INTRO , ❥ 2.1K coworker!actress!reader x jaafar jackson ◞ after the micheal movie huge succes, Jaafar was contacted by Walt Disney Studios for the upcoming live-action adaptation of The Princess And The Frog, with his friend en co-star Coleman Domingo, who serves as one of the proyect´s writter. There, he meet reader.ᐟ, a talented and rising actress who is well-known for being charismatic and soft-spoken. Neither of them knows what fate has for them. reader and colman know each other from a previous project, so uk who recommended her for the role. reader is a ballet dancer and theater!actress. reader doesn’t have a faceclaim for the moment i couldn’t decide between ayo edeberi and coco jones.

SWEET'S CONTAINS , .✦ ݁˖ slow-burn.ᐟtrope ◞ strangers to friends to lovers. . . Maddie and Jaafar aren’t together. reader known as Queen B. fluffy vanilla love they being cuties reader!shy assf & Jaafar just being Jaafar.

NELLY'S NOTES , ૮꒰ ˶• ༝ •˶꒱ა ♡ HIIIIIYA, CUTIES! nelly´s here, again, so i decided to make some changes to the fic because it didn´t quite convince me, regarding the written and translation, the day i published it i just wanted to get the idea out because i was afraid someone would think of it + the Colman material make me want to use this as a manifestation.

AUGUST 15th, 2026

The warm, salty August breeze toyed with the strands of hair that escaped rebelliously across your face. Your expression was relaxed. In one hand, you held a cup of hot tea; in the other, a book, your eyes never once leaving the pages. Completely absorbed in the prose while jazz played in the background—the same music you always listened to when reading or doing anything that required your full attention—Sylvia Plath and Sade combine surprisingly well, you thought, taking a small sip from your cup.

You were so immersed in your own world that you ignored, or tried to ignore, the insistent notifications that kept pinging on your phone. You cursed yourself for not turning on "Do Not Disturb" before heading out to the patio.

The constant beeping began to grate on you. You tried to focus your attention back on the book, but other things started to become too obvious: the steady drip of water from the fountain, the birds moving among the trees, and the way the music had stopped feeling peaceful and transformed into mere noise. Grumbling, brow furrowed, you snapped the book shut and set it down on the bamboo table.

You picked up your phone; the screen lit up the moment your fingers touched the surface. You scanned the usual line of notifications from Instagram, TikTok, and X, until you found the long list of messages from your friend and manager, Catt.

You tucked a loose strand behind your ear after placing the phone back on the table. You knew you had to start getting ready for this supposed outing if you wanted to be on time. You forced yourself to tear your eyes away from the book that seemed to seduce your thoughts, repeating to yourself that you were going to be late—even though it wasn't even time to leave yet. It was a little trick that had saved you many times from staying locked in the house after agreeing to go out.

The warmth of the lights embraced you with familiarity as you stepped inside. You sighed, walking toward your bedroom, where you stopped in front of your large closet.

You studied each garment intently, pausing briefly on a few. You took a deep breath, feeling the prickle of regret swirling in your stomach.

It was going to be a long night.

The wind blew hard against your face when you stepped out of the car, greeted by the neon lights of the restaurant and the warmth of the sun as it began to set; the sky looked like a canvas covered in shades of orange and pink. You adjusted your bag on your shoulder while hearing the car door close behind you. You bit your lower lip hard; nerves erupted in your stomach, causing it to feel heavy and your breathing to quicken. You murmured a soft thank you to the driver, who simply smiled before returning to the car.

You cast your eyes over the sign in front of you, smiling nervously as you saw Catherine walking toward you. By the look of it, she was very excited.

"Oh my god! You look beautiful, Queeney!" she said, her smile wide. You mirrored her gesture, running your sweaty palms over your skirt. "And that skirt? Let me see—give me little a spin."

Before you could refuse or object, Catherine took your hand, making you turn on your heel so she could get a more detailed look at the outfit you’d chosen, oblivious to the fact that you had nearly pulled your own hair out from the stress of not knowing what to wear.

"Thank you so much, Catty," you gave the brunette a small smile. She looked at you with tenderness, noting the nerves that were consuming you.

"You know you don't have to be nervous. You know Col, don't you?"

"Yes, I know him... I'm not nervous about that... it's just... forget it. It’ll pass once I have a glass of champagne."

"That’s the spirit!" You both high-fived, letting out a few small laughs. "It’s best we go in. Coleman told me he was on his way. Apparently, a small issue came up."

You simply nodded before following close behind her. You both entered the restaurant, where you took off the glasses that adorned your face and let them rest atop your hair.

"Two glasses of champagne, please," Catherine said, addressing the waiter, who quickly nodded and disappeared in the other direction.

Your hands rested on the table. You scanned the room, grateful that no one seemed to be paying attention to you at that moment.

"And so..." your soft voice broke the silence. "What do you think about the role?"

Catherine rested her chin in the palm of her hand, gesturing as if she were thinking about what she was about to say. "Honestly? I feel like it's a great opportunity..."

She began to explain the reasoning behind her words, and you both became immersed in a conversation about the pros and cons the film might bring to your image as a celebrity.

It didn't bother you to play a princess; it was the weight that could fall on your shoulders with such a project. You had seen how the media reacted to certain films, especially if the character wasn't played by an actor they favored (aka if it was an actor or actress of color playing a character that strayed from the canon).

Funny, right?

You rolled your eyes at the thought, set your glass on the table, and began to explain your line of thinking to Catherine.

"You shouldn't worry. I'm sure you'll be the exception. Everyone loves Princess Tiana, and from what I can see, Coleman will follow the canon to the letter." She shrugged as she said it, and you watched her closely, nodding.

"Maybe you're right."

"And speaking of him, look who’s coming—well, look who's coming."

Turning your head over your shoulder, you watched Coleman walk through the door, receiving various looks from the people inside—who didn't know Colman Domingo? You’d have to live under a rock not to. He walked with such confidence and charisma, his eyes fixing almost immediately on your table.

What really caught your attention was seeing that he was accompanied by none other than his former co-star: Jaafar Jackson.

You furrowed your brows. "I didn't know he was bringing a guest," you murmured to Catherine, who seemed just as surprised as you were.

"Neither did I..."

"Ladies!" Coleman exclaimed as he reached the table. You both stood up, welcomed into the older man's arms. "You have no idea how much I missed seeing you, darling," he said, with his characteristic affection toward you.

Smiling widely, you left a small kiss on his cheek. "I missed you too, Col. It seems we’re destined to see each other only for work."

"You know very well that's not true. I've invited you to dinner several times and you decline with excuses," he pointed out, looking at you with amusement. You shrugged. Colman turned slightly, grabbing Jaafar by the shoulder and giving him a small squeeze. "I brought a little guest. I'm sure you know who he is, but it never hurts to introduce people, right?"

"Hey, Jaafar Jackson, a pleasure," he introduced himself, offering a handshake. When his hand touched yours, you swore he held it for a fraction of a second longer than necessary.

And you weren't wrong.

"Well, let's sit. I see the ladies have already ordered something to drink," Catherine laughed, explaining that you had both arrived early and were discussing certain things. "Too bad, you didn't wait for me..."

The table filled with laughter at his words.

The nervousness seemed to have left your system by then, though the tingling remained in your hands. You looked down for a moment, listening to Coleman explain some things about his plans for the film, while Catherine raised her hand to signal the waiter.

You were lost in their conversation, but you felt watched for a moment. You thought that perhaps Coleman's presence had caused several people to glance at your table, but as you turned your head gently, you noticed Jaafar’s brown eyes on you.

He looked like a child who has just been caught taking a toy, the sight made you laugh softly before turning back to the other two.

Without realizing it, the conversation spread to the whole table, and time began to disappear.

After a few hours, the four of you were still sitting at the same table, though the atmosphere felt more familiar with the passing minutes.

"Naveen still doesn't want to accept," Coleman said, causing Catherine and you to look at Jaafar with surprise. "He says he wants to take some time because of the Michael movie, but this project won't take more than six months to film."

"Six months isn't such a short time, Col," you said, before taking a sip from your glass.

"The script isn't even ready yet. I have the perfect actress to be Tiana, I just need Mr. Jackson to make some room in his busy schedule," he joked, causing Jaafar's cheeks to warm up.

"I promise I'll make room for you," Jaafar said with a light chuckle.

You watched him. In the hours you had been there, he had noticed that you only limited yourself to nodding and giving short affirmations. He immediately deduced that his presence made you uncomfortable, but he decided to ignore it.

"Uhm! I have to go," Catherine stood up. "I need to rest; I have things to do tomorrow." She said goodbye to Coleman and you with a kiss on the cheek, while giving Jaafar a brief handshake. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Jaafar. See you later! Bye!"

And just like that, she disappeared through the door.

Minutes later, the three of you stood up from the table. Coleman said he would take care of the bill, so you and Jaafar had no choice but to accept.

You both found yourselves outside, waiting for him to come out to say a proper goodbye.

You rubbed your forearms, trying to soothe the chill of the night, making a mental note to bring a jacket next time you went out. Something warm settled over your arms, and before you could say anything, you were met with Jaafar's smile.

"It's nothing. I noticed you were cold... you can give it back to me later," he said, staring into your eyes.

At that moment, you seemed to understand—realizing that all the things they said about Jaafar in the media were true.

You smiled at the thought, looking down at your feet, embarrassed.

"Thank you so much, Jaafar," your voice came out lower and softer than you intended, causing the shyness to spread even further through you.

"It's nothing, Queen."

"I liked the movie," you added, giving him a brief look.

"Really? Thank you so much... I liked seeing you in Sinners, too. You did a great job."

"Thank you..."

After that, silence reigned between you both, but it was quickly interrupted by Colman, who said goodbye to you with a warm hug, assuring you that you should write to him more often if you wanted to keep the role of Tiana, at which you just let out a giggle.

The car that had dropped you off was now at the corner waiting for you, so you hurried to say goodbye to both of them—but not before giving one last look at Jaafar, who smiled at you gently as you turned your back and disappeared into the car.

What none of you knew was that a small group of paparazzi had taken several photos of your meeting, mostly of Jaafar and you, and that several videos had already been recorded by people who were in the same restaurant.

The ride home was short. After changing into your trusty nightgown and panties, you threw yourself onto the bed and picked up your phone.

You had decided that you really needed to post something on Instagram today; your last post was from two months ago, and you knew your fans were dying to see something new.

@QueensBald

liked by jermajestyjjackson, kingofbingo & others

QueensBald a lil bit of this month, see u soon. love&peace 🐸🥂

user21 what’s jermajersty Jackson doing in her likes?????? 👀👀👀👀

User2357 MY EXACT THOUGHT

kingofbingo ❤️❤️❤️❤️

catherineutwah IM SO FUCKING HORNY 🫦🫦

sabrinacarpenter girl that’s my line.

QueensBald ladies, I’m tryan to do my work today, hehe, leave me alone type shyt. 🫩

You turned off the device, leaving it on your nightstand.

Involuntarily, your eyes drifted until they landed on Jaafar’s jacket. It rested on the coat rack by the door. A small smile stretched across your lips before you closed your eyes.

It really had been a long night.

೯⠀⁺ ⠀ 𖥻 🍄‍🟫 ⠀ ᰋ 2026 © JAAFARL

My work and writing is absolutely forbidden to be translated, used without my permission or plagiarized on any platform without my consent.

INTRO , ۶ৎ 2K nicheinfluencer!black!reader x jermajesty jackson ◞ During a live, you reveal that you have a boyfriend. Your followers immediately try to uncover the identity of the mysterious man—until he unknowingly reveals himself. fluffy love, jerma being a lovely nerd, slightly suggestive but not smut.

NELLY'S NOTES , ⋆ ִֶָ ๋𓂃🎐 ⋆ idk what this is guys, i was just rlly bored and want to writte sum bout maj, this is just a lil messy ik

You were sitting on the couch in the living room in your small apartment, the glow of your phone reflecting on your face as your eyes tried to read each of the comment bubbles popping up on the screen.

Yes, you were in the middle of a live stream. After a few months of not doing one due to your busy life outside of being an influencer, you decided to give your followers a little love. You also did it because you were bored and your affectionate boyfriend was nowhere to be found.

But, they didn't know that, and they didn't need to know either.

"Where is my lip liner from?" you repeated the question before looking up at the ceiling, trying to remember. "I have tons of them, but the ones I use the most are from MAC and sometimes rhode..."

You read a comment about showing your nails and immediately did so. "I got them done last week, that's why they look a little chipped."

You followed the stream of comments appearing on your screen, picked up the can of beer you had been drinking, and placed your hand right over the company logo.

"No free promo," you joked with a small laugh. "What do I listen to the most? Well, the people who have followed me since the beginning know that I love Sade... she's the GOAT."

You took a sip from the can when a comment caught your entire attention.

“Did you see the Michael movie?”

"Of course I saw it!" you replied excitedly. "In fact, I was invited to the premiere... but I couldn't make it due to scheduling conflicts."

You spent a good while like that, answering and asking them questions back. You liked knowing things about your followers just as much as they liked knowing about you; it was like a mutual trade of affection.

You were talking enthusiastically about how you wanted to start writing again, since back in high school you used to write a lot of poetry but had completely forgotten that hobby due to college and adult life, when you heard the front door open and the jingle of keys.

As you turned your face in that direction, you bumped into Jermajesty, who was holding a massive bouquet of flowers that covered his entire torso. Your eyes went wide with excitement at the sight.

"Ma—" was the only thing the live stream viewers heard before you muted the microphone.

You jumped up and ran toward him. Jermajesty hurried to hold the bouquet in his left hand while catching you with his right.

You wrapped your legs around his waist, cupping his jaw before pressing your lips together in a kiss.

"I missed you so much, Maj," you whispered against his lips. He just smiled before kissing you back.

This time the kiss was slow. He tasted the hint of beer mixed with the sweetness of the lip gloss on your lips, and the hand holding you slid down to your lower back, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"I brought you flowers. I saw them on the way and thought, 'Why not bring these gorgeous flowers to my gorgeous, wonderful girlfriend?'" he said as your feet touched the floor again. He held out the bouquet, and you took it carefully.

"Thank you so much, my love," you planted a quick kiss on his lips before rushing back to your phone.

You unmuted the stream while holding the bouquet up to the camera. "Look what my man brought me. Aren't they gorgeous?"

Jermajesty let out a laugh, sitting just out of camera view while watching the huge smile lighting up your face.

"I didn't know you had a man," you read out loud, laughing as you turned to look at the guy standing a short distance away from you. "What do you have to say, babe?"

"How could anyone expect a face this perfect not to be taken?" he teased, earning another amused look from you.

The comments were flooded with questions about who the mystery man and boyfriend was, while others were in shock, trying to figure it out by tossing out random names.

"Well, it's time for me to go, guys... it was great talking to you. Remember that the link is in my bio to help the people in GAZA, and the website to sign petitions for the women of Afghanistan," you announced, bringing your face close to the camera, smiling as you flashed a peace sign with your fingers. "Kisses, mwak, mwak, love you y'all."

And just like that, you ended the live stream. You tossed your phone onto the glass table before walking over to Jermajesty.

He looked you up and down as you slowly approached him. You stepped right between his thighs, and he quickly settled back against the couch so he could wrap his arms around your waist.

"You look really good in my t-shirt," he murmured while your hands brushed the back of his neck. You smiled at his words, leaning down toward his face. "But I think you'd look better without it."

"You think so?" you whispered right against his ear, feeling his grip tighten on you, before you were pulled down onto the couch in one swift movement. "Jermajesty!"

"Shut up and kiss me, mama..."

You didn't have to be told twice.

Your lips crashed together in a deep, passionate kiss, his hands roaming everywhere.

And just like that, you both lost yourselves in each other.

pssycola

liked by theestallion, genevievejaxn and others....

sugarlovers who’s that in the 5 pic? 👀👀

user21: apparently her boyfriend.

theestallion: BODY TEEEEEEA

pssycola: COOCHIE GOODDDDD 💆🏾‍♀️💆🏾‍♀️💆🏾‍♀️

user31: SHES SOFT LAUNCHING AND IM HERE FOR ITTTTTT

jerdadaupdates: I think I have seen that hand before, but idk. 👀

user76: The Jackson’s fans are everywhere 😂😂😂

genevievejaxn: ❤️❤️

pssycola: MWAK

user56: WHATS GOING ON HEREEEE?

After that, things had calmed down, though you still caught weird theories floating around about you and Jermajesty secretly dating.

Entire Twitter threads featured side-by-side photos taken in the exact same place on the exact same day. You found it wild how deeply people could investigate other people's relationships.

Not that you cared all that much. You knew that was just how social media worked, and it wasn't like you paid it any real attention.

That day, once again, you were running a live stream while getting ready to go out.

You were finishing up your lip combo when the bedroom door pushed open, and there stood Jermajesty holding a bouquet of Lego flowers with a look of pure, unadulterated pride.

You stared at him in utter shock. There was nothing you could do because the phone was positioned in a way that captured the guy crystal clear, and he seemed completely oblivious to the catastrophe he had just unleashed.

"I finally finished it!" he cheered excitedly, walking toward you with his eyes locked entirely on you. You couldn't help but smile at his proud expression.

You spun toward your camera, your eyes widening in shock all over again as you watched the comments roll in back-to-back, filled with pure surprise and excitement.

You sighed, realizing there was nothing left to do except congratulate Jermajesty on his incredible masterpiece with a kiss on the lips.

"You just caused absolute chaos on my live, Maj."

His eyes went wide. He spun around to look at the phone he hadn't noticed before.

"Mama... I'm so sorry," he mumbled, shrinking back quickly. You shook your head with a laugh, taking his hand and pulling him back toward you.

"It's fine, love. They were going to find out eventually anyway."

You placed a hand on his cheek before kissing his lips. When you pulled back, you turned your back to the him to show off your outfit while he slid his hands around your waist and rested his chin on your shoulder.

"That's it, guys! I'm ready to go out with my jerman, kisses..." You blew a kiss before abruptly cutting the live stream.

Jermajesty started pressing soft kisses down your neck, making you giggle.

"Don't start that, we are not ending up late to the barbecue like last time."

"Babe..." he sighed, watching you grab your purse. "Fine, let's go."

೯⠀⁺ ⠀ 𖥻 🍄‍🟫 ⠀ ᰋ 2026 © JAAFARL

My work and writing is absolutely forbidden to be translated, used without my permission or plagiarized on any platform without my consent.

INTRO , ❥ 2.67K coworker!actress!reader x jaafar jackson ◞ after the micheal movie huge succes, Jaafar was contacted by Walt Disney Studios for the upcoming live-action adaptation of The Princess And The Frog, with his friend en co-star Coleman Domingo, who serves as one of the proyect´s writter. There, he meet reader.ᐟ, a talented and rising actress who is well-known for being charismatic and soft-spoken. Neither of them knows what fate has for them. reader and colman know each other from a previous project, so uk who recommended her for the role. reader is a ballet dancer and theater!actress. reader doesn’t have a faceclaim for the moment i couldn’t decide between ayo edeberi and coco jones.

SWEET'S CONTAINS , .✦ ݁˖ slow-burn.ᐟtrope ◞ strangers to friends to lovers. . . Maddie and Jaafar aren’t together. reader known as Queen B. fluffy vanilla love they being cuties reader!shy assf & Jaafar just being Jaafar. previous part

NELLY'S NOTES , ૮꒰ ˶• ༝ •˶꒱ა ♡ HIIIIIYA, CUTIES! i just want to say tysm to everyone is commenting and reposting my fic, i really, really, really appreciate the support.

AUGUST 16th, 2026

The following morning had arrived like any other. You would have loved to claim you actually slept the night before, but doing so would make you a liar. Your hours of sleep had been cut down to a miserable five, all thanks to staying up way too late scrolling through a certain gossip page speculating about your outing with Colman the previous night.

Sometimes you found it hard to understand how the media could blow things out of proportion in a matter of seconds. It certainly didn't help that you were active on social media—well, at least during certain periods of time—even though the odds of seeing what people were saying about you were usually slim, they were never zero.

You had learned the hard way that obsessing over social media commentary could completely consume you. A certain controversy with your former co-star, Michael B. Jordan, had taught you that lesson well.

Not only did it drain you mentally, but it was also the primary reason many friendships got torn apart, while the people running those gossip blogs remained completely oblivious to the real damage they caused.

Still, you decided you wouldn't waste your energy on it. After thinking about it for a good while, you climbed out of bed and kicked off your daily routine.

At that exact moment, you were in the kitchen, fixing yourself some toast and eggs, when you heard a couple of light taps at your front door.

Opening it, you were greeted by Catherine’s warm smile.

"I brought breakfast!" she announced, waving a small bag in her hand. You rolled your eyes with amusement and stepped aside to let her in.

"You're an hour late, I'm already making my own breakfast," you called out as you walked back into the kitchen, the brunette following closely behind. "Besides, you know I don't like coffee," you added, hearing her let out an exaggerated sigh.

Catherine placed the bag on the kitchen island and claimed one of the three chairs. She watched your silhouette move with quiet grace as you plated the scrambled eggs.

She cleared her throat to grab your attention.

"So," she began, pulling a chicken sandwich from the bag, while you looked on, waiting for her to finish. "Jaafar and you...?"

Your brown eyes nearly popped out of your head at your friend's words. Catherine, meanwhile, seemed completely absorbed in the taste of her sandwich, chewing with determination and letting out little sounds of satisfaction.

"What do you mean? Jaafar and I, what?" you demanded, pointing your fork at her.

She shrugged, setting the sandwich down just long enough to take a sip of her coffee. "I don't know, I saw the photos they took of you guys last night... did you come home together—?"

Her sentence was abruptly cut off by your voice. "For God's sake, Catt! He just gave me his jacket! Nothing else happened!"

"Why?" she asked again, this time with her mouth full.

You stared at her with genuine confusion, which only seemed to amuse her further.

"What do you mean 'why'?"

"I mean... did you see the way he looked at you? He looked completely mesmerized... and I saw two edits of you guys this morning..."

"Oh, hell nah..." you muttered. Abandoning your plate, you stepped right up in front of your friend. "I don't even know him... and even if I did, I wouldn't bring him home," you said, feeling the heat rise into your cheeks.

Catherine narrowed her eyes, holding back the laughter threatening to break through your flustered expression.

"Relax, Queencey-Booh, I'm just messing with you," she said, taking a massive bite of her sandwich. You could only roll your eyes.

You picked up your plate, sat right next to her, and finally started eating. After a moment, you paused to look at her. "Didn't you have things to do today?"

"Oh, no! I lied, I just wanted to leave... someone was waiting for me at home," the last sentence came out in a tiny whisper, but you heard it loud and clear.

Your eyes widened in exaggeration. "Don't tell me...!"

"Oh, yeah, girl..."

Catherine nodded before launching into the details of what happened the night before with her supposed ex-boyfriend.

The two of you ended up talking in the kitchen for hours.

AUGUST 28th, 2026

Two long weeks had passed since you had last been seen publicly—at least by the paparazzi. You were one of the rare celebrities who actually knew how to blend into a crowd without catching anyone's eye, and you were endlessly grateful for it.

That afternoon, you were on your way to the studio where Colman and Catherine were waiting. According to them, it was time to start the look tests for filming.

From what Catherine had informed you, shooting was slated to kick off in early November with the goal of securing at least two weeks off in December. That came as a massive relief because you desperately wanted to spend Christmas with your parents.

You carefully pushed open one of the building's doors. You didn't even need to stop at reception; the ID badge hanging around your neck let everyone know you had all-access clearance.

After walking down what felt like an eternity of corridors, you spotted the silhouettes of Colman and Catherine. To your surprise, Jaafar was standing right there with them.

Your stomach did a strange flip at the sight of him. He was wearing a dark blue hoodie paired with grey sweatpants. Despite having the hood up, he also had a baseball cap pulled low. You tightened your grip on your bag, trying to ignore the sudden rush of tingles spreading through your body.

"Good morning," your voice came out just as sweet and calm as ever, drawing everyone's attention.

Colman was the first to wrap his arms around you, placing a light kiss on your forehead. "I thought you weren't going to show up, darling."

"And miss all this? Nah, I have to face my fear of people all on my own. Tiana's going to help me with that," you joked, walking over to Catherine, who pulled you into an affectionate hug as well.

"I brought donuts," she whispered playfully in your ear.

When you pulled back, you noticed Jaafar's eyes fixed on you. Though you couldn't be sure, he looked entirely expectant—unsure if he was going to get a hug or a polite handshake—so he simply stood there, shifting his weight from foot to foot.

Colman and Catherine mentioned something about needing to greet the hair and makeup crew. You nodded, watching them head off toward the adjacent studio.

"Hey," you said, turning your attention to Jaafar. He looked at you and smiled.

"Hey," he replied, sliding his hands into his coat pockets.

Without thinking twice, you walked right up to him and wrapped your arms around his waist. Taken completely by surprise, he hurried to return the embrace, sliding his hands over your shoulders.

"Isn't this awkward?" you asked, leaning back just enough to meet his bright brown eyes.

"Not at all," he replied, giving you a gentle pat on the back. "Besides, I guess we need to get used to being this close anyway."

"Why?"

"Because you're going to be my princess, and we're probably going to be pretty close on set."

You furrowed your brows in confusion, and when the realization finally hit you, your eyes went wide.

"You accepted the role?!" you blurted out, a smile breaking across your face.

"Yeah!" Jaafar answered with a soft chuckle. Your stunned expression was equal parts funny and adorable to him.

"Oh, my god! I'm going to work with Jaafar Jackson!" you exclaimed, giving a little hop of excitement.

Jaafar simply smiled, watching you intently. Your reaction was so genuine that the grin on his face widened until his cheeks ached.

You, on the other hand, were slowly processing the gravity of the situation: you were going to work with Jaafar Jackson. It wasn't every day you got the chance to collaborate with someone from that family. If you did, you had to consider yourself incredibly lucky and grateful—that family was overflowing with talent.

Michael Jackson was living proof of that; more than a decade after his passing, he was still breaking records.

You took a breath to calm yourself and stepped back into your previous spot in front of Jaafar.

"Sorry, I think my inner fan-girl for your uncle just took over," you apologized, tucking a stray lock of hair behind your ear.

"Just my uncle?" Jaafar teased, pulling a funny face that made you laugh all over again. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing..." you denied, still giggling. You pointed at his baseball cap. "Why the cap and the hood at the same time?"

"Oh... nothing, just didn't want to catch anyone's attention," he answered before taking it off, letting his hair fall loose. From what you could tell, his curls had gotten a bit longer.

Before you could say anything else, Colman's voice cut through the air.

"Time to work, lovebirds!"

You both shared an amused look before walking over to him.

You were sitting in front of a mirror while a couple of makeup artists fussed over your face, using a classic cartoon reference image stuck to the vanity with a piece of gum as their guide.

"I think we can add a little brown shadow right above the eyelid..." one of them murmured, pausing to study your features.

"Yeah, that's a good idea. It'll contrast nicely with Tiana's yellow uniform, right?" Both stylists agreed while you watched them through the reflection.

Minutes later, they wrapped up their work, scrutinizing your face from different angles.

"Do you like how it looks, honey?" one asked. You nodded with a shy, small smile.

"Well, we'll leave you alone for a bit, we'll be back later to figure out the hair..." the other said, packing her tools into a small case. "I think I heard Colman mention something about wigs, but nothing's confirmed yet..."

You nodded, tracking their every move.

"Thank you so much for your hard work!" you called out as they slipped out the trailer door, earning a quick "you're welcome" before you were left in peace.

You looked at yourself in the mirror again. Sometimes you found it amusing how much your face transformed during time spent on movie sets. You couldn't deny that you loved seeing yourself in different styles.

Smiling, you pulled out your phone to snap a quick photo, knowing you couldn't post it—at least not for a very long time.

The trailer door suddenly swung open, making you let out a little squeop of surprise. You clutched a hand to your chest as Catherine leaned against the doorway with a cigarette dangling from her lips.

"We need to do a screen test, so get your butt up and let's head to the main studio," she announced, exhaling smoke through her nose. You rolled your eyes and stood up.

"Do you even know how to knock?"

She just shrugged with a teasing grin.

Ugh, Catherine was seriously going to be the death of you.

A laugh slipped past your lips as you listened to Colman's directions, shifting positions and pulling various facial expressions in front of the camera sitting mere inches from your face.

"Alright... I think we could swap out the lipstick for a slightly darker shade... maybe line the top lip with a darker nude and blend some brown shadow on the bottom," Colman instructed the makeup artists who had been with you earlier. They nodded while one of them scribbled notes.

"I think we should stretch the eyeliner a bit more, too," you chimed in, pointing playfully at your own eyes.

"Yeah, that too..." Colman agreed.

Right then, the door pushed open and Jaafar walked in, looking just as transformed by hair and wardrobe as you were.

You couldn't deny they had done a fantastic job with his look. Involuntarily, you bit your lower lip and quickly looked away.

"You arrived at the absolute right moment, son!"

You scrambled out of the way so Jaafar could take your spot. He stepped up and followed the same routine you had just finished—taking direction and cycling through expressions while the camera rolled.

"Queen," Colman's voice pulled you out of your thoughts. You looked his way. "Get back to where you were," he instructed. You immediately complied. Jaafar tried to shift out of the way, but Colman stopped him with a sharp tsk. "Uhm, stay right there, Jackson."

You both froze in place while Colman turned to confer with the director, who glanced over at the two of you.

"We're going to run a quick chemistry test. I know you don't have a script yet, but I'll give you a few prompts and you'll improvise, sound good?" Both of you nodded.

A spike of panic hit your heart at the man's words, freezing your blood and stalling every thought racing through your brain.

It was rare for chemistry tests to happen completely unscripted, but you knew the script wasn't fully finished or was still undergoing revisions—you barely remembered any of Colman's instructions as the panic fully set in.

Jaafar, on the other hand, looked entirely at ease, staring straight ahead and waiting for the director's cue.

"Alright, stand face-to-face," the director ordered. The rushing noise in your ears made it hard to catch everything, but you heard that loud and clear. "Look at each other."

Reluctantly, you forced yourself to gaze into Jaafar's brown orbs.

Up close, you noticed how they caught the light—though you couldn't tell if it was just the studio lights or some natural spark in his gaze. Subconsciously, a small smile crept onto your face, earning a nod of approval from the director.

"Put your hand on her waist, Jaafar."

Without hesitation, Jaafar slid one hand onto your waist, closing the distance between your bodies. "There it is! Keep holding that gaze."

At that point, the director's voice faded into white noise. You two were locked in a staring contest to see who would look away first. Jaafar was winning by a landslide because your sudden shyness forced your eyes away every few seconds.

"Step a little closer..."

Jaafar took the initiative, leaning down slightly to match your height. Your noses brushed briefly, catching your breath right in your throat. You tried to mask your surprise by looking right back into his eyes, and he shot you a knowing, playful smirk.

It's just acting, it's just acting, it's just...

Your thoughts screeched to a halt when your gaze dropped to Jaafar's soft, pink lips—and you noticed he did the exact same thing to yours. You both leaned in just a fraction, causing your noses to graze once more.

That exact same fluttery feeling from earlier that morning rushed straight back to your stomach, making you involuntarily close your eyes and sigh.

"Great job, guys!" the director called out, bursting the little bubble that had formed around you. "Ladies and gentlemen, let's give a round of applause for our Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen."

The studio filled with a wave of loud applause. You let out a breathy laugh and leaned against Jaafar's chest, while he smiled, waving a hand to thank the crew.

A gentle squeeze at your waist startled you slightly. You had completely forgotten that Jaafar still had his hand on you.

You looked up to find that same sweet smile waiting for you. You didn't hesitate to return it before turning back to the team and offering a polite, grateful bow.

"The way he was looking at you, Queen!" Catherine gasped, waving her chopsticks dramatically in the air.

The two of you were sitting in a small Chinese restaurant not far from your house. After nearly three hours in traffic coming back from the studio, neither of you had the energy to cook, so sushi was the default winner.

"That's why they call it acting, Catt. Nothing that happens or that you see is real..." you retorted, giving an unbothered shrug.

"Girl, stop lying to yourself... I saw you, too!"

"Oh, for God's sake, Catherine!" you burst out laughing before popping a piece of sushi into your mouth.

The brunette's expression softened slightly as she tapped her chopsticks against her fingers.

"You know? I've heard actors fall in love with their co-stars all the time," she murmured, catching your attention. You looked at her incredulously.

"The last time I tried something with a co-star, it ended horribly," you pointed out, arching a brow. "And I'm pretty sure you just made that statistic up."

"Of course not!... Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams? Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield? Oh! Don't forget Zendaya and Tom Holland," she fired back, pointing a chopstick at you.

"Out of those three, the only one still standing is the last one," you tilted your head, making her groan in frustration. "And seriously, stop trying to set me up with Jaafar. I don't even know him, and nothing is going to—"

Your words were cut short by a notification chime from your phone—Instagram.

jaafarjackson started following you.

jaafarjackson liked your posts.

You spun your head around to look at Catherine, who raised a single eyebrow. Before you could even form a sentence, another notification buzzed.

This time, it was a direct message.

"So..." Catherine propped her chin in her hands, her eyes wide and brows raised as she paused. "What were you saying?"

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