about his girl getting what she wanted. Smoke was supportive. Smoke was thoughtful, and if she wanted to explore something new, he’d do it with her.
But how could anyone blame him when he finally set his eyes on this Annie woman? This Annie woman who is beautiful with a silky, smooth voice to match?
Smoke was knee deep in her before he realized what he was doing. Annie was laid out on her back in his bed, arching against the mattress with his head between her thighs. All he could hear, smell, taste, see, and feel was her. Her nails were scratching at the back of his neck as she encouraged him to keep going. She kept saying it was good, that he was so good. He had to keep going. Had to keep devouring her until she was shaking against his face.
Smoke dragged Annie to the edge of her pleasure, lips tight around her clit, and before she could cum, he pulled out. A whine leaving her lips, he shut her up quickly by settling his length between her parted thighs. He effectively hushed her cries, and her moans sounded louder than they had all night.
“Fuck,” he cursed beneath his breath. “You tight as shit, baby.” He wiped his face with the back of his hand, soon taking up both of her legs and throwing them over his shoulders.
“Oh, shit,” Annie laughed throatily, hardly finding the chance to breath between Smoke pummeling her and kissing down the length of her neck. He was too good at everything he was doing. So damn good for her.
She’d completely forgotten why she was here and who had brought her here. She’d forgotten this was supposed to involve someone else, too. But how could you blame her? Her new friend ain’t tell her that her man had it like this. She ain’t say he was this sexy. She ain’t say that he would have her dickmatized in mere minutes.
When she was asked to join them, Annie had incorrectly assumed that Smoke couldn’t be any good in bed if her friend wanted another person to join, but she was pleasantly astonished by his capabilities. Where she thought he’d be inept, the man was anything but. He could handle her with ease: picking her up, throwing her around, fucking her through the mattress—and his girl, too (when either of them could remember she was there).
Fully consumed by the moment, Smoke had Annie hanging off the side of the bed. Her head hung low as one of her hands touched the floor, trying her best to keep her upright.
"Arch that fuckin' back, baby," he groaned, eyes on the recoil of her ass.
"I'm tryin'," she shouted back, fighting the urge to crumble. Fuck did it feel good. It felt like he was fucking her raw—and he wasn't. It felt like he knew all the right spots and angles to hit. And when she would clench in a real specific way, Smoke felt like she knew what he needed, too. He dragged out and back in, forced her hips to meet his in the middle, and when she pulsed and fluttered and clenched just one last time, they came together with ease.
With her eyes closed, Annie felt him collapse against her back. His breath was hot against her neck, and the weight of him brought her relief.
"You comfortable up there," she laughed in question, sighing when he groaned in her left ear and squeezed at her side. She'd never felt this light after sex, and even though he'd put her through a lot, she felt better than she had all day. She couldn't believe her luck, couldn't believe that saying yes to a simple, yet loaded, ask would result in her body fluttering all over while her eyes sank back into her sockets.
But it felt like she was forgetting something.
She thought back to when Smoke had fell on top of her.
And when she had allowed her body to topple over the edge of the bed.
And when she was moaning his name and he hers.
And when he was eating her out with frenzied purpose.
And when he had ripped her clothes from her body.
And when she had walked into the bedroom.
And when the front door had opened and her friend was on the other side.
Annie’s eyes sprang open quickly, and with Smoke still laid out on top of her, she saw her friend standing in the door frame of the bedroom. Her shoulder was leaned into the wood. Her right foot crossed over her left while her arms folded against her chest in a strong hold. Robe covering her naked body, the woman looked like she could breathe fire and curse someone’s bloodline in the same second, and Annie didn’t exactly blame her. This wasn’t supposed to go like this, but she and the man had gotten far too carried away with each other.
“Y’all done yet,” the woman spoke up, not even truly ready for the answer the tangled pair would utter.
Above Annie, Smoke groaned in realization, cursing to himself. He’d fucked up, and he wasn’t sure how he was going to come back from this; And he wasn’t sure if he wanted to either. Head lifting from where he’d rested it against Annie’s back, he avoided the other woman across the room.
He stood upright and removed the used condom.
He huffed a breath as he moved to find something for Annie to cover herself with.
He cleared his throat as if ready to speak.
But once he met the eye of the woman across the room, all words died in his throat.
Frennnnnn please can I request a part 2 to this lol it’s so good and messy !! Smoke & Annie not even waiting for ole girl I’m in tears Ik she big mad af !! Will they continue their affair ! Will Annie feel bad and try to keep her distance from the friends or 2 me please
The girl dumped Annie as a friend after this right ? lol even tho I feel like she wrong for bringing another person in her relationship especially if she know how smoke coming what did she expect ? 😭
summary: all his life, smoke had heard that two is company but three is a crowd; and never had it made as much sense as it did now.
cw: smut, toxic smoke x annie, failed threesome, messyy, just read it :3
a/n: hiiii! i took a mini trip to see family, but i’m back noww. this was a request and inspired by this post by @librababe7. i kinda deviated from the idea and had this be a first time event for smoke and his girlfriend
masterlist
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This was his girl’s idea—and a stupid one at that.
Smoke could handle his own shit. He ain’t need no help pleasing his woman, and every girl he’d ever been with had nothing but good memories to look back on. But for some reason, his girlfriend just had come up with the bright idea to invite someone else into their bed. She just had to make a new friend that she was obsessed with enough to invite over.
This was her idea. Not his. And the way that he saw it, his girl couldn’t get upset with the way that things had turned out because he warned her about how ridiculous this all was.
~~~~~
When she first came home—talking about this Annie woman with blush coating her cheeks—he didn’t understand the appeal. So what she supposedly had a silky, smooth voice? So what she was the most beautiful woman his girl had ever seen? Beauty is relative, and Smoke couldn’t imagine a woman perfect enough to go there with. But if his girl wanted to give it a try, he’d be willing to do so, too.
They had it all planned out: this would mostly be about his girl getting what she wanted. Smoke was supportive. Smoke was thoughtful, and if she wanted to explore something new, he’d do it with her.
But how could anyone blame him when he finally set his eyes on this Annie woman? This Annie woman who is beautiful with a silky, smooth voice to match?
Smoke was knee deep in her before he realized what he was doing. Annie was laid out on her back in his bed, arching against the mattress with his head between her thighs. All he could hear, smell, taste, see, and feel was her. Her nails were scratching at the back of his neck as she encouraged him to keep going. She kept saying it was good, that he was so good. He had to keep going. Had to keep devouring her until she was shaking against his face.
Smoke dragged Annie to the edge of her pleasure, lips tight around her clit, and before she could cum, he pulled out. A whine leaving her lips, he shut her up quickly by settling his length between her parted thighs. He effectively hushed her cries, and her moans sounded louder than they had all night.
“Fuck,” he cursed beneath his breath. “You tight as shit, baby.” He wiped his face with the back of his hand, soon taking up both of her legs and throwing them over his shoulders.
“Oh, shit,” Annie laughed throatily, hardly finding the chance to breath between Smoke pummeling her and kissing down the length of her neck. He was too good at everything he was doing. So damn good for her.
She’d completely forgotten why she was here and who had brought her here. She’d forgotten this was supposed to involve someone else, too. But how could you blame her? Her new friend ain’t tell her that her man had it like this. She ain’t say he was this sexy. She ain’t say that he would have her dickmatized in mere minutes.
When she was asked to join them, Annie had incorrectly assumed that Smoke couldn’t be any good in bed if her friend wanted another person to join, but she was pleasantly astonished by his capabilities. Where she thought he’d be inept, the man was anything but. He could handle her with ease: picking her up, throwing her around, fucking her through the mattress—and his girl, too (when either of them could remember she was there).
Fully consumed by the moment, Smoke had Annie hanging off the side of the bed. Her head hung low as one of her hands touched the floor, trying her best to keep her upright.
"Arch that fuckin' back, baby," he groaned, eyes on the recoil of her ass.
"I'm tryin'," she shouted back, fighting the urge to crumble. Fuck did it feel good. It felt like he was fucking her raw—and he wasn't. It felt like he knew all the right spots and angles to hit. And when she would clench in a real specific way, Smoke felt like she knew what he needed, too. He dragged out and back in, forced her hips to meet his in the middle, and when she pulsed and fluttered and clenched just one last time, they came together with ease.
With her eyes closed, Annie felt him collapse against her back. His breath was hot against her neck, and the weight of him brought her relief.
"You comfortable up there," she laughed in question, sighing when he groaned in her left ear and squeezed at her side. She'd never felt this light after sex, and even though he'd put her through a lot, she felt better than she had all day. She couldn't believe her luck, couldn't believe that saying yes to a simple, yet loaded, ask would result in her body fluttering all over while her eyes sank back into her sockets.
But it felt like she was forgetting something.
She thought back to when Smoke had fell on top of her.
And when she had allowed her body to topple over the edge of the bed.
And when she was moaning his name and he hers.
And when he was eating her out with frenzied purpose.
And when he had ripped her clothes from her body.
And when she had walked into the bedroom.
And when the front door had opened and her friend was on the other side.
Annie’s eyes sprang open quickly, and with Smoke still laid out on top of her, she saw her friend standing in the door frame of the bedroom. Her shoulder was leaned into the wood. Her right foot crossed over her left while her arms folded against her chest in a strong hold. Robe covering her naked body, the woman looked like she could breathe fire and curse someone’s bloodline in the same second, and Annie didn’t exactly blame her. This wasn’t supposed to go like this, but she and the man had gotten far too carried away with each other.
“Y’all done yet,” the woman spoke up, not even truly ready for the answer the tangled pair would utter.
Above Annie, Smoke groaned in realization, cursing to himself. He’d fucked up, and he wasn’t sure how he was going to come back from this; And he wasn’t sure if he wanted to either. Head lifting from where he’d rested it against Annie’s back, he avoided the other woman across the room.
He stood upright and removed the used condom.
He huffed a breath as he moved to find something for Annie to cover herself with.
He cleared his throat as if ready to speak.
But once he met the eye of the woman across the room, all words died in his throat.
Frennnnnn please can I request a part 2 to this lol it’s so good and messy !! Smoke & Annie not even waiting for ole girl I’m in tears Ik she big mad af !! Will they continue their affair ! Will Annie feel bad and try to keep her distance from the friends or 2 me please
Here is some of the alternate version of the abandoned fic. In this one, the ages are still the same but the circumstances of the arrangement are different. Annie's daddy loses the deed when he was gambling and promises Annie to Smoke in exchange for the deed back. Big Mama in this version is softer to Smoke--Marcy isn't. Aunt Helen also doesn't exist in this version.
May 26, 1954
The gray clouds gathered in the sky as the wind whistled through tin roofs in Clarksdale, Mississippi. Annie ran from her granny’s shack with bottles of herbs, oils, and tinctures rolling together in her bundled skirts. A streak of light scattered across the sky followed by a deafening BOOM that shook the ground and made Annie stumble a bit. She picked up the pace and ran into the front door of her Big Mama’s house. Inside, she carefully rolled the bottles into the basket she previously forgot to take with her.
She walked into the kitchen with the basket and placed it on the small wooden table next to the back door. Outside the window, the sky had grown darker and the wind whipped furiously. A loud crack of thunder rattled the windows and seemed to make the house jump in fright. Annie leaned against the tabletop gripping the edge to calm her racing heart and stop her hands from shaking. If that thunder had a face, she would’ve ran her blade across it. Her breath came slower and slower as she pictured the warm sun illuminating the greenery of the unending fields and a clear sky running across her small corner of the world. May storms were as brutal as they were loud; dropping large hail and tornadoes wherever they saw fit. This year no mercy had been spared as hundreds lost their homes to the angry air.
“Annie! Make sure ain’t nothing plugged in down there!” She heard Big Mama yell from upstairs, likely in her bedroom.
Immediately, Annie ran through the den to check the few electronic things they had: the t.v., radio, and lamp had already been unplugged. All the lights had been turned off and a row of candles stood on the mantle of the fireplace. She heard the stairs creak under Big Mama’s footsteps as the older woman made her way down to the lower level.
“I think this one got more bark than anything,” she observed standing in front of the mesh screen door. Her feet were slightly apart and her hands were clasped behind her back. All sixty-three years of wisdom showed in her gray hair as her deep brown face had so few wrinkles, people often thought she was lying about her age. “Just God puttin’ on a show.”
Annie joined her at the door and looked out into the horizon where lightning danced in the sky. “You sho he ain’t tryna take nobody up there with him?” She couldn’t trust those low-hanging clouds not to start spinning at any moment.
Big Mama grabbed Annie’s hand and held it up to the mesh on the screen door. “What’cha feel there?”
The wind cooled Annie’s hand where it whistled through the tiny squares on the mesh. “It’s just the wind blowing hard.” She wanted to trust her grandma but her eyes saw danger so what did it matter what she felt through this damn door?
“Uh-uh, that ain’t all. What else ya feel?” Big Mama squeezed her wrist once encouraging her to close her eyes.
With her eyes closed, Annie felt the wind pushing against her hand with its might. It was strong but it was also consistent, not jumpy. “It ain’t moving around, it’s just goin one way. It’s stable.” She opened her eyes and looked at Big Mama who had a knowing smirk on her face. “Might could change its mind though.” She crossed her arms in front of her.
Big Mama shrugged. “Could. Seem to know where it need to be though. Ain’t here for too much longer.” She walked away, her posture slightly bent from all the years of tending to crops, raising her children and grandchildren, and praying protection over each of them. “Ya mama ain’t never believe me either at first. But I bet she at home right now sitting on the porch. If y’all ain’t the same.” A chuckle left her slight frame.
Annie trailed behind her all too used to being compared to her mama. “What you want to eat tonight, Big Mama? There’s still some greens in the icebox I can warm up for ya. I’ll make some cornbread and I can fry up the rest of that fish J.J. sent.”
Her grandma waved her off as she walked into the den. “Come on sit down. We’ll worry about that later. Just let the Lord work.” She nodded towards the window as heavy rain fell down, soaking the Earth.
There was still enough light in the sky that filtered through the small window to make the big pieces of furniture visible to the two women. Big Mama sat on the couch letting out that sigh that older people do when they’ve said enough, saw enough, and heard enough for the day. Annie laid down beside her and put her head in her lap. Big Mama would never say she had a favorite child or grandchild but as she stroked Annie’s coily hair and hummed a gospel melody, it would be clear to anyone that walked in who she prayed and hoped for the most.
Annie joined her in humming but quickly drifted off to sleep with dreams of walking through smoke-filled streets in a place she’d never seen in real life.
****
When she woke, Annie was shrouded in darkness but heard the sounds of her grandma moving around in the kitchen. She shot up and rushed to where Big Mama was. “Why you doin that?” Annie moved to stop her grandma. The heat from the wood-burning stove smothered the kitchen.
The older woman was adding coated fish to a skillet of bubbling grease. “Girl, don’t worry ‘bout me. You gone start the cornbread mix.” She went back to frying the fish.
Gritting her teeth, Annie pulled out the canisters that held the cornmeal and flour and a glass bowl from under the cabinet. A few eggs from their hens sat out on the counter. Over the sound of the popping grease, she heard the wood from the screen door rattle. The storm had passed so it couldn’t be the wind. She peaked down the dark hall and saw a dark figure shaking the door to get in.
“Mama! Annie! Open the door!” It was the stressed voice of Annie’s mama, Marceline.
Dashing to the door, Annie unlatched it and was immediately bombarded with her mama’s heavy purse being pushed into her stomach. The wind in her body escaped her. She drew it back in while dropping the purse to the floor. “Mama, damn, what’s wrong?” Looking her over for signs of injury, she noticed that she was in her night coat.
Her mother glared at her with a severe look for the profanity but instantly broke into tears. “Your damn daddy! Even in death the bastard still ain’ no good. I looked the other way with the women and the drinkin. Long as you and Jeanie had what y’all needed from him, wasn’t no problem. But—” She covered her mouth as tears fell down her face.
Big Mama had joined them, no doubt removing the pot from the eye before rushing in to see her eldest daughter break down. She wrapped her arms around Marcy’s shoulders and guided her into the den with Annie following behind. “What’s goin on wit’cha, Marcy?” They both sat on the couch as Annie plugged in the lamp that covered everything in a dim glow.
Marcy wiped her nose with a wrinkled handkerchief. “Robert—ain’ no way God ‘low a man like that to walk past the Pearly Gates, Mama. I know you don’t like ugly talk ‘bout the dead but I bet the devil got a new friend when that last drink took Robert away.” She broke into sobs again.
Annie sat beside her rubbing her back. She was no stranger to her father’s philandering ways but she never seen her mama this torn up about him. For most of her life, her mama was apathetic and sometimes cold to him but she never shed a tear for him, not even when he died almost a year ago. A lump formed in her throat hearing her mama cry. “What Daddy do from the grave, Mama?” She looked closely at her mama, wondering if some kind of spirit got a hold of her.
Marcy turned to her youngest daughter and grabbed her hands. “I ain’t givin’ you up, Annie. No matter what yo lyin ass daddy did.”
Her eyebrow raised in confusion. “What’chu mean, mama? What did daddy do?”
Marcy breathed in deeply like she was trying to summon all the courage within her. “Last March, when he went to Chicago to visit his brother, he turned up at one of the twins’ gamblin’ houses up there.”
“The twins?” Annie tried to recall the names of any twins she might’ve known in Chicago and the only ones that came to mind were— “The TWINS!” Her heart pounded like she had just heard another crash of thunder. The Moore twins—Smoke and Stack.
They had a reputation that spanned from Louisiana all the way to Chicago and probably some places overseas since they served during the second Great War. They were called up for duty just one week after their drunkard daddy went missing. The brothers never bothered answering questions about him and after a while, folks stopped asking in fear they’d disappear too. When they returned from war, they opened some juke joints on either side of the Delta in Arkansas and Mississippi. The gambling rooms became a major source of interest for men who had worked in fields and factories all day and wanted to take a chance on winning big.
In the Delta though, men racked up way more debts than they could pay. Very few of them had much money or land to put on the line so the twins closed the joints and went North for some real money. Word spread down the river that they opened a few in Chicago and they were making money like nobody’s business. And they knew how to deal with the folks with large debts. The twins always made sure to collect.
“I always kept the deed to the land under the mattress. It’s been there almost long as you been alive, Annie.” Marcy paused again to suck in a breath.
Big Mama stood up, her small form more intimidating than anyone Annie had ever seen. “If that nigga done gambled away my granddaddy land, I’m diggin him up and killin him again, Marcy.” It sounded like eight voices wrapped in one when she spoke.
Marcy shook her head. “When he couldn’t pay his debts, the twins’ goons pulled him into the back and shook him down. Found the deed in his pocket.”
The rage inside Annie heated her face as she listened to her mother.
“I got got a letter today.” This brought back heaving sobs. “Sendin’ condolences and sayin’ that Robert’s death didn’t change the deal they made with him. The mean one, Smoke, he wrote they’ll give the deed back when he marry you.” She looked down, ashamed that the words had left her lips. “I’ll kill him myself if I have to, but he ain’t takin’ you from me.” She threw her arms around her daughter and cried into her shoulder.
Annie’ was reeling at her mother’s words. Marry Smoke Moore? She started laughing, her body shaking and tears at the corners of her eyes. “Mama, you sho this ain’ one of Sissy’s jokes? She really do make herself sound believable! ‘Member she had Tiny thinkin’ she won a prize out that magazine she wrote in for? Anyway, what Smoke Moore gone want with a country Delta girl when he a Northern man?” She gestured to her body whose frame held wide hips, buxom chest, and a slight pudge on her belly. “And a big girl at that! Sissy a fool sometimes.” She shrugged her shoulders and sat down on the rocking chair next to the fireplace like she just solved all of their issues.
Her mama pulled an envelope out of her pocket and walked it over to Annie. “This one came for you.” She carefully placed it in her hand like she was scared it would explode.
Annie stared down at the already open envelope addressed to her. She pulled out the letter and scanned it. The letter wasn’t long. It was mostly Smoke introducing himself and how he was able to provide a good life for her. He ended with stating that he would be in Clarksdale to meet her on May 27th and wanted to take some time getting to know her before they were married and returned to Chicago by early September.
Yours Truly, Elijah Moore
She sat in silence for a moment. She could feel the only life she’d known being ripped away. But what was the alternative? Let two thugs just take her family’s land because her daddy wasn’t worth the dirt on the bottom of her boots? Without giving it more thought, she turned to Big Mama and Marcy and said, “He’ll be here tomorrow. I need my hair to look nice.”
Marcy ripped the letter out of her hand and threw it on the ground. “No! I will see him dead before he even thinks about seein you! He can join ya stupid ass daddy!”
Looking over to Big Mama, Annie tried to read her. Her face had showed no emotion other than general concern. Her hands rested in her lap as she made eye-contact with her granddaughter. “This Annie road now, Marceline. You gotta let her walk it like I let you walk yours.” She stood up and walked over to Annie to gently grab her face. “This ain’t on you to walk alone, Annie. It ain’t on you to save what yo daddy threw away. I won’t love you no different.”
Taking her grandma’s hand in hers, Annie looked deep into her eyes which were like her own. “I want curls in my hair and I’m gonna wear that blue dress you made me.”
One lone tear dripped down Big Mama’s smooth face and she fell to her knees. “I been prayin for you everyday since you was born and they said you was too small to make it. I been askin God and anyone that’ll listen to give ya a good heart and make it strong. I been burnin sage and incense to keep folk an’ spirits that’ll harm ya away from you. An’ I know all that ain’t been fa nothin cuz I got ya worryin’ over me everyday when you can be out shamin’ ya family an’ bringin in a bunch of babies from whoever. I got ya here bein strong with yo lot when you can be runnin away.”
Annie got down on the floor and wrapped her arms around her grandma. She inhaled her sweet honey scent, committing it to memory. A warmth spread through her as she started humming Big Mama’s favorite gospel tune.
********
The moment arrived quicker than Annie expected it to. She could only focus on the details of her grandma’s finely decorated living room. There were two large windows that allowed the sun to light up the space, highlighting the elegant floral furniture that Big Mama had brought down from up North. Tassels hung from the lampshades, making Annie feel like she was in a fine living magazine. The red carpet was as pristine as the day it was put in, a testament to how often folks were allowed in here.
Heavy footsteps treaded closer, not ones she was used to. She sat up straight, attempting to exude bravery but her rapid heartbeat and sweaty palms betrayed her. She bolted up right as a male figure walked through the doorway. Her hands gripped the skirt of her dress and she took a step back at who stood before her. Smoke Moore.
Her eyes scanned him all over. He had on a dark three-piece tweed suit that looked like it was made to take on this Mississippi heat. Under the vest was a light blue collared shirt that matched Annie’s dress perfectly. She also noted the golf hat that paired well with everything else he had on but what stole her breath away was his face. A slight scowl made itself home there but it wasn’t out of anger—well not completely. To Annie, it looked like that is just how it was made and it worked for him.
“You Miss Annie?” He had surveyed her, just as she did him. Something that looked like a smile briefly flashed across his face allowing Annie a glimpse at his dimples. He held up a bouquet of flowers wrapped in fine tissue paper. “I got these for you. Think you might like this sort of thing.”
Annie raised an eyebrow, looking critically at the flowers. “What sort of thing, Mr. Moore?” She made no move to accept them.
The confusion was etched on his handsome face. He cleared his throat. “Well, I—uh, I figured you like a man bringin you flowers. Makin’ things look pretty.”
She put her hand on her hip, a little surprised at how nervous he seemed. “Things don’t look pretty enough for you right now, Mr. Moore?”
“Now that’s not what I said. I just meant—” He pulled at his collar, struggling to find words to explain himself correctly.
She reached out to take the flowers from him. “I’m just havin’ you on, Mr. Moore. Ain’ no man ever give me flowers like this. Thank you.” She gave him a nervous smile afraid she might’ve upset him.
Relief flooded his features as a real smile broke out across his face. “You had me sweatin’! Thought I did some wrong.” The walked over and took a seat on the big couch.
A pang shot through her heart as she remembered why they were here. “Mr. Moore, you ain’ gotta pretend to wanna court me. We know why you here and why I’m here too.” She chose to avoid looking directly at him for fear she’d break out in tears.
“I know I ain’ what you was ‘spectin when you thought ‘bout settlin’ down. I—I think we can make it work though.” His clenched fists sat on his lap as he stumbled through his words.
It caught Annie’s attention but she didn’t say anything. He fought his way through life and maybe that’s what he was doing here, fighting his way through with his fists balled up and a frown on his face. Annie didn’t know how to respond, so she simply looked down at her lap.
Smoke reached into his jacket pocket and held up a small box. “Girl like you deserve a fella willin’ to get down on one knee.” He moved to kneel in front of her, grabbing her left hand.
A jolt ran through her when their hands touched. It was unfamiliar but not wholly unpleasant, causing her to sit straight up and her heart to beat like she had just finished running in from the fields. Heat bloomed in her cheeks as she looked at the man before her on one knee. Beyond his hard eyes was almost a softness that made Annie curious.
“Miss Annie Love, you may heard a lot about me. Lot of it ain’t good and a lot of it true, but I’m gonna keep ya safe and I’ll take care of ya if you agree to be my wife.” He opened the box and nestled between soft velvet was a diamond ring nicer than any piece of jewelry Annie ever seen up close and she had a pretty decent collection of her own jewelry that was passed down to her.
The size of it shook her so, she jumped to her feet, nearly knocking Smoke down in the process. “What you go out and buy this for? That ain’t fit to be wearin’ out in no fields or when we down at the slaughter house. You ain’t gotta spoil me, Mr. Moore, you already got me.” Her hand was still in his like there was something keeping her from pulling away.
“I want my woman to have what’s best. You ain’t gotta be out in the fields or slaughter house with me.” There was a hard edge to his voice that wasn’t there before. Maybe it was meant to scare Annie a little bit but it just frustrated her.
She huffed in annoyance at his claim on her. “I ain’t yo woman just yet Mr. Moore. Not until the preacher man say so.”
Chuckling under his breath, he pulled the ring from the box and slid it on her finger. “Ain’t you? You said I already got ya, so I reckon you my woman and everybody gone know it, right?” His eyes bore into hers like he was staring into the deepest parts of her soul.
Not wanting to reveal just how much his words made her stomach flutter, she nodded in agreement. “Yes, Mr. Moore.” Why was she feeling this? She didn’t know this man from Adam and here he was claiming her—a prize he won in a card game—and she felt none of the hatred or fear she did this morning. The ring felt heavy on her finger as she inspected the way it looked on her hand. Goodness, she’d have to carry the pistol her granddaddy bought her to keep folks away from this when she went into town. And he’d even gotten the right size. “How you get the fit so right?” She narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously.
He stood up and held his hands in front of him. “Now, this was my doin’ so you gone take it out on somebody, take it out on me.” Guilt briefly flashed in his eyes. “I looked ya sister, Jeanie, up in Chicago had her help me and made her promise to not say nothin’ ‘bout it.”
A lump formed in her throat. “Jeanie?” Her older sister, her best friend besides Pearline. They told each other everything and kept each other’s secrets. Like the time Jeanie snuck out of the house to sing at a juke joint with Pearline. Annie pretended to have a nightmare so she could sleep in their mama’s bed and be held all night so Marcy would have no need to come into their room at night to check on her. When Jeanie caught Annie being felt up by the Jones boy behind the Ellis General Store when Annie was sixteen, she never told a soul, not even Pearline.
Annie’s first heartbreak was when Jeanie moved north to Chicago after marrying Frank Billings. They wrote each other almost every week and they talked on the phone at least once a month but Jeanie knew how to send a telegram if it was really important. Like when she found out she was pregnant a few months ago. Wouldn’t a gangster coming down to collect his winning warrant a telegram?
She sat down and felt Smoke sit beside her. The tears she’d been holding back burst free. Now it was less about the fact that her sister didn’t tell her and more about her absence at this moment. She could be angry at Jeanie later, but for now, she just wanted her here.
Not really knowing how to comfort his tearful fiancee, Smoke pulled out his handkerchief and offered it to her. “She wanted to say somethin but I didn’t want her to. Didn’t wanna scare you off.” He took her hand in his again, finding his own comfort in her soft skin.
She snatched her hand back after soaking the handkerchief with hear tears. “My sister ain’t never kept nothin from me and you come along! You ain’t have no right meddlin’ like that, Mr. Moore. I’on scare easy ‘specially when it come to my family.” She pointed a finger at him feeling much older than her 20 years. “We gon’ do this thing but don’t you think you run my family. You only get me.”
He nodded in understanding, keeping the smile that threatened to break through at bay. “Yes, ma’am. I ain’t mean no harm but I understand not wantin folk to come between you and ya family.” He didn’t use Stack’s name but his meaning was clear. He didn’t try to reach out to her again, not liking the way it felt when she pulled away from him. “We got some months ’til we married. I wanna know you better, if that’s all right.”
She sniffled, feeling childish for her response. “’S’alright, Mr. Moore.” What say did she really have here? She just needed to see that deed back in her Big Mama’s hands so she’d endure what she had to with Smoke.
“You wanna clean up before we go back out to tell everybody?” He took a risk by using his thumb to catch a stray tear that was falling from her eye. There was that jolt again.
The gesture caught her off-guard and made her gasp though not in fear which confused her even more. She thanked him quietly and went to the downstairs washroom to clean her face.
In the mirror, she hardly recognized herself even though everything was the same as it was this morning besides the puffiness of her eyes. She soaked a clean washcloth and placed it over her eyes, hoping the coolness would hide the fact that she had cried in front of Smoke when she wasn’t supposed to show much emotion at all. Now he probably thinks she’s some weak little girl he can pull one over on.
She let the cloth sit for a few minutes while she twisted the heavy ring around on her finger, wondering how she’d get used to the weight of it. Her eyes had mostly returned to normal after she lifted the cloth. There was still some redness but no one would know unless they looked close enough. She pulled out the jar of petroleum jelly from the medicine cabinet and rubbed some on her face to hide the evidence of tear marks and went to rejoin her new fiancé.
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Sorry I kept y'all waiting! Work, work, work, life, Love Island, a building evacuation, and all that. Now I have made it home and in my own bed. This chapter is shorter because I felt it would better to cut it off before Smoke arrived in the Delta to propose to Annie.
Chapter 4
WC: 3.6K
Sobs shook Marcy’s body and echoed off the metal walls of her daddy’s old work shed. Her little Annie would be marrying the son of that evil Adam Moore. No prayer, spell, ritual, or poison could keep that man from getting her back like he said he would. Even from the grave. She almost laughed at the ridiculousness of it all. “Not my baby, not my baby, not my, baby,” Marcy chanted over and over again just like she did when Annie was born sick. Her pain reached the depth of her bloodline—past when her people were stolen from their homeland in chains.
The more the tears flowed, the more she felt separated from the power that she used to rely on. Nothing answered back. She dropped to her knees and changed her prayer. “Protect her, please.”
Something moved under her, not enough to be seen but enough to be felt. That was all the confirmation she needed that she had been heard. The sweltering heat inside the shed now wrapped around her, drenching her in sweat. She ran to open the door and breathe in the fresh air and jumped back when she noticed her sister was standing there. “Helen! Why you gotta sneak up on folks like that?”
“I called your name, Marcy.” She zeroed in on Marcy’s tear-filled eyes and puffy face. “He ain’t like Adam.”
“Then why the hell he look so much like him?! Why would he have his eyes, his face—nothing of her. Nothing. Even the way he walk is just like his daddy! And you didn’t tell me that he had been seein’ my baby!” The betrayal she felt from her sister cut deeper than anything else.
Helen kept her cool demeanor and shrugged. “This somethin’ bigger than us, Marcy and you know I don’t get in the way of what need to be done. That girl in that house knowin’ her life about to change and you and Mama actin’ like fools.”
“She don’t know what she doin! She don’t know how dangerous a man like that is! She don’t know how he can drag her down.” Marcy pulled at her hair. “I don’t want to watch her fall in love with him just to find out too late he ain’t worth nothin.”
Shifting her eyes to the sky, Helen pursed her lips. “She ain’t Lettie, Marcy. She ain’t. She in that house right now probably hurtin’ and scared because how you actin. Annie think she doin’ the right thing for the family and you out here chasin’ ghosts.”
Rolling her eyes, Marcy pulled out a cigarette and lit it. With a deep inhale, she felt comforted by the sensation of the nicotine. “Well, everybody can’t be like you, Helen. I like to feel stuff sometimes. I wasn’t never gonna be happy about my baby marryin’ somebody like that.”
Something in her sister’s tone caused Helen to stand up straighter. “Well, it ain’t about you, it’s about Annie. Either you can help her through this or you can keep actin’ like the world is against you.”
Marcy looked past her sister allowing the silence to answer for her as she took another drag on the cigarette.
Casting one last pitying look at her sister, Helen turned and went on about her day.
**********
There was a lot of chatter around town about Smoke Moore returning to the Delta without his brother. DeLaurine didn’t want to engage but decided it would be better if she could plant a few seeds. No one needed to know Annie was marrying Smoke for the deed but she couldn’t hide their whole marriage when it happened.
“Wonder what kind of scheming he comin’ down here to do, you think?” MaryLou, one of Delaurine’s oldest friend asked. “Don’t know if it’ll be better or worse without his brother with him.”
Shrugging, DeLaurine organized the cards in her hand. “Heard him and his brother doin’ good with them music clubs up north. Ain’t doin’ all that gamblin’ like they used to.”
“Hm.” MaryLou frowned, no doubt hoping to gossip about the Moore boys like she had done so many times with DeLaurine. She decided to try another way in. “I heard them boys that go up North, come back down here to find them a wife. Say the Northern women don’t half know how to cook. You think that’s what he comin’ back to do? He don’t seem like he change women like his brother.”
“If he is, I know it ain’t me he tryna take as a wife,” DeLaurine sighed and moved her cards around again. “I bet a lot of girls down here gon’ jump at the chance to be with him. Ain’t like he comin’ down here empty-handed like a lot of them boys.”
MaryLou tossed a card down. “Well, all mine married already so I ain’t gotta worry ‘bout it.” She eyed DeLaurine, curious about her old friend’s change of tone when it came to the Moore twins.
“I ain’t worried about it either.” She tossed a card on top of MaryLou’s and grinned. “You up to owin’ me fifty-cent. You sure you wanna keep goin?”
She threw her hand down. “Naw, I lose anymore, me and Edward likely ain’t eatin’ nothin but cabbage for the week.” She pulled the money out of her coin purse and placed it in her friend’s hand. “Annie and Christopher ain’t been around town together in a while. They done with each other?”
Lips pursed, DeLaurine resisted the urge to roll her eyes at MaryLou. “Done as a holiday hen. She ain’t like him that much. She’ll find her way.”
“You ain’t got nobody in mind? You did pretty good with Mamie and the Doctor, and Jeanie and Frank, and Marcy and Robert. Got somebody in mind for Annie?”
“Annie got a good head on her shoulders. I’ll see what she decide to do. I need to go make sure the truck picked up the meat from the slaughter house.” She was done with this conversation and didn’t plan to say anymore right now.
******************************
A few weeks after they had returned from Chicago, Annie woke from a dream coughing uncontrollably. She gasped for air and rolled over in bed to sit up. The coughs continued to choke her until she felt light-headed.
The door to her room opened. Big Mama, Marcy, and Helen rushed in. “Annie, breathe!”
“Don’t you think she would’a done that if she could, Mama?” Marcy scoffed and went to sit by Annie on the bed and tapped her on the back, just like she did when her daughter was younger. “Come on, baby. It’s okay it was just a dream. It’s okay.”
“Smoke,” Annie choked out. “Too much smoke.” The coughing had calmed down and she was finally able to draw in a clean breath.
Marcy threw a knowing look at Helen. “What you mean by that, baby?”
Big Mama sat on the other side of Annie. “What you see, Annie?”
“Smoke everywhere. All over. In the trees.” Annie hung her head and drew in some deep breaths like it was her first time feeling air in her lungs. “I’m all right.” Her dreams had been more vivid lately and she wasn’t stupid enough to act like they didn’t have something to do with the man making his way down to the Delta to propose to her. She just couldn’t say for sure what they meant. Glancing at her worried family, she waved them off. “Y’all can go back to bed. I’m fine now.”
“It’s 9 o’clock in the morning, Lil Annie,” Helen laughed. “I think it’s time for you to get out of the bed. Come on, we got some work to do around here before any guests show up.”
“Helen, give her a minute,” Big Mama insisted wrapping her arm around Annie. “You too, Marcy. Let her catch her breath good.”
Marcy wanted to protest but seeing the serious look on her mama’s face, she gave Annie’s hand a gentle squeeze and stood up to follow her younger sister out the room.
Annie wanted nothing more than to tell Marcy to stay and sing to her like she used to when Annie was a little girl. She wanted to beg her mama to sit with her and let her know that everything would be all right after she said yes to Smoke Moore. She wanted to just talk to her about anything that could be said but if this situation showed her anything it was that she couldn’t be that little girl crying for her mama to kiss her pain away. This was something Annie would have to do on her own, no matter how much it scared her. So she said nothing as her mother walked out the door.
Once the door was closed, Big Mama turned and took Annie’s hands in hers. “Yo dreams been like that since Chicago?” She knew her granddaughter used to have night terrors that caused her to thrash and scream in her sleep when she was younger but the way she described this dream was different.
Shaking her head, Annie plucked at her nightgown. “Since before then. The woods get real smoky and I can’t see to get out, usually. This time I couldn’t breathe. The smoke was thicker than before.” Unlike the night terrors that Annie couldn’t remember when she woke up, these dreams were burned into her mind long after she’d open her eyes.
“You think it got somethin to do with…him?” DeLaurine had not accepted the idea of Elijah Moore marrying Annie but she was willing to tone down her dislike of him for the sake of her grandchild.
Shrugging, Annie yawned deeply before wiping the sleep from her eyes. “I think so but can’t say for sure what it mean. Probably don’t mean nothin’ though.”
“It mean somethin. You ain’t been in them woods, have you?”
“No ma’am. Ain’t got no reason to. In my dream, it wasn’t them woods anyway. It was the ones in the north east where the stream is.
Then, Big Mama stood quicker than Annie had ever seen in her life. “We gon’ talk about this later.” She was out the door before Annie could even ask where she was going.
************************
The day of Smoke’s arrival, Annie’s stomach was in knots. For the first time since she had come back from Chicago, little threads of doubt started to creep in. She couldn’t say how she imagined being married but agreeing to get married in exchange for her family’s land would’ve never crossed her mind. She knew plenty of girls who had to marry the man their folks chose for them and suspected that’s what would happen to her eventually but this was much different. Her family would rather her marry a duck in the pond than to ever be near Smoke Moore again.
Their words tossed in her head. What if this was the wrong thing to do? What if she does end up getting hurt? And if he wanted to take her back up to Chicago? Her stomach twisted more at the thought of being away from her family home causing her to squirm the chair as Fran curled her hair.
“Be still, lil Annie or you’ll get burned again,” Fran warned. Her hands weren’t as careful as Jeanie’s when it came to doing Annie’s hair but she was trying her best after Marcy refused to lift a finger preparing for Smoke’s arrival. “You scared about today?”
Biting her lip, Annie nodded slightly. “Only a little. My mama and Big Mama ain’t said much today. They ain’t talkin’ to each other and my mama ain’t hardly talked to me since she found out.” Tears clouded her eyes. “What if he wanna get married next week or somethin’ and go back to Chicago? I don’t know if I wanna go up there to live, Franny, and leave everybody here.”
Putting down the curling iron, Fran walked around the chair until she was in front of her cousin. She kneeled down and put her hands on her cousin’s knees. “Annie, you grown so Imma be honest with you. This family got a lot of shit they ain’t figured out. I spent my life watching Big Mama and aunt Marcy bein tore up about somethin all the time. The way they feel about the Moores is somethin’ deep that happened before me or you was born. They carried that even after Adam Moore died. You ain’t gotta carry it.” She handed Annie a piece of cloth to wipe her eyes with.
“You know what happened?” Annie sniffled and dabbed at her eyes. “Why they act like Smoke and Stack is devils?” Her time with Smoke in Chicago came back to her. While his exterior was still rough, he didn’t cross any lines or do anything to make her question the good in him. She mostly wondered why her family couldn’t see what she saw.
“I don’t know much except Adam Moore wanted to marry aunt Marcy and she not only said no, she said hell no. He was a music man and he liked to drink. Yo mama would’ve walked the whole country to find somebody to marry before she married Adam Moore—that’s what Nadine said anyway. And you know what they said happened to him before the twins joined the army.” Once Annie stopped crying, Fran stood up and went back to curling her hair. “And you ain’t gotta worry too much about him just takin’ you back to Chicago when you got him chasin’ you down to the Delta to ask for your hand. Tell him what you want, you ain’t gotta let him control everything. You like him, don’t you?”
Annie hadn’t considered that she had choices in this matter too and so far, Smoke hadn’t forced her to make any decisions yet. “I think so. I know he see things different than I do sometimes but life ain’t been the same for him like its been for me. My mama and Big Mama don’t really see that.”
“Chile, don’t try to get through this life worryin’ about what DeLaurine and Marceline don’t see clear enough. Save ya’self some trouble. Save the stressin’ for that man that’s about to ask you to marry him.” She finished curling Annie’s hair and started to pin it up in the back.
“Is that what you do?” Annie always admired how her cousin seemed unbothered by the things that had the other women in the family so unsettled. Fran hardly kept what was happening between her and Stack a secret. Big Mama was mostly mad that Fran treated it like no big thing than she was that Fran was fooling around with somebody she wasn’t married to.
“Yes, ma’am. I figured out early one day Big Mama gon’ be gone and so will Marcy and Nadine and I don’t plan on carrying they troubles with me. Life ain’t that long, lil Annie.”
“You think that’s why aunt Margaret don’t come around no more?”
“Not at all. That man she married really ain’t good enough to wipe the shit off her shoe. She the youngest so she just hardheaded. She’ll be back at that door fo’ too long. Last I heard, they stayin’ with one of his cousins and he don’t half show up to work. Got the cousin wantin’ to put ‘em out. They can say what they want about Smoke Moore but that man know how to make a way and he gon’ always be workin.”
Annie felt comforted by her cousin’s words but she was still worried about her grandma and mama.
**********
Not long before Smoke was set to arrive that evening, Marcy was nowhere to be found and Big Mama was yelling out orders to get the food ready and on the table. Junior dragged himself from his room looking a pitiful sight.
“Pullin’ out all the stops for the new man of the house, I see,” he said bitterly to Helen who was arranging the silverware on the table.
“Well maybe if we impress him enough, he won’t give away our land to somebody we don’t know,” Helen quipped. “You got a lot of nerve actin’ like you bein’ done wrong when Annie only agreein’ to do this because of your mistake. You oughta be thankin’ her.”
Junior walked towards the stairs and looked up. “Thank you, Annie! Thank you for sacrificin’ all the comforts of being a Love woman so that you can enjoy all the comforts of being Smoke Moore’s wife so we can keep our land! I am truly sorry I put you in such a terrible position to be a kept woman for the rest of your life!”
Upstairs a door opened and careful footsteps moved closer to the top of the stairs until Annie appeared. She wore one of the many dresses her mama had made for her—a baby blue color that stood out against her dark skin. Her hair made her look less like a young woman and more like someone who knew something about life. She held a tube of lipstick in her hand though her face was tear-stained and her eyes were red. “Aunt Helen, can you help me put this on right? I don’t know how to do it like my mama.”
Seeing her niece in distress had Helen moving quickly past her brother who she shoved on her way up the stairs. “Here I come, Annie.” They walked back to Annie’s room which was a wreck. All the dresses that Annie decided not to wear were strewn about the space—the bed, the chair, the dresser, and the floor. “Did a tornado come and only visit your room?”
Sitting down in front of her vanity, Annie’s shoulders slumped. “I’ll get it all picked up. I just didn’t know what I wanted to wear. Thought about askin’ my mama for help but—” She dabbed at her eyes with an already wet handkerchief. “She won’t even look at me. I just wanna talk to her and she won’t—” She threw up her hands. “I could be goin to Chicago next week and she won’t say nothin’ to me. She done with me?”
Helen took the lipstick from her niece. “You know me and ya mama don’t see eye to eye on this situation but I know she ain’t done with you.” She paused wondering how to continue. “Ever since we was little Marcy always thought it was her job to make sure we ain’t get hurt. Ain’t nobody told Marcy that hurt gon’ happen no matter how much you try to stop it. She got real hard on herself when one of us got hurt. When she had Jeanie and then you, she promised not to ever let y’all get in any trouble she couldn’t get you out of.” A humorless laugh left Helen’s lips. “When you got hurt that time, she was barely herself for a long time after. I think she started feelin’ like everybody was gettin’ hurt because of her. She ain’t done with you, she just feelin’ sorry for herself.”
Maybe her aunt Helen thought telling her this would make her feel better but after hearing that all she felt was anger. “I’m sorry Aunt Helen. I gotta go do something.” She grabbed the lipstick back and moved quickly out the door and down the stairs. Stepping outside on the front porch, Finny ran up to her and barked, his big ears flopping. She didn’t need to guess where her mama was, she already knew. She made her way down the dirt trail that led to the back of the property. Dust coated the bottom of her dress as she walked with purpose. She stopped at the small tin shed and pushed the door open.
Marcy sat on an old wooden stool—that had been there since before either of them were born—with a cigarette in her hand. “Y’all done with supper already?”
“Come put this lipstick on me.” Annie held up the tube.
Annie’s tone caught her off guard. She never spoke to anyone that way, certainly not Marcy. “Wait. You ain’t just gonna—”
“Yes I am, mama, because I want this to look right and you the only one that do it how I like it.” She tapped her foot impatiently waiting for her mama to move off the stool. “If I’m gone by next week, just remember, this is what you wanted to do instead of helpin’ me.”
“How I’m supposed to help you, Annie? That man has our future in his hand and you the only one who can stop it but you wanna be with him anyway, don’t ya? I don’t know how to help you cuz none of this should’a happened.”
“I don’t know if I wanna be with him! I just don’t think he evil like you say. I don’t think he mean to hurt me. And if marryin’ him will get that deed back, Imma do it! I wanted to talk to you because I don’t know nothin’ about bein’ married and I don’t wanna leave you and Big Mama and Aunt Helen and Fran and Mamie but you won’t tell me everything gon’ be fine. You won’t tell me how I’m supposed to do this without you! You just hidin’ cuz you feelin’ sorry for yourself like my whole life ain’t about to change! Whether things go good with Elijah or not, I gotta know that you ain’t gon’ give up on me just because you don’t like him.” She held up the lipstick again. “Come put it on me, please.”
Nodding, Marcy wiped her eyes and dropped the cigarette on the ground and stomped it out. She took the lipstick to open it and examine the deep red pigment. “This gon’ be a pretty color on you.”
Almost collapsing in relief, Annie wrapped her arms around her mama and held her tight.
MAJOR MOORE
PT.1 PT.2 PT.3
WC : 6.4k(don’t ask🌚)
Summary: Two weeks of trying to get back into the rhythm of civilian life, Elijah 'smoke' Moore was finally back in uniform, back in the corps. Back to being a Major.
CW: none, just fluff and a cute date and maybe a little bit of kissing and stack being chaotic as ever!
A/N: finally got this out! WOO, ENJOYY!
(This also took so long to come out cause I kept rewriting scenes, they just wasn't to my liking🤍)
10 : 45 on Monday night.
:
:
Elijah finally settled down for the night after making sure the other boys and Tiger were really asleep. Sighing softly, he lies down staring at the ceiling as he thinks about her.
“I wonder what Annie's doing?..” he muttered to himself with a thoughtful expression as his head tilted to the side of the pillow. His mind drifts towards her like it usually does when he starts to wonder about her.
A faint grin grows on his face as he thinks about the date they set for Friday.
Elijah starts to fall asleep, his eyelids slowly falling, for the first time in Elijah's life, sleep finally comes to him easily tonight.
That's new for him.
Five hours later.
Elijah woke up suddenly to a noise downstairs, and he glanced at the clock seeing it was three in the morning. Sighing he got up, thinking it's Tiger probably getting some water like he usually does.
He slowly heads downstairs, making sure not to be too loud so he won't scare Tiger. Elijah tends to do it by accident because of how quietly he moves.
He rounds the corner and pauses as he sees a tall body instead of the short and adorable body he was expecting.
Elijah minds rushing to figure out if it's one of the other boys or an actual intruder.
“Hm, he's been eating good yo.” an almost familiar voice muttered underneath their breath as they reached for Smoke's good cheese and salami. They chuckled.
Elijah's eyes narrowed in confusion before grumbling under his breath as he realized who it was.
He moves slowly up to them before quickly moving his arm around their neck, quickly putting them in a headlock.
“Whoa!” They blurted out while Elijah turned on the light.
“What the hell are you doing, Stack?!” He asked firmly with a huff as he kept his hold around his brother's neck tight.
“How did you know it was me?” Elias immediately asks as he struggles against his hold.
“There's only one person in this world that messes with my food and it's you, fool.” He huffed out, letting him go with irritation written all over his face.
“Messing with my good cheese and meat, that's for my lunch.” Elijah sighed deeply as he moved to put away his sandwich ingredients.
“Well now, I ain't know it was for your precious lunch,” Eilas said as he moved to take a seat, rolling his eyes at Elijah's words. While he watches his brother grumble to himself as he grabs eggs deciding to make Elias something to eat anyway.
After a few minutes of comfortable silence, Elias speaks up.
“So..how you been?” He asked softly with a faint smile as Elijah placed the plate in front of him. “I've been fine, you?..” he responded with a sigh as he took a seat across from him.
“Well I've been better, Mary ain't talking to me and I ain't got no place.” He sighed as he bit into the egg sandwich. “You are the only one who knows how to make an egg sandwich right, I swear,” Eilas said softly with a chuckle as he looked at his twin.
Elijah shook his head and smiled faintly as he slowly got over his irritation. “It’s nice to see you too, Stack.” he said with a warm tone.
Elias smiled softly and nodded slightly as he resumed eating the egg sandwich. “ You think I could stay here?” he asked after a moment. “Just until I find something for myself of course Don't wanna get you in trouble.” He added shortly after he wiped crumbs away.
Elijah hesitated for a moment, he didn't want to get in trouble with the school but then he remembered who ran it which helped him get over his hesitation rather quickly. “Of course you can stay, I ain't got no problem with that,” he said with a firm nod as he stood up “just don't cause too much trouble, you do have my face remember?” He teased as he shook Elias' head slightly, knowing his brother couldn't stay out of trouble even if he tried..
“Now why would I cause trouble? I'm an innocent man,” he said loud enough for him to hear as Elijah headed back upstairs, shaking his head in amusement.
“Sure, sure.” He muttered with a huff as he leaned against the railing, a chuckle escaping him.
“There's a spare bedroom down here on the right by my office and extra covers in the closet if I'm not mistaken,” he mentions as he watches his brother for a moment.
Elias hummed quietly as he enjoyed his egg sandwich. Elijah wasn't good at cooking many things, but an egg sandwich was the one thing he could make right.
“Try not to stay up too late, and make sure to clean up when you're done,” he called out softly as he continued up the steps.
“Thanks again Elijah!” he quickly responded.
“Don't mention it.” He said over his shoulder before re-entering his room.
—
11:34 in the morning.
Tiger wakes up and smells pancakes and bacon, he quickly gets out of bed, noticing the other boys heading inside the house. He beats them to the kitchen before pausing, something off.
“Damn, y'all look hungry,” Eilas said with surprise as he chuckled at them, he could see that they felt something was off so he decided to play into it.
He placed pancakes on plates. “Y'all gonna eat or what?” He asked sarcastically.
“This gotta be a trick,” Dwight muttered to the other boys.
“He's..happy?..” Alex soon spoke as they all took a seat, a bit cautious.
Eilas's head turned into a smirk as he heard their words, “This is gonna be fun” he thought to himself.
–
Meanwhile, outside.
“What the hell is taking them so long?” Elijah muttered to himself with a deep sigh as he glanced at his watch, they were supposed to be training by now.
He glanced at the barracks before seeing something move out of the corner of his eye immediately recognizing who it was.
“Miss Richard's, what a surprise,” he said with a hum as he tilted his head as he watched her walk towards him.
“You're still surprised by me showing up?” She said with a chuckle as she adjusted her grip on her briefcase.
“Well no, just like saying that I suppose,” Elijah muttered with a faint smile as he glanced at her outfit. “You look very nice today.” Her light yellow dress complements the deepness of her skin tone.
Annie held back a smirk as she watched his eyes linger a bit on her body before finally traveling back to her eyes. “Thank you, you don't look bad yourself. Major.” She spoke softly as she chuckled.
“Ah, it took me forever to pick out this outfit,” Elijah said with a bit of sarcasm as he adjusted his collar.
Annie giggles softly at his words, shaking with amusement. He watched her, his smile growing to a full-blown grin.
She glanced around the field. “Where are the boys, Ain't y'all supposed to be training?..” she asked softly as she tilted her head, resting her hand on her hip.
He sighed deeply and nodded."We were, yes. I don't know what's taking them so long, they should've gotten Tiger by now.” He answered as he glanced at the house before it finally clicked for it.
“Damnit.” he sighed before starting to walk back to the house.
Annie looked at him confused before slowly catching up with him.
—
“Well major, I didn't know you knew how to cook.”Dwight expresses disbelief while chewing his pancakes as the other boys nod in agreement.
“Eh, I cook here and there when I feel like it.” Elias says as he sips his coffee having to stop himself from gagging at the taste “How does my brother drink this shit?” He muttered to himself with a hint of disgust and irritation, hating how he was taking his role of pretending to be his brother too seriously now.
Tiger watches him closely, sensing something isn't right he just can't place what it is yet.
–
Elijah sighed deeply as he opened the door, he let Annie go first before entering behind her, moving towards the kitchen.
His eyes landed on the breakfast and then soon his brother who was clearly messing with the boys.
“What's got you so-” Annie starts saying before going quiet as she sees a man with the same face as the major, and soon disbelief grows on her face.
“There are two of you?!” She blurted out without thinking, and the boys quickly turned to look at her before surprise grew on their faces as well, quickly glancing between both men.
“Whoa..” Tiger muttered with curiosity and slight awe at the fact that there are two of the Major now.
Elias pauses as his eyes land on her, a smirk growing on his face as he's back in his element.
“Well, who is she?” He asked with a raised eyebrow, his eyes traveling along her curves with curiosity and a hint of something else.
Elijah sighs deeply as he glances at everyone else before looking back at his brother.
“Pretending to be me again, huh?” He said with a huff as he noticed the uniform on his brother.
“Well, who else besides me, hm?” He responded with a smirk as he leaned back in the chair, resting his hands behind his head.
“You still didn't answer my question, Smoke,” he said with a hum as he stood up and basically glided towards Annie.
“Who is this beautiful woman?” He asked again with a certain charm in his voice as he smiled, gently grabbing her hand to press a faint kiss towards her knuckles.
Elijah rolled his eyes hard at his brother's antics.
The boys watch with curiosity and amusement as they glance at both brothers.
Annie stared at him in disbelief, having to make sure she ain't dreaming by pitching Elijah.
“Really?” He grunted softly as he looked at her before looking at Stack, who was still staring at Annie with a look he had no business giving her.
He closed his eyes for a moment, wondering what he did to deserve this before clearing his thoughts and moving Stack from Annie. “Everyone, this is my brother Elias..” He answered the question that was on their faces.
“Stack, this is Annie. She's one of the school counselors here, she helps me with the boys from time to time.” He sighed as he finally answered Stack’s question.
“Annie,hm.” He mumbled under his breath as he tilted his head.
Annie lets out a soft huff as she looks between the two of them again, just to make sure she's seeing correctly.
“You didn't think to tell me you had a twin?” She expresses crossing her arms, stack eyes immediately traveling there unable to stop the freak in him.
Smoke's eyes do glance there but his gaze doesn't linger long like his brother's , he refocuses on her eyes after smacking stack on the back of his head.
“Why you did that?!” Stack huffed out as he rubbed his head, glaring at the smoke.
“Huh, that's why he smacks us on the head,” Dwight muttered to Alex under his breath before continuing to watch the twins.
Smoke immediately glares right back. Stack rolled his eyes and shook his head as he looked back at Annie.
“Well, I was gonna tell you on Friday. As a conversation starter.” He said gently with a soft gaze he genuinely did mean to tell her.
It's not like he expected his brother to show up unannounced.
Stack looks between both of them, starting to realize what's happening. He crosses his arms, smirking to himself.
—
“I still can't believe you're a twin,” Annie uttered softly, still in disbelief at there being two of him.
Elijah chuckled faintly, finding her reaction a bit amusing even though he won't admit it.
“You still finding that hard to beli-” he started
“I’m the better twin of course.” A voice suddenly spoke up behind them, spooking them.
Elijah had quickly turned around to punch whomever it was before realizing it was his brother. “Damnit, stack..” Elijah muttered with irritation, feeling a headache come on already and his brother has only been here for a damn day and he's already getting on his last nerve.
“Whoa, man! Chill with all that.” Stack huffed as he used his hands to block his face. “This is the Second time he has done that, you know.” He says to Annie as he steps up to her, smirking trying to use his charms on her.
Annie chuckles faintly at Stack’s antics, tilting her head slightly, humoring him a bit. “Is that so?..” looking between both of them.
Elijah watched his brother through narrowed eyes, he's this close to choking him. He glanced at Annie, pausing as he noticed the look she was giving his brother and now he's ten times more annoyed.
Is he being a little irrational? Yes, yes he is..
Does he care though? No, no he does not.
“I gotta go..” he muttered to them before walking away, heading back to the training field.
—
Annie started to say see you later but smoke was already gone before she could get the words out.
“Ah don't mind him,” Stack spoke up beside her, dismissively waving his hand watching his brother walk for a moment before turning to face her.
His gaze traveled along her body, unable to stop himself as he started to circle her.
“That's a mighty fine dress you got on.” He said teasingly, voice a bit deep as he flashed a smile at her, a hint of his top grill showing a bit.
She let out a soft amused huff and tilted her head, resting a hand on her hip as he stopped in front of her.
“Mhm, thank you.” She responded with a faint chuckle, fixing her head to look at him fully.
Stack’s smile grew bigger, his dimples getting deeper.
That usually gets them.
“So, what's up with you and my brother, hm?..” he asked softly with a raised eyebrow placing his hands behind his back, stepping closer to her.
Annie paused a bit, surprised by his direct question.“Excuse you?..”
He chuckled, rubbing his mustache.“What's going on with you and my brother?..” he asked again, even more directly if that's possible.
“Nothing is going on with Elijah and me," Annie said simply with a sigh as she crossed her arms. “We're just friends.”
Stack stared at her for a moment, observing her expression before laughing.
“You is funny, Annie.” He said in between laughter as he wiped away fake tears, a smirk on his face.
Annie blinked in surprise at the sudden laughter. “What's funny?..”
“That you think nothing's going on with you and him.”
“Nothing is.”
Stack pauses and tilts his head before chuckling, sighing gently as he looks her in the eyes.
“And you really believe that?”
She freezes before huffing softly, letting out a chuckle of disbelief.
“Yes, I actually do believe that.” She says firmly with a sigh.
“So what's happening on Friday?..” he asked simply, raising an eyebrow, chuckling as he saw her taken aback.
Clapping his hands, he steps back. “you know what? I'mma just leave that alone..” He said softly.
Annie sighed and adjusted her bag. “Just be gentle with him, he got bad nerves!.” Stack called out watching her walk away.
–
Elijah hums quietly to himself as he walks around the grocery store, grabbing a few things. “So you and Annie have a date on Friday?” Stack asked out of nowhere
“Jesus Christ,stack!” Elijah said as he turned to face him. “Stop sneaking up on me or next time I'm shooting your ass.” He grumbled with a huff ,turning back to the cart.
Stack chuckled as he moved to the side of him. “Oh please, like you would ever do that,” he said while putting his things in the cart.
Elijah glares at him and if looks could kill Stack would be six feet into the ground about now.
“Okay maybe you will.” He muttered to himself as he smirked at him.
“Still ain't answer my question.” He said simply as he crossed his arms as they reached the check out counter.
“You're really testing me” He said back as he glanced at stack.
“You know I ain't trying to take your girl right?.” Stack says with a small smirk as he knows exactly how his brother is going to react.
“She ain't my girl,”
“She ain't my girl.”
they both said, Elijah immediately turned to face stack.
“Stop that.”
“Stop that.
Elijah paused, glaring at him before speaking again.
“Stack, stop.”
“Stack, stop.”
Elijah takes a deep breath, pinching the bridge of his nose , knowing his brother wasn't going to stop.
“We just friends.” Stack says immediately with him.
“You know, she said the same thing.” He hummed as he rubbed his chin, watching Smoke before chuckling softly, shaking his head as he focused on the things getting scanned by the cashier.
Smoke took in his words, Annie said the same thing? He leaves his thoughts as Stack starts up again.
“So what's happening on Friday?” He questioned again a bit more seriously now.“Because you and your woman are dodging my questions.”
Elijah sighed deeply, this close to throwing him through a window.
“You've only been here for a day and you already tap dancing on my last nerve.” He muttered underneath his breath with a huff.
"Dinner,just dinner. That's what's happening on Friday.” he sighed, eventually giving into his brother's persistent questioning.
“Only dinner?..” Stack challenged with a raised eyebrow, tilting his head.
“Yes, only dinner,” he started, paying for his and stack’s things. “And she ain't my woman, she's my friend. There's a big difference.”
Stack narrowed his eyes before smacking his lips as he grabbed his bag. “big difference my ass, that's yo woman, rather you want to admit it or not.” he uttered sarcastically.
“She's not my woman.” He muttered with a sigh, watching stack leave the store before following suit.
-
Thursday 2 :30 pm
Three days..
It's been three days and his brother has already caused some mess.
Stack being the man that he is, has flirted with every female teacher he sets his eyes on which has caused problems for Elijah because they all think he's him when they see him.
“Hey, you think Miss James is married?..” Stack asks as he jogs by smoke.
“Stack..I don't even know a Miss James." He sighed deeply as he glanced at him before focusing back on the jog.
“Really?” He muttered with a huff, "I thought you being here for six months, you've known everyone by no–” he gets cut off as smoke starts to jog faster.
“Now I know y'all can move faster than that, come on!” He said as he started jogging backwards to look at the boys.
Stack sighed deeply and narrowed his eyes before catching up with him.
“Is it because of her, that you haven't learned every woman's name at that school?.” he asked bluntly, sugarring coating nothing as he looked at his brother.
Smoke sighed deeply and faced forward.
“Who exactly is this ‘her’,you speak of?..” he asked, he knew exactly who he was talking about because she's been the only thing he can think about..
Besides other things..
Stack rolled his eyes and shook his head.
“Now you know damn well.” he smacks his teeth,looking at smoke.
Elijah held back a smirk before clearing his throat. “Gonna have to finish this conversation a different time, little brother.”
“Bruh! I'm your little brother by three minutes!..” Stack huffed as he started chasing smoke.
Later that day
You remember Miss James? Yeah, here she comes.
“Elijah, you didn't forget our date on friday?” she spoke up softly, standing in front of the lunch table he's sitting at.
Elijah pauses, blinking blankly at his sandwich he was about to tear up in a moment. “Ain't you married?” he asked bluntly, looking at her with a bit of irritation.
“I ain't married.” she scoffed, crossing her arms.
He looked at her hands , searching for a ring or any indication she might be married. “Well you’re talking to the wrong twin.” He said after a moment, not finding anything that gave off married from here.
Now it was her turn to look at him like he was crazy. “The hell do you mean ‘wrong twin’?..” she narrowed her eyes.
Of course stack forgot to mention that important detail.
He sighed deeply and rubbed his nose, he just wanted to enjoy his sandwich.
–
5:20 pm, Elijah’s office.
“So, what are you going to wear on your date?,” stack questioned with raised eyebrows.” Cause I can't have you going on that date looking crazy, you are a reflection of me.” He added shortly after with a nod.
Smoke looked up from the papers and stared at stack blankly.
“It's not a damn date.” He corrected it for the millionth time. “It's dinner.”
“Fine, not a ‘date’..” stack reluctantly muttered with air quotes. “Still, what are you going to wear, bruh?..” he asked again.
“Alright, what's with this?” Smoke gesturing towards his brother doing air quotes, irritation entering his body, Elijah pinched the bridge of his nose.
“You know exactly what this is.” stack muttered underneath his breath as he avoided smoke's gaze, knowing he probably glaring a hole into his face.
“And I don't know, I'm just gonna wear my whites.” Smoke added reluctantly, he sighed before going back to reading papers while keeping an eye on stack as he walked around the office.
“Your whites?..hm."Stack muttered to himself as he rubbed his chin in thought.
“Miss Annie does seem like the type of woman to like a man in a uniform..” he muttered to no one in particular.. “big bro! You might get some Friday!."Stack exclaimed with a smirk as he walked up to him.
“Stack, what the hell are you talking about?..” he sighed deeply as stack pulled him up.
“My boy, you're getting some tomorrow night, and I'm gonna make sure of it.” stack expresses with a chuckle.
Elijah stared at him with a blank expression, watching him circle him like he was a model.
“You gon need a haircut, definitely a shave around that beard..” stack muttered to himself , tilting his head as he stopped back in front of him.
Smoke raised an eyebrow at his brother's words before walking over to the mirror. “What's wrong with my beard? I like it.” He said with a huff as he glanced at himself,tilting his head side to side.
“Well of course you like it, you don't care about your appearance as much as i do.”he said with an eye roll as he stepped to the side of him.
“You wanna look good for Annie, yes?..”stack asked with a raised eyebrow.
Smoke glanced at his brother before looking away , sighing gently. He did want to look good for her, it's hard not to try to look good for a woman like that.
“Fine.”he uttered after a moment.
“Just don't cut too much off, please,” he quickly said as stack went to grab his clippers, stack never goes anywhere without them damn clippers. “I worked hard to grow this beard.” He added quietly to himself as he turned his gaze back to the mirror.
–
5:55 pm Annie's home
Annie was cleaning up in the kitchen, keeping her hands busy.
Her thoughts went to the date dinner that Elijah and her were having tomorrow. She honestly doesn't know what it means.
Two adults can go have dinner and not have it be a date..
Right?..
“Ann, why you moving around like a busybee?” A soft rusty voice spoke from the living room.
Theodore, her grandfather, had been watching his shows when he noticed how fidgety his Lil Ann was.
“Huh papa?..” She muttered softly, getting out of her head as she looked over her shoulder through the kitchen opening.
Theo let out a soft huff and shook his head. “I said why you moving around like a busybee,chère?..” he repeated, still keeping the soft tone.
Oh..
Annie lets out a small sigh and gives a small nod. “Just trying to keep busy papa.” She says gently with a soft gaze before turning back to the dishes.
He watched her with a raised eyebrow “Right..” he muttered with a small sigh before focusing back on the tv..well tired too.
–
Friday 8:00 pm
It was finally time for their date..
Elijah stood anxiously outside her door, he glanced around the house seeing the modest yet warm feel it had , he could also tell she didn't live alone.
He turned his gaze to the flowers. “You can't go wrong with roses, Smoke. Women love them.” Elijah recalled what his brother said.
He didn't really think Annie liked roses but he wasn't gonna show up empty handed either.
“He cut too much of my mustache, man.” He muttered as he noticed himself in the window reflection, sighing deeply Elijah rubbed the bridge of his nose counting to ten in his head.
He paused before finally knocking on the door, he had stood out there for a good five minutes, his nerves getting the best of him.
–
Theodore watched his granddaughter with a soft and warm gaze.
“you remind me of how your grandmother looked on our first date.” He spoke up softly with a small smile.
Annie beams at his words, smiling gently as she smooths out her dress once more.
“Thank you papa, you never fail to remind me.” She kissed his cheek softly.
Theodore, usually the stoic man that he is, couldn't help the full grin that started to grow on his face, he’ll proudly admit to his other grandchildren that Annie is his favorite grandbaby and he has no shame in it.
“So..you still aint tell me nothing about your date, all i know is he took that job to work with that military unit at your school.” he spoke softly as he watched her head down the hallway to grab something.
“His name is Elijah and he's around the same age as me papa.” She says over her shoulder she grabs her earrings off the nightstand and starts to put them on.
She didn't tell him that Elijah served in the military because he always told her to never marry one, ironically considering he served in the army.
“Elijah? Sounds respectable enough.” he thought to himself as he glanced at the tv before hearing the knocking at the door.
“Ah, right on time.” He says to himself he stands up and answers the door, he moves quite fast for his age.
“Wait pap-” she started to speak
–
Theodore stood tall as he looked the man in his eyes, giving a once over.
Noting the dress whites, he raised an eyebrow, his Annie forgot to mention that the man was also a military man as well.
“You must be Elijah, I'm assuming?..” he asked simply. Holding eye contact with him.
Elijah paused.
He gotta deal with her father now? His nerves are gonna be all over the place now.
“Yes sir, I'm Elijah. Elijah Moore." He spoke with a nod as he extended his hand, fighting back the trembles.
Thedore noticed the trembles.
He knows exactly what they mean because he gets them from time to time. This man fought in the war, his expression softened up a little but not by much, didn't want Elijah getting too comfortable just yet.
He gave him a firm handshake, nodding as he
acknowledged the simple respect.
Most of Annie's dates in the past always gave half-assed handshakes and he never liked them simply because it showed they would half-assed love his grandbaby and he wasn’t gonna let them do that to his Lil Annie.
“Come on in,son” he opened the door up, making room for Elijah to come in.
‘Guess the old man doesn’t hate me yet.’ he thought as he stepped through the threshold.
“You must be her father,sir?” he questioned with a curious gaze as he glanced around the home.
Theodore stops in his tracks to look at Elijah before laughing right in his face.
“Son, I am not that young.” he chuckled as he patted him on the back while heading back to his favorite chair. “I’m her grandfather.” he added with a hum,relaxing into the chair.
‘That's even worse.’ Elijah thought cause now he really gotta prove himself to this man. A man that came from a generation where men paid for everything without complaining.
He gotta step his game up.
“So what are your intentions with my granddaughter?”
–
Annie sighed deeply as she hid in the room for a moment, suddenly feeling nervous and she usually doesn’t, what has Elijah done to her?
“Girl calm down, it's not that serious.” she muttered to herself as she looked in the mirror , putting one more pin in her hair. “It's just dinner,nothing too serious.” she thought with a small nod before grabbing her clutch.
–
“Well me and her are just friends sir.” Elijah said to him, fidgeting with the flowers as he looked at the man.
“Right..friends.” Theodore says simply, not believing it one bit.
She stepped out of the room and headed to the living room where Theodore and Elijah were talking before the conversion went quiet as she entered the room
Elijah sat there starstruck, words stuck in his throat as his gaze traveled along her curves.
Theodore watched him with a small smirk, exactly how he was with her grandmother.
“This might just work out.” He thought to himself as he watched Elijah stand up clearly going to approach her but his feet just won't cooperate at this very moment.
“Y-you look incredible, ann..” Elijah finally got out as he met her gaze, his grip on the flowers so tight that they're starting to shake.
Annie smiled softly at his words and that almost sent him into a coma.
Theodore watched silently, letting out a small chuckle. “Son, you're supposed to give her the flowers.” He spoke up softly,lightly pushing him towards her.
Elijah glanced at the older man before looking back at Annie. “I ain't know which flowers you would've liked, so I went with roses.” he says with a small nod, rubbing the back of his head while giving her the flowers.
He ain't ever been shy like this before but this got him acting like a teenager with their first crush.
“These are pretty, Elijah." She beamed.” Imma put these in some water and then we can go, okay?..” she says softly and he gives a small nod.
He watched her head to the kitchen and his gaze linger a bit too long for grandpa's liking.
Theodore cleared his throat very loudly, the way it sounded like a duck quaking.
Elijah sighed deeply realizing he just got caught staring by this woman's grandfather.
He turned to face him slowly, giving a tight lip smile.
“Watch them eyes, son.” Theodore said simply but the threat was very much clear.
He responded with a small nod.
—
At the restaurant.
“You don’t really talk that much about yourself do ya?.” she said softly with a faint smile as she looked at Elijah, tilting her head slightly.
Elijah looked up from his food, having been focused on her talking. “I like to listen more than I speak.” He sighed as he gave a small nod.
She observed him as he returned back to eating. “Aren’t you a military kid?” She asked softly , taking a bite of her steak.
“It’s obvious..huh?..” he said softly with a faint smile as he wiped his mouth.
She gives a small nod.
“Well,me and my brother have been military kids all our life really, been all over the place.” He said with a nod as he adjusted in his seat. “My father was a hard ass but he installed some great values into me and my brother.” He sighed.
“I just don’t know how much stayed with stack, though.” He muttered softly with a chuckle as he tilted his head, matching hers subconsciously.
Annie chuckled softly , giving a soft smile as she looked at him. “Sounds like your father was an okay man..” she spoke gently with a hum.
Elijah's smile faded a little . “Yeah, I guess he was.” He muttered thoughtfully before switching the subject.
“So Ann, why did you become a teacher?..” he asked softly as he sat up straighter, genuinely curious.
She tilted her head and smiled faintly, catching onto the nickname. “Well, I suppose I became a teacher because my grandma was one,”she started off. “She was no nonsense type of teacher but her students loved her to death.” She says with a warm tone , a hint of nostalgia entering her voice.
Elijah listened intently to her, saving the information for later.
But for a small moment his gaze traveled along her face , watching the way she always has a hint of a smile on her face or the way she tilts her head when she notices something.
Or the way her eyes- “Elijah?” Finally reaching his ears, he snapped out of it, clearing his throat as he met her gaze.
“Did you hear a word I said?..” she asks with a teasing tone, taking a sip of water as she stared at him with a knowing look.
He stared back at her , a faint smile growing on his face.
She caught him and he..likes that.
“I absolutely did hear everything you said.” He finally speaks, matching her tilted head.
She bites back a smile. “Then what was I just saying?”
Elijah raises an eyebrow at her, sitting up straight.
“You were just talking about what has pushed you towards becoming a teacher,” he began with a hum. “And how your grandmother is your motivation and inspiration for yourself, you take pride in that.” He finished off, his gaze softening as he watched hers do the same.
“Anything else you would like to test me on?” He teased, feeling a bit more out of his shell around her.
Annie lets out a soft giggle, glancing away for a moment.
He smiled at that, biting the inside of his cheek before returning back to eating.
—
9:20 pm on the way to Annie’s house.
They sit in comfortable silence as Elijah drives her home, the radio playing Marvin Gaye quietly.
He hums along as he hears ‘I want you’ start playing.
“I want you , the right way” he starts singing quietly to himself , tapping his fingers against the stirring wheel.
Annie glances at Elijah as she hears him singing , smiling faintly as he keeps going.
“But I want you to want me too.”
“I want you to want me, baby.” She starts singing along and Elijah immediately looks at her, chuckling softly.
“What you know about this song?..” he teased, smiling softly.
She giggles at him , turning towards him. “What I know about this song? Baby ,this my favorite song.” She responded back with a small smirk on her face.
He chuckles softly as he shakes his slightly “thought I was the only that listens to this album.” He exclaims with a warm tone, glancing at her as she sings.
“Well you thought wrong.” She teased,smiling as she resumed her singing.
“Oh, I give you all the love I want in return, sweet darling”
“I guess I did..” he muttered to himself as he watched her for a moment , his feelings for her getting dangerously serious.
But they’re just friends..right?
Right.
—
“I had a good time tonight, Eli.” Annie says with a soft smile as he walks her up to her door.
Elijah chuckles and gives a small nod. “I did too, glad I found someone who also listens to Marvin Gaye.” He says with a smile matching hers as he steps up the stairs with her.
“Thought I was the only one..” he mumbled as he looked at her.
“Well you ain’t anymore.” She says back with a hum as she pulls out her key.
He watched her quietly, his gaze traveling along the side of her face, a tenderness passing through them as he noticed the faint dimple she has.
He leans against the door frame, paying attention to how he puts the key in the lock but doesn’t turn it.
“Elijah..” she started , pausing as she turned to him.
“Yes, Annie?..” he whispered softly, his voice getting a little raspy without him realizing it.
“I-..I would like to do this again some time.” She whispered back, matching his tone.
(Is it getting hot in here or is it just me?🌚)
“Me too.” He hummed as his gaze landed on her plump lips,the amount times he thought about them is down right crazy.
They stare at each other's lips for an eternity before Elijah finally gives in and presses his lips against hers,sighing into the kiss as it starts off soft but quickly turned heated.
He cups her face in his hands, tilting his head slightly as their tongues brushed against each other. He pulls back slightly for air before his mouth is on her neck, leaving wet kisses there.
Annie lets out a quiet moan. “E-Elijah.”
He pulls back thinking he did something wrong before meeting her gaze and seeing the quite opposite, he pulls her closer resuming his kisses on her neck, grunting quietly as he feels her hand on his belt.
Before it can go further there’s a knock on the window.
They immediately pulled away and turned to face the window, seeing Theodore standing there with raised eyebrows and a small smirk.
Annie immediately hides her face against Elijah's chest, he chuckles nervously and gives a small wave to her grandfather before turning to her.
“Well, um..” he tries to say anything but he’s stuck on that kiss they were lost in. “Well we just got caught..”he finally gets out with a chuckle and, rubbing her back as she finally opens the door.
“See you at school, ann..” he muttered with a small smirk as he looks at her.
“See you at school, Eli..” she muttered back with a small smile before closing the door.
Elijah chuckles as he walks down the steps towards his car.
“I want you , baby.” He sang quietly to himself with a warm smile opening the car door.
—
Welp..what yall think?😗✌️ first time writing a kiss ya girl was nervous LOL
