Here is the master list for all my fics! The date at the bottom is the last time it was updated (I try to keep it as updated as possible)
Thank YOU for reading, liking, reblogging, and commenting! I appreciate and LOVE the reception and feedback and commentary more than you could ever know - it fuels me and keeps the inspiration flowing!
All stories have a face claim. However, with all my OCs, I encourage folks to see themselves in the story so feel free to read as a reader insert if preferred! Also I love angst BUT all my stories are happily ever afters so enjoy the emotional rollercoasters knowing everyone'll be ok lol Thank you again for reading! Love y'all!
MBJ Fics:
Built for Love Series - Michael B Jordan x Black Famous Actress OC
Face Claim: Grace Bryers
Series Summary: Charlotte Bennett was not looking for love when she moved to LA and landed her first role in Creed. Quite the opposite actually. However, her costar, Michael B Jordan, makes her question everything she once believed possible for herself and her future. As she builds a life and relationship with him, ghosts from her past threaten to destroy it all.
Series Warnings: Violence, Mentions of past experiences with DV, Angst, Mature Sexual Content
Completely random one shots that follow Charlotte & MBJ as they navigate the world as Hollywoodâs Black power couple. Whether it be stardom, their work, parenthood, or relationship drama, the Jordans are building a love that will last a lifetime. (Not intended to be read in any chronological order but are listed below based on the story's timeline.)
Date Night**
Bleeding Through (1)
Oscar Night Part 2**
Falling Apart (1) (2)
Babies on Board (1)
Protective
Oscar Night Part 1**
Asks:
Nicknames
GQ Couples Quiz
Wicked Fantasies - MBJ x Black OC
Face Claim: Shannon Thornton
Series Summary: Ravenâs life, as of late, was one unexpected turn after another. It seemed as though every time she got a break and could get her head above water, something came tumbling to knock her back down. As she struggles to get her foot in the door of LAâs call girl scene to make extra money, she stumbles upon her big break: Michael B. Jordan, Hollywoodâs most famous, talented, and notorious actor, director, and playboy. One night of pleasure for him would solve many of her continuously mounting financial problems. However, an unlucky trip to the hospital and an ill-timed flash of a paparazziâs camera snag her the proposition of a lifetime, one that would solve all her problems and allow her to live out her most wicked fantasies with the sexist man alive. However, she forgot one cardinal rule: fantasies and pretend never last and reality would always come around eventually.Â
Warnings: Mature sexual content (18+), BDSM (the whole nine), this is for the kinky girlsssssss, angst, emotional familial abuse
Double Trouble (Aaron Pierre x Black Reader x MBJ)***
Erik Killmonger Fics
Unbreakable - Erik Killmonger x Black OC - Paused
Moodboard: Coming soon!
Face Claim: Ryan Destiny
Series Summary: Naja, the younger sister of the Queen of Wakanda, hated few things. And at the top of that shortlist: Prince NâJadaka. Well, if she were honest, he was the entirety of the list. Once destined to be a princess of Wakanda, Naja was the picture of kindness and grace. Now, she is hailed as Wakandaâs most fearless, dangerous, and reclusive war dog. After more than a decade of putting as much distance as possible between her and the life she almost had, Naja is forced to come face to face with the person she hates most again. With a threat looming over Wakanda and lives at risk, Naja must decide if trusting Prince N'Jadaka is worth the risk before it is too late.
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
â Live Streamingâ Interactive Chatâ Private Showsâ HD Qualityâ Free Actions
Free to watch âą No registration required âą HD streaming
Chapter 3 - Two of a Kind [Smoke Moore x Annie x Stack Moore]
Preview:"The difference between me and my brother," he said, his voice still quiet, still even, still so terrifyingly calm, "is that Smoke don't got a temper. Never did. Man was born patient." He looked at her steadily. "I wasn't."
Word Count: idk đ
Warning â ïž: They're not a trio. But everyone eats eventually đ€Ș
<<< Chapter 2
___
She slept better than she expected.
That was the first thing â waking up on Day 2 to light coming through the curtains at a normal hour, no pre-dawn sounds of someone else moving through the house, no particular weight of being monitored. Just morning. Just hers.
She lay there a moment taking stock of it.
The house was quiet. Stack was either still asleep or already up and keeping himself scarce, and either way she couldn't hear him, which meant she could pretend for a few minutes that she was alone. That it was just her and the morning and nobody's schedule but her own.
She got up. Didn't bother pinning her hair.
Came downstairs in her robe with her feet bare and the day entirely unscheduled in front of her and felt something loosen in her chest that she hadn't realized was tight.
Stack was at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee and the newspaper, already dressed, and he looked up when she came in.
"Morning."
"Morning." She moved past him to the stove, put the kettle on. He went back to his paper.
She stood at the counter waiting for the water to boil and looked out the window at the yard and didn't explain herself or account for her appearance or feel the particular low-grade awareness she always had of Smoke clocking the details of her. The unbrushed hair. The bare feet. Whether she'd slept well or poorly and what that meant and whether she needed something she wasn't asking for.
Stack just turned a page.
It was, she thought, a little bit wonderful.
The walk into town she decided on after breakfast. Nothing necessary â she wanted thread from the dry goods store, a specific color she'd been thinking about for the sewing project, and normally she would have asked Lennie to pick it up or added it to the list she gave Smoke and waited. But Lennie wasn't due until noon and it was a twenty minute walk on a pretty morning and there was no reason in the world she couldn't just go.
She came downstairs with her hat and her pocketbook and found Stack on the back porch.
"I'm walking into town," she said through the screen door. "Need a few things."
He looked up from whatever he was reading. Took her in â hat, pocketbook, the set of her that said she'd already decided.
"What time you think you'll be back?" he asked.
Not: you sure that's a good idea. Not: I'll have someone drive you. Not: what do you need, I can send for it.
Just â what time.
Annie blinked. "An hour. Maybe a little more."
He nodded. Looked back at his reading. "Alright."
She stood there a half second longer than she needed to, waiting for the rest of it. The caveat. The condition. The gentle redirection dressed up as concern.
It didn't come.
She went into town. Took her time about it. Stopped at the dry goods store, chatted with the woman behind the counter longer than strictly necessary, walked back the long way around past the church because the trees were pretty and the morning was fine and she could.
She was gone almost two hours.
When she got home Stack was in the sitting room and didn't look up from his book except to say, "Get what you needed?"
"Yes," she said, a little surprised.
"Good." He turned a page.
Annie went upstairs and put her things away and stood at the bedroom window for a moment.
Hm, she thought.
That evening she poured herself a third bourbon.
She didn't plan it. The first two had gone down easy on the porch, the night warm and the company quiet and pleasant enough, and she reached for the bottle again without really deciding to. Just did it the way she'd do it if she were alone.
Stack watched her pour.
Said nothing.
She set the bottle down. Took a sip. Looked out at the yard.
After a moment: "Smoke let you drink like that?"
Not an accusation. Not even quite a question. Just â conversational. Curious, almost.
Annie felt something move through her. Not guilt. Something more like being seen doing something she hadn't realized she was doing.
Smoke did not let her drink like that. Because Annie didnât take bourbon well. She said it made her mean (and it did.)
But she didnât say that. Instead she responded with "I'm a grown woman," she said.
"Mhm." He looked back at the yard.
That was it. That was all of it. He didn't push, didn't note it again, didn't give her the careful measured speech about what was appropriate.
But she felt it.
That considering quality in how he'd looked at her. Like he was making a note of something. Filing it away without comment.
She drank the third bourbon. It didn't taste quite as easy as she'd expected.
Later â later than she usually stayed up, later than she would have with Smoke in the house â she was still on the porch when the screen door opened and Stack stepped out.
He didn't say anything at first. Just looked at her, then up at the sky, then back at her.
"You turning in soon?" he asked.
Easy. Mild. Like it was just a passing thought.
"Eventually," she said.
He nodded. Went back inside.
Annie sat another twenty minutes out of principle. Then she went to bed.
She lay in the dark and thought about the way he'd asked what time she'd be back from town. The way he'd watched her pour the third drink. The way eventually had been accepted without argument.
He was easy, she decided. Easier than she'd expected. A little watchful, maybe, but fundamentally easy.
She could work with easy.
She pulled the quilt up and closed her eyes, comfortable in her assessment, already thinking about tomorrow.
She didn't notice that she'd answered his question.
She didn't notice that she'd come inside.
The invitation came on Day 3.
Pearl called in the late morning, her voice bright and unhurried through the receiver, the way Pearl always was â like she had all the time in the world and assumed you did too.
"Supper at Dottie's tonight," she said. "Just the girls. Dottie's making that roast and you know how she gets when folks don't show up for her roast."
Annie laughed. "I know."
"So you coming."
She hesitated, and hated herself for it. Hated that her first instinct was to calculate â to run through the variables the way she'd learned to, to anticipate the objection before it came. She wasn't even thinking about Smoke. She was thinking about Stack.
Which meant, she realized, that she'd already accepted that there was someone to answer to.
"I'll let you know by noon," she said.
Pearl made a sound. "Annie Moore, it's supper, not a summitâ"
"By noon, Pearl."
She hung up and sat with the phone a moment.
Then she found Stack.
He was in the back garden â she hadn't known he was a man who sat in gardens, that seemed like information about him, something that didn't fit the outline she'd built â with his jacket off and his sleeves rolled and a cup of coffee going cold on the step beside him. He looked up when she came out.
"Something wrong?" he asked.
"No." She came and stood a few feet away, arms loose at her sides. Decided directness was the right approach â not asking permission, just stating the situation. "I've been invited to supper at a friend's tonight. A few of the girls. I'd like to go."
Stack looked at her.
Not the considering look from the bourbon â something more engaged than that. Like she'd said something that required actual thought and he was giving it actual thought, which was not what she'd expected.
She'd expected yes or no. Quick and clean.
He picked up his coffee. Took a sip even though it had to be cold by now. "What time?"
"Supper's at seven. It's Dottie Campbell's place, about fifteen minutes by car."
"You'd drive yourself?"
"Lennie would take me."
He nodded slowly. Set the cup back down. "What time you thinking you'd be home?"
And there it was â not no, not let me think about whether I'll allow that, just the practical question. The time. Like a man working out the shape of something reasonable.
Annie kept her expression neutral. "Ten. Ten thirty at the latest."
He was quiet a moment. She watched him think and tried not to read too much into the fact that he was thinking rather than just deciding.
"Alright," he said.
She blinked. "Alright?"
"You heard me." The corner of his mouth moved. "Ten thirty, Annie. Not eleven, not around ten thirty. Lennie brings you home by ten thirty."
"Ten thirty," she repeated.
"And you call here before you leave Dottie's. So I know you on your way."
She looked at him. "That's it?"
"That's it."
It was so reasonable she didn't know what to do with it. She'd come out here braced for negotiation, prepared with her arguments, ready to be measured and calm and persuasive â and he'd just said yes with two conditions that were so sensible she couldn't even object to them.
"Okay," she said, a little deflated.
Stack picked up his coffee again. "Tell Pearl I said hello."
Annie went inside and called Pearl back and told her she was coming and didn't mention Stack at all, because there was nothing to mention. Because it had been fine. Because he'd been completely, utterly reasonable.
She got ready that evening with something that felt almost like lightness. Put on the green dress, the good earrings, pinned her hair up properly. Looked at herself in the mirror without the particular weight of someone else's opinion of her appearance hovering at the edges.
Lennie drove her over at quarter to seven.
Dottie's was warm and loud and full of food and women who loved each other, and Annie sat in the middle of it and felt, for the first time in longer than she wanted to admit, like herself.
Just herself. Not someone's wife. Not someone's responsibility. Not a woman carefully within the boundaries of what was permitted.
Just Annie.
Pearl poured her something that was definitely not sweet wine and Annie drank it and laughed too loud at something Dottie said and had seconds of the lamb and felt the evening open up around her like a window she'd forgotten could open.
By nine thirty she was glowing.
By ten she was in the middle of a story that had the whole table leaning in.
At ten fifteen Pearl refilled her glass and someone put a record on and Dottie's cousin started dancing in the kitchen doorway and Annie thoughtâ
Ten thirty.
She thought about it.
Looked around the table at these women, at this warmth, at the particular freedom of an evening that belonged entirely to her.
Stack had said ten thirty.
Stack, who had been perfectly reasonable. Who had let her walk into town alone and said nothing about the third bourbon and asked if she was turning in soon like it was just a passing thought. Stack who was, fundamentally, easier than Smoke.
Surely ten thirty was a guideline. A suggestion. The kind of thing a reasonable man said and a reasonable woman interpreted with some flexibility.
She didn't call before she left.
She told herself she'd forgotten, which wasn't entirely true.
Lennie pulled up to the house at eleven forty.
Annie smoothed her dress getting out of the car. The porch light was on. The house was lit from within, warm and quiet looking, and she stood on the front walk for just a moment breathing the night air, still warm from the evening, still full of Dottie's lamb and Pearl's laugh and the particular satisfaction of a night that had been entirely hers.
She went up the porch steps.
Opened the front door.
Stack was in the armchair in the sitting room facing the door.
Not pacing. Not standing. Just â sitting. Still and straight and entirely awake, one hand resting on the arm of the chair, the lamp on the table beside him throwing his face into sharp relief.
He looked at her.
Didn't say anything.
Didn't move.
Just looked at her the way a man looks at something he's been waiting on for a while, with a patience that had long since stopped being comfortable and become something else entirely.
Annie felt the warmth of the evening leave her body one degree at a time.
She thought about the phone call she hadn't made.
She thought about ten thirty.
She thought about the way she'd told herself surely and flexibility and fundamentally easier while Pearl refilled her glass.
The clock on the mantle read eleven forty-three.
"Stackâ" she started.
"Close the door, Annie," he said quietly.
She closed the door.
The click of the latch was very loud in the silence.
Stack looked at her for a long moment. Long enough that she had to work to hold still under it, had to resist the urge to explain herself, to fill the silence with something.
Then he said, almost conversationally:
"You know, I told myself I was gon' be easier on you than he is."
Annie said nothing.
"Told Smoke the same thing." He tilted his head slightly.
"Said you didn't need nobody running your life for you every minute. That you were a grown woman and you'd act like one if somebody just gave you the room to."
The clock ticked.
"I believed that," he said. "I want you to know that. I really believed it."
He stood up then. Slow and unhurried, the way he did everything, unfolding from the chair to his full height. Took one step toward her. Just one.
"The difference between me and my brother," he said, his voice still quiet, still even, still so terrifyingly calm, "is that Smoke don't got a temper. Never did. Man was born patient." He looked at her steadily. "I wasn't."
Annie's heart was doing something uncomfortable in her chest.
"He's the better man," Stack said simply. "He's always been better than me. More controlled. More measured." A pause. "Unfortunately for you, he ain't the one standing in this room."
The silence that followed had weight to it.
"So I'm gon' ask you one time," he said. "And I want you to think very carefully before you answer."
He looked at her.
"What time did you say youâd be home?"
<<< Chapter 2
__________
A/N Not me pumping out these chapters đ€Ș I been sitting on so much work and for that I'm truly sorry. But mama is backkk. Ours to Keep is killin' me lol. But that's truly my fave body of work so I will be putting both my feet and elbows in that to make sure that storyline is tight. Hope you enjoy this one as well, and as always your thoughts are welcomed and appreciated!
__________
My other works can be found in My Masterlist. Thanks for reading!
___________
All Fic Taglist - Interested in my future works? Let me know if you'd like me to add you to my tag list. (Also lmk if you want me to remove you. No hard feelings I promise.)
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
â Live Streamingâ Interactive Chatâ Private Showsâ HD Qualityâ Free Actions
Free to watch âą No registration required âą HD streaming
I stumbled on a TikTok about how MBJ went from an okaylooking guy to the most desirable man (2020) đŹ Iâve been here since 2014 (could have been earlier if iâd watched the wire or amc) so to me he was already super handsome heâs just kept maturing. It makes me wonder if some of those women(especially the white ones) only started crushing on him because of his popularity and how common itâs become for him to be everyoneâs celebrity crush
Michael has always been very handsome. Yes as he matured heâs grown more into his looks and went from having that boyish look to more of a grown man look. Itâs also the way he carries himself. Mike only puts on the sexy when heâs in front of a camera but really seeing him in his natural element is what I love!
(This had been sitting in my drafts for way too long lol)
This camera test literally could be used in film school to showcase chemistry. Itâs not even something that can be replicated, but an example of the natural chemistry two people have being the catalyst for building even deeper chemistry through building intimacy (closeness), the work they are doing, time spent together, and preparation (like the playlists).
Itâs crazy to me that this is the first time they were on camera and you could absolutely feel it. Like you donât feel like youâre watching two actors actâŠit feels like watching a couple in their own world.
We already know that the whole room (Ryan, Zinzi, Sev, Francine, etc.) felt IT when Wunmi & MBJ did their chemistry read so much so that she was offered the role in the ROOM. I donât think folks think about how unheard of that is. Even though Ryan already decided long before that Wunmi was his AnnieâŠthat chemistry read still was make or break. If she & MBJ didnât have the level of chemistry needed it would be dead in the water.
The chemistry between MBJ & whoever played Annie had to be a lot stronger than MBJ and whoever played MaryâŠjust based on their roles in the movie and first and foremost their relationship. We (as the audience) had to believe that even for someone with such a hard exterior like Smoke that Annie is the love of his life, someone he lets his walls down for and shows sides of him no one else is privy to. Someone where whether itâs in passionate foreplay or even in dire situations he is able to let her take the lead. We also have to believe in an intimacy so close they have a short hand that is non verbal at timesâŠit could be an intense stare, a plead for answers, an affirmation showing they trusted each other the most, a gaze showing all that unreleased passion as well as always being in each otherâs vicinity side by side & each touch a further signifier of their bond. We had to feel like this was a man who would KILL for her and protect her in every way. A man who yearns for her in a way that only grew in his absenceâŠwhere we can feel their passion for each other throughout, leading up to, and during sex. A man who for the first time actually acted on his own wants needs and desires for her. A man who never wanted to leave because when he found her he found home. A man who felt a love so deep for Annie that he would leave EVERYTHING behind (including immortality with his brother) to follow her into the afterlife so that they would never be apart again. And Wunmi showed us that it had to be HER. & they exceeded all expectations and more which is why we all just want more of them đ„čđ.
Like I actually need to see that chemistry read in FULL.
Imagine this being the first time on camera and the chemistry being so RAW it could be felt in maybe a 40 second clip.
Like they knew that this was lightning in a bottle. Even Michael and Wunmi seemed surprised at just how much chemistry was there.
I know proximity is holding onto some good bts shit we haven't even seen yet
I wanted to go moment by moment from the camera test snippet which I made into three gifs (sorry in advance for the quality) but here we go.
First, the way that throughout this clip Michaelâs eyes are locked on Wunmi. When they are both facing forward, in true Smoke fashion, his focus is sharp and intense (even for the few seconds it lasts) as his eyes are taking in her figure. Maintaining the eye contact as they turn and instead of it breaking it, he just redirects it to her eyes. Then, as he readjusts her necklace and makes sure her earrings look as th. The clear but subtle Michaelâs eye are locked on even when Wunmi is staring straight ahead, As they both turn to face each other, he immediately locks his eyes on hers.
Then, he moves into simple actions that may feel subtle but show the intimacy between them.
Itâs less about *really* fixing her sleeves, straightening her earrings, and readjusting her necklace and more about establishing and maintaining physical contact with each adjustment.
Brushing her neck as he touches her chains and âlevels her earrings
Starting at her shoulders as he pulls the inner collar of the dress before sweeping his hands down her sleeves.
Wunmi going from a neutral disposition to a brighter one when she is facing him. Smiling as she begins to talk as if this is natural part of Smoke and Annieâs routine.
Wunmi starting with a stare before she shyly (in a flirty manner) looks away just to regain eye contact as he walks up on her. Then, she begins talking with the same confidence she had as she gestures to the earrings he just touched.
Michael glancing up and down with his head fully tilted between her chest and eyes in repetition. Alternating between the same sharp focus and an uncharacteristic smirk that even shows a dimple.
THE. WALK. UP.
Closing every inch of distance so that they are now chest to chest.
Chest open with his shoulders back as his eyes are glued to Wunmiâs as he approaches with his whole focus being on her with his head tilted up and eyes low even if he isnât fully listening (knowing him he is though) because he is so transfixed by herâjust in her natural state. Wearing what she normally would, smiling how she would, confidently stating a point as she would.
The gentle sway he takes that shows the confidence, swagger, and the attraction he feels in each step which only adds to the suggestiveness of his final glance between her eyes and chest.
Intense, hungry eye contact is absolutely foreplay (or the start of it) for them as we see in the movie.
Very much on his grown man.
Following regaining eye contact, Wunmi continues talking with the same expression and energy and is seemingly asking for his opinion. She mirrors him not breaking eye contact as she waits for the response completely in sync. As she hears his response, she not only accepts it but is clearly feeling what he said. The head tilt while turning her head with a flirtatiously amused expression (like an "okayyy" iykyk). Then, she ends with finding his eyes again and tilting her head up which is even more direct as she nods.
Michael continues with the direct eye contact he's maintained since the "walk up" only breaking it to take in every facial feature, how her hair is styled, her accessories, and her dress before clearly responding affirmatively because of course Smoke would love her look from head to toe. Smoke replying in that matter of fact way while intensifying the eye contact after he replies as if to accentuate or back up what he said. He even gestures to reflect he is feeling her whole get up but it's limited due to how physically close they are. The glances that follow linger longer here at her eyes, lips/mouth, and chest. Then, he ends how he started with a head tilted glance from head to chest before ending with an intense, searing full eye contact gaze.
Still in my mind rent free, ngl.
I've said all this to say that building from/starting with this level of chemistry then somehow even doubling, tripling, etc. it is a special thing. Decades ago, it was a little more common to see in acting duos but know its even more rare.
Even more rare to see it bleed from the set and screen to interviews, carpet moments, etc. True lightning in a bottle chemistry and I hope they work together again.
Knowing me, Iâm sure this will inspire a fanfic down the line lol.
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
â Live Streamingâ Interactive Chatâ Private Showsâ HD Qualityâ Free Actions
Free to watch âą No registration required âą HD streaming
Summary: The internet seems to have a problem with how weird and whimsical you are. Michael makes it very clear that he doesnât play about you.
Part I. Part II. Part III.
Lovergirlnote: This installment is a love letter to all of my weird black girlies who love the weird, gross, and macabre. I know that a lot of people in the black community tend to like to shun our interests or claim that its âwhite washedâ but truthfully, black women arenât just one thing. Weâre a multitude of different and beautiful personalities. I hope that you all like it, and let me know what you think!
Sometimes, Michael wonders if youâre real. Like, were you born here naturally, or did some ethereal being from another plane of existence drop you off here on Earth? He plays the scenario over more and more in his head and concludes that youâre definitely on a different wavelength than everyone else here.Â
One of the things that Michael enjoys about dating you is just how carefree and connected you are with yourself, your body, and nature. For him, it was always this bright light that surrounded you. Even now, as youâre casually twirling around in his yard and dancing to Solange. The shorts that youâre wearing shape your legs as his shirt on your body fans out.Â
âCome dance with me, Kari,â You call out, flashing him a bright smile.Â
Michaelâs never been one to tell you no. He walks over to you and grabs your hand in his as he twirls you around. You laugh loudly as you crash back into his chest. Next, âNo Planâ by Hozier croons through the speaker as you move your body. You run your hands up your body and into your hair as you sing the lyrics to Michael. He smiles in response and pulls you closer.Â
âYou know I love you, right?â He questions, pressing his forehead against yours.
You give him a teasing smile, âYou may have mentioned it a couple of times. But Iâd love to hear it again.â
He kisses you softly, âI love you. I love you so much that I canât imagine spending the rest of my life with anyone else.â
A wide grin settles over your glossy lips, âI love you too, Kari. Iâve never been happier than being with you.â Michael smiles and leans down to press his lips against yours again. The song changes to something slower and more intimate. The soft and powerful crooning of Donny Hathawayâs âI Love You More Than Youâll Ever Knowâ radiates through the backyard. Michael pulls you closer to his chest as you drape your arms across his shoulders.
You both sway together as the song serenades the moment.Â
In that moment, nothing matter except the two of you and how much you love each other.Â
Michaelâs been in the industry for a long time. He knows the ins and outs of what comes with the fame. From his last relationship, heâd been a bit more private and protective of this one with you.Â
Of course, he would still post pictures of you in his collages on Instagram or in his stories, but he still wanted to protect your space and peace. He knew how cruel and parasocial people could get when their favorite celebrity was dating someone new.Â
When heâd first started to post glimpses of you on his page, heâd caught about of the headlines and blogs speculating about his ânew beau.âÂ
When you and Michael had finally made your first public appearance together, the internet was in shambles.Â
You stood by Michaelâs side on the red carpet with so much confidence and grace. He held some form of contact with you throughout the nightâwhether that be holding your hand or keeping his arm around your waist.Â
It was his way of making sure that you knew that you would always be safe with him.Â
Little did you know, your presence provided Michael with a lot of comfort that night as well. Even after being in the industry for so many years and attending all of events, he still got nervous.Â
Youâd clocked the subtle twitch of his hand and the way that his eyes darted around the space.Â
âHey,â you muttered to him softly.Â
Michael turned his head to look at you. Your worried eyes meet his, âYou okay?â
âYeah, Iâm just a little nervous,â Michael answers. You nod while giving him that same bright smile, âShouldnât I be the one thatâs nervous?â
He chuckles, âProbably. I just still get nervous at events like these.â
âItâs okay. Iâll right by right your side the entire night,â you said, grasping his fingers tightly between yours. You bring your conjoined hands up to your lips where you press a soft kiss to back of Michaelâs hand.Â
If it was possibly to melt in the carpet, he would. He looks down at you and the world fades away. He leans down and presses his lips to yours as the camera flash around you both.Â
âI love you so much, baby,â Michael whispers against your lips. Unbeknownst to you both, fans and cameras alike catch the moment closely.
It doesnât take long for the video to blow up and become viral. All of the lip reader experts are called in to decode what Michael is saying to you. Once they get get a clear read of him declaring his love to you, it sends everyone into a frenzy.
It also doesnât help that most of the pictures from the night have Michael looking down at you like you were the sun, moon, and stars. But to Michael, youâre all of those things and more.Â
Thereâs an increase in people that start following you online and speculating about your relationship with Michael. Thereâs a lot of people rooting for you both as they can obviously see how in love Michael is with you.Â
But naturally, with the good, thereâs always bad. The negative comments start to roll in.
user1234:Â the fact that yâall canât see that this is a PR relationship is crazy
tinamarie1:Â he doesnât even look happy with her
donadondon:Â he looked way better and happier with LoriÂ
jeremystacks:Â how he downgrade? his new girl ainât got nothing on LoriÂ
mbjfan:Â yall I got tea. According to a friend of mine thatâs close with Michael, his whole family doesnât even like her. They think sheâs weird and just using Mike for cloutÂ
@mbjfangirl:Â @mbjfan ugh that makes me so sick! Somebody needs to get her away from Michael bc he obviously canât see that she doesnât have good intentionsÂ
You werenât clueless. Youâd seen most of the comments and even received some rather less than polite DMs. You wouldnât let it affect you or your relationship with Michael.Â
You knew what you had with him was real and special. You took the initiative to private your account and keep it moving.Â
But the haters just arenât ready to let you be great.
You know that youâre weird. Itâs a title that youâve always embraced even as a kid. Youâve always just kind of had weird and unique interests in things.Â
Michael knows that you like to collect unique buttons, but he soon learns very early in your relationship that you like to collect odd items, such as preserved bugs, animal bones, and antique items.Â
Which is what you both to this moment.Â
âSo whatâs the name of the event again?â Michael asks.
âItâs the Oddities and Curiosities Expo. Itâs where a bunch of different vendors who make and sell weird and unique collectibles,â you explain, swiping lip glass on your lips as you look into the mirror.
âAnd itâs usually stuff like bugs and dead animals?â You can hear the hesitation in his voice and it makes you chuckle internally. You know that Michaelâs trying to be supportive, but he canât hide how squeamish he is about blood and creepy things.
âMhmm, it can be things like that. Iâm taking the taxidermy class, but they also sell other stuff like buttons, pins, and shirts. Thereâs one vendor who sells vintage medical equipment that I want to get my hands on.â
Michaelâs heart warms at how excited you are about this whole thing. Even though stuff like this would typically creep him out, he finds himself pushing the fear to the side because he knows how much this means to you.Â
Truthfully, Michael would do anything if it meant that he got to see you be happy.Â
He nods, âDo you mind if I come with you?â
You raise your eyebrows, âAre you sure? I know this isnât typically your thing. I wouldnât want you to be uncomfortable.â
Michael shakes his head, âBaby, youâve been enduring red carpets with me these past few months, and youâve been doing it with a smile. Iâd love to come to something that youâre passionate about.âÂ
âAwww, Kari. Of course you can come, just let me know if youâre ever uncomfortable,â you said, leaning up to kiss him. Michael takes the chance to peck your lips a few more times before grabbing his keys.
As he drives, he stops to get you an iced coffee before driving to the location of the event.Â
You both walk hand-in-hand, and Michael can feel you buzzing with energy. The first booth that you drag him to is the preserved bugs.Â
âOoo look at this one Kari,â You said, pointing at the brightly colored butterfly in the box. You ooo and awe at all of the various specimens in the container.Â
Michael has to admit to himself, this is actually some pretty neat stuff. You point to one box in particular, âYou remember the Silence of the Lambs movie? This is the death heads moth species that Buffalo Bill uses in the movie.â
The vendor smiles at you, âShe knows her stuff.â You both hop into an animated conversation where you gush over bugs and things.Â
Michael watches the excitement on your face the entire time. Itâs nice to see you in your element. Before long, youâre purchasing the moth, and the girl boxes it up for you. You carefully place it into the tote bag that you brought with you.Â
You turn to Michael, âSo..what do you think?â
âI think itâs pretty cool, baby. Thank you for letting me come,â He said, pulling you closer to his side.Â
You and Michael continue your journey throughout the expo, stopping by different booths and surveying everything. As you both go to the taxidermy class, he has to hide the fact that heâs squirming in the inside.Â
Though, he is fascinated. You both end up in a wet specimen class, where the girl leading it is teaching you both how to preserve a baby octopus in a jar.Â
You clock the look on Michaelâs face, âAre you okay?â
âMhmm. Iâm fine,â he responds, trying to play cool.Â
You laugh, âYou know itâs okay to say youâre feeling squeamish, baby. Iâm not judging you. How about we go sit for a while?âÂ
Michael nods and you grab your jar containing the preserved octopus as you both go to sit down at a nearby table.Â
You lay your head on Michaelâs shoulder as he presses a kiss to the crown of your head. âWhat made you start collecting?â
âIâve always liked to collect weird and unique things. Most people would find things like bugs and bones to be weird or gross, but I think itâs quite beautiful. Hereâs this living that used to be alive on this Earth with us and now we get to honor it even in death. Plus, who wouldnât want to collect something that someone put so much love and hard work into making?âÂ
âHuh, I guess I never really thought about it like that. Iâm glad that I get to be with you, babygirl. Itâs like you keep introducing me to these new parts of life, and I can appreciate them even more now,â Michael said, looking down at you.Â
âYouâre welcome. Thank you for not judging me. Iâve had people in the past try to make me feel guilty about liking stuff like this.â
You think back to all the times where youâd tried to show your interests to others, only for them to treat you like an outcast. Even growing up in a black family, you understood that you werenât supposed to go outside of the status quo.Â
You werenât supposed to like âweirdâ or âoddâ things. And if you did, you would often be labeled as âtrying to act whiteâ or engaging in âsomething demonic.â So you hid those parts of yourself that enjoyed the weird and macabre.Â
It wasnât until you got older that you decided not to care about what others thought. You embraced your weird and whimsical nature because it was you.Â
There was nothing wrong with you, and you werenât about to change yourself to make others comfortable.Â
Being with Michael helped you to embrace more of that. Unlike most of your past partners, Michael was on board to support you through whatever.Â
âYou know Iâd never judge you for your interests. I care about what you care about. And if that just so happens to be this, then Iâm fine with it. I love you, baby. Iâd do whatever I could to make you happy,â Michael said, staring deeply into your eyes.Â
âI love you too, Kari,â you reply.
Soon, you both are off again to explore. Of course, there are a few stares at Michael and a few people approach him for autographs or pictures. But for the most part, people are respectful enough to keep their distance that he can enjoy the event with you.Â
Eventually, you and Michael end up at the table that you were most excited for: the vintage medical equipment.
You gasp in excitement as you run your eyes across all of the various tools. Your eyes widen even more when you spot the vintage medical bag.Â
âAre you gonna get a few?â Michael asks.
You pluck at one of the tags and immediately put it back down, âProbably not. This stuff would cost me an arm and a leg. But Iâm glad that I got to see it up close.â You look back down at the equipment wistfully. You grab Michaelâs hand and start walking off, âCome on, letâs go look at the teeth.â
Michael catches you looking back at the table. Once you both make it to the teeth table, he turns to you, âYou look around at these. Iâm about to run to the bathroom right quick.â
âOkay, Iâll wait here for you!â Michael gives you a quick kiss before walking off.Â
Little did you know is that he makes a beeline back to the medics equipment table. The girl running the booth looks up at him, âHi, nice to see you again. Was there something that caught your eye?â
Michael looks at all of the tools on the table and the bag in the corner. âHow much for all of these and the bag?â
The girlâs eyes widen in surprise, âYou want to buy all of these tools and the bag?â
âYeah, my girlfriend is in love with stuff like this and she seemed really happy when she saw all of your stuff. I just want her to know that I care about her and all of her interests,â Michael explains. The girlâs gaze softens as she looks at Michael.Â
She can tell just from the look and tone of his voice that he really loves you.Â
âIâll tell you what, Iâll let these all go for $1,500 and a picture of you holding my business card,â she negotiates.
âWait..thatâs it. Just $1,500 and a picture. I know all of the equipment costs more than that,â Michael inquires.
The girl smiles, âI have way more medical equipment at home than this. This is only half of my inventory. You said that your girlfriend is passionate about this, so I know sheâll take care of them. Plus, having a picture with you and you buying from me brings way more business in. Itâs a win win situation.â
âDeal. Iâll throw in a video too and repost it on my stories. Thank you so much. It means a lot,â Michael said.
The girl smiles and types the total in the card reader. Michael swipes his card without any qualms. In his mind, the $1,500 is light work. Heâd pay any price for anything if he knows that it would put a smile on your face.Â
The girl bags all of the item up and places them into the medical bag before putting them into a box and tying a big bow around the box.Â
She and Michael takes the pictures and he films a quick video. âThank you again,â Michael states before quickly going outside and hiding the box in the back of the car.Â
When he walks back to the table that youâre standing by, you smile brightly at him, âHey, was the line long? I was worried that you got lost.âÂ
Michael shrugs, âIt was pretty crowded.âÂ
You start hopping up and down on your heels excitedly, âI have a surprise for you. Since this is your first oddity expo, I wanted to have something for us to commemorate the memory together.â
You reach inside the bag and pull out a necklace with a tooth attached to the end of it. You smile widely, âItâs a shark tooth. I got us both one. That way if youâre away and filming, you still have a piece of me with you.â
Michael looks at you and then the necklace. He smiles, âI love it. Thank you, baby.â
âYay! Now turn around so I can put it on you,â you said, to which Michael obliges.
He leans down so that you can clasp the necklace around his neck. The tooth sits perfectly in the middle of his chest. He looks down at it before gesturing to you, âLet me put yours on you.âÂ
You turn and move your curls while Michael returns the gesture. You turn to face him again as you look at your matching necklaces.Â
âWeâre twins now,â you said excitedly.Â
Michael steps closer to you and cups your face in his hands, âThank you again for letting me share this with you, baby. I couldnât have imagined a better way to spend my day than being with you.â
You lean into his touch and press a kiss to his hand. You both spend the rest of the day looking at other booths before heading out to go eat together.Â
You donât realize the sneaky pictures and videos being taken of you both.Â
By the time that you and Michael are at his house, youâre both cuddling on the couch with your shark necklaces still around your necks.Â
âMâgonna go run to the bathroom. Watch Mikey,â you tell Michael before giving him a quick kiss. The tortoise in question is sleeping peacefully in his little bed with his silk bonnet on his shell. While youâre gone to the bathroom, both yours and Michaelâs phones start buzzing incessantly on the table.
Michael reaches out to grab his and navigates to Instagram where you both are being tagged in posts.Â
@theshaderoom:Â Roomies, looks like Oscar Winner, Michael B. Jordan, was spotted out and about with his girlfriend, YN YLN. The two were seen looking cozy and comfortable at the Oddities and Curosities Expo. One of our fellow roomies sent us a few pictures and videos of the happy couple casually strolling. In one of the pictures, you can see YN gifting Michael a necklace with what appears to be a tooth on it. Sources say that the pair looked rather in love. What do we think roomies? Is there love in the air, or a possible proposal in the future?
View comments..
@mbjfanpage:Â ew..why did she have him going to some weird convention?
@mbjbiggestfan:Â look at his face, you can tell that heâs not into it. He wouldâve been better off going back to one of his old girlfriends
@georgiapeach: ughâŠcan he please end this PR relationship. He doesnât even look like he likes her
@johnny2x:Â bro she got this man going to this white people stuff! Not Mike got a white washed girlfriend
@biamia:Â sheâs not even cute and she got my man out here looking crazyÂ
@donthedon:Â a tooth necklace?! what kind of witchcraft is that? She too broke to buy him something else?
Michael feels sick to his stomach at reading all of the hateful comments directed to you. He picks up your phone and navigates to your social media. The DMs you receive are even worse than the comments.Â
He swallows down the sick feeling, and soon the only thing that he feels is anger. Heâs angry that people felt comfortable enough with disrespecting you and your personality.Â
You walk into the room and catch Michael frowning at both of your phones. âBaby, whatâs wrong? Did something happen?â
He looks up at you with a pained expression, âItâs okay, baby. Donât worry about it. Iâll handle it.â
You cross the room and reach for your phone. Michael moves the phone out of your reach, âBaby, I donât want you seeing any of that.â You frown and wrestle the phone out of his hand. You look down at the open social media page and read the comments.Â
Your face drops. You glance down briefly at your necklace and at Michaelâs. He immediately notices the pout as it crosses your lips, along with the tears that line your eyes.Â
You look at him, âIâm sorry. I shouldnât have gotten you the necklace. Itâs weird, right?â
Michael frowns and crosses the room to stand in front of you. He places his hands around you, âBaby listen to me and I want you to listen closely. Thereâs nothing wrong with the necklaces. I love them and I love you. Youâre my everything, baby. Iâd do anything to see you happy and thereâs nothing that I want to change about you. Princess, youâre the most authentic person Iâve ever met. You make me want to be the best version of myself. I love you, okay? And Iâm not about to let anybody disrespect you.â
He leans down to press his forehead against yours, âI love you. I wonât ever get tired of saying that. Sure, you have some weird little quirks, but I love all of that about you. Youâre my little weirdo baby.âÂ
You laugh softly as the tears trail down your face. Theyâre less about being upset and more about your love for the man. You press your lips to his, âI love you too, Kari. Thank you for always letting me be myself around you.âÂ
âYou canât always be yourself around me, babygirl. You get as weird as you want to around me and I promise to match you one hundred percent.âÂ
He pulls you into his chest as you hold him equally as tight. You both allow yourself to hold each other.Â
When you pull back, Michael takes your phone out of your hand, âDonât worry about anything else, Iâll handle it. But in the meantime, I have a present for you.âÂ
He ushers you to sit down as he comes back with the black box. He sets it down carefully in your lap. You carefully unwrap the bow before lifting the top.Â
You gasp as you see the medical bag from earlier. You look up at Michael, who smiles at you, âOpen it up. Itâs more.â
Your jaw drops as you open the bag and see all of the medical tools from earlier. Your teary eyes meet his, âYou went back and got all of the tools?â
âYeah, you were really excited about them and you wanted them, so I didnât want you to miss out on your chance to have them,â Michael explains.
âThis mustâve costed you so much money.â
Michael shakes his head, âDonât worry about that. There isnât a price on making you happy, babygirl.â
You throw your arms around him and press multiple kisses against his lips. âI love you. I love you. Thank you so much, baby.â
âAnything for you, baby.âÂ
Mikey wakes from his sleep and you pick him up and point him towards the bag, âLook at what you daddy got me, Mikey.â
Michael watches you as you carefully explain each and every tool the tortoise, who heâs 100% sure doesnât understand, but none of that matter.Â
He continues to look at you and that same warmth returns to his chest. It only further solidifies the fact that he knows that he wants to marry you.Â
But first, he needs to set the record straight to anyone who feels comfortable with disrespecting you.Â
He takes his phone from the table and opens up the camera app. He points the camera in his direction before pressing record.
âWhatâs up, everybody. Mike here. I donât usually do stuff like this, but I felt that it was necessary. Today, my girlfriend and I went to an event that meant the world to her. I had the privilege of tagging along with her. Now a moment that should be special for us is being turned into an opportunity for people to degrade and diss my girlfriend. So I just wanted to come on here and set the record straight. I love my girlfriend. Sheâs gonna be the woman that I make my wife soon. What will never be okay is people who claim to be fans of mine feeling like they can disrespect her. So this is my one and only time letting yâall know that if you disrespect her, then you disrespect me. Thats it and thatâs all. Yâall be easy.âÂ
He ends the video and immediately uploads it on Instagram. He isnât surprised that his phone starts buzzing like crazy, but he doesnât care.Â
The only thing that matters is spending time with you.Â
He turns and finds that youâre already staring at him. You smile, âYou really meant that?âÂ
âI meant every word that I said, I wanna marry you, baby. I love you and I plan on spending the rest of my life with you.â
âDonât forget Mikey.â
Michael laughs, âYeah, Iâm planning on spending the rest of my life with you, Mikey, and any kids that we have.â
Annie, an 18-year-old from New Orleans, moves to Clarksdale with dreams of building a life all her own. There she meets Smoke, a 21-year-old war veteran with a dangerous reputation. What grows between them is sweet, sticky, and Southernâ a smoldering love set against a world of bootlegging, Hoodoo, and blues.
Smoke and Annie have been seeing each other for a few months now. Theyâve kissed, even done some heavy petting. Lately theyâve been spending more time together alone, each time getting hotter and heavier. But tonight? The side effects of a little weed and liquor turn their Netflix & Chill date into something freaky.
Read Here
She Was Mine, First.
Modern Smoke & Annie Moore + Family One-Shot
Elijah âSmokeâ Moore is tired of sharing his wife Annie with their kids, especially his greedy ass, 9-month-old son.
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
â Live Streamingâ Interactive Chatâ Private Showsâ HD Qualityâ Free Actions
Free to watch âą No registration required âą HD streaming
A/N: Happy New Year! Ummm I've got so much to say cause this chapter was like actually so hard for me to write haha which is why it took so long (so sorry!) but writer's block is a bitchhhhh lol I hope you enjoy! And forgive me cause... in full transparency, I messed up the timing in the last chapter lol I'm human but really wanted to finish this story so decided to give myself a bit of grace :)
âSweet Jesus. You know, I love Jason⊠heâs amazing but holy hell, this email is so long⊠all about clothes for a trip to Vegas?âÂ
Ravenâs body nestled into Michaelâs chest as Allen weaved through traffic toward their dinner reservation, the actor catching the sensual blend of saffron and jasmine in her perfume every time she shifted. Soft, inviting like warm sheets after a long day. Sensual like a secret inviting you in close. His nose nestled deeper into her neck where he could shamelessly get intoxicated on her. His hand slid higher up her thigh, closer to her warmth.Â
Because the consequences of the night would likely leave him out in the cold, he savored the last few moments cocooned in her softness.Â
Sade filled the car, punctuated only by the soft tapping of Ravenâs stiletto nail against her phone screen as she tried to absorb the novel provided by Michaelâs stylist.
âIâm totally lost. And these all seem so dressy. There are so many. I thought we were just going for like an event or two? What are we even going for? Is it like a fight or something? Did I ask? I shouldâve asked,â she mumbled more to herself, an exasperation at her own cluelessness shining through.Â
Michaelâs chuckle was low, validating at her minor but justified crash out. While Raven often pushed firm against his monetary displays of affection, travel seemed to be the one indulgence in his lifestyle she granted herself. And he wanted nothing more than to fill every page of her passport. And he was thankful because otherwise, she wouldâve asked far too many questions about their upcoming trip.
âI gotchu. I know⊠shitâs tedious if youâre not used to it.âÂ
âYea, I guess I knew it was like this for bigger things⊠award shows and stuff. But itâs really everything yâall do? A small part of it is fun, donât get me wrong but⊠Iâm tired of this grandpa!â She whined jokingly, letting her head nestle back into his shoulder lazily.Â
âThatâs just too damn bad.â His voice immediately took on a perfect imitation of a signature racist white grandpa, the pair dissolving into laughter. âNah but it does get easier when youâre in a rhythm with a stylist. They get to know you and your style more. You start speakinâ the same language. Emails get shorter, shit gets less annoyinâ. Youâll get used to it.âÂ
His assurances paused as something popped into his head.Â
âHonestly, thatâs on me, baby. I shouldâve gotten you set up with someone by now. I mentioned it a while back to him but Iâll ask Jason to pull together recs based on your style and we can set up some interviews. N you can start to curate your own look. Alex mentioned youâre poppinâ up on more style blogs. You can get a followinâ ahead of your book cominâ out. Itâs a good time for it.âÂ
âThatâs probably so expensive, baby. I donât wanna keep being a burden to Jason but I canât afford that. And I donât want you to have to pay for two stylists for everything. Youâve gotten me so many pieces already, I can also just wear what I have to smaller things.â Â
âYea but I can. Donât worry about the cost of it, I can handle all that. Do you want your own stylist?âÂ
Michaelâs grin was playful, youthful. Someone who was ultimately responsible with their finances but was not concerned with indulging the whims of his heart here or there. A glint that said he did not care about shoulds or should nots. Simply want.Â
Raven shook her head with a grin. âI donât think I can just want things with your money, Michael. One trait I didnât inherit from my family.âÂ
Michael was grateful to find someone who did not care about the dollar amount in his account nor his net worth. As certain as the sunrise, he knew if all his money disappeared tomorrow, Raven wouldnât with it. And that made him want to give it all to her, shower her in physical representations of his care and his love. And sometimes, he just yearned for her to ask.Â
To ask for something purely selfish and outlandish.Â
Just to know she believed she could. And trust that he would do it.
âYou can want anythinâ with my money n get it. You just gotta ask, baby. But itâs also practical. Youâre gonna need your own stylist eventually anyway. Gotta turn heads on your national book tour in 2025.â He peppered her neck with kisses, Raven giggling as she tried to shy away from his playful attack. âSo how about I set up the interviews, least meet with people, then we can haggle about it before I inevitably pay for it?âÂ
âYouâre gonna lose one day,â she mumbled.Â
His head dipped low, his breath tickling against her ear.Â
âHavenât yet.â He paused. âAnd donât plan on it.â His voice - quiet but resonant. A declaration.Â
A truth Raven perhaps was not ready to acknowledge yet. That his generosity would not stop even if she wanted it to.Â
Michael had always been generous. But before, she felt as if the extravagance was part of the deal. She wouldâve been fine without it but the nice clothes and extravagant trips sold the fantasy of them. And that was the whole point. But now that they were officially dating and Raven tried to piece her life back together after the last year, it wasnât just the occasional dress for an award show he bought or a first-class flight. It was everything.Â
It was the brand new car that appeared in his driveway.
It was the sparkly, brand new macbook, monitor, and desk set up in Michaelâs office after a frustrating day at the Genius Bar trying to force her 6 year old Macbook to hold on for just a bit longer.Â
It was this casual offer to get Raven her own stylist so she could build her own brand if she wanted.Â
At every turn, Michael reminded her that while money could not buy happiness, it could buy one thing Raven also never had: ease. Ravenâs life had never been this easy⊠until now. When was the last time she obsessively checked her bank account to ensure she didnât overdraft it? Decide between multiple things she wanted because she could only afford one thing that month?Â
Those days were gone.Â
For good, if Michael had his way, she knew. She could finally say goodbye to the days spent penny pinching or nights spent sick with stress about where rent would come from that month. And despite how at peace she should have been finally allowing someone else to hold the financial burdens, she was not at peace at all.Â
And it was not just the things that cost him monetarily.Â
At first, she tried to make her presence in Michaelâs house minimal. Over these last two months? Her mark in the Jordan household grew day by day. The first time she left a few clothes over? Neatly folded on a shelf as if that had been their place this entire time. She would bring a bag over to take things home but there was never a reason to. Every item? Folded, hung up and put away in a spot carved out for her.
And slowly, one shelf morphed into two and transitioned into an entire wall in his expansive closet filled with both Ravenâs clothes and clothes Michael gifted her from various stylists.Â
His bathroom? Fully stocked with all of Ravenâs skin and hair care products and her make up, and new luxury products she could have never hoped to afford around his second sink. She nearly had a heart attack at the price tag of the face moisturizer he encouraged her to try.Â
Michaelâs office? Now included two desks, one donned with blush and gold accessories and a framed photo of her and the students from the book club right before Christmas. And had been redecorated to create a warmer atmosphere for Raven to work in.
Raven casually showed Michael the artwork of an artist she adored on Instagram but could never spare the money for. Ravenâs favorite painting of hers now hung above Michaelâs fireplace. Ravenâs favorite drinks and foods became regular staples in Michaelâs grocery deliveries. He even added her to the familyâs group chat.Â
But what jarred her was not how he acquiesced his kingdom to her as if she held all the riches of the world, it was that she never even had to ask. For any of it. She never had to complain or even drop a hint. He just integrated her into his life as if she should have always been there. And made plans as if she would always be. So deliberately and quietly that Raven, herself, had barely even noticed until lately.Â
And everyone seemed to welcome it, encourage it⊠except her.Â
In fact, she felt more restless. Every gift, every extravagance simply made Raven painfully aware of how terrified she was.Â
Terrified to be taken care of and viewed as a burden.Â
Terrified of the lifestyle being loved by Mihael offered, a lifestyle she never dreamed of getting comfortable in.Â
Terrified to rely on anyone but herself.Â
Terrified of trusting only to end up where she was again.Â
Terrified of being alone.Â
âBesides, we got a lifetime of red carpets to dress for, baby.â
Lifetime settled heavy. Too heavy for the moment of levity, too heavy for Ravenâs brain to process. She paused, studying him for even a modicum of amusement or a hint of doubt in his low eyes and relaxed posture.Â
But there was none of that. Anywhere.Â
âYou say that sort of thing so nonchalantly. Like itâs nothing.âÂ
Her voice was almost too soft to hear. But she knew he heard the doubt loud and clear, far louder than she intended.Â
Not a question. Not even particularly directed at him. She did not question Michaelâs love for her, that much she knew. She questioned whether it would last, when the inevitable would finally bang on their door and sheâd be kicked out into the cold⊠as always. She had not intended to utter it outloud, her fear often kept that lodged in her throat. Because she did not know which scared her more: a retraction or an affirmation.Â
âIt ainât nothinâ. Itâs everythinâ. Itâs just the truth.âÂ
The period at the end of his sentence was a resolution. No discussion. No elaboration. Just his truth.Â
Raven did not know what to say after that, her eyes sliding back to the window in contemplation.Â
And Michael did not press her to continue the conversation. It just sat between them, like his proclamations of love often did. As if she had to absorb them slower than his heart wanted to give them. And he gave her that time, assured her when the doubt seemed too loud, and kept moving. He did not want her to get stuck in a spiral over it.Â
âYou sure youâre gonna be up for it though? It ainât that big of a deal.â
Raven rolled her eyes. âAsking every day isnât gonna change the answer. Iâm feeling a lot better.âÂ
Not a lie. Not the truth either. An embellishment perhaps. Because the more proper statement would have been that she was not feeling any worse. And after her stomach bug, Raven was particularly grateful for that small miracle.Â
âI know that ainât true, baby girl. But,â he turned his head toward the window, sucking his teeth. âPickinâ my battles today,â he grumbled under his breath.Â
Michael saw how it was starting to weigh on her, even if she didnât want to admit it. Even her perfectly painted makeup could not fully hide her exhaustion. But she also refused to go to the doctor, content to ride it out. She claimed she was used to that but he was not used to watching it.Â
âWhatâs that supposed to me-â Raven started to turn her eyes from the window when she noticed a local corner store she used to frequent. A staple in her life once upon a time, keeping her fed with the best pupusas in all of LA. And while her neighborhood was home to quite a few cheap, hole-in-the-wall gems, she knew it was not home to the restaurant she forced Spanx on for. Â
âWait⊠where are we going? Thought we had a reservation? Weâre nowhere near the restaurant?âÂ
âUmmm we do but not for another hour.âÂ
âOkay⊠then where are we going?âÂ
She knew Michael was always liable to have a trick or two up his sleeve, but even Raven had to admit this had a different tenor to it. An unsettling one. Her confusion was usually met with an aura of assurance, his eyes dancing with confidence of a man who knew he struck gold before he swung. Today, her confusion hit an aura of uncertainty, his eyes clouded with a fear that perhaps⊠for the first time, he truly took a gamble.Â
The silence stretched longer than comfortable. Prickly against her skin like the thorn of a rose bush. Beautiful in appearance but she was growing wearier than she wanted to be around a beautiful thing. It raised her guard, forced the relaxed lean out of her back and propelled her body away from his as she stared at his profile.Â
His particularly focused gaze at the passing scenery certainly did not help matters.Â
âI love a surprise just as much as the next girl but if you donât wanna spend dinner in an argument, Iâd answer me. Expeditiously.âÂ
âDamn aight⊠pullinâ out SAT words n shit. Can you just trust me, princess? One stop before dinner. Weâre almost there. âÂ
âNo, Iâm not just gonna trust you because honestly, youâre being kinda weird. Which is really not like you when youâre trying to surprise me. Besides, youâve spent all of what? A couple hours in this neighborhood? Where could you even think to tak-âÂ
Her words faltered as she caught the lettering of a passing street sign.Â
Jefferson Boulevard.Â
Raven did not need him to answer. She knew exactly where he was taking her.
He wouldnât.Â
Yes, he fucking would.Â
Was she foolish to believe he would do what she asked? Leave her business alone for her to attend to. But when had he ever done that? When had Michael B. Jordan ever left her be when he thought she was hurting or struggling? He simply could not do it. And Raven was grateful for it, grateful for how he supported her. While she wished she could bask unapologetically in that degree of devotion, she found herself concerned he questioned her ability to solve her own problems.Â
His motivations were pure, she knew, not control wrapped in the shiny gloss of generosity. No, he gave and he gave and expected nothing in return, put no guardrails up. But she feared it was dipped in obligation, feared he would grow tired of always having to hold her life together. And for someone used to, not only being in the driverâs seat, but being in the car alone, Raven hated that his help made her feel weak⊠useless in her own life when she had been the only one holding it together for so long.Â
âI canât fucking believe you.âÂ
A low hiss thrown like a dagger, one that hit the target of his soul like a lethal marksman. He did not enjoy being the object of Ravenâs anger, particularly because if she was angry, it was for a righteous reason.Â
And she reacted just as he expected. Her body angled away from coldly, her leg shifting so his hand slid from her thigh.Â
âNo.âÂ
Her voice was firm and unwavering as Allen pulled into the one place on Earth Raven had no desire to be. Â
âRae, just hear me out. Please.âÂ
âI asked you⊠I told you to leave this alone. And you just⊠fuck. This isnât fair, Michael. You canât just⊠keep springing shit like this on me. Itâs not fair and you know itâs not.âÂ
Michael had expected this particular fallout. He was more than willing to be the sacrificial lamb on the altar of Ravenâs happiness if thatâs what it took for her to stop hiding. He knew she had every intention of dealing with it but when Melody mentioned this week would be the last opportunity before the summer break, he knew it was now or never. And he knew she would regret not going for the rest of her life. And he would take his licks gladly and willingly, because her happiness was worth it.Â
âNone of the kids know youâre here, Rae. Just me n Melody. So weâre not expectinâ you to do anythinâ you donât wanna do. If youâre really ready to let all this go n you want to leave, weâll leave. N Iâll apologize for pushinâ it. I just think you owe it to yourself to try before n close this chapter how you want before you walk away just because youâre scared.â
âIâm not scared.â Her tone was sharper than usual, biting in a way that was still unusual for her.Â
âYea, you are. N I get that. But they want to see you. So I figured if we just came down here, maybe itâd convince you to, at least, give it a try.â
Raven scoffed, frustration coursing through her at the loveably annoying man sitting next to her.Â
âNo. No, this doesnât change anything except how fucking pissed off I am. We both know I⊠I canât go in there.âÂ
Her anger was loud, a whiplash he could not ignore. But he could still hear it. Everything masked beneath that roar, the swell she wanted to stomp out. Â
Shame.Â
Inadequacy.Â
Guilt.Â
Failure.Â
This building felt like a physical monument to everything her family claimed she was. Every bad decision etched into brick and mortar. It was the first good thing in her life in so long and she took a torch to it. Perhaps she thought she could let the clock run out on facing it. May would fade into June and she a distant memory as the excitement and whimsy of summer took hold. Because here? All she saw was the girl who destroyed every good thing. Who was scared sheâd just do it again.  Â
âI donât know that, actually.â Quiet but firm. A challenge to the negative orator filling her brain.
âWell I do. I canât go on there, Michael. I canât. So hope the argument weâre gonna have tomorrow was worth it. As for tonight, Allen, please take me home. To my apartment.âÂ
Though silent, she knew that specification was not for Allenâs benefit but for the man next to her, to ensure he knew he crossed a line.Â
However, Michael was not a man to accept defeat so easily. He held up one finger to stop him from moving the car.Â
âRae⊠if I really thought you couldnât walk through that door, I wouldnât have risked this. But I know you can and I know you want to. We both know youâve invested too much into this community to just disappear without sayinâ somethinâ. The Raven who couldnât skip one week wouldnât do that. Couldnât live with that. Itâs okay to be scared, I get that, but itâs also okay to trust that you built something special here. N that just maybe, regardless of what happened, they still want you here. That you still mean something to them even if you donât feel like you should.âÂ
Ravenâs hand gripped the car door as she fought the desire and itch to jump out and run, in her heels, back home where none of this would bother her. Perhaps because she knew he was right. Melody claimed the kids still asked about her. Every week. But she wrote it off, platitudes to ease the hurt of being fired.Â
Perhaps it hurt less to assume they did not want to see her.Â
âI dunno, MichaelâŠâ she whispered as Michaelâs gentle but firm touch pried her lips from between her teeth. âI just⊠donât think I can do it. Donât make me do this.âÂ
For the first moment since they pulled into the parking lot, her anger broke and something sadder emerged into her voice. A desperation to avoid this.Â
âWhy? Why canât you? Tell me. Let me help, baby girl.â
âIt was one hour a week. Just one⊠where I felt like⊠good about something? About myself,â she whispered. âAll the other hours were just focused on getting to the next one. But that one? I felt like I had a purpose again. I got to be fun and creative. And it felt like people needed me but for something good for a change? And they were grateful in their own teenage angsty way for whatever I could give. And it felt like I was part of something⊠not just looking in from the outside. And then⊠like I do with everything, I took a torch to it. And I just⊠canât face that. Or them.âÂ
She picked at her cuticles in frustration at the vulnerability he demanded, the facade of anger falling back onto her face.Â
âItâs probably best if they forget about me anyway. Iâm a cautionary tale at best⊠a fable on failure or self-destruction. But it would be a lot fucking easier to learn to live with the pain of that if you stopped interfering. You canât fix everything.âÂ
She held herself away from him, arms folded tight, her walls closing in fast.Â
âBut if you go in there, you donât have to live with that, Rae. You can be happy o-or at least content with how this ends. I think you really donât wanna go in there cause you donât think you deserve it. But you created all this. Melody told me how no one else could get any sort of program like this goinâ, how they begged you to stop wastinâ your time tryinâ. But you were you⊠âannoyingly relentless,â in her words.âÂ
He held out his hand, steady and open. Ravenâs slipping into it in spite of herself.Â
âShe said you recruited most of the kids in there, worked and engaged with them like no one else could. I donât think any opinions on your life outside of here negates all that effort, all the love you poured into this. They want you here. N you want to be here. And Iâm not sayinâ it ainât fair to be scared or embarrassed, havinâ your life out there like that. People analyzinâ shit they donât really know about. Itâs hard and it isnât right or fair. But you,â his thumb grazed the soft skin of her hand, the other whisking away a falling tear. âAre fearless. Always have been. Especially for the people you love, even when itâs hard. Thatâs the woman I know, thatâs the woman all they showed up week after week for. So go be her.âÂ
Raven chewed the inside of her cheek for a moment, her eyes trained on doors she walked in almost every day for a year, before his words started to eat away at her walls far faster than she could build them back.Â
She quite literally hated it here. She hated that he was right. Hated that it made it difficult to sustain her anger. But she would contend with that once this was done.Â
âI hate you⊠you know that, right?â She mused, her hand reaching for the door. Â
âI know. And Iâm fully prepared for you to cuss me out when we get back in the car or tomorrow if youâd prefer. I earned it. Wonât fight it.â His kiss to her forehead was hesitant, tentative, as if her anger created a current that slowed him down. But it could not deter him, not from her. âReady?â
âAs Iâll ever be.â
***
Raven allowed Michael to lead her to the back of the library where the club typically met, her palm sweating against his. She expected her nerves to be worse now that she was inside, could hear the boisterous chatter echoing from the back. But it felt more like coming home after an absence. Everything was just different enough, including her, but it still felt like the place she found refuge. And not the place where she lost everything.
And Raven found herself more settled, more at peace with every step forward. And that was the surge of power she needed to be the one thing she did not often feel: brave.Â
âDeep breaths. You got this and you got me,â Michael pulled her in for a kiss.
She heard exuberant laughter as they rounded the corner to the space they used for book club, all the kids spread out in the comfy couches and bean bag chairs throughout the open space. She stood back and watched for a moment, grinning at their spirited debate. Her eye caught Melodyâs, offering an apologetic wave and grin. Â
âAnd with that hot take, how about we wrap up a bit early for tonight?âÂ
A litany of groans and spirited requests interrupted her.Â
âBecause thereâs someone here who wants to say hey before we head home.â She gestured toward the back of the room toward Raven.
Every head turned around and before she knew it loud gasps and cheers rang out as half the room raced toward her.Â
âMs. T!âÂ
âYouâre back!!âÂ
Raven grunted in laughter, tears streaming down her face, as they all essentially ran into her in a giant group hug. The troubled waters of her soul immediately eased as she greeted every student, their wide smiles proof that he was right. And she loved and loathed him for it.Â
âDonât cry, Ms. T.âÂ
âYea cause then Karimâs soft assâll start and I canât listen to him weepinâ the whole walk home.â
âThe language, â she reproached with a teary grin. She made sure to acknowledge every kid before they all but dragged her to a seat.Â
âSoâŠâ She grinned. âCatch me up?âÂ
Pure mayhem.
Raven could barely hear every achievement, life update or random fact thrown at her as everyone cut each other off or chimed in to each otherâs updates.Â
SAT scores? The rising seniors killed it.Â
Favorite book of the year? Highly controversial.Â
And Raven soaked up every minute. She forgot how much she simply enjoyed being with them, their energy and humor. Their imagination.Â
âSo will you be back next year?â One of the younger high school students asked, interrupting everyone.Â
âYea, itâs our senior year. Shitâs about to be a movie. You canât miss that, Ms. T.â
Raven bowed her head. The inevitable. The hard part.Â
âNo, Iâm so sorry, you guys. But since I donât work here anymore, I canât.âÂ
âB-But⊠everythingâs over. You didnât do anything wrong. You could come back?âÂ
âYea, yea. We want you back.âÂ
Raven smiled sadly, adjusting her skirt as she sat. âI wished it worked like that, yall. Iâd be back in a heartbeat if I could. But I canât. And thatâs on me. And Iâm so sorry that I made choices that caused that, that I hurt you guys. And itâs okay to be sad about that and miss having me here. Iâm gonna miss being here too. I do miss it. And you all.âÂ
âIt wonât be the same without you though. You started this.â
âYea, we canât do it without you,â Karim muttered.
âYouâre right. Itâll be different. But different isnât bad. I didnât do anything but create the space. You guys showed up every week. And youâll keep showing up because it wasnât about me, right? Itâs about y'all. And itâll be different but sometimes different ends up being better or just as amazing. And even if I canât be here physically, Iâm always here for you guys. And Iâm so sorry I made you all doubt that.âÂ
âSo whatâre you going to do next?âÂ
âIf yall get married, can we come to the wedding?â Jasmine almost launched out of her seat in excitement.Â
âCan we meet Ryan Coogler?âÂ
âNahhh can we see the Black Panther suit? Maybe that nigga still got the gold one?âÂ
Raven shared an amused look over her shoulder at Michael who was simply trying to stifle laughter at this insane line of questioning.Â
âThe suit ainât real, stupid.âÂ
âThen how did he run around in it?âÂ
âNext thing you know, he gonâ ask if he can take us to Wakanda too.â
The entire group dissolved into fits of laughter.
âWait - could he fr? It was like a set or some shit??âÂ
âYou think they built that whole ass waterfall? Youâre not serious, right now?â Â
âDo you know Ice Spice??âÂ
âNahhhh! Future? Drake??âÂ
âDrakeeeee?!â Which dissolved into a heated debate on whether Drake was the correct rapper to leverage this new connection with. Which helped Raven escape having to answer their nonsensical questions.Â
âLeast theyâre learninâ bout networkinâ?â Michael whispered in her ear jokingly as they all started to gather their things to head home.Â
Raven giggled before gently shoving him with her shoulder. âDonât make me laugh. Iâm still mad at you.â But still she added, âBut donât let them hear you say that shit⊠youâll network your way into fifty-leven tik tok dances or whatever the hell they be doing.âÂ
âMs. T! Got a sec?âÂ
Jamal meandered over to her and Michael, the actor immediately falling off to the side.Â
Raven immediately grinned as she looked at him.Â
âSo⊠2250 on the SATs?âÂ
âAinât nothinâ.âÂ
Ravenâs jaw dropped as she shook her head. âPlease. Itâs somethinâ. Itâs fucking amazing!âÂ
âLanguage, Ms. T! Damn.âÂ
âBoy,â she rolled her eyes. âIâm so proud of you. With scores like that, youâll get in anywhere you want. If I can help with a letter or reviewing essays, let me know. Seriously. Whatever you need. Senior year is the time to use every connection.âÂ
His smile was bright, hopeful. âI hear you. Ainât gotta worry, Imma be hittinâ you up for all that. But I also just wanted to give you this.âÂ
He handed her a stapled essay. The paper - weathered and crumpled. A look that communicated this teenage boy threw it in his backpack every week in hopes of giving it to her.Â
Connection & Community by Jamal WalkerÂ
Her hand was slow to take the piece of paper in surprise. âWhatâs this?âÂ
âItâs just⊠an essay I wrote⊠for my English midterm. The prompt was on a time you connected with someone but didnât really know them⊠or understand them. Wanted you to read it n everything happened. Mr. Richards said it was the best one of all his classes a-and he asked me to join his creative writing group after school. Wanted to make sure you got it just to say⊠thanks for everything.â
She could still see Jamal, a shy shorter than he is now, hunched over his homework or a book in the far corner. An air too heavy, weathered and worn for someone so young. Raven recognized that robe, recognized the weight of it from a mile away. With two younger siblings and an ailing father, the library was the only quiet place to study and do his work. He was often one of the last to leave around closing.Â
He rebuffed her just as a teen would the first time they spoke. The first time she recommended a book to him. He ignored her for about a week. Until one day, he timidly asked for the name and to check it out. Nothing could have dimmed Ravenâs smile that day.Â
âYouâre amazing, you know that? Thank you.âÂ
âI didnât do anything.âÂ
âYea, you did⊠Youâre one of the reasons I fought so hard to start this. You helped me find a purpose, find me again. You helped make this happen, Jamal. And you should be proud of that too.âÂ
âThink itâs what we all needed?âÂ
Raven nodded. âYea I think so too. You know I always got you, right? You ever need anythinâ, Iâll be there.âÂ
âYea I know. I imagine youâll never need anythinâ again with him,â he joked, glancing at Michael who stood leaning into a bookshelf, watching her intently. âBut Iâm here for you too if you need it. Always happy to be your IT guy. Bet the gig pays better now?â he joked before sliding his backpack fully on.Â
âTake care of yourself, Ms. T.â However, before he walked away, he turned. âOh forgot two things.â
âHmm?â
âBeen tasked with tellinâ you the juniors are requesting advanced copies of your next book.â He grimaced at her wide eyes. âYou knew I wasnât gonâ be able to keep that forever, Ms. T. I tried but then Jasmine was askinâ me and wellâŠâ he rubbed the back of his neck, his eyes growing a bit bashful as they fell to the floor.Â
âWell, if Jasmine asked then I understand,â she grinned, a hint of softness at this young man, melting at the thought of making his crush happy. âThe second thing?â
âAnd we voted n we donât think you should take his last name. Raven Jordanâs lame. Terrible.âÂ
Raven let out a laugh that could only come from the soul, honest and uncontrollable. belly, boisterous laugh. âYâall donât know nothing about stayinâ outta grown folksâ business, do you?âÂ
âNot when itâs more interesting than ours and youâre the most interesting adult we know.â
âOh God. Thatâs not the compliment you think it is,â she laughed. âBut⊠I donât disagree with the survey results. Yâall have good taste.â She grinned. âTake care of yourself too, Jamal.âÂ
She watched him wave at her one last time before racing to catch up with the older kids waiting by the front door before a few of the friendlier parents caught her attention. She noticed a few of the parents throw a look or two in her direction but she found that she did not care as much as she thought she would.Â
Once only she, Melody, and Michael remained, she turned her attention to her two meddling conspirators.Â
âI suppose you helped him orchestrate this whole thing?â Raven mused, perching against one of the long tables as Michael stood like a bodyguard behind her.Â
âWell, I knew this club was proof of your stubbornness but I ainât realize how bad it was, sis.â She squeezed Ravenâs hand before smiling. âReally glad you came. They needed it and really missed you. I do my best but you had something special with them.âÂ
Raven waved her hand dismissively, her eyes falling to the floor for a moment. She expected to be sadder. But this no longer felt like another thing life tore from her or forced her to walk away from. Now, it felt like what it was. Something sacred, pure. Something that was bigger than Raven, something she felt sure would thrive without her. And that didnât feel like a loss. It felt like resolution.Â
âNah⊠nothing special. Just gave them my best. My time. That was all they need, someone who sees them. I dunno, think they did more for me than I did for them,â she mused. âBut, uh, thank you for not giving up on me and for taking this on. It was so great to see you.â Raven pulled her into a tight hug. âHeâs gonna get cussed out for meddling but I did⊠need this. So thank you.âÂ
âAnytime, girl. I told you, Iâm here for you. Don't ignore my calls like that again though or weâll have to fight. And I know you ainât got hands,â she joked as they broke apart. âOh! I have a couple of other things the kids have been leavinâ behind for you. Art projects, short stories, and stuff.âÂ
Raven placed her hand on her heart, her eyes glistening. âThatâs so sweet.âÂ
Melody grinned and rolled her eyes. âAnd I thought I was soft. Whew. If you give me a minute to lock up, I can grab em for you.âÂ
âLet me help you.âÂ
âYou sure?âÂ
âYea, we have time. Think that checklist is seared into my brain. Itâll be quicker with both of us. Babe, wanna wait outside with Allen? We just need 10 minutes.âÂ
She phrased it as a question but he heard the current underneath. A dismissal. It stung, being sent away, but he made this bed of thorns. Heâd lie in it.Â
âSure thing. Great meetinâ you in person, Melody.â He kissed Raven softly on the cheek before jogging toward the front door.Â
Raven glanced back after him for a moment before turning back to Melody.Â
âSo⊠how much trouble is he in?âÂ
Raven laughed as she and Melody worked to reset the room and complete the various close out tasks for the space.Â
âI donât even know, honestly. He makes it really hard to stay mad the rare time I am. Itâs just⊠is it bad that I like where we landed but his path to get there bothers me?â Raven scratched her forehead. âHe just wants to take everything off my plate, fix every problem, solve every equation before I can even think or breathe or process what I want? And when heâs right, heâs right. And I know itâs for my benefit. I just want him toâŠâÂ
âWant him to actually listen to you and what you say you need?âÂ
Ravenâs shoulders deflated slightly as she leaned into one of the tables. âYes. Or at least trust that I know what I need too sometimes, even if itâs in opposition to what he thinks I need. I love him so much but it can be overwhelming⊠his desire to fix my whole life for me. And I just donât know⊠makes me worried he thinks I canât?âÂ
âFeel like he doesnât think youâre capable?âÂ
âMaybe. Which honestly makes me more upset at myself than him because why would he? Itâs not like I wasnât juggling more problems than solutions when we met. And I donât know where Iâd be⊠without his help. But now, I donât need that, I just need him. And I think he thinks he still has to be in fix it mode. He tries so hard but it just makes him-â
âAct like a clueless man?â Melody supplied. âEven the good ones are still men, girl. They think they know everythinâ, arenât that good at listeninâ when they think they know everythinâ. N that man knows you but you know yourself too. He wants to keep you happy but sometimes we gotta direct them on how to make us happy. The principle matters as much as the outcome if it matters to you.âÂ
âTonight did⊠make me happy. So happy,â she admitted. âAnd itâs hard to complain about the principle when the outcome is your own happiness. But it doesnât make me happy that coming back, facing this, wasnât my choice? Not happy that I explicitly asked him to stay out of it and he didnât.â Raven paused. âLike you know he bought me a car?âÂ
âIâm not gonâ lie to you girl, this might be where you lose me⊠I donât know. Cause that 2012 Toyota you were cruising around here on was really a tragedy. I didnât wanna say nothinâ back then but⊠yikes.âÂ
Raven threw her head back in laughter. âI know, I know. Woe is me. And my sweet old girl did finally die on me. Mechanic gave me an insane quote so I was just telling Michael about it that night, that Iâd sleep on it, price out some other used cars to see what I could get. Came over the next day and there was a brand new car with a bow on it. Like he couldnât even let me be car-less for 48 hours without him jumping in. And like I know I was running out of time here but with that and all this other stuff? Just feels like he doesnât give me any time at all before he just decides he has to fix it himself.â
âYou told him this?âÂ
âNo, donât even think I could articulate it before tonight honestly?â Raven chuckled as they started flickering off all the lights and Melody locked the front door. âAnd I donât know⊠it makes me feel like a bitch for even thinking it. Michael is amazing. He treats me so well and I sound so ungrateful complaining about his one flaw⊠being blinded by his devotion to my happiness.âÂ
âWell thereâs step one. Stick up for yourself⊠even with him. Youâre allowed to want things, Raven. Need them. Demand them. And it doesnât make you a bitch or ungrateful. Thatâs just what people call us when we have standards. If he loves you, heâd wanna know how to love you right. And heâll give you grace if you need time to figure that shit out. Gotta talk to him though.âÂ
âUgh. I hate talking to you.â She laughed. âNo, I know youâre right. I just⊠he is just⊠heâs so sweet and loves me so much.âÂ
âAnd heâll still be really sweet and love you so much after you give him feedback. He seems great but he isnât gonna get it right every time. And when he gets it wrong, he deserves to know that. And you deserve to voice it.â She walked behind the front desk and grabbed her purse and a large manilla envelope. âHereâs the kidsâ stuff. Mostly writing, some art projects. Most of it is⊠well just know James Baldwin or Toni Morrison reincarnated arenât lurking in there but you know, A for their effort.â
Raven grinned as she leaned against the door frame, quickly glancing through a few of the things. âWell, most of them are like 13 soâŠâÂ
âI bet James was sending his teachers HEAT back then.âÂ
âYouâre so silly.âÂ
Melody raised her hands in surrender. âJust saying. Well I donât wanna hold you too much longer from dinner. Besides, that man stay lookinâ like a lost Golden Retriever without you. Turns into Eeyore when youâre too far.â Melody teased as she grabbed her purse and coat and walked toward the front door.Â
âStoppp. No, he doesnât. But youâre good. We ainât making that reservation anyway,â Raven shrugged.Â
âDamn. Nigga canât even eat dinner?âÂ
âHe can eat. Just wonât be with me. Donât worry, heâll be forgiven by bedtime. Iâm too soft for going to bed angry,â she shrugged.
She was upset but she was also reasonable and this was not worth losing out on the precious few hours of sleep she was able to get these days.
âI go to bed mad at Terrance all the time. My mama said its bad, but like sometimes I want that nigga to know, even in his dreams, that Iâm pissed. Like canât have him getting too too comfortable when Iâm upset, you know?â She grinned. âBut I admit it's not my best trait. But you know, just set him straight, Rae. Say what you feel and what you want and stand on it. Got me?âÂ
âI got you.â Both women wrapped each other in a tight hug before she walked Raven over to the car.Â
âNow that you arenât avoiding me like the damn plague, how bout we grab drinks in the next week or two?âÂ
âSounds good to me. Iâll text you. Thanks for not giving up on me, Melody. Seriously.âÂ
Raven climbed into the car, Allen waiting so they could ensure Melody made it to her car in the parking lot.Â
Michael took a look at Raven, her eyes now trained on the front door, the folder and Jamalâs essay in her lap.Â
Raven nodded, smiling slightly to herself before turning her eyes toward the front.Â
âYeaâŠI think I am.âÂ
***
âStill mad at me?âÂ
She felt him watching her before she heard him, felt his eyes follow the methodical movements of her hands as she applied shea butter to her legs. His eyes lit up with desire, yearning to have one of those legs perched on his shoulder. However, that light was extinguished by the very look on her face. A look that said he would be taking the coldest of showers tonight.Â
âYes,â she admitted, standing up to continue her nighttime routine on her side of his sink. âNo⊠not really.âÂ
Michael considered it a small win that she was amenable to coming home with him instead of wallowing at her apartment. But it did not mean she was pleased with him. They forgoed dinner, grabbing random snacks once they were home, before retreating to separate corners of the house. Raven found peace in a corner in Michaelâs basement to lament in frustration. She only showed her face hours later to shower and go to bed.Â
âWanna talk about it?âÂ
Her palms pressed into the granite counter, sighing a bit as she leaned her weight into them. Michael noticed the exhaustion in her face and shoulders nearly immediately but he refrained. Â
âI like⊠that you push me, Michael. That you see me and the parts I really donât want you or anyone else to see. And I wanna be with someone who pushes me when Iâm doing myself a disservice, I do.âÂ
âButâŠâ He prompted, her words drifting off as an aura of guilt encompassed her, as if she was afraid to tell him. Afraid to argue. Â
But he was not a weak man. Nor a man who couldnât hold both her softness and her fire. He wanted both. Needed it - even if that fire singed him.Â
âSay it. I can take an argument or two, princess. Just tell me.âÂ
âBut Iâm tired of being ambushed. I love you but Iâm not loving this instinct you have to push me into shit Iâm not emotionally ready for without consulting or even warning me just because you think you know best. A-and I know you have the best intentions and I know youâre doing it out of love. But itâs not really fair to me. And it canât keep happening, okay?âÂ
She watched as he processed her words, not rushing to defend himself or his actions or even explain them. He just listened and did not make her feel bad for using her voice, even when it was to tell him something he would not like.Â
âUnderstood. Iâm sorry, baby. Seriously. I thoughtâŠâÂ
She raised her hand to stop him.Â
âI know what you thought and you were right so it feels like a waste to be mad about it all night. So I wonât be. I donât mind where we ended, Michael, I just need you to start taking some different paths to get us there. Preferably ones that donât leave me out in the dark all the time. I love how much you wanna make me happy but stuff like this? Itâs not yours to fix or to force me to fix. They are mine and youâve gotta give me space to do it.âÂ
âUnderstood. I just⊠wanted to help. Felt like you were hurtinâ yourself.âÂ
âMaybe I was, I dunno⊠maybe I wouldâve come to it on my own eventually. But I asked you to stay out of it and you didnât listen and you lied⊠again. Little white lies in pursuit of a surprise, I know. But I wonât pretend I like that this is your default. To just do what you want and hope Iâm good with it when the dust settles. I wonât count this as strike two cause you struck gold this time. But I wonât be so forgiving next time though so think wisely before testing your luck again. Okay?â
âI can do that, I promise.â He closed the space between them. âAm I off physical lock down? Itâs been hours, baby girl.â There was a bit of sadness in his voice, a frown as he contended the three whole hours he could not attempt to exist in Ravenâs skin.
âFine. But cuddles only,â she warned as he immediately wrapped her in his arms, Ravenâs arms settling on his shoulders.Â
âI love you. N I am really sorry, baby.âÂ
âI know you are. And youâre forgiven.â Â
âCan I show you how much?âÂ
âNope,â she answered sweetly, kissing him softly on the tip of his nose. âMaybe tomorrow. Iâm exhausted anddd going to bed.âÂ
âYou gonâ push me away in the middle of the night again?âÂ
âYouâre so hot, baby. And it gets so hot in here at night.âÂ
Michael wrinkled his nose. Hot? The bedroom I keep at 68 degrees?Â
âI just canât have you all up on me. I donât know why youâre complaininâ... I push you away and you find your way right back five minutes later.âÂ
âI know where I need to be to sleep, baby.âÂ
âWhatever,â she rolled her eyes as she extracted herself from his arms. âJust no playinâ around, Michael. Iâm serious,â She warned with a pointed finger that let him know she meant business before sauntering over to her side of the bed.Â
As they settled, Michael immediately pulled Raven to him, her ass pressed against his rock-hard member.Â
Raven huffed in exasperation, a laugh on her lips. âHow are you turned on right now?âÂ
âSeeinâ you stand on business bout yourself⊠thatâs sexy as fuck. Especially when it's with me.âÂ
***
âQuit staring at me like that. This ainât a regular date night.â A soft giggle as his hand gripped her inner thigh. A whisper. âWeâre surrounded by your coworkers.â Â
A fact Michael recognized but could not internalize as the party and the upper echelons of Black Hollywood swirled around the upscale jazz lounge. He only had eyes for Raven. The soft supple skin of her breasts pressing tightly against the plunging V of her dress, the wine-colored leather hugging her curves as if it had been painted onto her skin, the glint of the silver buckle that cinched it at her waist, how her soft smile glowed in the candlelight of their table.Â
A tucked away table she couldnât be more appreciative of as they enjoyed a private Jean Baptiste concert. It was the perfect blend of work and play Michael and Raven got to listen to one of her favorite artists.Â
The lounge smelled of money, velvet, and seduction. Rich hues of brown leather coated every seat, soft candlelight illuminated each table, creating low lighting and shadows that shrouded each table in quiet intimacy. Romance.
âSeen half these niggas do every damn drug on the market, they can watch me feel up on my lady. Hell, I should take you to one of those bathrooms n show you how fuckinâ sexy you are right now,â he whispered, his voice low and deep in her ear.Â
Raven turned her head away from him as pure heat crept up her cheeks as one set of fingers danced along her spine and the other set stayed glued to her inner thigh as if there was no safer home for it. She was grateful for the standing ovation that interrupted his plans, Raven using it to take a sip of her water and cool off.Â
Conversation broke across the quiet space as they went into an intermission.Â
âOh seeinâ Ryan reminded me n I donât wanna keep forgettinâ. Gotta show you some of the new pieces of art Iâm lookinâ at for the house. He hooked me up with a curator he uses. Think itâs time for a reset, some new shit. I think youâll like what sheâs pulled. But I want your ok.âÂ
Ravenâs chuckle was loaded with doubt, her eyes filled with skepticism as she picked up her club soda.
âItâs your house, baby. Happy to look but I love all your art now, donât need my okay.âÂ
âTechnically but-âÂ
âTechnically, legally, monetarily, spiritually, literally in every way a house existsâŠâ Raven added, ticking each one off on her fingers.Â
Michael could not help but roll his eyes, partially because he did not have a retort. She was not wrong. But fuck, how he wished she was. How he wished she saw his home, in every tangible and intangible way, as theirs. Hell, he had almost drawn up the paperwork to have her name added to the deed but he knew in his heart she wouldnât sign it, not yet anyway.Â
âBut itâs our home. Emphasis on our. N whatever we get now can go in this home or in an entirely new one. A house thatâs technically, legally, monetarily, spiritually ours in every way a house exists.â
âI hate you,â she muttered with a laugh, before something struck her mind. âWait⊠donât actually buy me a house, Michael. Seriously.âÂ
âDamn. Niggas canât even buy houses these days? Thatâs crazy. Can I, at least, get you another club soda? Or you wanna try a cocktail?âÂ
Raven tilted her head side to side as she contemplated his question.Â
âThink Iâll stick with club soda. Feeling okay, donât wanna jinx it.â Â
âAight,â he pressed a soft kiss to her cheek. âBe right back.âÂ
âMichael! My man!â Sterling K. Brownâs voice stopped Michael in his tracks, the two hugging and immediately falling into banter. âHow you been? Congrats again. Started off the year with a crazy run, brah.âÂ
âHey listen, man, still just takinâ it all in. Finally gettinâ some sleep,â he joked. âBut walk wit me. Gotta grab her a drink.â
âNo, no.â Raven immediately stood up, her hand gently patting Michael's arm as she offered Sterling a hug. âYou two stay. Sit. Catch up.âÂ
âBut I-âÂ
âI can get one drink for myself tonight, promise,â she kissed him softly before walking over to the loungeâs bar.Â
Raven eased into one of the rich indigo velvet stools at the bar, her dress falling like a secret dipped in blood around her. She had gravitated toward the quieter side of the bar as more people left their tables to mingle. But without Michael, she had no interest in mingling. She just sought pockets of quiet.
She stared at her reflection in the barâs mirror, her hand adjusting one curl in her hair before offering a gentle nod in satisfaction. She looked good. She felt good. And lately, that was something all on its own. And she was grateful for it. She knew she did not have many more sick days before a certain boyfriend dragged her to the doctor kicking and screaming.Â
Raven was just not ready to burst whatever soft bubble this was. Perhaps because she knew something was not right, just as Michael suspected. She was not ready to confront another curveball, ready to contend with whatever hell fate was about to send her way, not when everything still felt too new.Â
âClub soda, please? And a whiskey neat.â She asked when she caught the bartenderâs attention, remembering that Michaelâs glass was getting low.Â
One of us should enjoy a drink, she mused, her anxiety over getting sick keeping her from any beverage other than tea and water these days.Â
âCanât believe that nigga makinâ you get your own drink. Havinâ you up here alone lookinâ this gorgeous gotta be a crime.âÂ
Perhaps if his introduction had not been an insult to her boyfriend, Raven would not have been so put off. But she found that she did not even want the compliment as a deep baritone hit her ear. And once her brain recognized the owner of that voice, she most certainly didnât want it from him.Â
âRaven, right? Terrance. Think weâve met?â he held out his hand, Raven accepting it. Though she knew, by the cocky grin on his face, that he knew she didnât need the introduction.Â
Everyone knew Terrance McCombs, an actor certainly on or close to Michaelâs caliber by anyoneâs standards. And now, with real life insight into the celebrity gossip she used to consume in passing, she knew that while no one would dare deny his talent, no one liked him either.Â
Too big for his britches, as her grandmother would say.Â
She knew his motivations were far from friendly or even neutral after taking a verbal swing at Michael and failing miserably weeks ago. After a paparazzi asked him how he felt about losing out on what would end up being Michaelâs Oscar-winning role, instead of giving the boilerplate humble answer most actors would, Terrance remarked that Michael was the easy choice for a studio, that they were not interested in a fresh face, a rawer talent. Â
While Michael let the comment roll off his back with ease, the internet was not so forgiving. After a solid 48 hours of dragging, he issued an apology⊠through gritted teeth. But Raven could still see it, feel it. His bitterness. It was cologne and he drowned himself in it.
That one⊠it was a particularly blinding drug in Ravenâs opinion. And Raven knew that bitter wounded animals often lashed out.
âTerrance. Good to see you.â Her tone conveyed just enough warmth to not seem rude but not enough to invite more. For anyone who could take the hint.Â
âYou need some company?âÂ
Guess he canât.
âJust grabbing a refill before the show. Thanks.â
He leaned casually against the wooden spokes of the bar beside her. âNo need to be uptight, sweetheart. Just wandered over here to escape the noise, myself. Shitâs overwhelming.âÂ
And yet⊠youâre talking.Â
So she simply nodded in agreement and continued willing the bartender to finish her drinks just a bit quicker. She had to have ordered the two easiest things. Â
âI like em, donât get me wrong,â he added. âThese concerts n parties n shit but workinâ the room is exhaustin.â Well⊠for some people. He donât seem to get tired of it, huh?â
âNo he doesnât. But not everyone can be asâŠâ she tilted her head before deciding on, âMagnetic as him. Canât replicate that.âÂ
Her words were offered like a poisonous dessert on a gilded platter. Dressed in sweetness but its foundation was lethal. A reminder and a warning, aimed at where it would bruise the most. His pride. And she didnât hate how her eye twitched slightly at it. He recovered. Just not quick enough.Â
âHm. Everyone loves Michael.âÂ
Her frame flooded with gratitude as the bartender slid her both their drinks across the bar.Â
âThereâs a lot to love. And I think I should go find him. Sure theyâre about to start.â She tucked her clutch under her arm, both hands grabbing their drinks. However, in those two seconds, she found that he boxed her in. His hands on the back of her chair and the bar so there was nowhere to go.Â
She did not feel threatened. Perhaps simply frustrated by his manipulation of their surroundings. The setting, the crowd. No one wanted to be the reason rumors emerged the next day. So no one made a scene. And he knew Raven, of all people, wouldnât either.Â
âDoubt he knows how to love a woman like you though.âÂ
Raven bristled, shocked at his brazenness. âExcuse me?Â
âJust saying, Iâd make it worth your while. Iâd know how to treasure a woman like you.âÂ
âI doubt that.â Raven dismissed him with ease. âAnd Iâm not interested. As you know. Now, if youâll excuse me.âÂ
He leaned into her ear, Raven immediately leaning back as far as the chair would allow her. Though she wondered if letting it topple backward would be the escape she needed. She contemplated, for a brief second, how much pain it would be to risk the fall as his hot, scotch-stained breath hit her. Far too close for comfort. His hand left the bar to rest on the side of her exposed thigh.Â
She tried to jerk it away but he made sure there was no where to go.  Â
âCome on, baby⊠Iâd treat you right. Know how a woman like you likes to be touched⊠likes to be fucked. Ainât no way that boy scout fuckinâ you like you deserve.âÂ
âWell, some other woman like me is going to have to find out because Iâm. Not. Interested. Move out of my way.âÂ
She issued it as the warning it was. Because he didnât seem to understand that every second she sat there, the closer a far less merciful man came.Â
âWhat? You think heâs better than me? You think youâre better than me? Sellinâ your ass for a ticket in? Yea we all know what you are. Just cause that nigga dresses you up doesnât make you less of a slut who got paid to fuck him.â
Raven let the words wash over here before she let them slide right off. She was not about to let a jealous man-child shame her for anything.Â
âAnd yet, here you are trying to get me in your bed so you can what? Beat Michael at something? You know, Iâd recommend therapy for dealing with the loss of that role. Mainly because that seems less painful than when I knee you in the balls for not letting me leave. And definitely less painful than whatever my boyfriendâs gonna do when he gets over here in about 10 seconds and sees your hand still on my thigh. So. Thatâs the last warning youâre gonna get to move out of my way.âÂ
Silence.
He sucked his teeth. Humbled. Embarrassed. Before his hand fell and his body shifted out of her way.Â
In the nick of time really as Michael immediately appeared behind him, moving to stand by Raven. He immediately stood in the space between them, clearing noting a tension that should not have existed.Â
âThere a problem?â He did not even look at Raven but the question was most certainly to her. And that was sexy as fuck, the power that radiated off of him as he stood like a tree between her and a perceived threat. The glint in his eyes that told everyone he was not to be trifled with.Â
Raven held out Michaelâs drink with a soft smile. âI dunno. Terrance, is there a problem?âÂ
A beat. Silence.Â
âThen no. Weâre good. Letâs get back before they start. I donât want to miss anything.â
Raven pressed a soft kiss to Michaelâs lips before throwing a dismissive look toward Terrance. Michael took the kiss for what it was, an assurance, a bid for trust that she handled the situation. And he believed she had by the embarrassment etched in every pore of his face, how rage seemed to overtake him. And that did not make him want to stand down just yet. But a gentle squeeze of Ravenâs hand forced his feet to move, forced him to do as she asked and not force the issue.
One more step and they wouldâve been out of earshot. And despite whispering it, the two words sounded like an explosion of his hostility. His bitterness.Â
âFuckinâ whore.âÂ
Michael whipped around before the words even hit Ravenâs ear.
âFuck you just say?âÂ
Lethal. So lethal even the bartender stopped moving. Raven stopped breathing.
âI ainât mean nothin-âÂ
Michael advanced on the man before any of them could blink an eye, his back now pressed into the very bar he trapped Ravenâs by. He did not even touch him, just challenging him toe to toe. And despite Terranceâs height on Michael, Michaelâs thick and muscular frame created a far more imposing and intimidating opponent.Â
âDonât you ever in your pathetic fuckinâ life say some shit like that to her. You think I wonât beat yo ass just cause niggas in suits n shit? Say that shit round me again n see what happens. You understand me?âÂ
While Raven did not want Michael to get into a fight on her behalf, she could not deny how it almost stopped her in her tracks. Stocked embers in her core that were not appropriate for the moment. It was not even him coming to her defense. It was his speed. How it was not something he even had time to process, how his instincts simply moved him into action like it would do so to protect himself. Only this was to defend her. Protect her.Â
And well⊠Raven could not deny she found it intoxicating. To see this version of him unleashed.Â
Dark.
Dangerous.Â
Despite getting lost in her own fog of lust, Raven knew that the fog of testosterone was growing thicker by the millisecond. Dense and oppressive for Raven and the poor bartender still awkwardly paralyzed in his spot.Â
Raven knew it would be on her to end this. She knew attention was exactly what Terrance wanted, the rumors that would swirl that Michael punched him. And no one would know that it was in defense of her. A simple game, a silly one in this case, Raven wagered. Terrance canât see beyond his own hubris to recognize that he and Michael were simply not the same.Â
And that ultimately, Michael would not give a fuck what anyone had to say if he punched him. He would stand ten toes down and his reputation gave him that privilege, that power. And that took his entire career to build, years of work. And Terrance had no such credibility. In this room or out in the world.Â
But Raven also did not want to be the cause of another scandal in Michaelâs life, whether he cared or not. She did not think she could live with that.Â
Raven slid her hand onto his chest, a gentle push into his hard chest.Â
âRelax, baby. Iâm good. He isnât worth it. And the showâs about to start.âÂ
Raven did not even spare the other actor a glance as she pressed her lips against Michaelâs cheek, finally clearing enough of the fog for him to take a step back.
She glanced around, noting that no one seemed to have noticed as Jean returned to the stage. She let out a little sigh of relief as they quietly sneaked back to their table.Â
He shifted his chair closer to her, leaning into her.Â
âYou sure youâre alright?â His concern felt like a settling embrace, that breath of relief after a patch of turbulence.Â
âYea, Iâm good. Thank you, daddy,â she whispered, her lips pressing softly against his beard.Â
âCareful, princess.â
Flames. They crawled, they danced. They taunted Raven, burning her their desire and need. This felt unholy, unreasonable. To want another as deeply as she wanted him.Â
She willed time to speed up. For the concert she had been looking forward to end so she could be in his skin. But as she watched him, the smooth jazz of the savant on stage mere background noise, she questioned whether she would make it to his home. Whether this need and tension in her bones would not consume her until thereâs nothing left.Â
She noticed everything. How his eyes remained guarded, observant and protective. How they glanced at her every few moments, filled with both lust and concern. How his free hand balled into a fist as if the memories made him want to find Terrance in the crowd again. Every flex of his muscles, twitch of his brow made the pressure building in her belly rise.Â
She leaned into his ear. âOr what?âÂ
The look he gave her? Dangerous couldnât even capture it. Lethal. Feral.Â
âBathroomâs last door on the left. Go.âÂ
Ravenâs thighs clenched together at his voice. She was soaked.Â
She moved. Quietly, quickly to the last bathroom door on the left.Â
Door unlocked.Â
The air pulsed. Raven paced. Her hands shook because there was nothing else to do. But wait. Wait as need pressed down on her, heavy and restless.Â
He did not make her wait long. Just long enough to evade suspicion. Their time would be short but it would be worth it. A short fix of this particular drug was better than none at all.Â
She was grateful he did not make her wait long, the man sliding into the heavy wooden door before locking it behind her. He turned his head over his shoulder, Raven pausing her restless pacing. He could see it. How her need made her body literally hum for him, a sweet siren song that had him straining against his slacks.Â
His grin was that of a villain surveying a prize, as if he knew exactly what had her about to beg for it in a public bathroom.Â
âYou liked that, princess?â A hand in the pocket of his loose black slacks, the other rubbing his beard as he stalked toward her. âLiked me puttinâ that nigga in his place for you?âÂ
He backed her into the marble counter, noting every hitch in her breath, twitch of her head as he grew closer and closer. He knew he did not have long but he had long enough.Â
âYou can admit it. I wonât tell on you, baby,â he chuckled. Dark. Angry. âShoudâve let me break his fuckinâ jaw.âÂ
Raven let out the first sharp exhale since he came within armâs length. His hand landed firm on her hip, the touch bursting the lid on everything Raven was holding back.Â
Her hand gripped his neck as she pulled their bodies flush for a kiss. More than a kiss. Something both possessive and tender. How his hands held her against him like something precious. Claimed.Â
She could taste the whiskey on his tongue as they devoured each other, their movements growing sloppier and needier by the second.Â
They broke away to breath, cursed human needs, Michaelâs lips reattaching to her neck. Right where she was most sensitive.Â
âFuckkkkkâŠâ she moaned. âI loved it.âÂ
Michaelâs hands anchored against her waist, spinning Raven around. She hissed against the cool marble counter, her palms finding purchase as he put her in the position he required. No questions, no breaks.Â
âGone be hard for you but gotta be quiet, sweetheart.âÂ
His hands made quick work of their obstacles: their clothes. His lips couldnât leave her neck, gentle nips and sucking against her skin as he pushed her dress up to her waist and quickly undid his belt buckle.Â
The only pause in his movement? A tender touch of his fingers against her warmth, already slick with her arousal. Despite the ticking clock in his brain, he stopped. Stopped to worship at her throne. How could he not when his actions caused this? When her body responded to him like this?
He dove his fingers into her roughly, Raven crying out, coating his fingers in sweet nectar. Her ass pushed back against his fingers, her core clenching around him, in a silent bid for more.Â
âAll this for me, baby? You know Iâd have done it, right? Broken that sorry-ass nigga till he was a bloody heap at your feet. Make sure every nigga in here knows. No one touches whatâs mine. No one disrespects whatâs mine. Who else could have you like this, baby? Cock-drunk n begginâ for it in the bathroom.âÂ
His fingers pressed against her lips, Ravenâs eyes averting the mirror as she greedily accepted. The strings of her pleasure clung to his fingers like honey, stretching lewdly in front of her as he separated his fingers. She lapped her own juices off like it was the sweetest treat, like the fiend she was.
Desperate.Â
Hungry.Â
âPlease.â Breathless, desperate, needy. He heard all of it. Saw how she couldnât control the grind in her hips against his member.Â
âYou right, princess. We ainât got much time,â he muttered with a sigh that held a bit of melancholy.Â
He let out a satisfied groan as he sank into her heat, her warmth pulsing around him. He kept his eyes trained on her face, loving when he could watch the moment he filled her. Whether he went slow, forcing her to contend with the stretch of every inch of him, or in one stroke, reminding her of his power, he wanted to see it. The moment she opened up for him, how her lips parted in a deep moan, how tears misted her eyes. How they fluttered closed in ecstasy.Â
âDadddyyyyy⊠fuck. Feels so good.âÂ
âTell me what you liked about it, baby.â Â
Ravenâs head lulled forward for a moment as she tried to catch her breath, trying to adjust to his attempts to rearrange her guts in a five-minute quickie. The night had unleashed a beast, figuratively and literally. And while she asked for this, she now questioned, as he pounded into her with abandon, if she knew exactly what she signed up for.Â
âYou d-didnât hesitate.âÂ
âWhy would a nigga hesitate with you, baby?â He growled in her ear, gleeful at how she clenched around him. âThink Iâd burn all this shit down for you n this pussy n not think twice about it. And what that tell you about me? What I keep tellinâ you?â
The clap of his hips against her ass sounded as punishing as it felt as he demanded she say the truth she never believed, never wanted to test. But there was no room for doubt here. If she overexamined this situation 100 different ways, every single road led back to one single truth.Â
âSay it.âÂ
âYouâll always choose me r-regardless.â Â
Her words? Something low like a whisper, a vulnerable truth she had not always been able to see or voice, caught between a breath and a suppressed moan.Â
She didnât need to elaborate. He understood. What it meant to her. To be chosen and claimed loudly, without hesitation, without regard or care for the consequences. To not be a secret or half truth she sometimes believed she still deserved to be. But to be his. In every light. In every room. No matter who was watching or what they had to say.Â
He shifted one hand to her shoulder, giving his relentless pace more power.Â
Raven tried to match him, bouncing her ass back against him but he was too quick, too forceful. She could only hold onto the counter and take what he provided. Tears sprang to her eyes, her breath no more than shallow pants, each purposeful and devoted drive of his hips brushing against her g-spot.Â
âLook at you, baby. So fuckinâ beautiful. Creaminâ on this dick.âÂ
He was quick, punishing, but never sloppy. His weight pressed into her back, every thrust a testament in stone to his strength, his power. To ensure the truth was starting to become etched into her soul like a psalm. Â
She was his.Â
Only his.Â
And he would make damn sure everyone knew it.Â
âNah, nah. Donât take your eyes off that mirror.âÂ
An order. An evil one. Her eyes immediately tried to fall closed as he pulled her down and thrust into her with a particularly deep thrust.Â
âFUCK!âÂ
âDonât make me gag you, sweetheart. Eyes open, on the mirror and keep that pretty mouth fuckinâ shut, understand?â
âYes, yes⊠Iâm s-sorry, baby.â she whispered in a sob as she forced her low eyes to the mirror.Â
Michael loved watching Raven watch herself, whether it was while she touched herself or while he ate her out. It started as a punishment once when she made a comment about her weight. A way for her to force her to see herself how he did. Beautiful, uninhibited, free.Â
She forced her eyes open to watch. She looked at ease, her bottom lip drawn between her teeth, her head lulling back every so often or to the side to give him more access for his lips. She found her eyes more focused on him than herself. The flex of his muscles as he held onto her, how his eyes seemed as drunk on her as she was on him. But still held the fire that started this. That righteous anger of disrespect he needed to exercise from his system.Â
And she was his canvas. And with every stroke, she saw that emotional release for the both of them.Â
âFuck. Just like that. Thank you, daddy!âÂ
His pace dissolved into pure chaos, fucking in and out of her like his life depended on it. And in some ways, it did.Â
His hand went to Ravenâs mouth as her cries grew too loud for his comfort as she came undone around him, not that he blamed her. He could tell she tried. Could hear the guilt-laced âIâm sorrysâ muffled against his hand.Â
His sweet girl always tried.Â
Her eyes were just endless seas of lust, every logical thought replaced with only thoughts of him. Where his hands would go next, would he be rough or tender? Was he close? Would he fill her? He could see the questions swirling behind those eyes, her brain a one-stop shop of him. And when they were like this? Thatâs all she needed to be concerned about.
So he could be concerned about the rest. Like how to keep her quiet, and right now, his fingers felt like a solid pacifier.Â
âThatâs it, baby. You wanna keep quiet for me, donât you? Donât want everyone to know how good daddy feels when heâs deep in this sweet pussy. How quick I can make you cum? How much of a mess you make for me?âÂ
And a mess it was. His eyes left the mirror only to watch how her essence coated his hard thickness, covered him with every push of his hips in and pull out of her. It was obscene, how she shined on his length, how she gushed around him. For him.Â
âFuckinâ mess. Wish you could see this shit, princess. You creaminâ on this dick. Want me to cum in this pussy, baby?âÂ
âYes, yes, yes!â Or at least, thatâs what she hoped he heard, her words a gargled sob with his hand covering her mouth. Her head frantically nodding back and forth with every jerk of her body into the counter.Â
But the entire club would be hearing a different sort of show if he was not muffling her.Â
His weight, his strength, kept her pinned, forced to ride every stroke out exactly as he intended. No shying, no running. Every inch of him reminding her, not of his love but, of his devotion, his care. Forcing her to reckon with it with every stroke. Â
âDonât worry, sweetheart, I hear you.â A sweet and tender assurance that didnât match the snap of his hips. Unyielding as he sought to bury his seed as deep in her as possible.Â
Raven might have seen the heavens themselves as she felt him release inside her, a deep groan filling her ear as he kissed the now dewy skin of her shoulder. He did not move, even here, remembering how Raven hated feeling that cold emptiness immediately after an intense session ended. Even if he had to collapse on top of her, he paused to let her settle, allowing her to still feel tethered to him.Â
He held her for a few moments, his ears not hearing a knock at the door or quiet whispers, awkward pacing. Perhaps their escape had gone unnoticed.Â
He snaked an arm under her to hold her, quiet and protective. Far more tender than his touch had been moments ago as the haze cleared and her breathing slowed.Â
âYouâre fuckinâ beautiful, baby,â he whispered, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.Â
He grinned at how it settled around her, how her smile softened.Â
âThank you.âÂ
âLet me get you cleaned up, real quick, aight?âÂ
She groaned quietly at his retreat, missing the warmth of connection. Being full. But the side of her brain he fucked out of her? That side that knew she was in a public bathroom knew this ache would just be temporary. The night was still very young. And she knew neither of them had enough.Â
He turned her in his arms, adjusting her dress with a meticulous and loving eye. By the time he was done, they looked almost exactly as before.Â
He took her hand in his, checking if the coast was clear before leading them both out of the bathroom. However, before they turned the corner to go back to their seats, Ravenâs fingers slipped around his bicep, halting him.Â
She pressed the softest kiss to his lips.Â
A quiet profession of gratitude. Reverent.Â
He did not need to say a word. He simply deepened the kiss, holding her close to him.Â
âHell of a thank you, baby girl,â he grinned, filled with mischief.Â
Raven raised an eyebrow, the ghost of a woman who made a living off teasing resurfaced.
âWho said that was my thank you? Better hope this concert ends soon.âÂ
She threw a devilish look over her shoulder before interlacing their fingers and sauntering back to their seats, Michaelâs eyes glued on her ass every step of the way.Â
No one was getting any sleep tonight.Â
***
âFuckkkkk, thatâs it, baby. Ride this dick. Bouncinâ on my shit like it was made for this pussy, princess.âÂ
Michaelâs encouragement spurred Raven forward, her hips bouncing against him.Â
Slap.Â
The sounds filling Michaelâs master suite had been filthy.Â
Wet.Â
Unholy.Â
After Raven squirted the second time, Michael knew they would require a shower. The sheets? Soaked. Them? Drenched in her honey and his seed. Raven could not remember the last time she felt this overcome with need. No round seemed like quite enough.Â
This was the finale. Her thank you was sincere. She crawled to him, offered him thanks with her throat for as long as he pleased. More than just to provide pleasure, she worshipped at the altar of his body on her knees.Â
She begged. Pleaded to ride him to completion. Who was he to deny her?Â
And she performed.Â
She bathed in the few rays of moonlight seeping through his curtain. He didnât dare close his eyes. Not when she looked like this above him. He had never seen a more beautiful and sexy being in all his days.Â
Her body glistening above him, back arched, her breasts perky and begging to be sucked and bit, her pussy snapping around him.Â
Raven let what felt natural, good take over. She did not overthink, there was nothing to think about besides him. And she knew him. Knew what made him sweat. What made him moan.Â
She alternated between slow grinds that made his eyes roll back into his head, his head to lull to the side in soft pleasure as he showered her with praise, and a bounce that made him aggressive, his hands squeezing and slapping her tits to his content while his words grew filthy, nasty.Â
âYou love ridinâ this dick, donât you, princess? Love how I feel? That ache in your thighs? That control? Know you love that shit.âÂ
âI⊠do!âÂ
She increased her speed, her pussy clenching down on him as she thrust. Wet. Loud. The sounds of her juices were music to his ears, balm against his soul.
Raven bounced with abandon, sliding a hand to his thick thigh to bounce faster. She threw her head back with a cry as her clit brushed against his skin with every thrust, shock waves shooting through her.Â
The power she held was a high all on its own. He was putty in her hands, his body reminding her that he responded to her just as she did him. She grasped his hands, fingers interlocked as she leaned in, pinning them above his head. Her mouth latched onto his ear, her tongue teasing his skin, the man groaning as he thrust his hips upward erratically.Â
His sweet spot.Â
âDonât think I tell you⊠enoughâŠâ she whispered, her words low and hoarse.Â
Michaelâs lips immediately caught one of her nipples as her heavy tits swung back and forth with every bounce on his dick. Her words died as she gasped, the electricity current going straight to her core.Â
âCanât even think straight when I start suckinâ on these, huh?âÂ
âN-NoâŠâ she moaned. His touch was a grenade to the words formulating in her brain as the tip of him pressed into her g-spot and he punctuated it with a sharp bite to the swell of her breast.Â
Fuck. W-what were we going to say? Her brain short-circuited. Â
She grasped his chin, bringing his eyes to hers as their foreheads touched. Their bodies didnât stop, even as Raven slowed time to hold his attention, her hips kept bouncing, his lips still searching for somewhere to caress, lick, bite.Â
But she held him there. For a single second of stillness, grinding so deep Raven could feel him in her belly.Â
âI-Iâll always c-choose you too. Regardless. I donât want anyone else and no one could take me away from you. Ever.âÂ
She sealed her proclamation with a kiss, sweet but he felt the apology in it. As if she also recognized he needed an assurance or two tonight as well. His arms wrapped tightly around her waist, her words activating his hips to thrust into her. His fingers dug painfully into her ass cheeks as he thrust in and out of her.Â
âFuckkkkk⊠yesss daddy. Fuck this pussy,â she begged.Â
âWhose pussy is this, baby?âÂ
âItâs yours!âÂ
âYou think anyone else can fuck this pussy like I can? Take care of it, protect it like daddy can?âÂ
âNo! No one! Itâs yours.âÂ
She bit into the soft flesh of his neck as he took charge, plowing into her like a man with something to prove, a reminder to issue.Â
âShit! Fuck, daddy! I-Itâs too⊠I-I c-canâtâŠâ The words were caught in her throat, overpowered by moans of ecstasy and screams of passion.Â
Michael let out a guttural yell as he slammed into her, holding her firm on his lap as his release filled her. Hot, thick pumps coating her with a warmth that made her go boneless, soft against his chest. She whispered a quiet thank you against his neck as he held her close.Â
Like a promise.Â
His arms remained tightly wrapped around her, even as he deflated inside her heat, one hand tangling up in her curls to anchor her against the warmth of his chest. Safe. Secure. Another just rubbed soothing circles into her back. Neither moved, the air still with sex and something hallowed. Like a prayer neither of them needed to utter out loud but both could hear.Â
Raven tried to push herself into a seated position, her legs still straddling his thighs. However, as she moved, she felt the room shift, jerking into a spin she did not ask for.Â
No doubt, she adored when Michael threw her world off its axis. That orgasmic, high space he sent her to after a session like this? It was light, airy, and made Raven feel like she was tasting sweet freedom for the first time. Every time.
This though? Everything just felt heavy, exhausted. Uncomfortable. It made her slump back down against him, her forehead now pressed into his chest, his skin wet and tacky with sweat.Â
âYouâre aight, baby? Just take a breath. No rush.â
He could tell she was spent, exhausted. More than she typically seemed to be. Noticed it in, not just the slowness of her movement, but the sluggishness. How her energy well seemed to not just be low but near empty. He ran his hands up and down her back, soothing and calm against her skin as he let the room settle, letting her heart rate slow.Â
âBetter?âÂ
âI-I think so,â she muttered against his skin. âSorry. Got dizzy, I think. That was⊠intense.âÂ
âWanna try a bath?âÂ
Typically, she basked in Michaelâs aftercare. He always knew exactly what her body and mind needed to feel whole after taking her apart. And he never short-changed the process. He methodically put her back together piece by piece every time for as long as it took.Â
But tonight, she questioned whether sheâd stay awake long enough to slide into the bathtub. To even enjoy it. Tonight, she just needed him. To be held. She buried her face into his neck, her nestling deeper into him signaling just that.Â
âOkay princess. I gotchu,â he muttered against her neck. âJust rest.âÂ
She breathed him in, allowing his scent to soothe her.Â
âYou alright?âÂ
âYea⊠just got a little lightheaded, baby.â
âDonât worry, Imma come back to that. I meant what he said, baby.âÂ
Raven shouldâve known the night could not end without a discussion about the catalyst. It happened more than Michael realized, more than sheâd admit out loud. The joke she wasnât meant to hear, the snickering and catty name-calling here or there. She found that they slowly lost their sting, Raven more so worried about the things she didnât hear, the ones Michael heard but kept to himself.Â
âOh. Yea. Not the first guy who's gonna call me a whore, Iâm afraid. He was mad he got rejected, trying to get a leg up on you. Knew I was an easy target to get a reaction. It was silly. We handled it. Iâm good.âÂ
âYou sure? You know youâre not-âÂ
Raven silenced him. âMichael, stop. Iâm okay, really. If I let stuff like that get to me, I wouldâve folded a long time ago. It stings but thatâs all it does. I know what some people will think about you the moment you make that exchange. And I donât care about wasting my time trying to change that. Iâm not ashamed of making a living. Mainly IâŠâ she closed her eyes for a moment. âJust feel guilty that it was⊠how we met.âÂ
Her voice trailed off, thoughtful and quieter. Vulnerable.Â
âThat you⊠have to hear that sort of stuff from people and online. Because of me. Itâs not⊠really fair to you.âÂ
Michael stilled, her words a gut punch he had not expected in bed at 3 am. And so typically her. Unbothered by how such disrespect affected her because she was too busy twisting herself in knots about how it reflected on him.Â
âIâm not.âÂ
âNot what?âÂ
âAshamed. I love our story, Rae. And nothingâs gonâ change that for me. These niggasâ opinions donât mean shit to me. I just wanna make sure you know you can come to me. If someone crosses a line, if he comes at you again, I wanna know about it. I donât care where we are, what event, if you feel disrespected, Iâll knock all this shit over for you.âÂ
âI know. I promise⊠He was backing off. Just being a dick and he learned his lesson. Iâm good with that. I do appreciate the assist though and where it landed us. You certainly sent a message,â she grinned, her lips gently sucked on his earlobe, Michaelâs head turning away with a strangled groan.Â
She was insatiable. But he knew her body had hit a limit, even if she did not want to acknowledge it. Â
âNahhh, take it easy, princess. Rest. I ainât havinâ you pass out on me tonight. Youâre exhausted.âÂ
He was not wrong. Even as her core buzzed and pleaded for him, every other part of her begged her to close her eyes and let sleep in. Exhaustion banged at her gates, an enemy she knew always claimed victory eventually.Â
âD-Donât know why,â she mumbled, letting her body relax fully against him again, knowing she was perfectly safe. âThink that third orgasm just did me in.âÂ
âThink itâs time for a doctorâs appointment, Rae. You ainât ever been like this after three. Three is light work for us.âÂ
âNo, no. Iâm alright, I think itâs just⊠from all the sleep I lost, when I was sick. I just need a couple more days, baby.âÂ
âYou been sayinâ a couple more days for the last two weeks. Let me call my doctor if you donât wanna pay o-âÂ
Raven shook her head immediately, not wanting her health to be another thing on his punch list, another responsibility she burdened him with.Â
âN-No, no. I donât want you to do anything. Just give me a couple more days. I do⊠think Iâm on the mend. Iâll make an appointment if I get sick again, I promise. Okay?âÂ
Michael was torn. He promised to do a better job of listening, of waiting for her to require assistance before forcing that assistance upon her. But he wished he had advocated for a few exceptions, particularly her health.
Because something was not right here. He knew it and he knew she did as well. But he also knew there was a line and he had already overstepped it once. He couldnât ignore an explicit ask again, despite desperately wanting to.Â
âOkay. Couple more days, Rae. Then weâre gettinâ you checked out. I hate seeinâ you like this.â
âDeal.â Mainly because she knew she would not be able to keep him at bay for much longer. As she drifted off, she sent one prayer up that whatever was wrong was truly on the mend.
She refused to bring him anymore problems, anymore burdens.Â
***
âThere are my two favorite ladies.âÂ
Michaelâs smooth tenure interrupted Raven and his motherâs conversation over breakfast, a slight jogging pace bringing him into the kitchen.Â
Light from his floor-to-cieling patio doors streamed in, the speakers playing a radio station his mom listened to lowly, the pair bent over Ravenâs phone like two besties. It happened far more organically than he expected, the relationship between Raven and his mom. And he was grateful for it. Grateful she went out of her way to not only make Raven feel welcome in their home but, into their family. There was no pettiness, no territorial spats. Just respect and care.Â
âWhatchu two conspiring bout?â he joked, his lips peppering Ravenâs cheek and neck with kisses before going to hug his mother.Â
He leaned against the counter, the sunlight illuminating his rich skin as he stole a strawberry off Ravenâs plate and tossed it into his mouth.Â
Even eating fruit is sexier when he does it. Breathing is sexier when he does it.Â
Her eyes consumed him as if he were her bible. The gospel etched in a simple form-fitting black tank top and black slacks. A psalm in the shine of his gold Cuban link chain resting gently around his neck. Hymns sung in every soft flex of his bicep.Â
Whereâs he going again? It canât be that important? Raven thought to herself from behind her coffee mug, wondering exactly what tricks sheâd need to pull out to convince him to return to his bedroom and spend the day enraptured in each other. Â
âRae?âÂ
âHmm?â She bit her lip.Â
His cocky grin let her know he noticed her mental vacation, how he could transfix her thoughts without a word.Â
âAsked what you two were gettinâ up to?âÂ
âOh, I was just talking your momâs ear off about some of those illustrators I told you about while she waits for your sister. For the map and the coverâŠâÂ
âNever talkinâ my ear off, girl. I love to hear about your work,â his mom rubbed her leg, Michael noting how Ravenâs eyes warmed. âIâm gonna go run some errands with your sister and the baby for the afternoon. You look handsome, baby.âÂ
âThanks, mama. Tell her I said hey n âem a kiss for me, aight? Iâd stick around but Iâm already a bit behind schedule, Allenâs like 5 minutes out.â He bestowed a last peck against her cheek before moving to Ravenâs side, a hand going to her bare thigh and the other rubbing her arm.Â
âN you, baby girl?â
âJust got some edits back so just some writing. But do you mind if I take the car? Might go exploring a bit, see if there are any good writing spots for when I want a change of scenery and donât wanna go back home.âÂ
Michael bowed his head slightly in his motherâs direction for just a millisecond, the older womanâs eyes almost identical to her sonâs in the way she noticed too much, observed too much, where Raven was concerned. Different⊠maternal but still piercing. And it rattled her. Â
âI ainât answerinâ that cause you gotta stop askinâ to use your car.â He lowered his voice to a low whisper he knew only Raven could hear, âKeep playinâ with me n itâs gettinâ added to your rules, understand?âÂ
Donât threaten me with a good time wouldâve fallen from her lips had his mother not been seated next to her. And though she enjoyed Michaelâs corrections, she did prefer to follow his short-list of rules as they let their dynamic bleed into everyday life. Most of them were silly, easy to follow, and she adored the glow of being his good girl.
She rolled her eyes, keeping her bratty grin to a minimum as she slid out from his light grasp to put some distance between them. She did not know what was wrong, why her body seemed out of control when he was near. She always yearned for Michael but lately? She was salivating for him. So she forced herself to walk over to the sink to rinse and put her dishes in the dishwasher.Â
âYou bought it, Michael. Donât act like Iâm doing something outlandish by checking with you first.âÂ
âI bought it n signed it over to you the day I gave it to you, baby. It's your car, totally paid off, in your name. You can enjoy it without permission. Do whatever you want wit it.âÂ
âOh so I can let it roll off a cliff if I want??âÂ
Raven did not try to hide her sarcasm as she and Michael had the same debate for the tenth time. She knew she should just let it go and do as instructed: enjoy it. But every time she sat in it, she just felt reminded of how she could not have afforded this on her own. And something about that sat like a stone in her stomach. It was more comfortable to not acknowledge it was hers, to not allow herself to get too comfortable in it.Â
Michael grinned as he followed Raven around the kitchen island with ease, foiling her plan as if he could read her mind before she even formulated the idea.
âI mean⊠thatâd be hella wasteful. But Iâd just get you a new one⊠after the legal team cause that sounds like hella charges n damages. Youâre too soft for prison, sweet girl. Best bet would be just to drive it round the city? You know, try to keep it on the road.âÂ
Raven gave him an amused eye roll, which she then shared with his mom who could not stifle a laugh at her sonâs jokes.Â
âIâm serious, babe.â Â
âWere you seriously thinkinâ about drivinâ it off a cliff, baby? Nah for real, Rae. I just mean⊠ainât nothinâ wrong with just jumpin in it when you feel like it. Goinâ for a drive, goinâ wherever you want. I love havinâ you here but I know itâs far out. I got it cause you needed it and I donât want you feelinâ trapped way out here or like youâre at the whims of my shit. So you can stop askinâ to use somethinâ thatâs yours. In fact, I insist you stop.âÂ
He leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her lips, the message clear. His statement had a period on it and he was done discussing it.
That shouldâve been enough, to steal the doubts and concerns from her brain matter but she couldnât uproot them. Couldnât silence that persistent murmur against her soul that cautioned against letting him do too much, come too close. That warned against getting comfortable relying on him. Or relying on anyone.Â
Raven let herself fall into his tight embrace for a too short-lived second as wisps of his cologne hit her nose. She had to fight the instinct to shove him away. This was typically her favorite of his colognes, but today, the citrus notes swirling about felt like a felony against her senses.Â
She discreetly turned her nose away from him, hoping a few deep breaths would calm the sudden storm of nausea hitting her stomach.Â
She prayed he would not notice. The last thing she needed was to get sick again when their trip was so close. When she foolishly promised sheâd go to the doctor if it happened again.
She was grateful for the chime of his phone tearing his attention away and hopefully getting him out of smelling distance.Â
âAight. Allen outside. Love you both. Call if you need anythinâ, babe. Have fun, mama.â He bestowed a parting hug and kiss, much to Ravenâs chagrin, before heading to the front door.Â
Her âgoodbyeâ was lackluster in comparison as her body devolved into active rebellion at his last kiss. She held it back long enough to hear the door close but too long for any other option than throwing up into the sink.Â
âOh dear!â Michaelâs mother gasped, racing over to Raven as she hinged over their giant farm-style sink.Â
She hushed Ravenâs garbled apologies, providing a soothing touch only a mother could against Ravenâs back until she finished. She could tell Michael inherited so much of his nurturing spirit from his mother.
âItâs alright, just take your time.âÂ
âIâm so sorry, this i-is so disgusting. I just wouldnât have made it⊠to the bathroom.â Raven mumbled a soft thank you as his mother handed her a wet paper towel to wipe her face. âThanks. Donât know where that came from.â
âOh of course, dear. Have you been feeling alright?âÂ
Raven waved her hand as she leaned against the sink for a moment to catch her breath. However, she could feel it. How haggard she felt just standing there, like the slightest thing could tip her over.Â
âOh you know, I had that stomach bug a couple weeks back and it's been off ever since. But Michael will drag me to the doctor when he hears about this. Heâs already so worried but⊠Iâm sure itâs nothing. And I donât want him to feel like he has to cancel our trip next week.â Ravenâs body caved a bit as she stared at the floor. âHe seems so excited and Iâm just⊠always burdening him with something, it feels like.âÂ
She bit her lip before sniffling and straightening her posture, realizing she had not meant to say that out loud.Â
âSorry, sorry. I shouldnât bother you with that sort of stuff.âÂ
âYouâre not a bother to anyone in this house, Raven. If you ever wanna talk, even about Michael, my doorâs always open. And I hope you know youâre not and never have been a burden to that boy. He loves you, loves taking care of you. But if you donât want him to worry too much, Iâd just pick up a pregnancy test. You should confirm with a doctor, of course, but itâll give you and Bakari some peace of mind in the meantime. Sounding too much like me in the first trimester with those kids. With Bakari, I had to ban Mike Sr from wearinâ cologne, stuff stunk so bad, made me so sick for months.â
She offered the words so casually, she could have been reading the weather report for the week or sharing what she planned to eat for dinner. But her words? âPregnancy testâ was water dosed on the laptop of Ravenâs brain and it shortcircuited. A tree effectively sprouted in her path, knocking every conscious thought out and replacing it with one, dizzying and terrifying one: Am I pregnant?Â
No. No, thereâs no way.Â
Sheâs just messing with you.
âWait, wait, wait. You think Iâm⊠No, no. Ms. DonnaâŠâ Ravenâs laugh was void of its signature youthful glee. Nervous, hesitant and shortened, the sort of laugh when your body simply did not know what else to do. âThatâs⊠not possible.âÂ
âIâm certainly a bit more old fashioned than you kids these days, dear, but Iâm not a fool, blind, or deaf since my son thinks he can whisper.âÂ
Raven blushed as the woman let her know their attempts at discretion could use a bit of refinement.Â
âSo I imagine itâs very possible. Gettinâ sick all the time. You put syrup on your casserole this mornin, which Iâve never seen you do. I've noticed youâve been more tired lately. Just woman to woman, it might be worth takinâ the test. First thing a doctorâs going to rule out too anyway so might as well.â
Fuck.Â
âYou know,â she added as she chuckled and patted Ravenâs hand . âThat would explain the dream I had on Sunday. I do believe thereâs some truth to âyou dream of fish when somebodyâs pregnant.ââÂ
Raven felt as if her reality had exploded, leaving her standing in the middle of miles of wreckage. She could not be pregnant. She was just starting to stitch her life back together, figure out a new path forward. She and Michael discussed the future but he knew she wanted time. And they had been enjoying it, blissfully dating and having fun. For the first time.Â
She was not ready. They were not ready.
The corner of her eyes stung, her brain trying to parse through all the emotions and fears that one statement brought to the surface. What would he think? Would he want this?Â
Of course not! Who would? Here you are⊠about to ruin his life⊠again.Â
A tear escaped before Raven could even stop them, though she tried to quickly whisk them away.Â
âOh dear, I didnât mean to frighten you⊠Iâm sure itâs nothing,â she started to say, realizing that the second person in the conversation had gone utterly silent and she found Ravenâs eyes filled with every emotion but joy.Â
But Raven knew she could not fall apart here, not in front of her. Because then her first call would be to her well-intentioned but meddling son. And she could not talk to him about this. Not yet.Â
So she forced a soft smile back on her face.Â
âOh, no, no. Iâm sorry. You didnât. Thatâs just not at all what I thought you were gonna say. Or even a thought on my mind. You just⊠Caught me off guard,â she reasoned halfheartedly with a smile. âY-Youâre right though. If Iâm not feeling better in the next couple of days, Iâll take a test. Good to rule it out.âÂ
âYou know I can stay if youâd like some company until youâre feeling better?â
âOh no, no. please. Donât change your plans for me. It comes and goes, Iâll be just fine.âÂ
âAre you sure?âÂ
âOf course. Please. Go have fun. Iâm alright.â Â
Another halfhearted goodbye as she left to go get ready, leaving Raven paralyzed in the kitchen. She braced herself against the marble counter, her heart pounding loudly in her ears as the words tumbled around. Her breaths were shaky, failed attempts to release just a fraction of the pressure building inside her.Â
But nothing worked. She just spiraled and spiraled as she cleaned and retreated to Michaelâs room. But this was no longer the sanctuary it used to be. She felt his presence everywhere, the man she needed and terrified her the most in this moment.Â
âYouâll always choose me regardless.â
The refrain came back to mind, she reached out for it before something snatched her back.Â
This is not what he meant.Â
And the one person who could provide calm and support was the one person she could not call with this, not until she knew for certain. Not until she could determine what her life would look like. Everything else Michael gave her, she could leave behind should he change his mind about her or disappoint her. But she couldnât do that with a mini future thespian attached to her hip, binding their lives forever.
This felt far more daunting than a potential illness she thought she was dodging. This would change everything. Her entire life.Â
And you can barely take care of yourself. What happens when he leaves? When heâs tired of being burdened by you?Â
Raven squeezed her eyes closed, trying to employ the techniques her therapist recommended when the dark thoughts were louder than the ones she knew were real. But even as she tried to focus on what she knew to be true, Michaelâs promises and his demonstrated actions, that voice just screamed until she could not take it any longer.Â
She grabbed her phone, wallet, and car keys and jumped into her car with only one thought.Â
A/N: Ummm wow okay that was a lot hahaha and I hope you enjoyed it!! I really struggled this year with writer's block and feeling like I couldn't finish this story so while this honestly isn't perfect lol I am so excited to finish this because I love these two and I know yall do too!
2025 was a tough year and that really disconnected me from writing but I'm so excited to be back! And hoping to dive into some one shots I had planned for these two and a sinners readers series I've started. Super excited about those and to just reconnect with writing.
So the next update is like 3/4 of the way done so it will not take a year hahaha promise! Thanks for reading!!
Here is the master list for all my fics! The date at the bottom is the last time it was updated (I try to keep it as updated as possible)
Thank YOU for reading, liking, reblogging, and commenting! I appreciate and LOVE the reception and feedback and commentary more than you could ever know - it fuels me and keeps the inspiration flowing!
All stories have a face claim. However, with all my OCs, I encourage folks to see themselves in the story so feel free to read as a reader insert if preferred! Also I love angst BUT all my stories are happily ever afters so enjoy the emotional rollercoasters knowing everyone'll be ok lol Thank you again for reading! Love y'all!
MBJ Fics:
Built for Love Series - Michael B Jordan x Black Famous Actress OC
Face Claim: Grace Bryers
Series Summary: Charlotte Bennett was not looking for love when she moved to LA and landed her first role in Creed. Quite the opposite actually. However, her costar, Michael B Jordan, makes her question everything she once believed possible for herself and her future. As she builds a life and relationship with him, ghosts from her past threaten to destroy it all.
Series Warnings: Violence, Mentions of past experiences with DV, Angst, Mature Sexual Content
Completely random one shots that follow Charlotte & MBJ as they navigate the world as Hollywoodâs Black power couple. Whether it be stardom, their work, parenthood, or relationship drama, the Jordans are building a love that will last a lifetime. (Not intended to be read in any chronological order but are listed below based on the story's timeline.)
Date Night**
Bleeding Through (1)
Oscar Night Part 2**
Falling Apart (1) (2)
Babies on Board (1)
Protective
Oscar Night Part 1**
Asks:
Nicknames
GQ Couples Quiz
Wicked Fantasies - MBJ x Black OC
Face Claim: Shannon Thornton
Series Summary: Ravenâs life, as of late, was one unexpected turn after another. It seemed as though every time she got a break and could get her head above water, something came tumbling to knock her back down. As she struggles to get her foot in the door of LAâs call girl scene to make extra money, she stumbles upon her big break: Michael B. Jordan, Hollywoodâs most famous, talented, and notorious actor, director, and playboy. One night of pleasure for him would solve many of her continuously mounting financial problems. However, an unlucky trip to the hospital and an ill-timed flash of a paparazziâs camera snag her the proposition of a lifetime, one that would solve all her problems and allow her to live out her most wicked fantasies with the sexist man alive. However, she forgot one cardinal rule: fantasies and pretend never last and reality would always come around eventually.Â
Warnings: Mature sexual content (18+), BDSM (the whole nine), this is for the kinky girlsssssss, angst, emotional familial abuse
Double Trouble (Aaron Pierre x Black Reader x MBJ)***
Erik Killmonger Fics
Unbreakable - Erik Killmonger x Black OC - Paused
Moodboard: Coming soon!
Face Claim: Ryan Destiny
Series Summary: Naja, the younger sister of the Queen of Wakanda, hated few things. And at the top of that shortlist: Prince NâJadaka. Well, if she were honest, he was the entirety of the list. Once destined to be a princess of Wakanda, Naja was the picture of kindness and grace. Now, she is hailed as Wakandaâs most fearless, dangerous, and reclusive war dog. After more than a decade of putting as much distance as possible between her and the life she almost had, Naja is forced to come face to face with the person she hates most again. With a threat looming over Wakanda and lives at risk, Naja must decide if trusting Prince N'Jadaka is worth the risk before it is too late.
Warnings: Angst
(1**) (2) (3) (4)
Last Updated: June 23, 2026
Lover of Slow Burns & Angst @starcrossedxwriter - Tumblr Blog | Tumlook
