Grown People Business
pairing: black!femalereader x Terry Richmond
mentions of: a child (idk having a child might be triggering for some folks), mutual verbal abuse, cancer, cloaked mention of abortion. non-canon, terry might be ooc.
notes: despite the above mentions....it's not a dark story.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Your son was bouncing his knee, holding the football just under his little puffy jacket covered arms. Well, at least you thought he was bouncing his knee. Every time you would slide a look over to him, he would suddenly look very still and solemn. Serious, as if he was really contemplating the lyrics of Kokomo by The Beach Boys. You hid your giggle and continued humming along to the radio.
โDid you have fun at your dads?โ You asked sliding another look at your son.
He nodded, as a smile appeared again. โSo much fun. Me and Keke, and JoJo ate sundaes and we watched the football game on thanksgiving. Aunt Allison had some wine and she was dancing and she asked me to dance you know I had to show her how we do it now. You old people-โ
โOld?โ You scoffed. โBoy, who you think taught you those moves?โ
โOld people. Anyway, we had so much fun. Christine bought me a ball and daddy and me, daddy and I, threw the ball so much. He said I have a good arm.โ
You rolled your eyes and took a right at the red light. Yohan would not put football dreams in your sonโs head but you couldnโt shake the joy out of his eyes. โOh is that right. What about that book report?โ
And there was the silence. You shook your head and chuckled. โโฆCat got your tongue?โ
โI forgot. But I can do it tonight. We still got the weekend.โ
โUh huh.โ You shook your head again and pulled into your parking space in front of your town home. And suddenly your son was reaching for the door handle, rushing like he had to go to the bathroom.
โSlow down, what you got to pee?โ You knew exactly what he was rushing for.
โI want to show Terry my new ball and see if he wants to see how I throw.โ He nearly slammed the door hard enough to break the window. You laughed exasperated and your sonโs energy.
โHe might not be home Marcus.โ You got out of the car yourself, straightening your slightly off-ivory sweater. Your words didnโt stop him from ringing the doorbell, bouncing on his toes. No more than a minute later, the door opened and Terry was standing at the door, bright smile on his face and blue eyes trained on your son.
It was enough to make you melt right on the asphalt you were standing on in the 55-degree weather.
โMarc, my man. Dang, you were gone like two months.โ Terry said clapping hands with the much shorter boy, and then squatting to give him a hug. โHow was your thanksgiving?โ
Marc shrugged, and you rolled your eyes. Boys. โIt was alright.โ He said, voice suddenly calm conveying indifference.
โJust alright? What the macaroni wasnโt good?โ He looked at Marcus then, eyes scanning his face quickly and then he looked over at you, concern in his eyes.
โHe good?โ He seemed to say, just with a slight shifting of his eyebrows.
You clutched your purse to your stomach, shaking your head and shrugging with a smirk on your face.
โOh I see, you trying not to make me jealous cause you know I sat here and had a pot pie for dinner.โ He shoved him a little and then looked down at the football in his hand. โWhatโs that?โ
โFootball, my dadโs fiancรฉ got it for me. You want to see me throw it?โ
โYou ask your mom?โ Terry looked at you then, and Marcusโ face soon followed, his face pleading with you to be cool and say yes.
โItโs cold.โ You said, needling him a little bit.
โMa, please.โ He begged.
โFine, but book report right after. And put your gloves on.โ You said grabbing his suitcase out of the backseat.
โAww Ma-
โHey, football players wear them too. You want your fingers to be frozen and you mess up the throw? Do what your mom says.โ Terry said, his deep voice gentle.
โYou right Terry.โ
You rolled your eyes again, and closed the backseat. โOf course, listen to Terry. Not your dear old ma, who only was in labor with you for 6 whole h-โ
โAlright ma, weโll be in the backyard.โ Marcus walked into Terryโs house, knowingly heading straight for the back door that led to your shared backyard space.
โHe a trip I swear.โ Terry laughed. โYou need help with that?โ
โItโs just one suitcase. Iโm not fragile.โ You stood at your door looking over at Terry fiddling with your keys.
Terry smirked, โNever said you were. Just offering. โฆHow was your thanksgiving? I didnโt see you.โ He leaned against his doorframe. His eyes shifted a little lower. You ignored the rumbling in your lower half.
โI went out.โ
โWith who?โ His voice was slightly deeper, his eyes snapped back on your face.
You chuckled looking up at the sky for help. Something, anything that would stop the tingles in your lower half. โ30 minutes Terry. Have my child back in my house in thirty minutes.โ And with that you walked in your home and closed the door, safe and away from blue eyes and pheromones.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย You sat at your dining room table, windows facing the backyard open so you could see Marcus and Terry throwing the ball back and forth. Your laptop was open in front of you and the grading software had been idling for 20 minutes now as you watched the ball go back and forth. Terryโs form was impeccable, but you knew that. You knew that when he moved in.
Before Terry, there was Mrs. Mable. Mrs. Mable was a sweet older white woman who had moved into the town home after her husband had passed from cancer. She had lived in some big house about 20 minutes away, but once her husband died, she couldnโt stand the silence. When you moved into the Town home, she had been so excited, bringing over cookies and making sure that you knew exactly what school to enroll Marcus into. In the two years that you were neighbors, she had become a sort of surrogate aunt, even watching Marcus during moments where you needed to run out for whatever reason. When her daughter had another baby, she decided to move in with her to help and suddenly the Town home was empty.
Enter Terry.
You hadnโt even seen him look at the place. Only saw the moving van pull up and him, green shirt and tan cargo pants, moving his boxes in all by himself. He didnโt have much but what he did have, he moved efficiently and quickly. You knew he was a force when he picked up an armchair sofa by himself and moved it into his homeโฆalmost with no sweat. You noticed the trails of it running down his thick neck.
โJesus.โ You mumbled, hand clutching at your own neck.
โI think he needs help.โ Marcus, six then, said. He was sitting at the door, putting on his little sneakers in a hurry.
โAnd youโre going to help him?โ You smirked, watching your child spring into action.
โYeah, I helped Mrs. Mable move her stuff in the van.โ
โSo, youโre a pro at it.โ
โDuh, mommy.โ He opened the door and you followed him, standing on your stoop as your son traveled the few feet over to the new neighbor. You leaned on your door frame, admiring the neighbor from behind as he walked into the moving truck, not even noticing the little 3 foot moving professional walking behind him.
โCan I help?โ Marc asked after a moment of standing just at the edge of the truck.
There was a little pause and then a voice, โUhโฆyeah you canโฆbut whereโs your mom and dad? They know you out here?โ
โMaโs right there. She said itโs okay.โ Marcus pointed at you then and a face looked out of the side of the truck. Your inhale was sharp.
His face was devastating. Big features, big lips, wide nose, big blue eyes. On someone else it could be cartoonish, but on him it was almost movie star handsome.
โDamnโฆโ You couldnโt help but say. Fuck, I hope he didnโt hear that.
He grinned slightly, and waved at you. โHey, Iโm Terry. Is it cool if your boy helps me?โ
You nodded, your sanity coming back to you. โItโsโฆitโs cool. But if he breaks anything, just remember you said it was okay for him to help.โ You joked and then cursed. Probably not a good idea to tell your neighbor that your son was a little destructive.
Terry laughed; it wasnโt a belly laugh but it was enough to brighten his face. โI wonโt sue you. No worries.โ He held out his hand for Marcus and helped him onto the truck. โGrab those lamps for me.โ
โBe careful Marc.โ You shouted.
โI am!โ He shouted back, making Terry chuckle again.
You spent at least an hour and 30 minutes sitting on your stoop watching Terry and Marcus pull things off the truck. And during that time, you got a good look at Terry. He had to be at least 6โ1 maybe more, and he was broad shouldered. His posture was ram-rod straight like he had been in the military or something. He answered Marcusโ questions calmly, like they had all the time in the world. Like he had no issue with answering the inane questions of a 6-year-old. He was not annoyed and if he was, he was amazing at hiding it.
You were watching them; they had stopped so Marcus could show Terry a Pokemon card he had gotten in a trade. Terry was squatted low to look at the card, giving it all the attention in the world as Marcus explained all of its features. You had urged Marcus to stop holding the man up, but Terry encouraged him to tell him more about the card, making Marcus even more excited.
โHe good mama.โ He looked at you, eyes focused on yours, voice still calm. Your son was not bothering him. He looked at him then, โI want to know what Bulbasaur does.โ
Your stomach clenched. Oh god. You could not sleep with this man. You could not sleep with this man because she showed your son decency. Your phone rang in your pocket then, and the name on the screen made you drier than the Sahara Desert.
Yohan.
You stood up then, going to the furthest corner of your stoop. You didnโt turn your back on the two, but you did turn a little for privacy.
โHey. Whatโs up?โ
A pause. โI canโt get him this weekend.โ
โYohan, what the fuck. Itโs your weekend. You said you were going to take him to the fair.โYou kept your voice down as much as possible, not wanting to alarm Marcus.
โโฆI gotta work. I know what I said. I told you Iโm trying.โ
โYou always say you have to work but then you end up in the fucking club with girls all over you.โ You turned then facing away from the men who now were moving a table, Terry was of course doing most of the lifting. โNigga, I always have to cover for you. Iโm tired of lying to my son cause you donโt want to be a father.โ You whispered.
โWho said I didnโt want to be a father? Iโm fucking telling the truth. I donโt have to lie to your ass. I have to work. Put my son on the phone.โ
You looked back and gasped. Terry was watching you, concern on his face. Marcus was heading towards the moving van, not a care in the world. You forced a grin and nodded. You were okay. Terry stood there for another second, before nodding once and walking towards the moving van.
You let out the breath you were holding and focused on the phone.
โDid you hear me Y/N? Put Marc on the phone.โ
โNo.โ You simply said. โHeโs busy.โ
Another pause and then a chuckle. โโฆI am not doing this with you. Put my son on the phone.โ
โI said no.โ You were being unreasonable, sure but this man was always doing this shit and you had enough. โYou are not about to feed my son no bullshit so you can feel better about what youโre doing.โ
โWhat you want me to send you the schedule? I got to work. Fuck! This is why I left your ass-โ
โLeft me? Nigga I threw that ring and your fucking shit to the left-โ
โ-You donโt trust me.โ
โOh, cause you gave me so many reasons to trust you.โ You laughed. โThere was Brenda, Latisha, Linda, Felicia, about three Kimsโ-โ
He chuckled, โWhat you DMX now? Fuck this, Iโll tell Allison to come pick my son up since you want to be stupid-โ
You rolled your eyes, โYou tell Allison if she steps her drunk ass on my porch, itโll be the last thing-โ
โMommy.โ
You stopped immediately, straightening up and wiping your eyes. You didnโt even know you had starting to cry. โHey, you done?โ You said turning around when you were straight.
โI just gotta pee, and youโre in front of the door.โ Marcus was crossed leg and shifting.
You laughed. โMy bad, go. And wash your hands.โ You called after him.
You sighed when he was out of sight and put the phone back on your ear. โI canโt do this anymore.โ
โGoodโฆ So stop being stupid, and just be reasonable.โ
โIโm taking you to court. Bye Yohan.โ You hung up the phone, and turned it completely off, sitting on the stairs and putting your head in your hands. Your eyes wet your hands, but you were not crying. You would not cry anymore.
After a moment, there was movement next to you, and then warmth. You looked to the side and Terry was there, silent, not looking at you. Just there. It was oddly comforting although he was a stranger.
You chuckled, โYou heard all of that?โ
He shrugged and shook his head, โHeard what? โฆIโm just resting.โ He said, still not looking at you. You shook your head.
โOn my porch?โ
โIโm tired. My porch is likeโฆall the way over there.โ He gestured to the right of you. โIโve been moving all day.โ
โRight.โ You sniffed in, wiping your eyes. โI could spit the distance between your porch and mine.โ
โ1. Thatโs impressive. 2. Doesnโt mean I want to walk it.โ He grinned then. โLet me rest, mama.โ
โFine, only because I know youโre tired.โ You stood up. โAnd donโt call me mama. Iโm not your mama.โ
โMy bad. โฆwhatโs your name?โ He looked up at you.ย โYou never told me.โ
โItโs Y/n. My name is Y/n.โ
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย It had been two years since then. And Terry turned out to be a pretty reliable neighbor as well, helping you when your tires were flat. Helping you carry in groceries. And entertaining your sonโs every whim, including throwing various balls across your shared backyard.
โAnd you wonโt fuck him why?โ Keke said making you snap out of your daze. You were on a zoom call with her while working on your papers you had to finish grading. Keke might have been Yohanโs sister but she was also your friend, your best friend. โI know you ainโt still feenin for Yohanโs ugly ass.โ
โKeke, please.โ You said laughing. โDonโt nobody want your big head ass brother no more.โ
โSee thatโs what you said before, then six months later there you go waddling around with Marcus in your stomach.โ She laughed. โListen, I love my bookie but I would have.โ She made a sucking noise and crossed her hand across her neck. โImmediately. You know what Iโm saying.โ
โYou stupid.โ
โFor real. Fuck the man. Get it over with. You know you want to. You know you going to. Itโs been two years.โ She grinned. โI saw how he was looking at you on the fourth. Like he wanted to bend your ass right over on that picnic table. Yes god! I would have LET HIM. You hear me?โ
โKeisha.โ
โIโm for real. I know he fuck good. When he over you with all that weight, and he-โ She clapped her hands in a rhythm that reminded you of an intense session of love making. โYou can grab onto all that back he got and just let go. Just EXHALE GIRL. Woosah bitch.โ
โKeisha.โ
โI know he gone talk you through it too. โฆyou gotta tell me all about it. Or hell move out the way and Iโll give it a go.โ
โYouโre married.โ You nearly laughed but kept it in.
โDamn you right.-โ
You laughed then.
โYou gotta do it, for the both of us.โ
โYou donโt sleep where youโฆwell sleep. Heโs my neighbor and if things get messy, then I canโt escape it.โ
And things always found a way of being messy with you. There was the guy from the supermarket, no you didnโt heed the warning that Troy shouted up at Robin in Waiting to Exhale, nor the warning from the cannibal movie from Hulu. He ended up having a girlfriend, who would go on to flatten your tires.
And then there was Kevin, the principal from your sonโs school. You had only gone on one date with him, and it was HORRIBLE. So bad that you blocked him, and now ignore him at PTA meetings. And then there wasโฆ
Damn, maybe it was you.
โYall are grown. If you tell him, hey big fine 6โ3 ass man-
โHeโs not 6โ3.โ
โOh bitch, heโs 6โ3. I know a tall nigga when I see one. Anyway, if you just tell the man, hey I just want to fuckโฆno strings, I know heโll be cool with it.โ
โIโm not a hoe, Keisha.โ
โWho said you was! This is grown people business. Grown! If you set expectations in the beginning then no one gets hurt. Grown People business girl. Nowโฆwhat you waiting for?โ
You looked out the window, Terry and Marcus was still playing outside, neither one of them minding your 30 minute instruction that you had given earlier but you werenโt mad. It made you feel warm inside that your son trusted Terry so much, and that Terry was so warm to your son.
โKeishaโฆI donโt know.โ You still were looking outside when Terry looked back at you too. He grinned, and you smiled. Someone could end up hurtโฆand more than likely it would be you.
โGirlโฆI told you. Set expectations up front, get what you want and if you donโt want it no moreโฆ.no hard feelings. Grown.-โ
You nodded, deciding to yourself.
โGrown people business.โ -----
a/n: i don't know. this should be a series...but I'm not good at finishing stuff, so no promises. i hope you all enjoyed it. mwah. i can't remember the last time i wrote lol, so yeah...












