Modern 90s/2000s College AU!
Warnings: come on yall know me by now đ(smut) Sammie MooreâŚâŚ
ââââââââââ
Back in school, you wasnât ever that girl folks looked twice at. Glasses too big, always ducked off somewhere, eyes to the floor like you was scared to be seen. You kept to yourself mostly. Not all the way soloâyou had a lil crew. Two, maybe three homegirls, but yâall was all on the same wave. Quiet. Closed off. Real lowkey.
But your girls started poppinâ over timeâglowinâ up for real. Got they first lil boyfriends. Started rockinâ with dance teams, joininâ clubs, throwinâ on them cheer uniforms. Meanwhile, you stayed tucked in. No boyfriend, no flings, no nothinâ. Head always in a book, studyinâ for some exam that wasnât even on the radar yet. Two semesters ahead, tryna be grown before you had to be.You did have one lil crush thoughâif thatâs what you could even call it that.
His name stayed floatinâ down them hallways like the beat of a marching band on game day. He had that kinda presenceâloud without even sayinâ nothinâ. You used to tag along to his games with your girls, sittinâ up in them bleachers pretendinâ like you was there for the team. But truth was, you barely even cheered. Just watched. Quiet. Nervous. Lowkey fascinated.
You liked Sammie in that way where just hearinâ his voice made your heart do flips. Couldnât even look him in the eye. That country accent? Whew. Only ever caught it when he passed by, talkinâ to his boys or flirtinâ with some girl in 3rd period.
Then one day he was gone. Transferred schoolsâsomethinâ about bigger chances, better shine. You ainât ask too many questions.
And just like that, the crush faded. So did that version of you.
Your girls held you down, pulled you outta that shell. Got you dressinâ different. Walkinâ different. Laughinâ louder. You was still shy, yeah, but you had a lil swag now. Started feelinâ yourself. Steppinâ into that new vibe. That grown woman glow-up.
And for the first time⌠you was feelinâ real good. Like, damn, this might be my season.
Delta U had that feel to it. Thatâs why you chose it.
Like somethinâ out a Spike Lee joint or a Jill Scott songâBlack, loud, full of soul. First week on campus was like a block party and a family reunion all wrapped in one. Greek orgs out on the yard strollinâ, grills fired up on the lawn, somebodyâs cousin tryna DJ off a Bluetooth speaker while the Ques already sweatinâ through they shirts. Whole campus smelled like shea butter and BBQ chicken. It was Welcome Day. And your dorm? A whole mess of chaos and lip gloss. You was posted up on the edge of your bed, half-dressed, heart racinâ. âI donât think I wanna go, yâall,â you mumbled, barely audible over the music cominâ from the hallway.
They all groaned in unison like a tired choir. âHere she go again, yâall,â one said, floppinâ down on the bed across from you.
âGirl, donât piss me off tonight,â your other homegirl snapped, already halfway through her winged eyeliner.
Then the ringleader of the crewâthe bold one with the rat tail comb always ready to check somebodyâgot dead in your face. Eye to eye. That comb damn near touched your nose.
âLook, bitch,â she said real calm, too calm. âItâs fine-ass niggas outside. The sun out. You thick as hell. And guess what? We in college now. Not high school. Not church. College. So guess what we doinâ? We goinâ out.â
She spun away like she dropped the mic. You sighed, stood up, and turned to the mirror. Took yourself in.
Them little jean shorts was hanginâ on by faith and friction. Your thighs was thanginâ. Your chest sittinâ real proper thanks to the double-bra combo your homegirl swore by. You turned side to side, let out a tiny smile.
You knew you looked good.
âAight, yâall⌠Iâm ready.â
You turned back to face the room, grinninâ from ear to ear.
The whole squad paused for half a secondâthen exploded. Screamin', tongues out, feet stompin', hypinâ you like you just stepped on stage at Homecoming.
âWe outside tonight!â
Yâall laughed, yellin' over each other, snatchinâ purses and keys, lip glosses flyin'.
Ready for whatever the night was gonna bring.
And in that moment? You wasnât shy no more.
Yâall finally hit the yard, and it felt like the ground was vibrating beneath your feet. Bass thumpinâ so hard your chest caught the beat before your ears did. Speakers stacked on folding tables, Greek letters spray-painted on bedsheets hangin' off dorm windows.
Boys in jerseys sweatinâ and flexinâ. Girls in sundresses glistening in the heat, edges laid, gold hoops swinginâ. DJ shoutinâ over the mic, âWELCOME TO DELTA U, CLASS OF LEGENDS!â and the crowd goinâ stupid.
Yâall walked through like you owned the place, hips swayinâ, laughs high-pitched, bodies glistening in that 5 p.m. sun. Somebody handed you a red cupâpink punch with that bite in it. You took a sip and coughed low, but didnât let it show. Your girls was already two-steppinâ near the speakers, hips rollinâ to the beat. Dudes slid up behind âem, tryna catch a vibe.
âAyo, ma, you got a man?â one dude tried, leanin' in a lil too close.
Your homegirl turned around slow, gave him a once-over. âI got three. All of 'em crazy.â
âDamn, you canât just say no?â
âI did say no,â she said, turning right back to the beat like he ainât exist.
Another boy tried your other friend: âYou dance like that in church too?â
âOnly if Jesus show up wearinâ grey sweatpants.â
He stood there stunned while she twirled away, drink in hand, and you laughedâfinally loosening up.
You were buzzed just enough to stop overthinking, but not enough to stop squintin'. Your lashes too long for your glasses, so everything looked like it had that soft blur to it.
You kept glancing around the yard, eyes skimming faces. Not really lookinâ for nobody⌠just watchinâ. Floatinâ
Hard shoulder to your arm. Your drink flew out your hand like it got snatched by the air.
Your cup hit the grass with a soft splat, pink liquid staining the blades.
âDamn! You canât say âscuse me, nigga?â your girl barked, already turninâ up.
His boys stepped forward like whatâs up then, all arms folded and necks cocked.
âMan, yâall too loud for no reason. It was an accident.â
âAccident is trippinâ over a curb. He bodied her like she ainât got bones!â
âNah, yâall better back up âfore we get un-Christian out here.â
You stayed quiet, eyes still low, focused on that cup layinâ sideways in the grass. Lips pressed tight.
You didnât like scenes.
Didnât like heat that wasnât from the sun.
Soft drawl. Familiar rhythm. Sounded like old gum wrappers and middle school yearbooks. Like gym bleachers and hallway whispers.
A handâbig, warm, steadyâcame into view. Reached down, picked up your cup like it was glass instead of plastic. And as your eyes followed his fingers up to his wrist, to his arm, to hisâ
You said it out loud before you could catch yourself.
All your girls paused mid-argument. Froze. One even blinked twice like she needed confirmation.
âOh mf! Why didnât you say it was you?â your homegirl shouted at him, pushing her lipgloss back into her purse.
He looked at her for a second, then back at you. Smiling like trouble you knew better than to want.
âI remember you,â he said, voice low, rich.
He stepped back just a bit, eyes dragging over you real slow. Licked his lips. That old
You tried to hold it in, but your smile betrayed you. It was cominâ anyway, soft and shiny like the gloss your girl put on you.
Your girls noticed. Of course they did.
They looked at each other eyebrows raised, hands covering grins, whisperin' fast.
You panicked. Had to say something.
You cleared your throat. âI remember you too⌠benchwarmer.â
His boys hollered behind him, all hands to their mouths, jokinâ like they was on the schoolyard again. Sammie dropped his head, one hand rubbin' over his waves, that crooked smile sneakinâ back out.
âItâs like that, ma?â he said, eyes locked on you.
âMaybe,â you replied, real smooth. Then turned around like it was nothinâ.
You walked off, hips steady, heart doinâ flips. Your girls followed close behind, mouths pressed shut just enough to stop screaminâ. Yâall didnât have to say itâbut they knew.
You wasnât just out here now.
The party was long gone, the music a ghost now, just bass memories still rattlin' in your chest.
Your dorm was dim, lit only by the soft blue TV glow and a phone light somebody forgot to turn off. One of your girls was already knocked out across her bed, one shoe still on. The other halfway under the covers, lashes askew, mouth wide open. They didnât even bother changinâ.
You laid there for a second, buzz finally faded, makeup itchin', body tired but restless.
So you got up. Showered slow. Let the heat wash over you until the bass left your bones.
Now you were in your real skin. No lashes, no gloss. Just you. Clean. Barefaced. Sports bra, cotton shorts, big t-shirt. Edges puffed up, bonnet tied loose. Slippers slid on, keycard in hand.
You went lookin' for a snackâfirst the mini fridge, then the cabinets. Nothinâ but dry-ass ramen, ketchup packets, and your roommateâs suspicious yogurt.
You sighed, tugged your t-shirt lower, and shuffled down the hall to the vending machines.
The hallway was quiet, just the hum of old AC and the click of your steps.
You stood there, starin' through the glass like it was gonna speak to you. Your finger hovered over the buttons. Hot Cheetos? Snickers? Twix?
âDamn, the machine got you stuck like that?â
Leanin' in the doorway like he belonged there, hoodie half-zipped, white tee underneath, chain glintinâ under the cheap fluorescent lights. Eyes real low. Smile even lower.
You rolled your eyes. âWhy are you even in here?â
He stepped forward with a smirk.
You sighed and pressed B7. The machine groaned, then thunked out your Twix. You bent to grab it, not even thinkinâ about it.
Sammie thought about it though. Thought about it real hard.
His eyes trailed up from your calves, slow like honey. To the curve of your thighs. To the way them shorts barely held on. He bit the inside of his cheek.
Cornbread-fed. Just how he liked âem. He was from the Southâhe didnât believe in women who couldnât hold a plate or carry a manâs whole attention without even trying.
You stood back up, unbothered. Turned to him.
âGet a good look, pervert?â
âI donât know⌠let me see again,â he
You smacked his arm lightly. âHorny lilâ boy.â
âI was jokinâ, you know that, mama,â he said, stepping up close behind you. His arms slid over your shoulders like he done it before.
âBoy, if you donât get off meââ
He laughed but held on tighter. âWhy you beinâ like that?â
âI ainât beinâ like nothing. Boy, you got all these girls on you already. Drama ainât for me.â
He leaned back, blinked like you just told him the sky was purple. âAnd itâs for me?â
You gave him that be serious look. Chin tilted, eyes narrowed.
âIâm serious,â he said, voice low now. âThem girls just⌠girls. Thatâs it.â
You looked at him like he was wearinâ stupidity on his chest instead of that chain.
âBoy, you donât even make sense.â
You didnât wait for him to try again. You turned. Walked.
Back in your dorm, you slipped into bed, pulled the blanket up, popped a DVD into your playerâ Brown Sugarâjust somethinâ soft and familiar.
You watched the screen flicker, eyes growinâ heavy.
But he was in your head now.
The dining hall was loud like alwaysâlinoleum floors, the smell of syrup and turkey bacon mixin' with cheap coffee and last nightâs regrets. You sat at your usual table, bonnet still on, hoodie zipped, tray full of breakfast you barely picked at. Your girls were all around you, gigglin' between bites, still full off last nightâs turn-up.
âI know you not gonâ sit there and act like that ainât Sammie Moore had you stuck at the vending machine like a redbone deer in headlights,â one of your girls said, grinninâ wide.
âI was not stuck. I was mindinâ my business.â
âChile please,â another said, mouth full of biscuit, âyou was starinâ like he had a scholarship between his lips.â
You rolled your eyes, sippinâ your orange juice. âI donât even like what he stand for. He drama. I ainât come to college for all that. Iâm tryna keep it cute, keep it clean, get my degree.â
âCute and clean, huh?â your friend teased.
âIs that what they call that ass you had out last night?â
You swatted her with a napkin, smilinâ despite yourself.
Thatâs when some boys walked overâthree of them, tall and lookinâ like trouble dressed in varsity jackets and gold chains. One had dreads, the other two low fades. But it was the one in the black tank and Cuban link that caught your attention first.
He locked eyes with you like he already knew your name.
ââScuse me,â he said, voice low and syrupy, âdidnât mean to interrupt. Iâm Smoke.â
You raised a brow, not budginâ. âI donât do nicknames.â
He smiled slow, head tilt slight. âThen letâs get it right. Elias.â
That name sat nice on his lips.
You felt your spine react before your mouth even moved.
You cleared your throat, coolinâ the smile that wanted to creep. âOkay then, Elias.â
âOkay then,â he said back, eyes takinâ you in respectfulâbut not shy.
He turned a little so he wasnât blockinâ your homegirls. âYâall should come out tonight. We throwinâ somethinâ over on Palmer. Real easy. Just vibes.â
He looked back to you. âBe good to see you there.â
Then just like that, he turned and walked off, smooth like the song playinâ low from somebodyâs speaker nearby. You blinked, caught off guard.
âUhhhâHELLO?â your girls said in unison, smacking the table.
âYou better get your ass in formation!â
âGirl, who was THAT?â
âBaby Iâm wearinâ heels tonightâI donât care if my ankles bleed.â
You laughed, tray forgotten, heart a lil' fluttery. âI mean⌠why not?â
And right on cueâlike somebody summoned him with your thoughtsâSammie walked up, his boys trailing behind, chain swayinâ over his chest, durag tied down, eyes already scanning the table.
âWhat yâall so juiced about?â he asked, a lazy grin on his face.
You didnât even flinch. âElias invited us to his party.â
His smile dipped, just a second. He looked off to where Elias and his boys were posted up.
âMhm. Said itâd be good to see me there.â
You said it calm. But your girls caught the shiftâSammieâs jaw tighteninâ, the light in his eyes dimminâ just a touch. He played it off though, noddin' once.
You tilted your head, leaned forward just a little.
He looked down at you, lips pressed but still smirkinâ.
âNah. Ainât no reason to be.â
You stood up, the air thick now, the table quiet like the cafeteria just paused for yâall.
âYou want me,â you said, eyes never leavinâ his.
He stepped up, close, eye to eye. He was taller, but you ainât back down.
âI do,â he said, noddinâ once.
That heat was backâheavy like the Delta sun in July. You felt it, and you liked it.
You looked in each of his eyes slow, readinâ the want sittin' behind them lids.
âDrop the hoes then, Moore.â
You popped your gum, eyes dragginâ down his chest and back up like you were takin' inventory. Then you turned and walked off with your girls, hips swinginâ, all of them whisper-screaminâ behind you like high school all over again.
Sammie and his boys were still there, stuck in place.
One of his boys leaned close, clapped his shoulder.
âBetter get busy, my boy.â
He didnât say nothinâ, just smiled slow, hands in his pockets as he watched you leave.
But you werenât a type. You were a whole damn category.
And Sammie Moore wanted all of it.
Music knockinâ low from the speakerâsome classic R&B remix with a new-school beat. Perfume in the air. Heat from flat irons and the smell of edge control mixinâ with laughter. You and your girls were in full formation, baddie-mode activated.
Legs out, arms oiled, bangles singinâ every time yâall moved. Lip gloss poppinâ, shades sittinâ right on top of your brows. You had on a lil Baby Phat-style jean romper, hugging every curve like it got hands.
Pumps to the sky. Hair curled up with that midnight bounceâyour mama wouldâve smiled seeinâ them braids had finally done what they was supposed to.
You posed in the mirror, tongue peeking between your teeth, adjusting your hoops.
âDamn, I love college,â one of your girls said, doing a slow turn in the mirror.
Another smacked her gum, tossing her curls. âBoth them boy crews? Whew. It's like God dropped fine into the registration office.â
âOkay, but who you tryna lock in with?â they asked, looking right at you.
You smirked, sliding your shades down your nose.
âLetâs see who show up tonight.â
They screamed. Laughed loud. Even the shy one was gigglinâ. You all looked too good to be humble.
You raised your arm up, gold bracelet catchinâ the light.
They all clinked their red cups with yours. âTO COLLEGE!â
The energy was different on this sideâlower, smokier, but just as electric. Loud bass thumped from a Bluetooth speaker, weed smoke curling up to the ceiling fan.
Sammie was leaned back on the futon, durag hanginâ off, T-shirt stretched over his chest, black jeans crisp. One of his boys rollinâ a blunt, another lined himself up in the mirror with a phone flashlight.
âBroâŚâ one of them said, already crackinâ up.
Sammie looked up, raising a brow.
âYou really gonâ act like we ainât watch ole girl stiff-arm you in the caf this morning?â
The whole room broke out laughinâ.
Sammie shook his head, grinnin'. He could take it.
âAye, manâŚâ he exhaled, takinâ the blunt slow. âYâall wild. I ainât even on that lil groupie run no more. Iâm tryna make her mine. Real talk.â
One of his boys mugged up, snatching the blunt.
âMan, here you go with that soft shit again.â
He hit it, exhaled deep, voice cuttin' through the smoke.
âAll I know isâher girls? Man... them girls look like they stepped out a Vibe magazine.â
The room lit up with head nods, somebody clappinâ.
âThey bad bad.ââ¨âIâm talkinâ curated bad.â
âShit,â another said, sittinâ up, âwe could all lock in tonight.â
The whole room paused, lookinâ around.
âOh nah, yâall niggas trippinâ,â one laughed.
Sammie stood, brushing his shirt off, lookinâ in the mirror like he was about to sign a deal. Ran his hand over his waves, durag in one hand, gold watch glintinâ under the light.
He looked through the mirror at his boys, confidence written all over his face.
They stood like a unitâtoo loud, too good-lookinâ for their own good.
The four of you stepped out that car like destiny walkinâ on heels. Laughter on your lips, gloss shininâ under the porch lights, hips swayinâ to the beat echoing out the open doors.
Elias was the first to greet yâall.
âWhewwwâlook at this,â he said, leaninâ against the porch post like he been waitinâ all night. âIf yâall was any finer, Iâd need a warning label just to breathe.â
You smiled without tryinâ, lookinâ away as your girls giggled. His boys peeled off fast, gravitatinâ toward your crew like bees to fresh honey.
Elias took a step closer, hand brushing the small of your back.
âYou came,â he said, voice low and smooth.
âI said I would,â you replied, tryinâ like hell not to let his cologne live rent-free in your chest.
âCome on, letâs grab a drink.â
He led you through the crowd, shoulder to shoulder with strangers, the house alive with bass and bodies. Somewhere between the kitchen and hallway, a Soul Train line was tryinâ to start.
Girls were twerkinâ like it paid the rent. Air hot. Thick with weed. Full of life.
Yâall stopped at the drink tableâred cups stacked, Jungle Juice swirling in a Gatorade cooler.
âYou want sweet or strong?â Elias asked, already pourinâ.
âStrong,â you said, takinâ the cup from himâfingers brushing, eyes meeting.
Leaninâ against the counter, yâall fell into that low talk. He told you about his major, his plans, how he liked how you carried yourself. Quiet confidence, he called it.
You were just startinâ to let your smile relax whenâ
Black tee clinginâ to his chest, pants sittinâ grown-man low, chain swayinâ like a whisper.
That smirk already cocked on his lips like he knew the script before the scene started. His eyes scanned the room onceâtwiceâ
You felt it in your neck, your spine, the base of your stomach.
He didnât stop. Didnât speak. Just dipped his chin, gave you that look, and walked deeper into the crowdâdap-tappinâ, noddinâ to the beat like it was just another Friday night.
Elias leaned close, voice soft in your ear.
âThat your man or somethinâ?â
You shook your head, steadyinâ yourself.
He grinned. âGood. Come dance with me then.â
You followed him to the living room-turned-dancefloor, Jungle Juice in hand. The song shiftedâAaliyahâs âOne in a Millionâ remix slid in low and sensual.
Yâall moved close. That slow grindâjust enough to spark heat but not burn. Elias knew how to move. Hand on your waist. Breath near your ear.
But your eyes kept driftinâ.
Across the roomâSammie, posted on the wall. Watchinâ. Not hiding it. Jaw tight. Eyes hard.
He wasnât sayinâ a word, but his body was yelling loud.
That look? That look said you had no damn business lookinâ that good with somebody else.
The song faded. Elias leaned back just a little, like he might say something deeper.
âLemme borrow her real quick,â Sammie said, low and gravelly, eyes never leavinâ yours.
Elias raised his brows, but you already knew. You nodded at Elias, heart thumpin', and let Sammie guide you away.
He pulled you down a short hallway, the noise behind yâall fading into a hum.
âBoy, what the hell is wrong with you?â you said, tryinâ to snatch your arm backâbut not really.
Sammie turned, steppinâ close âtil the wall kissed your back.
âYou was lookinâ too good to be up on him like that,â he muttered, voice thick.
You blinked at him, lips parted, chest tight.
âElias donât got nothinâ to do with you.â
He smirked, leaninâ in, his breath all up in your space.
âThen why you keep lookinâ at me like he do?â
No answer. Not with his hand braced beside your head, not with that fire in his eyes like he was daring you to lie.
Your breath caught. His face inched closer.
âYou know I want you.â
You swallowed, eyes lockinâ with his.
âI told you,â you whispered. âDrop the hoes, Sammie.â
Next day, class hitâbut your mind was somewhere else. Still buzzinâ from the party, from the hallway, from the way Sammie looked at you like you was the only thing in that room.
â¨You slid into your usual seat in the back of the lecture hall. Hoodie on, lips glossed, eyes low. Tryna stay out the way.
Then the door openedâand the whispers started before you even turned around.â¨It was him. Sammie Moore.
â¨Steppinâ in like the whole classroom was his stage.
Girls straightened in their chairs.â¨You could hear the lil, âHey Sammie,â âOh my God he in this class?â floatinâ through the air like perfume.
â¨He didnât give none of âem no play. Just scanned the room, eyes movinâââtil they locked on you like a bullseye.â¨Then he grinned.
Next thing you know, he jogginâ up the stairsâloud, on purposeâthen flopped down next to you like heâd been doinâ it all semester.â¨His arm slid over the back of your chair, all casual, like it belonged there.
You ainât say nothinâ at first. Just stared straight ahead, pretendinâ like your heart wasnât thumpinâ out your chest.
âMorning,â he said, voice low and lazyâlike yâall just rolled outta bed together. âYou miss me?â
You sucked your teeth, tryna hide your smile. âBoy, get on.â
He chuckled, leaned back, spread his legs wider like he paid rent in the seat.
Thatâs when they walked upâtwo girls in Fashion Nova fits, tryinâ to play it off like they needed help with the syllabus.
â¨One leaned in too close, eyes skippinâ past you like you ainât even there.
âYou really not gonâ say hey to nobody now?â she said, twisting her mouth. âYou actinâ brand new, Sammie.â
He didnât even blink. Didnât shift. Didnât smile.
â¨âNah. Iâm good.â
The other girl gave you the slow once-over, nose turned up. âYou ainât even all that. He gonâ treat you the same way he did the rest of us.â
This was exactly what you meant.â¨You wasnât even gonâ say nothinâ. You ainât need to.
But Sammie turnedâslow. Looked her dead in the face.
â¨And when he spoke? His voice dropped into somethinâ you hadnât heard beforeâdeep, steady, real.
âI donât talk to girls like this,â he said, jaw tight. âBut for her? I will. So back the fuck up.â
You blinked. Looked at him like⌠who is this?
He was still watchinâ them, unblinking. Daring one of âem to say something.
â¨They didnât. Just rolled their eyes and stomped off, heels clackinâ down the stairs.
You turned back to him, still lowkey stunned.
âYou donât talk to girls like that?â you said quiet, voice almost teasing.
He leaned in, looked you dead in the eye.
âNah. Never had a reason to.â
Your heart dipped, flipped, did all types of flips.
You looked at him like you wanted to be mad⌠but you wasnât.â¨Not even close.
Class started. Professor talkinâ about somethinâ you couldnât even pretend to care about.
â¨âCause next to you? Sammieâs knee kept brushinâ yours. His arm still draped behind you. And that look on his face?
Like you was already his.
Professor Davis was old-school. Always came in wearinâ some too-tight slacks, cologne from the â70s, and vibes like he been waitinâ all year to catch somebody slippinâ.
â¨He clapped his hands onceâloudâsnappinâ everybody out they whisperinâ and giggling â.
âAight class, listen up. Time to separate the passers from the repeaters. First project of the semester starts today. Two-person teams. Full breakdown due in three weeks. Iâm assigning partnersâdonât come cryinâ to me.â
You sat up straight. That anxious flutter startinâ in your chest.
â¨You always took school serious. GPA clean. Ainât no way you was about to let some random boy mess that up.
Professor started callinâ names off his clipboard, pairinâ folks up one by one.â¨âDanielle and Marcus⌠Tiffany and KaylaâŚâ
You tuned most of it out, untilâ he looked up pen pointing through the seats before his eyes landed on you.
âYou⌠and Sammie Moore.â
The whole row went: âOoooooooh.â
You closed your eyes, breathed deep. Lord, why me?
You turned your head slow, like maybe you heard it wrong.
But there he wasâgrinninâ like he just won a Grammy.
â¨Mouth wide open. Gold flashinâ.
He slapped the desk once and leaned into your space, breath smellinâ like spearmint and sin.
âOh, this gone be fun,â he said, teeth gleaminâ.
âI ainât never even seen you with a syllabus, Sammie.â
He threw his head back laughinâ. âAyo chill on me! Iâm tryna turn over a new leaf. Be a scholar nâ whatnot.â
You side-eyed him. âYou ever even own a textbook?â
He pointed at your bag. âNah⌠but you do.â¨And since we partners⌠closed mouths donât get honor roll.â
You blinked, jaw tight. âLord.â
He leaned closer, voice low, smooth. âWhat? You donât trust me?â
âI donât even know you.â
He grinned wider, tapped the desk twice. âWell. Guess thatâs what the projectâs for.â
Sammie kept it one hundred.â¨He said heâd put in workâand he did.â¨Showinâ up every day like clockwork.â¨Sometimes early, posted up outside the library like he belonged there.
âThought Iâd get a head start,â heâd say, flashinâ that cocky half-smile.
â¨âOr maybe I just like lookinâ at you tryna act like you ainât impressed by a nigga.â
Youâd scoff, but you never sent him away.â¨Truth wasâhe was tryinâ. Hard.
Heâd sit across from you, brow furrowed, tryna follow your notes while low-key givinâ you his own kind of test.
âYo, derivatives?â he said one day, flippinâ his notebook around with dramatic flair. âThese just wild disrespectful.â
You laughed before you could stop yourselfâand he grinned like he just won the championship game.
âThere she go,â he said. âKnew I could crack that mean girl shit eventually.â
You tried to play it cool. âFocus, Samuel.â
âI am focused,â he said, eyes lockinâ on you just long enough to make your heart skip.
â¨âOn the sexiest tutor on campus. Donât blame a nigga if you distractinâ.â
Every time he talked slick like that, you swore you wouldnât react.
â¨But your cheeks always gave you awayâheat risinâ like you caught a sunburn indoors.
âThat a blush?â he teased, leaninâ in like he tryna get a better look. âDonât start fallinâ for me now.â
âIn your dreams,â you shot back. But even you heard the smile in your voice.
From then on, study sessions were never just about the project.
â¨Heâd pass you a highlighter and let his fingers graze yours.
â¨Let yâall knees touch under the table like it wasnât on purpose.
â¨Lean over your shoulder like he tryna read the worksheetâwhen really, he just wanted to breathe you in.
âOkay, brainiac,â heâd say when you breezed through a problem. âYou really just be out here rememberinâ formulas off the dome like that? You sexy as hell.â
âWhat?â He shrugged, all fake innocence. Eyes scanning you full of anything but. âIâm just sayinââ brains and looks? Thatâs dangerous.â
It wasnât long before you started leaninâ in too.
â¨Not âcause you had to.â¨But because you wanted to.
â¨A hand on your back when he leaned closer.â¨The way his eyes tracked every word when you explained something. Really listened.
â¨Like you was the only person in the room.
He still messed up equations. Still talked too much. Still flirted like it was second nature.
But he was showinâ up.â¨Every time.â¨
And somewhere between late-night study grinds and lowkey heart fluttersâŚâ¨Sammie Moore stopped beinâ the boy from the back of the class and started becoming the one who had you smilinâ between blinks,â¨blushinâ between smile lines and fallinâ just a little harder every time he cracked a joke.
College life meant party lifeâand here yâall go again.
Your girls talkinâ you into steppinâ out with âem.
â¨You was easier to convince than usual. All it took was them bringinâ up Sammie.
âHow close is close?â one of âem asked, nudginâ you.
â¨You tried to play it off, but that blush crept up quick.
âHe just⌠I meanâŚâ
â¨You rolled your eyes, but you told âem. How fine he was. How deep his voice got when he was focused. How you couldnât hold out much longer.
âWho said you had to?â one of them smirked.
Another girl leaned in, fanning herself. âI bet he talk you through it too,â she said, and yâall lost it, laughinâ all over again.
You grabbed your gloss, touched up in the mirror, and tried not to smile so hard.â¨You was feelinâ yourself tonight. And you should.
Yâall finally headed outâheels clickinâ, perfume thick in the air, dressed like you had something to prove.â¨Which maybe you did.
Or maybe⌠you just knew Sammie was gonâ be there.
â¨And tonight, you was gonâ let him see it.
The party started before yâall even hit the door. Lights low. Bass heavy. Air thick with perfume, weed, and sweat. Everything bathed in that purple-blue glow like a dream you wasnât supposed to wake up from.
Yâall pulled up togetherâbut separate.â¨You and your girls all sharp edges and lip gloss, heels clickinâ, skin glisteninâ like honey under neon.
â¨Them and Sammie? Posted on the opposite sidewalk, black tees, gold chains, eyes cuttinâ through the dark like heat.
â¨You stepped out the car and locked eyes with him.
â¨Sammie already waitinâ. Already smilinâ.
âDamn,â he said under his breath, loud enough for the fellas to hear. âYâall see this?â
You tried not to, but you blushed. Again.
Your girls noticed. Teased you. One popped your arm with her clutch, whisperinâ, âGirl, if you donât go say heyââ
â¨Sammie was already crossinâ the street. Already cominâ to get you.
He stopped in front of you, the world humminâ low behind his eyes.
âYou wear that for me?ââ¨His voice hit your chest first, then your knees.
â¨You looked him up and downâblack denim, clean kicks, rings on his fingers, that gold chain you always noticed when he was leaninâ over your notes.
âYou think everything for you,â you murmured, tryinâ to sound unaffected.
He just grinned. âOnly the good shit.â
Your girls and his boys fell into that easy, flirty back-and-forth.
â¨Laughinâ, flirtinâ, dappinâ each other up like this was just another night.â¨But you and Sammie?
â¨Yâall was in your own bubble. One step slower. One look longer.
And when the door to the club cracked open, that bassline slid out like smokeâand Sammie turned to you.
âAight,â he said, reaching for you smooth and easy, like he already had the right.â¨
Arm slid over your shoulder. Firm. Warm. Protective.
â¨âCome on. You witâ me.â
And just like that, you let him guide you in.
Walkinâ through that crowd like you was made for it.
â¨Shoulder to chest, his hand droppinâ to your hip when somebody brushed too close.â¨Eyes on the DJ, the dancers, the lightsâbut always cominâ back to you.
Inside, it was wall-to-wall heat.
â¨Bodies movinâ. Drinks spillinâ. Hooks loopinâ. Lights stutterinâ like camera flashes in slow motion.
Sammie leaned down, lips close to your ear.â¨âYou good?â
You nodded, barely able to hear yourself think.
â¨But his arm didnât move. Stayed locked around you like it belonged there.â¨And for the first time⌠you let it. Let yourself settle into it.
Let yourself feel how good it felt to be next to himânot just in study halls or library booths, but here.
â¨In the lights. In the noise. In his world.
Some girl tried to come up. He didnât move. Didnât speak.
â¨Just kept his body turned toward you like she wasnât even there.
âYou drink?â he asked, mouth back at your ear.â¨You nodded again. And just like thatâhe was leading you through the crowd, still holdinâ you close.
You felt eyes.â¨Felt envy.
â¨Felt the beat thumpinâ in your chest.
But most of allâyou felt safe.
Like maybe, just maybe⌠this boy was serious.
Like maybe⌠you was ready to find out.
Sammie didnât say nothinââjust nodded toward the back, hand still resting heavy on your waist as he guided you through the bodies like he had a key to every room in the house.
Past the living room speakers, past the swayinâ couples, past the girl in red heels dancinâ like she ainât have a care in the world.
The kitchen was cooler, quieter.â¨Dim light from the stove clock. Ice clinkinâ in cheap glass cups.
â¨Somebodyâs cousin passed by with a bottle tucked under his arm and a blunt behind his ear. Didnât even look twice at yâall.
Sammie stepped to the counter, opened the fridge like it was his place.
âWhat you drink?â he asked, back still to you.
You shrugged, leaninâ against the island. âPick for me.â
He turned, brow raised. âYou donât drink like I do.â
You tilted your head, smirkinâ just a lil. âTry me.â
He chuckledâlow, lazy.â¨âThis gone be funny,â he said, grabbing a red bottle and somethinâ brown from the corner.
â¨Poured heavy in two cups, eyes low from the weed humminâ through his system.
â¨Eyes on you the whole time.
Mouth still on the rim when your gaze droppedâfollowinâ the line of his throat, the way he pulled back from the cup slow, lips glossy, glistening under the overhead light.
He wiped his hand down his mouth, rings glintinâ, and your eyes tracked every. damn. move.
Thenâhe licked his lips.â¨Just once.
Your gaze dropped there, couldnât help it. You watched his tongue slide across those thick lips, the gold of his slugs lookin at you.
He stepped in closer, the space between yâall shrinkinâ like breath in cold air.
â¨Held your cup in one hand, lifted your chin just a touch with the other.
âGo 'head,â he said, voice dipped in honey and dare. âLetâs see if you real.â
You opened your mouth, and he pushed the cup to your lipsâfingers gentle, but sure.â¨His other hand slid back, found the nape of your neck, thumb pressinâ just enough to ground you.
All the while, his eyes never left youâlow, watchful, wantinâ.
â¨That tilted POV got you dizzy, heat spreadinâ slow down your spine.
â¨He smelled like kush and cologne and the sweat on his skin. You looked up from under your lashes, caught his mouth twitchinâ like he was thinkinâ somethinâ he couldnât say out loud.
You dropped the cup without speakinâ.
He let it fallâplastic, not glassâno spill. No need to say nothinâ.
His thumb brushed your bottom lip, slow.â¨Wet. Glossy. Warm.
He hummed low in his throat.â¨âSweet,â he said. Couldâve meant the drink. Couldâve meant you. Didnât matter.
Then he pulled back, just enough to breathe, fingers curlinâ around yours.â¨Didnât tug. Didnât pull. Just led.
Back through the smoke and color.â¨Back to the music, where it was louder, hotter.
â¨Back to the floor, where the bass made your bones hum and the lights turned his eyes to fire.
And this time⌠you didnât let go.
AYEEE my first req of many whoever requested this it got too long baby this coming in parts but enjoy thiss one đ
Next up is : @yourm0mish0t Sammie x Reader cause yall canât get enough. Itâll come soon so hereâs a title âsongbird sinsâ #staytuned #stayloyal #stayfreaky