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"I am not smitten. It's her birthday today. I don't want to upset her or some shit." He replied, grabbing the white paper bag that contained his gifts for you from the same counter.

Jaafar nodded knowingly, opening the front door and letting Jermajesty get out first before he got out of the house as well, locking the doors behind him. The two brothers hurriedly went to Jaafar's car but was interrupted by Randy Jr.

"Hey! Hold up!" Randy jogged down the steps and smiled at his younger brothers. "Give this to her, alright? Tell her I'm sorry I can't make it." Jermajesty took the small box from his brother's hands and nodded before entering the car.

Jaafar slid into the driver's seat, fastening his seatbelt as Jermajesty carefully set the small gift box on his lap.

"I'll tell her," Jermajesty assured.

Randy leaned against the open window with a grin. "And tell her happy birthday from all of us."

"I literally just said I would."

"Yeah, but now I'm reminding you."

Jermajesty gave him a flat look. "Thanks."

With a laugh, Randy stepped away from the car and tapped the roof twice. "Drive safe."

Jaafar started the engine, waving once before pulling out of the driveway. The neighborhood slowly disappeared behind them as they merged onto the main road.

⋆౨ৎ˚⟡˖ ࣪

The bell above the shop door chimed as the brothers stepped inside. The cool air carried the fresh scent of greenery and blooming flowers. Buckets of roses, lilies, carnations, daisies, tulips, and countless other flowers lined the walls in neat rows, filling the little shop with every color imaginable.

An elderly florist greeted them warmly from behind the counter. "Looking for something specific?"

"It's our friend's birthday," Jaafar answered.

The florist smiled knowingly. "Well, birthdays always deserve flowers." As the florist gave Jaafar various options and suggestions, Jermajesty already drifted away from the conversation, wandering through the aisles before she even finished speaking.

Jaafar thanked the lady and followed his younger brother who glared at the options in front of him. "Relax," Jaafar teased. "The flowers didn't do shit to you, Maj."

"They have to be perfect." Jermajesty shook his head, lightly dragging his fingers against the flowers, still looking for a specific one.

After another minute, Jermajesty's eyes finally landed on a bucket tucked toward the back of the shop. His expression softened almost instantly. "There they are."

He carefully picked up a bouquet of white lilies and asked the lady if he could customize it. The lady smiled and nodded, immediately attending to his needs.

Jermajesty added a few stems of pink carnations, several pale pink roses, and sprigs of baby's breath to soften the arrangement and fill the empty spaces. Once he was satisfied with how it looked, he paid for the bouquet, grabbing a tray of chocolates from the counter to go with it before heading towards his brother on the other side of the store.

"Did you find one already?" Jermajesty asked impatiently. Jaafar looked up then turned his gaze down to his brother's bouquet. "Damn," he said, clearly impressed.

Jermajesty gave him a smug smile, "Damn right. I don't play about her. Now, hurry up. I'll wait outside."

After a few more minutes, Jaafar settled on a simple bouquet of roses and a handwritten letter.

⋆౨ৎ˚⟡˖ ࣪

Finally, after what seemed to feel like forever, the brothers arrived at your place. As soon as they stepped in, they were greeted by the sound of lively chatter, random music playing through the speakers, and the decorations that surrounded the walls.

"Jacksons! You made it!" A friend of yours greeted, giving both the brothers a side hug and telling them you were somewhere in the place, entertaining your guests. They nodded gratefully and made their way to the living room, only to be greeted by your family members.

The most annoying, nosy, and cheesy ass people in your life in your opinion.

"Oh shit, here comes the Jacksons!" Your brother hollered, earning the attention of the other guests. "Long time no see, man! Aye, congrats on the movie. You did amazing, Jaafar." He shook Jaafar's hand who sheepishly smiled and thanked him.

Your brother turned to Jermajesty and smiled, dapping him up as well. "My man. You've grown!"

"Man, I'm the same age as your sister—"

"Speaking of! Birthday girl! C'mere! Your Prince Charmings are here." Your brother teased. You turned your head towards him and your eyes landed on the brothers. Quickly excusing yourself from the other guests, you quietly squealed in excitement at the sight of your two most favorite and closest Jacksons.

"You made it!" You wrapped your arms around Jaafar first, thanking him for coming. Then, you moved towards Jermajesty and immediately felt a shift in the air. Your arms awkwardly hung in the air, thinking if you should hug him or not.

Ah, fuck it. "Thanks for coming, Maj." You hugged him tightly, mentally freaking out at how good he smelled right now. Was he wearing a new scent? Why does it matter? He hugged you with equal force, squeezing your waist with his free hand. "Wouldn't miss it for the world, mama. Happy birthday."

He pulled away and handed you a white paper bag, minimalistic yet elegant in its own way. Before you could protest, wanting to say he shouldn't have gotten you anything, he handed you a bouquet of your favorite flowers.

"Jer! Thank you!" You kissed his cheek absentmindedly, already turning your attention towards Jaafar who gave you another bouquet and a handwritten letter.

She kissed me. Well, my cheek. But she kissed me. Holy shit. Jermajesty thought.

His eyes raked your outfit, watching your every move as you continued to talk with his brother. He felt so mesmerized at the sight of you that he almost didn't notice Jaafar's hand at your lower back— keyword: almost.

He cleared his throat and stepped towards you, stopping once your back hit his chest. Glaring at his older brother, he gently removed Jaafar's touch from your body and replaced it with his arm snaking behind your waist.

You were still oblivious to whatever feud that was happening between the brothers. Smiling at both of them, you gestured Jaafar to follow you while you simultaneously pulled Jermajesty as well. The three of you made it to the dining area and you immediately offered them snacks.

"Make yourselves at home! Ah, thank you so much for coming guys. I was about to lose my mind." You chuckled, offering them a glass of your favorite champagne.

"Miss us that much, angel?" Jaafar smiled, gently taking the glass. Noticing the nickname, Jermajesty rolled his eyes before fixing his expression the moment your attention was on him. "Thank you, pretty."

"You have no idea how much my family's been grilling my ass. My aunts and uncles have been trying to make me sing for the last hour."

Jaafar chuckled. "And? Did you?"

"Hell no! They'd have to bribe me to make me sing in front of them." She took a sip of her drink before leaning her elbows against the kitchen counter with Jaafar doing the same. Jermajesty stayed in his place, tracing patterns against your waist as he listened to you and his brother talk once again.

"Oh, come on. I love hearing you sing."

You rolled your eyes, pointing a finger at him. "We won't talk about that."

"I'm serious!" Jaafar smiled, a sight that any other girl would melt at— especially you. "Okay, shut up. I'm still not singing. I might if I'm drunk enough—"

Your conversation was interrupted by your aunt loudly calling your name from the living room. "There she is!"

"Oh, fuck..." You pinched the bridge of your nose, already knowing what was coming.

Your aunt marched over with the confidence only an aunt at a family gathering could possess, two of your older cousins trailing behind her with matching grins. "So these are the Jackson boys!"

Jaafar immediately stood a little straighter and Jermajesty silently prepared for impact.

"I've heard so much about you two."

Your eyes widened.

"...You have?"

"Oh, absolutely." Your aunt replied. You whipped your head toward your aunt. "Auntie—"

"She talks about you all the time."

"Auntie!"

"What?" she asked innocently. "I'm just telling the truth." Heat immediately rushed to your face. Jermajesty, meanwhile, was trying very hard not to smile. Jaafar wasn't nearly as successful.

"Well, what does she say? Good things, I hope?" Jaafar chuckled, covering his smile behind his hand as he avoided your playful glare. "Don't encourage her, J!"

"Of course! She always says how kind you boys are... and how funny you are—"

"Auntie, please—"

"She told us how you, Jaafar, are really caring, kind, and charming. And how Jermajesty remembers every little thing she tells him and how she loves—"

Silence. Complete utter silence followed the three of them, especially Jermajesty. He felt every pair of eyes slowly drift toward him except yours.

Your embarrassment hit at an all-time high.

"Auntie, please stop talking. Oh, look! Your kid's running around, get him before he trips."

Jaafar looked at his younger brother. "Huh."

Jermajesty cleared his throat. "...I mean, I try."

"You do," your aunt agreed. "She mentioned once that she wanted pink carnations and lilies, and the next thing I know—"

Your eyes darted to the bouquet in your hands that was filled with pink carnations, white lilies and baby's breath— your ideal bouquet.

For a second, the chatter around the house faded into the background. Jermajesty forgot about your relatives, the music, the party—everything except the way you were looking at him.

Then, right on cue, your brother appeared again. He took one look at Jermajesty's expression and burst into laughter.

"Sorry to burst whatever's happening here but Mom's calling you, bug. We gotta cut the cake and eat!" Your brother pulled you away from whatever that was and for the first time, you mentally thanked him for interrupting your moment.

Jaafar watched his brother's gaze never leave your retreating figure, a slight annoyed look on his face. He poked his tongue inside his cheek before patting Jermajesty's shoulder. "Come on."

The brothers followed the growing crowd into the dining area where the birthday cake sat in the center of the table, surrounded by flickering candles. Someone dimmed the lights, earning a chorus of playful whistles from your younger cousins.

"There she is!" your mom laughed, gently guiding you toward the cake.

You protested immediately. "Mom, no—"

"Stand."

"But—"

"Come on, bug!"

You sighed dramatically, earning a round of laughter as you took your place behind the cake. Your little cousin was already fumbling with a lighter. "I got it! I got it!"

"No, sweetheart," your dad chuckled, taking it from him before disaster could strike. "Let me."

One by one, the candles came to life. The room dimmed even further. The warm glow danced across your face, and for a brief moment, the chatter died down.

Then—

"Happy birthday to you..."

The singing began and your heart swelled with love and joy. You laughed at your aunts who tried to out-sing one another, your smile growing by the second as your family dramatically sang.

You hear Jermajesty singing too, just loud enough for you to hear when your eyes instinctively searched the crowd. You found him almost immediately, sending a smile your way. Not the loud, teasing grin he wore around everyone else. A softer one reserved entirely for you.

Without thinking, you smiled back. Jaafar caught the silent exchange from beside him. Of course. He looked away before either of you noticed.

"...Happy birthday to you." The song ended with loud cheers and applause.

"Speech!" someone yelled.

"No!" You protested, shaking your head as you blew the candles out and placed the cake down.

"Speech!"

"No speeches!"

"Speech!"

You covered your face with both hands, laughing helplessly. "Okay, okay!" you finally gave in. "Um..." You looked around at everyone gathered in your home. "Thank you all for coming. It really means a lot... I know everyone has busy schedules, so thank you for making time for me."

Your eyes lingered on Jaafar. "Especially people who just came back from press tours around the world."

Jaafar gave you a small salute, winking in the process which made you blush and look away.

You finished your sappy speech and clapped your hands together. "Okay! Enough talking. Let's eat!"

Plates were passed around while music resumed through the speakers. Guests split into smaller groups again, conversations picking up where they'd left off.

Jermajesty found himself standing near the kitchen island with a slice of cake balanced in one hand.

"You haven't touched your cake, Maj." He looked over and saw you standing behind him. You had somehow escaped the swarm of relatives again and wanted to spend time with Jermajesty.

"I've been... distracted."

"I can see that," you chuckled before nodding towards the slice of cake. "Try it." He nodded, taking a small bite while you watched him carefully. "Do you like it?"

"...Mhm."

You narrowed your eyes. "You hesitated."

"I was chewing!" He replied, shoulders raised in defense as you laughed at him. You nodded your head sarcastically, taking the fork from his hands and taking a small piece of cake for yourself.

He watched as you carefully place the fork against your lips, sniffing the delicious scent before eating it. You hummed in delight as the familiar flavor of chocolate burst in your tongue. He smiled softly as some of the frosting got smudged against the corner of your mouth.

Without thinking about it, he raised his hand and wiped the frosting off with his thumb. As he kept eye contact with you, he licked the frosting off his thumb and tilted his head at your flustered expression. "...I'm more of a vanilla person, you know. But this cake's good too."

You cleared your throat and gave him an awkward chuckle, grabbing a napkin and making sure to wipe any food residue that might still be on your lips. "Glad you still enjoyed it."

"Oh, I want to give you something." He said and you smiled. "Another gift, Maj? Seriously, you didn't have to get me anything—"

"Shut up. Respectfully." He added once he saw your glare. "Can we go somewhere more private?"

You laughed, pulling him towards your room. "What's this gift and why does it need to be given in private?" Jermajesty closed the door behind you and grabbed a small box from his pocket.

"Are you proposing to me?" You gasped dramatically. "Okay, get down on one knee and beg for my hand—"

"Bro, I'm not proposing. Don't be silly now."

Your laughter died down as he opened the box. In it was a simple gold necklace with a small charm— the same necklace you've been wanting to buy for months now.

"Jermajesty! Oh my god!" You grabbed the necklace and smiled up at him. "Holy shit, I thought this was sold out? How'd you get it!"

"You like it, ma?"

"Like it? I love it! Fuck, this is so sweet, Maj! Come here." You pulled him in for a hug and kissed his cheek in appreciation. Jermajesty felt his heart jump out of his chest right then. He chuckled into the hug and kissed your temple.

He took the necklace and lead you to stand in front of your mirror. Standing behind you, he carefully placed the necklace around your neck, clasping it in place. "Happy birthday, pretty."

"Thank you, Maj. Really." You turned your head to the side and felt your breath hitch at the sight of his face just inches away from yours.

"...You're really beautiful." he blurted out.

"Shut up, man." You tried to push him away, only to be pulled back in by Jermajesty grabbing your wrist and placing a soft kiss against it.

Downstairs, the party carried on as if nothing had happened. Music floated through the house. Someone had started another card game in the dining room. A few of your younger cousins were chasing each other through the hallway despite repeated warnings from the adults.

Jaafar sat in the living room with a half-finished drink in his hand, only half-listening to whatever story your uncle was telling.

His attention kept drifting toward the staircase. Toward the hallway where the two of you had disappeared minutes ago.

"She just wanted to show him something," he told himself.

Probably her room.

Maybe she was opening his gift.

Maybe—

He clicked his tongue against the inside of his cheek.

"Get a grip."

"You're zoning out."

Jaafar looked over to find your older brother dropping onto the couch beside him, balancing a paper plate with two slices of cake. "Where's Jermajesty?"

Jaafar shrugged, "Probably with y/n."

Noticing the tone in Jaafar's voice, your brother decided to investigate. "Jer's got it bad for her, huh?"

Jaafar visibly tensed up. Gripping his glass tighter, he nodded at your brother's question. "Yeah."

" I don't think he even realizes how obvious he is when it comes to her..."

"Mhm."

"I mean," Your brother chuckled. "The guy follows her around like a lost puppy. He remembers everything she says. Teases the shit out of her. Looks at her like she hung the moon... and if anyone gets too close— God help them."

Jaafar smiled faintly, choosing not to reply to that. Instead, he watched someone refill the snack bowls across the rooms, drifted his gaze towards your relatives who were playing board games, and—

"You like her too, don't you?"

Jaafar's fingers froze against his glass. "What?"

"You heard me." Your brother propped his elbows against his knees and leaned forward. "I've seen the way you look at her."

"Can we not..."

"I've known you for years, man. I know how you get when you like someone."

Jaafar sighed, leaning against the soft couch dramatically. "I didn't mean for it to happen. I– I don't plan on saying anything."

"...Because of Jer?"

Jaafar nodded. "He... He's crazy about her." There wasn't a hint of bitterness in his voice, just resignation. "I've never seen him like this. He deserves a chance."

"And you don't?"

Jaafar finally looked at your brother. "It's not about what I deserve. It's about what she wants." His gaze wandered back to the staircase. "If she chooses him then that's enough for me."

Before either of them could say another word, footsteps echoed from the second floor. Instinctively, both men looked up.

There you were. Descending the stairs with Jermajesty a step behind you. Your fingers absentmindedly brushed the necklace resting against your collarbone, unable to stop smiling every time the pendant caught the light.

Jermajesty's gaze never left you.

Jaafar watched as you looked over your shoulder to say something to Jermajesty, laughing when he replied.

Then, almost unconsciously, Jermajesty reached out and took your hand to help you down the last two steps, even though you clearly didn't need the assistance.

You didn't pull away, making Jaafar lower his eyes.

Then came the unmistakable sound of the front door opening. Gripping the vacuum tighter, you removed your earbuds and listened to the footsteps that were getting closer to your room.

Your heart beat loudly against your chest. You lived alone. No one was supposed to be here—

"Bro, where you at? You in your room?"

Instantly rolling your eyes, you open your door and see his half-raised fist, as if he was just about to knock on your door. "Hey, pretty." he smiled, putting his hands in his pockets as he leaned against the doorframe.

"What the fuck, Maj! I thought you were an intruder. How'd you get inside?" You carefully placed the vacuum handle down, kicking the wire to the side as you glared up at him.

"You gave me a spare key, pretty." He said, twirling the familiar silver key ring around his finger.

Jermajesty walked towards you, looking at you up and down before turning his gaze towards your room. His sunglasses were perched atop his head despite being indoors, and he wore the kind of smug grin that usually meant he knew he'd caught you at the worst possible moment.

"You busy right now, mama?"

"What does it look like, Maj?" You hissed in annoyance. Quickly discarding the rest of the trash left in your room and arranging the clothes into your closet, Jermajesty watched as you swiftly changed the status of your room from 'looking like a collapsed civilization' to 'breathable'.

"You weren't answering your phone," he shrugged, immediately lying down on your bed, grabbing whatever plushie he could find and smiling up at you.

"Ew!" You smacked his chest and pulled him by the arm, trying to get him out of your bed. "Maj, you're wearing outside clothes! I just changed the sheets! Get off!"

His laughter only fueled your rage as you continued to pull his dead weight off the bed. Realizing your inevitable failure, you rolled your eyes once more and shoved him back onto your bed.

"You done?" he asked between laughs, completely unfazed by your failed attempts to move him. You planted your hands on your hips, glaring down at him. "No."

With one dramatic sigh, you grabbed the nearest pillow and smacked him square in the face.

"Ow! Bro—"

"You're tracking germs onto my clean sheets! Get." hit. "Off!" another hit. Then another just because you felt like it.

Having enough of your dramatic ass, Jermajesty grabbed the pillow in your hands and pulled it towards him, which pulled you towards him too. With a small gasp, you fell on top of him with only the pillow acting as a barrier between your chests.

"Hi," he smiled at you. "You done hitting me now?"

Groaning, you pull yourself up only to be pulled back down by Jermajesty. "Stay here, ma." Removing the pillow between your bodies and setting it aside, he shifted his body into a more comfortable position all while having you on top of him. "Maj..." you warned softly.

He let out a lazy hum in response. "Hm?"

Shifting comfortably against the mattress, he slid one arm beneath his head as a makeshift pillow. Before you could react, his other arm circled your waist with effortless ease, keeping you from retreating as he looked up at you with an unmistakably amused expression.

"I missed you," he said. You looked up at him and scoffed softly. "We saw each other a few weeks ago." Trying to pull yourself up again, Jermajesty just tightened his grip around your waist in response, shaking his head and silently telling you to stay still.

"Yeah, but that was forever ago. Too long—"

Your laughter interrupted his dramatic rant, causing him to mirror your smile. "What? I can't miss my best friend now?" he asked affectionately as he nuzzled his face onto the crook of your neck.

You groaned and rolled your eyes, though the corner of your mouth betrayed you with the hint of a smile.

"I know you're smiling right now, baby." He said, his voice muffled as he nuzzled his head further into your neck. "Mm. You smell good. You wearing new perfume?"

"No," you chuckled, finally stopping your resistance against his touch. You combed your hand through his hair and sighed, "I'm wearing the perfume you got me for my birthday."

He looked up at you and smiled, "Yeah? I got good taste then."

"Whatever, Maj." You gently slapped his chest before sitting up, your legs on either side of his body. Looking down at you straddling him, Jermajesty gulped and placed his hands on your hips, grounding you to him.

"So? Why'd you come over?" You asked, completely unaware of the effect you have over him right now.

"Just—" his voice cracked before he cleared his throat. "Just missed you. Wanted to talk to you." His breathing became shallow as he felt your fingers lightly trace patterns over his clothed chest.

"Yeah, right." You scoffed. "If you missed me so bad, you could've just called."

He shook his head. "Nah. You hate calls. Plus... I needed to see you in person."

"Needed?" You teased, earning an eye roll from him. "Shut the fuck up, bro." he groaned, squeezing your hips as a warning. Chuckling, you removed yourself from his body, leaving him silently wishing you were still on top of him. You went to your vanity mirror and looked for something.

"What you lookin' for?" He asked, standing up and making his way towards you. Once he was just behind you, he wrapped his arms around your waist, looking at you through the mirror.

"Just my chapstick. My lips are dry as fuck these days."

He made a 'tsk' sound and turned your body to face his. "That's coz you don't drink enough water, woman. I told you—"

"Oh, quit nagging me, boy." You turned your back around once more and finally found your chapstick, quickly uncapping it and placing the balm against your lips. Jermajesty just watched, his gaze never tearing away from your lips.

"You know what you're doing to me. I know you do." He muttered, his voice tight with restraint.

Smirking to yourself, you tilted your head as you turned around to face him. He towered over you, hands still gripping your waist while his eyes bore into yours. "Dunno what you're talking about, Maj."

He rolled his eyes and looked away. "You're irritating as fuck. You know that, right?"

You giggled at his reaction, placing your palm over your mouth to hide your smile which only irritated Jermajesty even more.

"Man, I hate you." He moved his hands away and dragged it across his face in annoyance.

"No, you don't."

He playfully glared at you before sighing in defeat. "Yeah, you right, pretty." He pulled you in and kissed your cheek before running away and laughing like a maniac.