Escape From Reality

The inner machinations of my mind are an enigma ~ Patrick Star

[thatsmyaphrodite]

JAYME LAWSON 57th annual naacp image awards | february 28, 2026

[urmomslonelycryptid69]

natasha romanoff deserved a trilogy

[softpng]

the workday/weekend ratio is so off. like ethically.

[temilades]

JAYME LAWSON via Instagram — March 1, 2026

[pterribledinosaurdrawings]

happy ides of March

[thebumblebeesworld]

i really wish they televised this smfhhh

[saucefunk]

THAT’S WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT

[lilbitt]

Braid My Hair

Flirty Smoke X Cautious Annie? - A modern au drabble

The one where Smoke is sprung and shameless, Annie’s heart is one thump away from beating out her chest, and tensions between the two continue to build — no matter how much Annie fights it.

A/n ~ This song randomly came on the other day and I couldn’t get this drabble out my head. I normally don’t write the ideas I have for Smoke and Annie but I figureddd I’d get some practice in for him. It ended up being just abouttt 3k words of me mostly just trying to get a feel for them and their dialogue. Enjoy 🫶🏾 or don’t 😬😬😬

C/w ~ Cursing, y’all already know how I feel about my writing for this man lmao, lightly edited for now

Knock. Knock. Knock. 

The raps were steady, three evenly spaced out beats that pulled Annie’s attention away from the magazine she held, over to her door. 

It could only be a few people — bothering her in the middle of a Sunday and since this one was knocking like he had some sense, she already knew who stood in the hall. 

Annie’s stomach dipped, the way it would’ve if she was on a roller coaster, even as a sharp “mmm” left her mouth, completely of its own volition, low and laced with attitude. 

She closed her magazine slow, rising from the soft chair she’d been curled up in, nude painted toes landing on the fluffy carpet in her living room. 

Annie was dressed for the lazy day it was — grey sweats wrapping around her waist and stomach like a hug, zipped up cropped jacket giving a peek of her gold belly piercing if she shifted just right. Loose week and a half old curls piled up on the top of her head, staying in place only because of the scarf she used to keep ‘em there. 

She crossed the room steadily, hips moving like she was already being watched. Shoulders pushed back like she was heading into battle. 

A battle of wills maybe. 

Annie swung the door open, full lips parting to speak before she’d even fully set eyes on him. 

“Can I help you?” Her voice was dry, tone screaming she couldn’t be bothered. Smoke on the other hand, was taking her in like he wanted to be. 

The two had been neighbors for about 6 months now, his unit right across from her’s, and Smoke had seen it all. Annie leaving for work dressed in pencil skirts that fit like she’d had to fight to get ‘em on. Her stepping out in summer dresses that made him sweat worse than any heat the Delta brought. Wearing denim that hugged her like sin one day and then laid out by the pool the next, draped in lil ass swimsuits and looking like his own personal slice of heaven. Still outta all that, he prolly’ preferred this best. When she was dressed soft like comfort. At ease and sweet. Even as them brown orbs eyed him sharp. 

Even when she was fronting, like he ain’t make her melt.   

“From looking at that head, I can already guess what you want. The answers no.” 

Smoke took his time dragging his stare from the gold the glinted in her belly button, up to her face. Took his time answering too. 

When he did, his voice was low, even, teasing in a way everybody didn’t get to hear. “That’s how you answer the door for yo’ neighbors?”

“Only the ones that get on my nerves.” Her voice was sweet like sugar. Hot like spice.  

“Mmm,” the sound that left Smoke’s mouth had Annie shifting. Crossing one leg in front of the other, real casual. “You know this me you talking too right? Not the other ones?” 

“Oh, I know. You worse than all them.” 

And in a way, he was. 

Stack was…. like an irritating brother at most. He stayed in the unit above hers. And he never failed to visit the third floor so he could knock on her door — always needing to ‘borrow’ a random ingredient like sugar or salt, inviting himself to dinner whenever she cooked something good, ‘keeping her company’ when he was bored and Smoke refused to be bothered, which generally consisted of him taking up space on her couch and talking over her shows. So, irritating. And nothing Annie wasn’t used to at this point. 

Therese…. her best friend who she loved like blood, just had a slight issue with boundaries. She was on the right of Annie. Still, tell this day, used the key Annie had given for emergencies to barge in whenever she wanted. Resee wasn’t gone learn, till’ she saw something she ain’t wonna see. 

Cornbread…was sweet actually. Stayed on the fourth floor in the unit next to Stack’s and he definitely had more sense than the younger Moore, but damn could he talk. Especially lately, dropping by more than usual, using Annie as an excuse to be near her best friend. 

Smoke wasn’t like any of them. Didn’t annoy her, or barge in unannounced, or talk her to death. Only thing Smoke did was watch her close like he was reading her soul, get her flustered like she wasn’t a grown ass woman, and make her ache, heavy and unrelenting, right in that spot between her legs. 

She was a little flustered even now, with him standing there in the hall. His own pair of grey sweats riding low on his hips, white wife beater hugging his thick chest and leaving them defined arms on display. Gold chain sitting perfect against his collar bone, in a way that made her wonna grab it and tug him closer. 

Annie uncrossed and then recrossed her legs as Smoke responded, “Guess that mean you ain’t miss me while I was gone then?” 

Cause he had been. Gone, that is, for a couple weeks. Was always coming and going actually. Doing what? Annie didn’t know. 

“You was gone?” She let her head drop to the left a little. Poked her lips out like she was thinking. “I ain’t even notice.” 

“Mmm,” there went that sound again. Deep, knowing, wrapping ‘round her like a song. “Well I was. Thought about you, while I was gone too.” 

Thump. 

Smoke was always saying stuff like that to her. Like he meant it. Like he knew it made her heart jump in her chest. Annie shook her head, changing the subject, deflecting. 

“You was thinking bout these maybe,” she brought her hands up, wiggling her fingers, nails painted the same color as her toes. “And unfortunately for you, they out of commission today.” 

Annie wasn’t low. Smoke had been studying her since he’d moved in. Learning her. What it meant when she crossed her legs like that, how her voice got fake casual when she was nervous, the way she pulled away whenever he said something that made her breath stutter. She was still fighting it. That connection they had between ‘em. And Smoke was real patient. So he let her.

“You gon’ do me like that?” Smoke blinked them dark eyes at her, allowing the change in subject, hand going up to his head. “I stay loyal. Don’t let nobody else in my head. You gone leave me looking down bad?”

Thump. 

He was so dramatic. Them thick brows furrowing in a way that made Annie want to smooth them out herself. And he didn’t look down bad. He actually looked…cute with his lil fro. And that’s probably exactly why he wanted it dealt with. Annie fought the way her lips started to quirk up. 

“You say you staying loyal, like you doing me a favor. You can start going to an actual stylist whenever you please Smoke.” 

“You the only one that do it right.” 

Annie shook her head, “So who was braiding yo hair before I met you boy?” 

“A mufucka who wasn’t doing it right.” His jaw was set, gaze unflinching, stubborn. 

Fine.

Annie crossed her arms under her chest. Flashing the little gold moon that dangled from her belly button. Pushing her cleavage up higher than it already sat. 

“You know I only do hair Wednesday and Thursday.” 

“Charge me double.” 

“I was relaxing Smoke.”

“Triple ‘den.” 

Girl you know you want him back between yo legs. Even if it is just cause you braiding his hair. 

Annie’s doe eyes narrowed. 

“You probably ain’t even washed it.” 

Smoke looked unashamed, “I ‘ont get it clean like you.” 

Somebody passing by would think Annie’s hands were made of gold, the way Smoke talked about ‘em. 

Shit if you asked Smoke, they was. 

Annie let out a sigh. Like she was exasperated. With him, herself, the stutter in her chest and the steady pulse between her legs. 

“Ima do it today, cause I’m feeling nice. Next time you gone make an appointment like everybody else. You ain’t special boy.” 

Smoke felt special. Bent over Annie’s sink, her hands buried in his hair, body leaned forward and surrounding him with her scent — cocoa butter, vanilla, something else that was just Annie. It wasn’t really a comfortable position, and still, his shoulders dropped all the same. Tension he carried daily leaking out his body, soon as she touched him.

Annie was on his second wash. Fingers working on his scalp gentle but thorough, Jhené Aiko playing low in the background, heart mostly beating at a steady pace now.

This she could deal with. This was muscle memory. Smoke had been in her rotation of ‘clients’ for a while now, ever since he found out she did a few people’s hair on the side, and Annie knew how to work his curls. Knew the shampoo that was best for his hair, knew which places on his scalp were tender, knew how he liked it when she scratched right in that spot at the back of his head. 

“Damn girl,” Smoke grunted low, lashes fluttering as her nails raked over the back of his scalp. Applying just enough pressure to be felt, but not so much that it hurt. “Missed this.” 

“You act like you ain’t never got yo hair washed before.”  

“Told you, ain’t never got it done like this — swear yo hands magic.” 

Annie was smiling — cheeks lifting, lips curving soft. Eyes rolling in the process of all that. 

“Flattery will get you nowhere Smoke.” 

“Ain’t tryna go nowhere. I’m already where I wonna be.”

Thump.

Annie let the words hang between them for a beat. Like she was waiting for a follow up comment that’d ease the tension. Waiting on a laugh that wouldn’t come. Cause Smoke wasn’t playing. Never was. 

And she knew that, to a certain extent. Still — 

“For somebody that’s so quiet, you talk real slick.” She maneuvered her way around what he’d just said, and then, “I’m bout to rinse. Better keep them sweet words to yo self so you don’t drown.” 

“If it’s by yo hand, I’ll go happily.” 

That got a laugh out of her, a loud bright sound that had Smoke craving to hear more.

“You…are just as crazy as yo damn brother.” 

Annie didn’t know the half. 

Smoke’s hair was washed, conditioned, and now blow dried. He sat on the floor, Annie’s thighs caging him in on either side, his shoulders still relaxed as she combed through his hair. 

“You need water or anything before I start braiding?” 

“Nah,” Smoke shook his head. “I’m good.” 

Annie’s living room was bright. Homey. A mix of browns, yellows, and creams making up her color scheme. Big fluffy chairs were on either side of her couch, a large throw blanket tossed over one of them. She had a couple pieces of art on the wall — black women painted in each frame, and fresh sun flowers sitting in a vase on her coffee table. 

There was a candle burning, like always, and she’d paused her music in favor of turning on the TV mounted to her wall. Courtesy of no one other than Smoke. 

Annie’s home was her comfort. Her private space to just be, and Smoke ain’t take it for granted. Being allowed to exist in it. 

“Thanks for lookin’ out. Lettin’ me encroach on yo Sunday relaxation.” 

“Mhm,” Annie ran her hand through his hair again. Cause she could. “You wasn’t gon’ leave me alone tell I said yes.” 

“Least you know.” 

Annie laughed again, tugged playful on his hair just to hear him grunt. Just to make his jaw flex.

“So, how you want it this time?” 

“Howeva’. I trust you.” 

It’s what he said whenever she did his hair, but she always double checked anyways. 

I trust you. 

Annie never took advantage of that. Made sure she kept his styles simple, but fly, how he liked. She took pride in her work. She also wanted to make sure he kept coming back to her, even when she complained about it. 

“Okay, I think I got something that’d look good on you.” 

As if there was anything that wouldn’t. 

She started parting, ‘Girlfriends’ playing low on the TV, her breaths sinking up with Smoke. 

“What you been doing while I was gone?” 

Annie snorted, “The same thing I’m always doing while you gone. Working, runnin’ errands, tryna get Cornbread and Therese together.” Annie sat back, eyed her part, nodded her head in satisfaction. “I did go out the other night though. That was a lil change in routine.” 

“Out?” Smoke’s head tilted, just for Annie to bring it back where she wanted it. “Wit’ who.” 

It didn’t even sound like a question. 

“Friends,” Annie answered casually, focused more on his hair than his tone, and Smoke’s eyes un-narrowed at her response. 

“So that’s why you ain’t miss me, huh? You was too busy going out? Being grown?” 

Annie huffed out a breath, “Ain’t miss you, cause you not mines to miss.” 

“Could be.” 

Thump. 

“I’m tryna hear my show Smoke. You’re interrupting.”  

“I’m interrupting? Or you jus’ don’t know what to say?”

Annie went from braiding to pulling, yanking light at his hair until his head was pulled back against her stomach. She leaned up so they were eye to eye. 

“Smoke,” both her brows were raised, “I will send yo ass back across the hall with one braid in yo head.” 

“Hmm,” a smile teased at his lips. “Ight, Annie. I’ll be quiet.” 

She could fight it all she wanted, they was gone happen. Eventually. 

For as much as she claimed not to be a professional braider, Annie moved quick. Working through his thick hair, taming the strands and getting him right. They fell into a silence that didn’t need words, the fruity scent of her candle weaving around them, Smoke’s chest rising and falling easy, always untouched from the stress of the outside world whenever he was between her thighs. 

Annie’s eyes were moving, darting from the TV, to his braids, to the side of his face. 

His brows were relaxed, soft looking lips parted as he breathed steadily, them long lashes he was blessed with moving in time with his slow blinks. 

Thump. 

Smoke looked good like this, care free. And if she slowed down on her braiding a little, just to keep him that way a bit longer, well, that wasn’t nobody’s business but hers. 

“So tell me the real, you like it? Be honest, Smoke.” 

Annie had just finished with the moose, peeling the durag she’d used to tie his braids down off slow, and passing him her hand held mirror after. 

Smoke didn’t need to check it. Annie’s work was never not perfect. But he looked anyway. His braids were neat, scalp clean and shining, eyes low like he was high. Off her prolly. 

“You know I like it,” he passed the mirror back. “Thanks for takin’ care of me Annie. Forreal.” 

Thump. 

He hadn’t even said anything crazy that time and her heart was doing the most.

“Yeah yeah, money talks bullshit walks,” Her voice was teasing, giving no clue to what was going on in her chest. She slid her hand over his braids one last time. “You said I could charge triple right?” 

Smoke smirked. Took the hint and stood up, sturdy frame unfolding slow until he was looking down at her, where she still sat on the couch. 

“You can charge whateva you want.” Shit he’d give her the entire knot in his pocket. “What’s my damage?” 

“Just give me yo’ usual 150 boy,” Annie waved him off, standing up. She didn’t really need to charge extra. 

Didn’t mean Smoke wasn’t gone give her extra regardless. 

He pulled a thick wad of bills out his pocket, green notes folded together, waiting to be spent. And he couldn’t think of a better way to spend ‘em. 

Annie didn’t blink at the amount of cash he held. Had seen it before. And it was one of the reasons she hesitated to take Smoke serious. Cause who knew what he did to make money like that. 

Smoke looked down, counted off 550 in his head, and held the bills out to her with two fingers when he was done. 

Annie’s brow raised, “I don’t need all that.” 

“What that gotta do with me wanting to give it?” 

Thump. 

“You do know…money doesn’t  impress me right?” 

Smoke laughed, low and deep. Stepped in a little closer. “This,” he held the bills up, “is me thankin’ you for gettin’ a nigga right whenever I come back into town. For makin’ sure I ain’t never out here lookin’ crazy. It ain’t got nothin’ to do with tryna impress you Annie.” He heard the way her breath stuttered when he stepped in. So, he stepped in some more. “You stop being stubborn and let me take you to dinner, you’ll see what me tryna impress you look like.” 

It was probably the fifth time he’d asked her out since he’d moved in. And every time he asked, her stomach fluttered and her pulse spiked. Even as she turned him down. 

Annie’s eyes remained locked with his, head tilted up and shaking even as she took the bills he still held out. Voice light, but curious, when she spoke next, “You already know my answer is no Smoke. Why you keep asking?” 

“Cause one day yo answer gone be yes.”

Smoke knew what she was feeling in her chest every time he was near. Cause he felt it too. And a feeling like that? Couldn’t be ran from forever.

Thump. 

There was no doubt in his voice. No question. He sounded so sure, that Annie briefly considered he was right. Considered that one day she would fold. Regardless of the large amounts of money that had no explanation, and the random disappearing acts, and the entire mystery that was Smoke Moore in general. 

She wouldn’t be folding today though. 

Annie slid the bills she’d just taken into her bra. Watched the way his eyes followed her movement, before they dragged back up to hers. 

“Are you done intruding on my Sunday, sir?” Her head was cocked, eyes squinted playfully, voice sweet as honey. Always changing the subject. Always dodging.

Smoke shook his head. Lips turning up, like he knew something she didn’t. “Yeah, I’ll let you get back to relaxing.” 

And tomorrow he’d be right back at her door.

‘Cause Annie was stubborn. But Smoke was relentless. At least when he wanted something. And 6 months ago, Annie had become that something he wanted. And he wasn’t letting up, ‘till he got her. 

👀 If you made it to the end, I hope you enjoyed 😬 I had a little more fun than usual writing for him this go round lol. I love Smoke and Annie downnn.

Side Note - I was originally gone write this as a Stack X Annie drabble, soooo if y’all would be interested in seeing a similar scenario with the other brother lemme know.

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Smoke Visionaries - (I’m tagging those who asked to be tagged on my last Smoke piece. If y’all only wanted to be tagged in the possible part 2 of ‘Say Please’ instead of what is now going to be my general tag list for Smoke only, pls let me know and I’ll take y’all off the list. If y’all want to be tagged in everything let me know and I can do that too lol I be nervous tagging people 👐🏾🥹) @lizbehave @honeytoffee @partylikemajima @thebumblebeesworld @underated345-blog @og-goddesstrill @hdfen2474 @shamansha @blue4everrsworld @ladychzzcake @mmbee675

[frachella]

https://www.instagram.com/frachella/

SOURCE

[thebumblebeesworld]

wunmi mosaku • on her role in sinners

[mhevarujta]

Annie is a force of nature when she challenges Cornbread. She is the gravitational point for all the other characters. Cornbread tries to move around her, to address Smoke, because it's Elijah who is considered the weaker link, not she. Yet he does not succeed because Annie's concerns are not dismissed. She is the carrier of knowledge, of tradition. All the characters in that room have her in high regard. She is LISTENED to and she is never treated as some paranoid, hysterical woman. I found it refreshing.

[explodesallovertheplace]

Soooooo, I'm thinking about why Im so obsessed with the relationship dynamic of Smoke and Annie...

(This is a just a long post about my thoughts, and just yapping about nothing...don't mind me or ignore me, whichever works for you)🫠

For starters, I personally am not super big on romance subplots or romances movies in general, because I have a hard time identifying or relating to them.

The general concept of "a damsel in distress" or having very dramatic beats tend to come off as performative to me. (This is just a personal opinion) I don't consider those a bad thing at all. It just doesnt connect for me personally.

Annie is a woman with her own agency and I like the fact that eventhough both her and Elijah were separated (due to loss) life did not stop for her. She had her little business and provided healing to her community, she had things going on for herself. Of course she loved him and still prayed for his safety but life goes on. The same goes for Smoke.

They were 2 capable people that were able to find solace and protection in each other in a world where they had to do all the protecting for other people. They felt like 2 complete characters that were also together, and when they are together, they are an unstoppable team.

Also (This is probably an unpopular opinion 😳 just so you're warned)

I honestly found nothing wrong in how quick Annie was to except Smoke back into her life.

Grief is such a complex and difficult situation to navigate, and you can't control how someone grieves.

As someone who has dealt with grief at the loss of someone, and still dealing with it almost 10 years later it can show out in all kinds of ways. I am one of those kinds of people that needs alone time to deal with grief. Some times being in a place where two people are sharing a deep and painful loss such as a child can create an environment that is not healthy for either of them and sometimes it is best to part ways. That does not mean love is lost.

My personal interpretation of their separation is that I feel like it was a mutual decision, rather than Smoke taking off in the middle of the night, unlike Stack and Mary. (Which Mary explicitly mentioned Stack leaving her in the middle of the night)

Also, it should be mentioned that even in the modern era, it is very rare that couples remain together after the stress and loss of a child. Let alone it being a black couple living in the Jim Crow South (things were definitely less than ideal).

I do think the framing of "Smoke just up and left his wife." Takes agency away from Annie as an individual. Their relationship never came off like that was how they operate. They were pretty honest and upfront with each other in communication for the most part. So that just feels out of character from what the narrative presents to the audience.

Another thing was that it did not feel performative (to me). Their unspoken communication of each other. Their fundemental understanding of one another felt very palpable. Even pointing out the fact that they were in a space where there was no need to ask for forgiveness.

Before I make this longer than it already is...to sum it all up, there is a deep familiarity and groundedness to their relationship that is found in real life, especially in black households, but not on the big screen.

It's one of the very few times I deeply connected with something in mainstream media that spoke to a lived in experience.

Especially for me as a Black women that never felt like I fit in to the very narrow box of what mainstream "femininity" is supposed to look like. But that's a rant for another day...

If anybody read this shit and made it this far..then uh......sorry I ramble a lot but...

Thanks for coming to my tedtalk.

I do have some thoughts about some of social media critiques surrounding this couple. I'll keep that shit on my blog, no need to fill up the tag with that negative energy, ugh....

Also sorry if this makes no sense im just word vomiting right now.

Also does tumblr not have gifs with black people🤨 I've been looking forever...

[aellesa]

Overlooked Sinners GIFs

These are some of the moments I believe should have been included in the official Warner Bros. GIF collection for Sinners.

Unfortunately, Warner Brothers did not include or promote the other couples from Sinners in their official GIF package. They only highlighted Mary and Stack. This felt like a missed opportunity because the film features multiple love stories, that deserve to be showcased.

Since the only way for most people to find and share GIFs on platforms like Instagram is through Giphy, and you have to be an approved Creator for your GIFs to appear in search, I decided to just make my own.

[cravemyhoney]

Can you do a smoke x Annie one shot ! Maybe modern au smutty , possessive smoke ?

“THAT FEEL GOOD HM?”

i’m sorry that this is so late boo!! but ofc! here you go, this honestly got me horny in the middle of writing this—sorry for how short it is!

warnings! detailed smut, possessive & nurturing smoke! fucked out annie! just nastiness all around tbh .

The room was quiet, just the low hum of the city outside the cracked window mixing with the soft sounds of their bodies moving together. Smoke’s hands were sure and possessive, tracing the curves of Annie’s full hips, memorizing the weight of her thick thighs and the swell of her breasts pressed against his chest.

Annie’s skin glistened under the dim light, her breath hitching in shallow gasps, hips rolling against him without thought or hesitation — her mind stripped bare, her body the only language she spoke.

“Does that feel good, baby?” Smoke’s voice was low, rough but gentle, like a vow, a promise. She nodded, eyes fluttering shut, unable to speak through the haze of sensation. A soft moan slipped out, raw and unfiltered, and Smoke’s grip tightened just enough to ground her. His lips brushed her temple, then trailed down her jaw, savoring the taste of her skin. “You’re mine,” he murmured, possessive and tender all at once.

Slow and deliberate, he moved inside her, every inch filled with purpose, pulling her closer until their bodies were a single, aching rhythm. Annie’s hands moved up to his head resting her hands on his shortcut hair, her breath catching as the warmth of him flooded deeper. She was lost, drowning in the feeling — every touch, every thrust a quiet storm.

Smoke kissed her neck, then her shoulder, marking her with his presence as he whispered, “You feel so damn good.” Her body shuddered beneath him, voice breaking free in breathy moans, and when he finally spilled inside her, it was slow and deep — a final claim in the quiet, sacred space of their love.

He held her close after, chest rising and falling against hers, the weight of his arms like a shield, like home. “I love you,” he breathed, and she knew — no matter what came next, this was hers, and he was hers. And she was his.

dividers @httpssturns

taglist. @vaultkween @thickianaaaa

[thebumblebeesworld]

THE • SWEETEST • TREAT

modern!au annie x smoke • fluff

summary: annie and elijah take their daughter out trick-or-treating for the first time.

cw: none, just sweet, sweet flufff

a/n: inspired by this post by @nahimjustfeelingit-writes !!

masterlist

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“Elijah,” Annie called from the living room, one hand on her hip while her other arm held their baby girl. She rolled her eyes at the lack of response, looking down at her daughter and shaking her head with a laughing sigh. “Come on out here,” she stressed, eyes darting toward the clock on the wall as Margaret giggled at the inflection of her mother’s voice. “Yo’ daughter and I wanna see your costume, and we got candy to collect. Ain’t that right, baby?”

With a wide, gap-toothed smile, the toddler agreed with her mother’s statement. Her big, brown eyes drifted down the hallway, just waiting for her father to emerge.

“Come on, papa,” Margaret demanded, the yell small yet full of excitement for what was to come.

Tonight was Halloween, and while Margaret had just turned three years old, this was the family’s first time truly celebrating the day with her, allowing the toddler to pick out her own costume—and her parents’.

The days leading up to this had been jam-packed with last minute craft store runs and trying to figure out the best way to not end up with a tantrumming toddler by the end of the night. But the night was finally here, and Annie and Margaret were extremely excited. Elijah, on the other hand, was less happy to be spending his night walking through neighborhoods with a bunch of screaming kids around him, but he put on a brave face for his girls. Because when those two wanted something, he always met their needs.

For herself, Margaret had chosen to be a vampire, simply because she wanted to scare people. It had recently come to Annie and Elijah’s attention that when Stack babysat the young girl, they’d watch vampire movies together, leading her to have an obsession with the creatures. And when Margaret was obsessed with something, there was no shutting it down.

She’d been telling anyone who would listen that she was going to be a vampire for Halloween and that she was going to get a whole bunch of candy. (While she didn’t know it yet, her mother and father were going to hide whatever candy she earned so she couldn’t sneak it at all hours of the night).

Dressed in all black with her soft coils slicked back, fake blood drying against her brown skin, and fangs popped into her mouth, Margaret looked like the cutest, scariest little vampire ever. From the moment she put the costume on, she was running through the house with her fangs on full display, jumping out from behind doors to scare her mama and laughing when Annie pretended to be frightened.

For her mother’s costume, Margaret had chosen her favorite Disney princess: Tiana. She always remarked about how You sound like her, Mama, pointing at the screen and looking between Tiana and her mother with a scrunched-up, confused expression. It was one of the cutest things Annie had ever seen, so when the toddler asked—no, demanded—for Annie to be the New Orleans-born princess, how could she have said no?

And that just left Elijah.

The man wasn’t big on Halloween. He would dress up when he and Stack were kids, something the younger twin had facilitated in full, but in his adulthood, he’d stopped playing into the holiday. He preferred staying in with Annie, watching movies, drinking wine, and cuddling on the couch. He liked the quiet ease of it all, how every now and then, a trick-or-treater would knock on the door and he’d be prompted to open it with a bowl full of candy. That was his comfort zone.

But he had a daughter now, and he wanted her to experience a full and happy childhood.

He just didn’t realize he would have to dress up too.

Elijah thought he’d just skate by with holding the little girl’s hand as she wobbled about as a terrifying little vampire in search of candy. But when she dictated what his costume was to be, he almost backed out of the whole event.

Down the hall, the bedroom door finally creaked open, hinges squeaking as the man let out an exasperated sigh. Embarrassment was flooding his body, but he held his back straight, shoulders broad to not give away how silly he felt.

"Are y'all happy," he questioned, standing in the middle of the dark hallway with his arms outstretched. He did a little spin, his feet dragging from the weight of the costume. Annie and Margaret both exclaimed in joy at the man's appearance. Covered fully in dark brown fur with paws for hands and feet and a bear head covering his own, Elijah stood before them dressed as his daughter's favorite stuffed animal: Mr. Smushy.

Even in his frustration and embarrassment, the laughter his daughter let out and the proud smile on his wife's face made his heart explode.

Scrambling to get out of her mother’s arms, Margaret ran past her papa and toward her bedroom. His eyes followed the toddler’s quick steps as confusion caused him to drift back towards Annie. She grinned at him, looking over him slowly. An amused giggle escaped her lips before she could catch it, and Elijah immediately cut her with a glare.

"You look good, papa,” she whispered, trying to ease that tightness between his brows, and the calming tone of her voice instantly quelled his defensiveness.

“You look good, too, baby,” he complimented as if he hadn’t already told her a million times how pretty she looked in that green dress with her hair up. Annie chuckled lowly, attempting to hide the way her skin flushed at his tone as her hand slipped over her smile.

Behind him, Elijah heard the toddler’s little feet again. And when he turned around, Margaret was holding her stuffed animal up to him, waiting patiently for him to grab it.

“Why you givin’ me him,” he questioned holding the stuffed animal like it was the most fragile thing on earth because Margaret didn’t play about Mr. Smushy.

“He’s goin’ with us, Papa,” she answered like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Walking towards the door, the little girl sat on the floor, putting on her slip-on shoes. In her mind, she had been waiting too long, and there was trick-or-treating to be done.

Annie shook her head at the exchange. Their daughter had definitely developed both of their personalities. She was stubborn and expressive and smart as all get out. You couldn’t tell her a damn thing because she swore she already knew the answer. And, boy, was she spoiled.

Between her papa buying her all types of things, her uncle letting her eat a bunch of junk food and watch vampire flicks, and her mama filling her belly with soulful food, Margaret was a force to be reckoned with.

The couple followed their daughter to the door, double checking that they had everything in order to have a smooth night.

“Alright, suga’,” Annie began, fixing her voice so that the toddler listened to every word she said. “You gon’ keep up with me and Papa, ok? You are to hold our hands and not walk up to nobody door unless we say, got it?” Margaret looked up at her mother, fully attentive. Her brown eyes tracked every word as they left her mouth.

“Yes, Mama,” she assured, rocking on the balls of her feet. “I understand.”

“Good,” Annie smiled, grabbing onto the girl’s small hand as they stepped out into the cool October night. Elijah wasn’t far behind them as he held Mr. Smushy in one hand, locking the door with the other. When he caught up to the pair, Margaret had already handed her mother her candy bucket, holding her empty hand out to grab her father’s.

The feeling of the furry paw made her giggle loudly, bringing smiles to Annie and Elijah’s faces as they swung their arms, making their daughter laugh even more.

“That house, Mama,” Margaret exclaimed as she saw bright purple and green lights shining on a house across the street. There were already so many people out tonight, folks going up to homes in droves, and all of the excitement was getting to the toddler as she bounced happily.

Feeling her hand beginning to slip from his, her little body rushing forward, Elijah quickly scooped Margaret up into his arms. He leveled his eyes, turning her face towards him.

“Sweetheart,” he tried to calm the pounding in his heart as he knew she was about to run out across that street. “What did Mama tell you ‘fore we left?” He tilted his head, and Margaret looked away, pouting and folding her arms across her chest. “I asked you a question, baby girl,” he prompted, “I expect an answer.”

Annie watched nearby, allowing Elijah to control the situation. She loved that their relationship was so equal. Neither of them were the sole disciplinarian, and she felt relaxed knowing that her husband was always there for her and their daughter.

“But, Papa—” Margaret started to whine, pointing her finger toward the house, but Elijah cleared his throat, and she knew he meant business. “She said hold your hand,” she grumbled, pout settling deeply on her face.

“And why is it important to listen to what she said, huh,” he asked again, not letting up just yet.

Letting out an exasperated huff, Margaret answered.

“So I don’t get hurt.” Elijah nodded along to her words, pointing over to his wife. When he met her eyes, he saw every ounce of love behind them. His heart was steadily returning to a state of calm. He didn’t wanna be too hard on their daughter, knowing his anxiety could get in the way of things, but he also needed to keep his family as safe as possible. “Now apologize to Mama,” he commanded. His voice softened at the edges, trying to let her know that she wasn’t in trouble.

“I’m sorry, Mama,” Margaret spoke earnestly, bottom lip quivering just slightly. Her eyes began to water, but before tears could fall, Annie’s calm voice soothed her.

“Thank you, baby,” she replied. “Just make sure you listen from now on, ok?”

“Yes, ma’am,” the toddler sniffled, gesturing to get down from her papa’s arms so they could walk safely across the street together.

From there, the night went smoothly.

Margaret listened carefully to her parents’ words, following their instructions and having a fun time scaring everyone she passed by. She was getting a real kick out of hissing at people when they opened their doors because they always played along, jumping in mock fright at the tiny vampire.

Green princess dress brushing against the sidewalk, Annie smiled at how much she’d been enjoying the night. Margaret had racked up a bunch of candy and had tuckered herself out some time ago, so now she was in her papa’s arms, head against his shoulder and eyes fighting sleep.

“What you smilin’ for,” Elijah wondered with a matching grin on his own face. They were hand-in-hand, walking back toward their home because Margaret was too close to sleep to notice. Annie’s dress brushed against the fur costume the man wore, causing even more happiness to flood her heart at the feeling of their closeness.

“I’m just glad we did this,” Annie shrugged, looking over at her two greatest loves. “I’ve never seen you in an environment like this,” she nodded toward the costume, laughing as he huffed. She loved teasing him, but her tone turned sentimental as she looked over at their daughter. “Everyday I’m proud of the life we’ve created.”

Breathing deeply and meeting her eyes with a devoted gaze, Elijah felt emotion rising in his chest.

“Me too, baby,” he nodded. He squeezed her hand and shuffled on his fur-covered feet to get closer to her. There wasn’t more that needed to be said because if there was one person who understood Elijah’s heart, it was his Annie.

As they continued the journey home, Margaret had fully embraced sleep, going limp in her father’s arm as she held her stuffed animal close. Their house was finally in sight, and the night was still young, meaning the couple could still partake in their usual Halloween tradition of movies, popcorn, and wine on the couch.

Bumping his shoulder against hers and watching Annie turn her head with a raised eyebrow, Elijah spoke up with a chuckle in his throat.

“When we get home, you cuttin’ me outta this costume.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

a/n: smoke is a teddy bear and annie is a princessss

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