Sweet Dreams

Nothing was wrong with the night.

Jaafar held your hand as you stepped out of the hotel lobby, his thumb brushing absentmindedly over your knuckles. He opened the car door for you when you arrived at the theater, offering that warm, familiar smile that once made your stomach flutter.

To anyone watching, you looked like the perfect couple.

Yet Jaafar had never felt farther away.

That was the cruel part. You couldn't pinpoint when things had changed. There was no big fight. No betrayal. No single moment you could trace back to and say, there. That's when we lost each other. Selfishly, you wished there would have been.

Instead, the distance had slipped in quietly.

You'd been there for every step of his journey. Endless rehearsals, early morning meetings. Reshoots that stretched long into the night. Dance lessons. Vocal coaching. Interviews.

You'd spent countless restless nights reassuring him when self-doubt crept in. Reminding him that his family would be proud. That you were proud.

And for a long time, that had been enough.

Yet somewhere between his growing career and your own increasingly busy life, conversations began to feel different.

That easy comfort you'd once shared in each other slowly gave way to strained silences.

late at night, lying side by side in bed, you'd search for something to say, only to convince yourself he was tired and needed the rest more than another conversation. The inside jokes that once left you both breathless with laughter now earned little more that a short smile. Even his touch felt different. Not cold or distant, simply missing that spark that once made your heart race.

As his hand rested against the small of your back while guiding you through the crowd, you found yourself mourning something you couldn't quire name.

Earlier that evening, while getting ready together, he'd paused in the doorway of the hotel suite to look at you.

" you look great," he'd said, pressing a quick kiss to your temple.

You'd smiled.

At least, you hoped it looked like a smile.

Before either of you could say anything else, his assistant hurried over to adjust the collar of his jacket, launching into a list of schedule changes and interview lineups for the night.

The moment had dissapeared as quickly as it came.

A voice called your name, pulling you from the memory.

Out of the corner of your eye, you spotted Jermajesty and Randy waving you over towards the main stage for the group photo.

You hadn't even realized Jaafar had drifted away from your side.

Lost in your own thoughts, you only snapped back into reality when an overwhelmed assistant gently ushered you forward, desperate to organize everyone before the photographers lost patience.

You slipped into place between Jaafar and his brothers.

The second you settled beside him, his arm wrapped around your waist and pulled you close.

Instinctively, you glanced up at him.

For a small moment, everything felt normal again.

The cameras flashed.

you leaned into him.

He smiled.

And for that single frozen frame, the two of you looked exactly like the couple everyone believed you were.

Later, after the daze and the glamour of the premiere wore off and you returned to the hotel room, you slipped out of your gown and into bed while Jaafar disappeared into the bathroom to wash the day away.

The room was quiet except for the distant hum of traffic far below the hotel windows.

You unlocked your phone.

Photos from the premiere had already flooded your socials.

There you were on the carpet, smiling beneath the flash of cameras. There he was, arm wrapped securely around your waist. Comment after comment poured in beneath the picture.

Power couple.

They're so in love.

The way he looks at her.

Your throat tightened.

The pictures were perfect.

That was the problem.

You stared at them until the images blurred, tears stinging behind your eyes. You blinked hard, willing them away before they could fall.

The bathroom door clicked open.

Jaafar emerged in a t-shirt and sweats, exhaustion etched into every line of his face. He crossed the room and slipped beneath the covers beside you.

For a moment, neither of you spoke.

The silence stretched.

Months ago, it would have been filled with laughter, funny anecdotes of something stupid one of his brothers did, some ridiculous joke neither of you would be able to explain to anyone else.

Now it felt like a canyon.

"You okay?" he finally asked.

The question was gentle. Familiar.

And somehow it made your chest ache even more.

You looked over at him.

The man you'd loved for years.

The man who still held doors open for you. Still kissed your forehead before interviews. Still reached for your hand in crowded rooms.

The man who felt miles away.

"Yeah," you lied. A faint smile played its way onto your lips. " Just so proud of you."

His eyes lingered on you for a second, like he knew.

Then he nodded.

" Long day."

You nodded, not trusting your voice to give you away as the lump in your throat felt bigger.

Another silence.

You waited.

For him to ask what was wrong.

For him to pull you closer.

For him to fight through the distance that settled between you both.

But he simply rolled onto his side, facing away as he reached to switch off the lamp.

Darkness swalllowed the room.

And as you stared at his silhouette in the moonligh, it finally hit you.

The relationship was ending because neither of you knew how to reach each other anymore.

Besides you, Jaafar's breathing slowly evened out.

You wondered if he was pretending to be asleep.

You wondered if he felt the distance too.

Most of all, you wondered if he was lying awake, wishing you would be the one to say something first.

the marble beneath your bare feet is cool against your skin, a welcome break from the thick summer heat pressing against the city outside your floor to ceiling windows. it’s well past midnight. the apartment is quiet, the only light coming from the skyline beyond the glass and the glow of your phone resting on the coffee table. a text lights up the screen.

from your new boyfriend. he’s three time zones away on a business trip, but somehow still making time to check in before bed. “goodnight love you.❤️”

you take a slow sip from your wine glass, thumbs hovering as you begin to type, when an incoming phone call appears on the top of your screen.

Jaafar Jackson.

you always know how this starts and how it ends. you press the red button to decline before returning to the text message from your boyfriend.

you tap out a quick, hollow “goodnight🙂, love you too,” and hit send, letting the screen go dark a second later.

you place your phone back on the coffee table with a quiet clink, your hand staying there for a moment. your fingers trace the cool glass as your eyes remain fixed on the screen.

five seconds. ten.

the silence of your apartment feels almost mocking. you take your last sip of wine, the liquid doing nothing to soothe the unease in your stomach. you know he’s not gonna stop at one call, he never does.

the phone lights up again, cutting through the dark hue of the living room. 

Jaafar Jackson.

each ring feels heavier than the last, the sound echoing through the apartment until it’s impossible to ignore. your heart stutters, a painful jump in your chest. 

you stare at the name, you think about the gala last week. the way his eyes never left you even with his girlfriend conversing next to him. how his hand lingered on your back for just a second longer after helping you out the car.

the way his mouth unraveled you, taking his time with your body the very second the doors to your public lives were closed for the night.

your phone vibrates again for the third time. one, two, then a text.

why are you ignoring me?

the audacity of it pulls a shaky, breathless laugh from your throat. you’re the one who does everything right, the one who keeps the family image pristine. but looking at that screen, the image feels like a costume you’re desperate to peel off.

you don’t reach for the phone. Instead, you turn toward the sound of the elevator chime echoing faintly from the foyer. a private, floor access ping that shouldn’t be happening at 2:00 AM.

your breath hitches. you haven’t even moved, but you know the elevator doors are sliding open. you know he’s here. you walk toward the foyer, the floor of your penthouse apartment cold beneath your bare feet, your silk robe flowing behind you like a shadow. 

you don't have to look through the peephole to know who is standing on the other side. you reach for the handle, your knuckles turning white around it as guilt and adrenaline fight for control of your next move. you click the locks open. the door swings wide, and there he is—Jaafar, looking exactly as he did in your thoughts, his dark jacket rumpled, his eyes dark and hungry.

“Jaafar,” your eyes drag up and down his tall frame. “why are you here?” 

"You didn't answer," he says, his voice low, rough that vibrates right through you. 

He doesn't wait for an invitation–he just steps inside, closing the door behind him and locking it with a sharp, final click. "Stop pretending you don't want this."

his hands meet both sides of your face, forcing you to look at him. you remove his hands from your face. “no, no, we said we were done with this,” you whined.

your voice trembling as you stepped back, trying to put space between your body and his overwhelming presence.

Jaafar didn’t move. he stood right where he was, his hands dropping to his sides, but his dark eyes never left yours. “we did say that,” Jaafar murmured, his voice incredibly calm, yet entirely laced with a quiet type of certainty. 

he took a single step forward, easily cutting the distance you had just tried to make. “we said it last month, too. and the month before that. But here we are.”

“J, please,” you whispered, your hands pressing against his chest to stop his advance. 

through the thin material of his shirt, you could feel the frantic, heavy thud of his heartbeat, matching the uneven rhythm in your own chest. 

“my boyfriend... he just–he’s coming back in two days. and your girl, Jaafar. she’s going to start wondering where you are.” at the mention of your partners, his jaw clenched, a flash of pure possessiveness darkened his eyes. 

he didn’t back down. instead, his long fingers wrapped around your wrists, gently but firmly pulling your hands away from his chest, only to pin them flat against the cool wall behind you.

“I swear on everything I love,” he leans down to whisper in your ear. “I’m not leaving you alone. ever.”

 he leaned in closer, his warmth completely erasing the chill of the marble floors beneath your bare feet. 

the scent of outside and his expensive cologne filled your senses, making your head spin. “let them wonder,” he whispered, his breath hot against your lips. “I tried to stay away.”

“fuck, I tried. But watching you sit next to him at that gala, watching him touch you like you belong to him when I know exactly how you taste... it’s driving me insane.” A soft, defeated gasp escaped you.

you wanted to keep the ‘princess’ demeanor  your family raised you to have. you wanted to do everything right, to keep the pristine name on the company clean. 

but the moment Jaafar tilted his head, his gaze dropping to the loose silk of your robe where it had parted slightly at your collarbone, your body tension completely dissolved.

“We’re terrible,” you breathed, your eyes fluttering shut as his lips brushed against the sensitive skin of your jawline.

“I know baby,” he muttered against your skin, his hands sliding down from your wrists to grip your waist, his touch heavy and demanding. “but you don't want anyone else. say it to me.”

he pressed his body fully against yours, the contrast of his leather jacket against your soft silk robe making you shiver. he trailed a path of slow, agonizing hot kisses down the column of your neck, finding the exact spot that made your toes curl against the cold floor.

“say it,” he whispered again, his voice a commanding growl that vibrated straight through your core.

 “I don’t,” you confessed, your fingers finally tangling into his dark hair, pulling him closer as the last shred of your guilt was swallowed by the dark. 

“I don’t want anyone else.” 

Jaafar didn't waste another second. his mouth crashed onto yours, hungry, capturing your lips with a desperate intensity that told you exactly how much he had been starving for you. 

a quiet whine caught in your throat, but he swallowed it right down, his hands sliding beneath the silk of your robe to press his warm palms flat against your plump ass, lifting you effortlessly as the rest of the world completely faded away.

he lifted you so easily it made your head spin, your legs naturally wrapping around his waist to keep your balance. 

the silk of your robe bunched up around your hips, leaving nothing but the heat of his bare palms pressing into your skin. you buried your face in the crook of his neck, breathing in the scent of him, your heart hammering a frantic rhythm against his chest.

Jaafar didn't move toward the bedroom immediately. he didn't have the patience for it, and neither did you. instead, he carried you the few steps back toward the wide expanse of the living room, backing you up until the edge of the large kitchen island hit the back of your thighs. 

he set you down on the cool dark colored quartz countertop, the sudden chill of the stone making you gasp against his mouth.

he pulled back just an inch, his breathing heavy, his eyes scanning your face in the dim light of the city skyline. his hands slid up from your thighs, tracing the curves of your waist before slowly parting your silk robe. 

he pushed the fabric off your shoulders, letting it pool around your elbows, exposing you completely to his gaze. 

"beautiful," he muttered, his voice lower than you’d ever heard it. "so damn beautiful."

"Jaafar, the blinds," you whispered breathlessly, your eyes darting toward the massive floor to ceiling windows. 

the entire city was laid out before you, a million glowing lights, and even though you were stories above the world, the vulnerability of the open glass made your skin crawl.

"nobody can see you," he murmured, his thumbs wiping the faint smear of your lipgloss from the corner of his mouth before trailing down to your chin. "only me pretty.”

he stepped closer, fitting himself perfectly between your thighs. the heavy fabric of his jacket brushed against your bare skin. 

he reached down, unbuttoning his coat with impatient fingers and tossing it onto the floor behind him, followed quickly by his shirt, until he was just as bare as you were.

when his chest pressed against yours, the heat was immediate. you wrapped your arms around his neck, pulling him back down to you. the kiss this time wasn't just desperate, it was necessary. 

his tongue tangled with yours, deep and demanding, claiming you in a way your boyfriend never could. 

his hand slid down your stomach, his long fingers tracing lower, past the dip of your hip until he found the center of your heat. you whimpered into his mouth. his fingers slow and deliberate, breaking down the very last of your defense. 

he knew exactly what you liked, exactly how to make you forget your own name, your relationship, and the image you wore during the day.

"look at me," Jaafar whispered, pulling his mouth away, his breath coming in sharp gasps.

you opened your eyes, your vision slightly blurred, locking onto his dark, intense gaze. 

his hand never stopped moving, driving you closer and closer to the edge. suddenly he stops, “get on your knees.” with that he carries you off the counter and you obey his orders.

the cool marble floor met your knees, a shock to your system that did absolutely nothing to fuel the fire burning through your veins. 

your silk robe pooled around you, completely discarded as you looked up at him. Jaafar stood over you, towering in the dim, amber glow of the city skyline. his chest was heaving, abs flexed, his gaze dark and entirely consuming as he watched you look up at him from the floor. 

 "princess" of the company, the golden girl, boss to everyone around her, was completely unraveled at his feet. just for him.

"Good girl," he rasped, the low vibration of his voice sending a violent shiver straight down your spine.

his long fingers tangled into your hair, with a firm, possessive grip that tilted your head back, forcing you to keep your eyes locked onto his. he unbuttoned his jeans with a slow, calculation, the metallic click of his belt hitting the ground, echoing like a sin in the quiet penthouse. 

when he freed himself, your breath hitched, the reality of what you were doing crashing over you all over again. 

but there was no turning back. especially when he was looking at you like this.

"take it, love," he commanded softly, his voice dropping into a whisper. "show me how much you missed me."

you didn't hesitate. you leaned forward, your hands gripping his toned thighs for balance as your lips parted. 

the moment your mouth slid over his length, a deep groan tore from the back of Jaafar's throat. 

his fingers tightened in your hair, his hips giving a subtle, involuntary push forward as he let his eyes flutter shut for a fraction of a second.

you worked your mouth down his length, your tongue swirling over the tip, learning the shape of him all over again. every stroke of your tongue had him breathing heavier, his grip in your hair turning rougher as he began to guide your pace.

"fuck," he growled, his hips starting to roll in a slow, demanding rhythm against your lips. "you're perfect. so damn perfect." you moan as you graze your tongue over his slit. 

he pushed deeper, testing the limits of your throat, making a choked whine catch in your chest. the sound only seemed to drive him crazier. he began to pace himself against you, his breathing turning into harsh gasps that filled the empty kitchen. 

you looked up through your lashes, seeing the pleasure etched into his sharp jawline, his veins projecting against his neck as he fought to keep his control.

you paused for a fraction of a second, drawing in a shaky breath against his heat before your tongue began tracing tight circles around his tip, all while your hands slid down to firmly stroke the rest of his shaft. 

you then lower your tongue down his length to wrap your mouth around his balls, pulling a deep, ragged moan from his chest. 

you were sure he was done for. but Jaafar was never one to let you do all the work. tonight, he wanted to feel every single bit of you.

suddenly, his hands moved your head back. then, he effortlessly moved your body back up off the floor. 

your knees scraped slightly against the marble, but before you could even register the movement, he turned you around, pressing your stomach flat against the cool kitchen island.

the transition was so fast it made your head spin. your hands scrambled for something to hold on the smooth stone, your back arching automatically as Jaafar stepped up directly behind you, his heat pressing against your bare backside.

"J—" you gasped, the word cut short as he gripped your hip with one hand, his fingers digging into your skin hard enough that you knew it would leave a mark. 

a mark your boyfriend wouldn't see for two days, but one that belonged entirely to the man standing behind you right now. he reached down, his fingers sliding between your thighs to find you completely slick and ruined for him. 

he teased the sensitive bundle of nerves for just a second, pulling a loud, breathless sob from your lips. you're so wet for me, pretty," he whispered against your ear, his teeth grazing your earlobe, making your whole body tremble. 

"look at the windows. look at the city while you take all of me." your eyes flew open, staring out at the glass windows. the city lights blurred into a haze of gold and white. 

you felt the head of his length press against your entrance, and before you could even catch a breath, Jaafar drove his hips forward, burying himself inside you in one deep, relentless stroke. 

a loud, shattered cry broke from your lips, echoing off the high ceilings of the penthouse. it was too much, too deep, filling you so completely that your fingers clawed at the edge of the countertop.

"oh, g-god... J, please," you whimpered, your head dropping onto your arms. 

"I got you," he growled, his pace instantly picking up. he didn't even give you time to adjust. he locked his hand onto your hip, using it as leverage as he began to drive into you with a punishing rhythm.

slap. the raw friction filled sound of his skin hitting yours filled the room, competing with the desperate sound of your joint breathing. every time he slammed into you, your body shifted forward against the quartz, the cold stone against your front half and the liquid fire spreading through your lower half. 

he was relentless, his chest pressing into your back with every stroke, his sweat dripping onto your bare shoulders. his hand meets your ass in a harsh strike.

“Jaafarrr,” you dragged out his name in a desperate sob. you wrapped one arm back, your fingers desperately finding his thigh, trying to anchor yourself as the pleasure began to build into something unfamiliar. 

Jaafar felt the tight, rhythmic flexing of your walls around him, and it broke whatever restraint he had left. His growls turned feral, his movements losing all their smooth cadence, turning rough and frantic.

"look at me," he demanded, his voice a strained and broken rasp. “he fuck you like this?” 

you could barely force your head up, attempting to twist your neck to look back at him. his face was a mask of pure, unadulterated lust, his eyes locked onto yours as he delivered three hard, deep thrusts that had you screaming into the empty apartment.

“baby ohmygoodness,” you moan. "you're mine," he choked out, his fingers bruising your hip as your joining escalated to that breaking point. "tell me... tell me you're mine."

"i'm yours! Jaafar, i'm yours!" you cried as a heavy rush of wetness spilled between your thighs, your vision completely blurring into stars as your body clamped down around him, the climax crashing over you in violent waves.

“shit!” Jaafar shouted, feeling the sudden trickle on his skin. hearing your undone cries was the final trigger. with a loud, roar against your neck, Jaafar buried himself as deep as he could go, his entire frame shuddering violently as he released himself inside you. 

he held you tightly against the counter, his chest heaving against your back, pinning you down until the very last drop of his cum filled you up. the only sound was the heavy, synchronized gasps of air filtering through your lungs.

slowly, Jaafar pulled out, a soft gasp escaping you at the sudden loss of his warmth. your legs felt like absolute water, buckling the moment he let go of your waist.

 he caught you before you could fall, gently turning you around and leaning you back against the island. he drops down onto his knees, lifting your left leg on his shoulder.

without warning, he licks a strip up your inner thigh, the sudden heat of his tongue making your entire body jerk.

you let out a sharp gasp, your fingers instantly clawing into his dark hair for balance as he held your leg securely over his broad shoulder. Jaafar didn't give you a single second to recover. He leaned in closer, his hot breath fanning against your skin before his mouth pressed directly against the center of your ache, his tongue invoking a deep, wet stroke that had your hips tilting helplessly into his face.

"Jaaf—Jaafar I can’t," you whimpered, your head tossing back as your vision already began to blur.

he didn't answer, entirely focused on unraveling you. his long fingers dug into the flesh of your left thigh, holding you open and steady as his mouth completely worshipped you, his tongue moving with a relentless rhythm that drove you straight to the edge. again.

every flick of his tongue was intentional, tracing over your sensitive skin and lapping up the slick wetness that was pooling for him. you tried to swallow your moans. a string of high pitched whimpers broke from your lips, your thighs trembling violently against his chest.

"J, stop... plea–" you begged, your knuckles turning white as you yanked at his hair, trying to pull him away before you completely lost it.

instead of stopping, Jaafar let out a muffled growl against your skin, his hands gripping your hips even tighter to lock you in place.

 he increased the pace, his tongue flattening out to deliver those deep and heavy strokes right where you needed it most, while his thumb found your hip bone, pressing down hard.

a coiled spring in your chest that suddenly snapped.

you cried out as a heavy rush of wetness spilled between your thighs, for the second time. your leg shook on his shoulder, your entire frame locked in the paralyzing aftershocks of the release.

Jaafar didn't miss a beat. he drank down every drop of your release, his tongue lingering to clean you up with a smug, heavy satisfaction before he finally let your leg slide down from his shoulder.

you collapsed back against the dark quartz of the kitchen island, your breath coming in ragged gasps, your chest heaving. your body felt completely spent and overly sensitive. 

he didn't say a word as he reached down, picking up your discarded silk robe from the floor. he shook it out, draping it over your trembling shoulders and pulling the straps closed over your flushed, marked skin. 

without a word, he turned, gathering his shirt and leather jacket from the floor. He slipped them on, completely transforming back into the untouchable public figure the world knew, leaving no trace of the beast he had been just moments ago.

his fingers lingered on your collarbone, his thumb gently wiping away a stray tear from your cheek. he picks you up bridal style, bringing you to your bedroom. he gently places you on your king size bed, he looked down at you, his dark eyes still intense, but the chaotic hunger was quickly replaced by a sudden tenderness. Jaafar give you a soft kiss, it was deeper–more warmer than the ones you shared before. almost like he wanted to tell you something. “call me in the morning?”

“you’re not staying?” you look up at him, trying to catch his hands to pull him back to you. Jaafar shakes his head no, a feeling of disappointment creeps over you. he places another quick kiss on your forehead.

he steps back and shuts your light off. “goodnight pretty,” he whispered as he shut your room door.

he walked back into the living room, his boots clicking quietly against the floor, his eyes automatically drifting to the coffee table where your phone still rested. 

the screen was dark, but you both knew what was waiting underneath, the innocent text from your boyfriend, a completely different reality. Jaafar stopped at the edge of the room, his leather jacket slung over his shoulder. he didn't look at the phone. a slow, knowing smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.