Popcorn buckets, shirts, accessories, all the promo. You needed to get your hands on it. This week the movie finally was coming to theaters. You've waited for this day, no one loves Spider-Man like you do. Well other than your best friend Jermajesty.
"We have to watch the rerelease of Endgame before we go." He told you as he pointed to this chart you found online of everything Marvel.
You groaned. "You want me to sit through that sad ass movie again?"
He laughed loudly. "They're adding extra scenes that will connect the story to doomsday."
You rolled your eyes. The movie was already three hours long and you cried when Tony died. You refused to watch it again after that. The whole two part movie was sad. You like to pretend nobody died in either Infinity War or Endgame.
"What does this have to do with Spider-Man?" You whined as you slouched in your seat.
"You think we're going to only prepare Spider-Man? You got just as excited about it as I did!" He tilted his head in confusion.
"Unrelated! Spider-Man comes out in three days!" You argued back as he tried not to laugh at your stubborn nature.
He crossed his arms slowly. "Then we have to watch all of Tom's Spider-Man before Friday…Thursday if we go to the early viewing." You froze.
"I'm not watching No Way Home again. I still get angry at Homecoming." You glared at him, your finger pointing in his direction.
You and Jermajesty went to see Far From Home and you practically jumped out of your seat when Mysterio outed Peter. You wanted to jump in the movie yourself and defend him. Jermajesty was too busy laughing in his seat to calm you down. The whole theater was up in arms. You couldn't stand to see him get off scott free in death.
"It's just to refresh your memory." He smugly shrugged as he leaned on the wall behind him.
You stared blankly at him. "I'll show you a refreshed memory alright."
He snorted before looking back at the chart. "We should get popcorn buckets."
"They came out with like ten. How many do you plan on getting?" He asked as you tapped your chin.
"I want all of them." You answered confidently. His jaw hits the floor, he thought you lost your mind.
"What are you going to do with all those popcorn buckets?" He questioned in disbelief.
You blew air out of your mouth and waved him off. "Eat popcorn, duh."
"You don't eat that much popcorn." He cocked his head to the side.
"You're not with me all the time."
"I'm with you majority of the time." He corrected you.
"Anyway—I'm excited. They're speculating that MJ or Peter dies." You changed the subject.
Jermajesty put a hand over your mouth as he shook his head. "Don't say that."
You just stared at him, blinking slowly. You tried to talk through his hands but he just shook his head slowly. He didn't want to think about losing either of them. He wasn't better than the average fan, he would lose his shit. He told you once before he would absolutely get up and leave the theater all together.
You pulled his hand off your mouth. "It's just a fan theory."
"A theory that could possibly be true." He whispered back at you.
You rolled your eyes at his dramatics. You both continued to coordinate outfits and plan what merchandise to get. Honestly, you both are spending way more than you should but it wasn't often you got to enjoy Spider-Man like this. You weren't going to miss out either even if you had to take out your life's savings to do so. You wouldn't…you would try not to.
Zendaya talking about bring tissues like girl no stop fr anyway if you didn’t know im a huge Spider-Man fanatic especially Tom’s Spider-Man.
I’m bored with my writing style idk I feel like it could use a change
synopsis: after months of trying to move on, one chaotic family gathering forces you and jermajesty to finally confront what neither of you wants to admit.
ᵎ!ᵎ fluff ⊹ angst(?) ⊹ your boyfriend being an asshole ⊹ black.ᐟ𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧 ⊹ toxic baby daddy.ᐟjermajesty
requested by annon.
A/N: this one is like really long
jovonnie had finally fallen asleep after spending most of the morning refusing to nap.
toys covered the living room floor.
a cartoon played quietly in the background.
and you were halfway through folding laundry when jermajesty walked through the front door without warning.
again.
he always did that.
“where’s my son?” jermajesty asked as he kicked the front door shut behind him and dropped his keys onto the kitchen counter.
“sleeping,” you answered as you continued folding one of jovonnie’s tiny shirts and deliberately kept your attention on the laundry basket.
“good,” jermajesty replied as he opened your refrigerator and immediately started searching through it.
your eye twitched.
slightly.
“why are you in my refrigerator?” you questioned as you looked up from the couch cushions and stared at him in disbelief.
“because i’m thirsty,” jermajesty answered as he grabbed a bottle of water and twisted the cap open without an ounce of shame.
“you don’t live here,” you reminded as you crossed your arms and watched him take a drink.
“i know,” jermajesty replied as he leaned against the counter and shrugged casually.
“then stop acting like you do,” you snapped as you threw a pair of socks into the laundry basket harder than necessary.
“what’s your problem today?” jermajesty asked as he lowered the water bottle and studied your face carefully.
that question should not have annoyed you as much as it did.
unfortunately, it did.
because it felt unfair.
because it felt oblivious.
because jermajesty somehow managed to create half your problems and then act confused when you finally reacted.
“my problem?” you repeated as you let out a short laugh and stood up from the couch.
“yeah,” jermajesty replied as he shifted his weight against the counter and folded his arms.
“you are my problem,” you admitted as you pointed directly at him and felt months of frustration begin rising to the surface.
the room went silent.
immediately.
jermajesty’s expression changed.
the casual confidence disappeared.
something more cautious took its place.
“what’s that supposed to mean?” jermajesty asked as he straightened slightly and lowered his arms.
“it means i’m tired,” you answered as you paced across the living room and dragged a hand through your hair.
“tired of what?” jermajesty questioned as he stepped away from the counter and followed you with his eyes.
“tired of whatever this is,” you replied as you gestured angrily between the two of you and felt your voice crack.
jermajesty opened his mouth.
then closed it again.
because he knew exactly what you meant.
“y/n—” jermajesty started as he rubbed the back of his neck and took a hesitant step forward.
“no,” you interrupted as you shook your head firmly and held up a hand.
he stopped moving.
“every single time i start moving on, you show up,” you continued as you looked directly at him and refused to look away.
“i come here to see my son,” jermajesty argued as frustration crept into his voice and his jaw tightened.
“and then you stay for four hours,” you pointed out as you crossed your arms tighter against your chest.
jermajesty didn’t answer.
because he couldn’t.
both of you knew he couldn’t.
“you don’t get to act like my boyfriend whenever it’s convenient and then disappear whenever things get difficult,” you confessed as tears threatened to gather in your eyes.
the words hung between you.
heavy.
painful.
honest.
“that’s not what i’m doing,” jermajesty replied as he looked down at the floor and shook his head.
“then what are you doing?” you asked as your voice softened and genuine confusion replaced some of the anger.
he looked up.
you looked back.
and neither of you had an answer.
because neither of you knew.
that was the problem.
you had spent years trying.
years loving each other.
years breaking up and getting back together.
years convincing yourselves that this time would be different.
it never was.
“we tried,” you said quietly as you lowered your gaze and wrapped your arms around yourself.
jermajesty’s shoulders slumped.
immediately.
“i know,” jermajesty admitted as he exhaled heavily and ran both hands over his face.
“we really tried,” you continued as you glanced toward the hallway where jovonnie slept peacefully.
“i know,” jermajesty repeated as he nodded slowly and stared at the floor.
“and it didn’t work,” you finished as your voice broke slightly despite your best efforts.
silence followed.
then another silence.
then one more.
until finally—
“what are you saying?” jermajesty asked as he lifted his head and searched your face carefully.
“i’m saying maybe it’s time for us to move on,” you answered as you swallowed hard and forced yourself to say the words.
for the first time all afternoon, jermajesty looked genuinely hurt.
not angry.
not irritated.
hurt.
like you’d physically hit him.
“you mean that?” jermajesty questioned as he stared at you and waited.
you hated how much the answer hurt.
“yeah,” you admitted as you nodded once and looked away before you could change your mind.
for a long moment, jermajesty said nothing.
then he grabbed his keys.
then he walked toward the front door.
then he stopped.
“i’ll pick jovonnie up saturday,” jermajesty said quietly as he stood with one hand on the doorknob and kept his back turned toward you.
“okay,” you replied as you wiped at your eyes and stared at the floor.
“okay,” jermajesty echoed as he opened the door and stepped outside.
and just like that—for the first time in years
he actually left.
˚˖𓍢ִ໋ 𐚁°
moving on turned out to be significantly harder than either of you expected.
at first, you convinced yourself it was working.
there were no surprise visits.
no random phone calls that somehow lasted three hours.
no arguments that turned into laughter.
no moments where you caught yourself believing things might be different this time.
there was just silence.
clean.
simple.
painful silence.
the kind that settled into your routine until you almost started getting used to it.
almost.
because every time jovonnie came back from spending time with his dad, something managed to ruin your progress.
sometimes it was a picture.
sometimes it was a story.
sometimes it was something as simple as your son mentioning jermajesty twenty times in a single afternoon.
“daddy said i run really really fast,” jovonnie announced proudly as he climbed onto your couch and nearly dropped a juice box onto the cushions.
“did he?” you asked as you looked up from your laptop and smiled softly.
“super fast,” jovonnie confirmed as he stretched his arms out dramatically and almost fell backward.
you laughed.
despite yourself.
because it sounded exactly like something jermajesty would say.
which was unfortunate.
because you were trying very hard not to think about him.
the same thing was happening on the other side.
according to jaafar.
and paris.
and basically everyone else.
jermajesty wasn’t moving on very well either.
unfortunately, he was trying.
which somehow made everything worse.
“you’re dating?” paris asked as she nearly choked on her drink during lunch one afternoon and stared at you in disbelief.
“it’s not serious,” you answered as you picked at your fries and deliberately avoided eye contact.
“that’s not what i asked,” paris pointed out as she narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
“yes,” you admitted as you sighed heavily and leaned back in your chair.
paris immediately groaned.
“this is gonna end badly,” paris predicted as she rubbed her forehead and looked toward the ceiling.
“thanks for the support,” you replied as you rolled your eyes.
“i’m serious,” paris argued as she pointed directly at you across the table.
“he’s nice,” you insisted as you crossed your arms defensively.
“that’s not the issue.”
“then what’s the issue?”
paris stared.
just stared.
which annoyed you.
because you already knew exactly what she was thinking.
“don’t,” you warned as you pointed a fry in her direction.
“you still love jermajesty,” paris stated as she folded her arms and sat back in her chair.
“that’s not the point.”
“notice how you didn’t deny it.”
you immediately hated her.
just a little.
mostly because she was right.
weeks later, family day arrived.
normally, those events were chaotic.
today felt worse.
the entire jackson family had gathered at one of the larger family properties.
music played through outdoor speakers.
kids ran across the backyard.
food covered nearly every table.
everywhere you looked somebody was laughing.
talking.
arguing.
taking pictures.
jaafar was attempting to teach jovonnie how to throw a football.
prince was filming the entire thing.
bigi was laughing so hard he could barely hold his phone straight.
for a little while, you managed to relax.
then a black suv pulled into the driveway.
and your stomach immediately dropped.
because deep down—
you already knew.
the driver’s side door opened first.
jermajesty stepped out.
your heart betrayed you instantly.
then the passenger door opened.
and everything became worse.
much worse.
she was beautiful.
ridiculously beautiful.
long blonde hair.
perfect makeup.
designer sunglasses.
expensive clothes.
the kind of woman who looked like she belonged on magazine covers.
the complete opposite of you.
which made your stomach twist immediately.
“oh no,” paris muttered as she appeared beside you and followed your line of sight.
“don’t.”
“i didn’t even say anything.”
“you were about to.”
“yeah,” paris admitted as she winced dramatically.
you looked away.
immediately.
because staring wasn’t going to help.
unfortunately, that became impossible the second they reached the backyard.
the woman—ava, apparently—had absolutely no concept of personal space.
or maybe she did.
maybe she just didn’t care.
because the second she sat down, she practically attached herself to jermajesty’s side.
every conversation involved touching him.
every laugh involved touching him.
every sentence involved touching him.
you hated it.
deeply.
irrationally.
completely.
which only got worse when you noticed jermajesty didn’t seem particularly interested.
“baby, sit closer,” ava requested as she wrapped both hands around his arm and tugged him toward her.
“i’m fine here,” jermajesty replied as he gently pulled his arm free and reached for his drink instead.
“you’re so mean,” ava complained as she pouted dramatically and leaned against his shoulder anyway.
jermajesty looked exhausted.
which should not have made you feel better.
and yet.
somehow.
it did.
hours passed.
every time you tried convincing yourself you didn’t care, ava did something else.
she sat in his lap.
you wanted to scream.
she played with his chain.
you wanted to leave.
she kept calling him baby every five seconds.
you wanted to fight somebody.
probably yourself.
because none of this should have mattered.
he wasn’t your boyfriend.
he wasn’t even your ex-boyfriend anymore.
not really.
the two of you had agreed to move on.
so why did it feel so awful watching him do exactly that?
“mommy.”
jovonnie’s voice snapped you back to reality.
you immediately looked down.
“yeah, baby?” you asked as you crouched beside him and fixed the collar of his shirt.
“why are you sad?” jovonnie questioned as he tilted his head and studied your face carefully.
your heart cracked.
immediately.
because children noticed everything.
“i’m not sad,” you answered as you brushed a hand through his curls and forced a smile.
jovonnie looked unconvinced.
exactly like his father.
which was unfortunate.
very unfortunate.
because you were already struggling enough.
across the yard, jermajesty happened to look over.
his eyes immediately landed on you.
then jovonnie.
then back on you.
something shifted in his expression.
concern.
familiar concern.
the kind you’d spent years pretending didn’t affect you.
and for a brief second, before ava grabbed his arm again—
it felt exactly like old times.
which was the problem.
because old times were never really gone.
they were just waiting.
waiting for one of you to stop pretending first.
˚˖𓍢ִ໋ 𐚁°
if there was one thing worse than watching ava hang all over jermajesty for three straight hours, it was the realization that your own boyfriend was running late.
very late.
late enough that multiple people had already asked where he was.
late enough that even paris had started making comments.
late enough that you were beginning to regret inviting him at all.
the relationship wasn’t terrible.
that was the problem.
it wasn’t terrible.
it just wasn’t right.
he was nice enough.
funny enough.
attractive enough.
everything about him was technically fine.
but every conversation felt like work.
every date felt scheduled.
every compliment felt rehearsed.
and no matter how hard you tried to ignore it, there was always a comparison sitting in the back of your mind.
a comparison that wasn’t fair to anyone involved.
especially him.
your phone buzzed.
you looked down immediately.
running late.
be there soon.
you stared at the message.
then sighed.
then locked your phone again.
“still not here?” paris questioned as she dropped into the chair beside you and stole one of your fries.
“apparently not,” you answered as you watched jovonnie run across the yard with prince chasing after him.
paris followed your gaze.
then glanced toward jermajesty.
then looked back at you.
you immediately pointed a finger at her.
“don’t.”
“i literally didn’t say anything.”
“your face said enough.”
paris laughed.
because she knew you were right.
before either of you could continue, a familiar voice echoed from the front of the property.
“baby!”
you closed your eyes.
immediately.
because somehow he always managed to be loud.
very loud.
several heads turned.
including jermajesty’s.
your boyfriend finally appeared carrying a gift bag in one hand and sunglasses in the other.
he immediately wrapped an arm around your shoulders.
a little too tightly.
a little too possessively.
“there she is,” he announced as he kissed your cheek and looked around the yard.
you forced a smile.
“you’re late,” you pointed out as you adjusted the sleeve of your shirt.
“traffic was crazy,” he replied as he shrugged casually and looked completely unbothered.
paris immediately stood.
“i’m leaving before something happens,” paris announced as she grabbed her drink and walked away.
you frowned.
“what does that mean?” you called after her.
“you’ll see,” paris replied as she pointed vaguely toward the yard and kept walking.
you didn’t like that answer.
not even a little.
for a while things remained okay.
awkward.
but okay.
your boyfriend introduced himself to people he hadn’t met.
talked to some of the family members.
played with jovonnie for a few minutes.
everything seemed manageable.
then he noticed jermajesty.
which immediately became a problem.
because jermajesty had wandered over to help jovonnie build something near one of the picnic tables.
because jovonnie adored his father.
because jermajesty was being a good dad.
and because your boyfriend apparently interpreted that as a competition.
“that’s him?” your boyfriend questioned as he watched jermajesty from across the yard.
you already disliked his tone.
“that’s jovonnie’s dad,” you answered carefully as you folded your arms.
“he keeps looking over here.”
you sighed.
he wasn’t.
or at least not intentionally.
“he’s watching his son,” you explained as patiently as possible.
your boyfriend laughed.
a short.
dismissive laugh.
one that immediately irritated you.
“right.”
you stared.
“what is that supposed to mean?” you questioned as your eyebrows pulled together.
“nothing,” your boyfriend replied as he lifted both hands innocently.
it absolutely wasn’t nothing.
you knew it.
he knew it.
everybody knew it.
the situation somehow got worse twenty minutes later.
jovonnie had managed to convince jermajesty to push him on a swing.
which meant jermajesty was currently standing near the playground area.
which meant your boyfriend somehow decided that was the perfect time to approach him.
you noticed immediately.
so did jaafar.
so did prince.
so did basically everyone.
because suddenly the entire family seemed interested in whatever was happening.
“oh brother,” jaafar muttered as he lowered his drink and watched the scene unfold.
“should we stop this?” bigi questioned as he glanced between everyone nervously.
“give it thirty seconds,” prince replied as he immediately pulled out his phone.
“why are you recording?” royal asked as he looked at prince in disbelief.
“for historical purposes.”
“you’re terrible.”
“thank you.”
meanwhile, across the yard—
your boyfriend had already reached jermajesty.
“what’s up?” your boyfriend greeted as he shoved both hands into his pockets and stood beside the swing set.
jermajesty glanced up.
immediately.
“what’s good?” jermajesty replied as he continued pushing jovonnie gently.
for a moment everything seemed fine.
then—
“heard a lot about you.”
there it was.
the tone.
jermajesty’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“that so?” jermajesty questioned as he finally stopped the swing and looked directly at him.
“yeah.”
“hopefully good things.”
your boyfriend laughed again.
that same laugh.
that same annoying laugh.
the one that sounded like he thought he was winning an argument nobody else knew was happening.
“depends who you ask.”
across the yard, you immediately stood.
because absolutely not.
“oh my god,” paris whispered as she reappeared beside you out of nowhere.
“i’m gonna kill him.”
“which one?”
“both.”
paris nodded.
fair.
back at the swing set, jermajesty’s patience was visibly disappearing.
“you got something to say?” jermajesty questioned as he folded his arms and stepped away from the swing.
your boyfriend shrugged.
“just seems like you’re around a lot for an ex.”
the entire backyard went silent.
completely silent.
even the music somehow felt quieter.
jermajesty’s jaw tightened.
immediately.
“i’m around because my son lives here.”
“sure.”
“what’s that supposed to mean?” jermajesty questioned as he took another step forward.
“means i know what it looks like.”
you started walking.
fast.
very fast.
because there was absolutely no way this conversation was ending well.
“what exactly does it look like?” jermajesty asked as he laughed once and shook his head.
“looks like you can’t let go.”
bad.
very bad.
horrible actually.
because suddenly every jackson family member looked ready to intervene.
even worse—
the statement wasn’t entirely wrong.
which somehow made everything more uncomfortable.
jermajesty’s eyes immediately found yours across the yard.
just for a second.
just long enough.
then he looked back at your boyfriend.
“you don’t know what you’re talking about,” jermajesty replied as his voice dropped noticeably lower.
“i know enough.”
“and i know you’re standing in front of my son acting stupid.”
jovonnie looked between them.
confused.
which was enough.
immediately enough.
because jermajesty’s expression changed the second he noticed his son watching.
the anger disappeared.
not completely.
but enough.
he stepped back.
looked down at jovonnie.
then shook his head.
“i’m not doing this,” jermajesty stated as he turned away and picked his son up instead.
your boyfriend laughed.
again.
mistake.
huge mistake.
because this time even you were annoyed.
deeply annoyed.
and judging by the look on jaafar’s face—
you weren’t the only one.
something was about to happen.
and you had a terrible feeling it was only the beginning.
˚˖𓍢ִ໋ 𐚁°
the second jermajesty walked away with jovonnie in his arms, you felt every muscle in your body tense.
because you knew him.
better than anyone.
better than ava.
better than your boyfriend.
better than half the people standing in the yard.
and the thing about jermajesty was that the quiet version was always more dangerous than the loud version.
if he was yelling, you knew exactly what he was thinking.
if he was calm, somebody needed to start worrying.
preferably immediately.
“what was that?” you questioned as you turned toward your boyfriend and stared at him in disbelief.
your boyfriend shrugged.
completely unapologetic.
“what?” he asked as he looked around innocently.
“don’t do that,” you warned as you crossed your arms and lowered your voice.
“do what?” your boyfriend questioned as he rolled his eyes.
“start problems.”
“i didn’t start anything.”
you laughed.
once.
disbelievingly.
because that answer was ridiculous.
“you literally walked over there looking for an argument,” you pointed out as you gestured toward the swing set where the entire interaction had happened.
“i asked a question.”
“you knew exactly what you were doing.”
your boyfriend’s expression immediately changed.
not angry.
annoyed.
which somehow made everything worse.
“why are you defending him?” your boyfriend questioned as he folded his arms.
you froze.
slightly.
because that wasn’t the point.
or at least it wasn’t supposed to be.
“i’m not defending him,” you answered as you rubbed your forehead and exhaled heavily.
“looks like it.”
“he’s the father of my child.”
“he’s also your ex.”
there it was.
the real issue.
finally.
your boyfriend wasn’t angry about jermajesty.
he was threatened by him.
which honestly wasn’t surprising.
because everybody seemed threatened by jermajesty eventually.
mostly because nobody ever figured out where they stood with him.
you included.
“what are you trying to say?” you questioned as your eyebrows pulled together.
your boyfriend hesitated.
then made a mistake.
a massive mistake.
“i’m saying maybe he should learn some boundaries.”
you immediately looked away.
not because you agreed.
because you knew exactly who had heard that.
jermajesty.
of course.
somewhere behind you, silence settled.
the bad kind.
the kind that made entire conversations stop.
the kind that made people suddenly become interested in absolutely anything else.
you closed your eyes.
slowly.
“oh no,” paris whispered from somewhere nearby.
“why do you sound excited?” royal questioned as he looked at her suspiciously.
“because i’ve been waiting all afternoon.”
“that’s insane.”
“thank you.”
you turned around.
jermajesty was standing there.
jovonnie balanced comfortably on his hip.
his expression unreadable.
which somehow felt worse than anger.
much worse.
“you got a problem with me being around my son?” jermajesty questioned as he looked directly at your boyfriend.
your boyfriend immediately straightened.
because apparently common sense had left the building.
“No,” your boyfriend answered as he lifted his chin slightly.
“good,” jermajesty replied as he adjusted jovonnie against his side.
“but—”
and there it was.
the word that ruined everything.
but.
you wanted to scream.
“but i think there’s a difference between being around your son and being around y/n every second.”
the backyard collectively stopped breathing.
you were pretty sure even the birds got quiet.
jaafar immediately covered his face, prince looked thrilled, and randy looked exhausted.
paris looked like she was watching her favorite television show.
“please stop talking,” you begged as you rubbed both hands over your face.
nobody listened.
of course.
because that would’ve been too easy.
jermajesty’s eyes shifted toward you briefly.
just briefly.
then returned to your boyfriend.
“you think i’m here because of y/n?” jermajesty questioned as a humorless laugh escaped him.
“i think everybody can see it.”
your stomach dropped.
because suddenly nobody was looking at your boyfriend anymore.
they were looking at jermajesty.
waiting.
watching.
expecting.
and for the first time all day—
he didn’t immediately deny it.
that should’ve been your first clue.
instead, he just stared.
which somehow told you everything.
ava noticed too.
you could tell.
because her smile disappeared instantly.
completely.
“jer?” ava questioned as she stepped closer and touched his arm gently.
jermajesty didn’t react.
not really.
which was another clue.
a very bad clue.
your boyfriend noticed.
everyone noticed.
“see?” your boyfriend asked as he laughed.
that laugh.
again.
always that laugh.
you officially hated it.
“okay, that’s enough,” jaafar announced as he finally stood from his chair and started walking over.
“seriously,” randy agreed as he followed behind him.
“y’all are doing this in front of the baby.”
that part finally seemed to register.
because jovonnie looked confused.
very confused.
his tiny arms wrapped around jermajesty’s neck.
his little face moving between everyone.
trying to understand.
and suddenly the entire situation felt stupid.
all of it.
every bit.
“can everybody stop?” you asked as your voice cracked unexpectedly.
immediately.
every head turned toward you.
you hated that.
especially because tears were already threatening to form.
which was embarrassing.
very embarrassing.
“i’m serious,” you continued as you shook your head and looked away. “just stop.”
silence.
then more silence.
then:
“mommy?”
jovonnie’s voice.
small.
confused.
worried.
that did it.
completely.
you turned away before anyone could see your face.
and started walking.
fast.
toward the back of the property.
toward the lake.
toward literally anywhere else.
you heard somebody call your name.
then somebody else.
then another voice.
you ignored all of them.
until…
“y/n.”
that one stopped you.
because it was him.
of course it was him.
jermajesty.
you turned around.
he was alone.
no jovonnie.
no ava.
no crowd.
just him.
for the first time all day.
“what?” you asked as you wiped quickly at your eyes and immediately looked away.
jermajesty exhaled heavily.
then ran a hand over his face.
then laughed once.
the tired kind.
the defeated kind.
the kind you knew too well.
“i’m tired,” jermajesty admitted as he stared out at the water instead of looking at you.
your chest tightened immediately.
because you knew exactly what he meant.
you were tired too.
very tired.
“me too,” you answered quietly as you stepped closer.
for a moment neither of you spoke.
the distance between you suddenly felt very small.
dangerously small.
then jermajesty finally looked at you.
really looked at you.
and the expression on his face made your heart hurt.
because it looked exactly how you felt.
miserable.
in love.
and completely stuck.
“i hate seeing you with him,” jermajesty confessed as he shook his head and laughed bitterly.
contents : fluff, established relationship, cursing, reader is pregnant with twins
pairing: bd!jermajesty x black!pregnant!reader
fifteen minutes ago, you begged jermajesty to order you some birria tacos, and you begged for about a hour. he told you that he ordered them, and they should be here soon. when you first started begging him, he told you, “mami, if you keep asking, i’m not gon get em.. i’m busy, gimmie a minute.”, but you didn’t oblige.
you walk downstairs, and see him sitting on the couch in a manspread.. “baby, my food here yet?” you say, rubbing your plump belly.
he looks up from his phone and looks at you, raising his eyebrows. “what food, ma?” he says, sounding genuinely confused.
“my tacos.” you say, tilting your head. his eyes widen, and he whistles low. “i never ordered em.” he says, looking at you.
you frown and look at him. “whatchu mean?” you say, sitting next to him. “mama, i never ordered them. you kept begging so i just told you that i ordered them to get you outta my hair.” he says.
your whole face falls, and you could already feel the pregnant rage building inside you. “out your hair? nigga you barely got any! i just wanted some tacos and you was taking a million years!” you blurt out, looking at him.
“y/n, i was busy and you knew that, you were in my face begging, i just needed peace and quiet.” he says, rubbing your thigh. you push his hand away.
“jermajesty, i am carrying two heavy ass babies, and i’m big as hell, you think i give a damn about peace and quiet when these babies want tacos?” you say, squinting your eyes.
“baby cmon, you overreacting, it’s just some food, i can order them another time, the place probably closed by now.” he says, his hand waving you off.
you watch him, and your throat starts to sting. the hormones were hitting you hard, and your mood swings were crazy. you cover your face, and sigh, before letting out a loud sob.
“jermajesty i wanted the tacos, that’s all i asked for, i didn’t even ask you to go out and get them!” you sob out, standing up and rubbing your stomach again.
“y/n, calm down, it ain’t that deep, i told you we can some another time.” he says, huffing out a breath.
“why’re you being like this, why you making me feel like a burden, you helped me get these babies inside, it wasn’t only my idea!” you sob, and he finally gets up.
“okay baby, okay.. it’s alright, i’m just fucking with you..” he coos, wrapping his arms around you.. he rubs your back.
“huh?” you sob, but before he can answer, the doorbell rings.. he lets you go, and answers the door, taking your food and giving the door dasher a tip.. you sniffle..
“you weird for that..” you mutter, wiping your face.. he smirks and hugs you again..
“i’m sorry, mama.. i didn’t think you was gon get so upset..” he softly says, kissing your forehead..
you just finished eating your food, and was cuddled up against jermajesty, while he rubbed on your stomach and watched abbott elementary.
“thank you pa..” you murmur, already falling into a food coma..
“you welcome, baby.. y’know you can have whatever you want.. you and my kids..” he says, patting your bump.
𓏲ּ𝄢 based off this request. (sorry it took me so long babes :( )
𓏲ּ𝄢 contains : Jermajesty x reader :: flufff :: light angst :: secret situationship :: takes place in my city cause im homesick (Amsterdam) :: NOT their first time meeting up :: late night drive :: reader happens to be in the same city as Jermajesty coincidentally (don’t ask) :: not much to warn you about lmao :: NOT proofread…
The depressing lights of the hotel room dimmed as you got ready for bed. The day had been full of sightseeing and shopping, and you were exhausted. But no matter how tired you were, you couldn’t stop thinking about the other reason your mind had been so occupied.
Jermajesty.
The guy you’d been talking to occasionally, who somehow turned out to be far more interesting than all the other men that had slid into your DMs. As your conversations grew deeper, you both found out that you’d coincidentally be in Amsterdam for a break at the same time.
You’d be there with your girls, and he’d be there with a couple of his friends.
The thought of you both being in the same city lingered in your mind far longer than it should have. You kept checking your phone every few minutes, wondering if he’d text. Part of you hoped he would.
The other part hoped he wouldn’t.
This trip was supposed to be about you and your girls. The last thing you wanted was for some guy to become the center of it all. Besides, if you did end up seeing him, you’d probably have to sneak around or come up with some excuse. The thought of lying to your friends made your stomach twist.
With a sigh, you set your phone on the nightstand and climbed into bed. You glanced over at your friend, who was already fast asleep, before turning off the last lamp.
Just as you settled beneath the covers, your phone buzzed.
Your heart skipped.
You reached over, trying not to make too much noise, silently hoping it was who you’d been waiting for.
It was.
You couldn’t help the smile that tugged at your lips as you bit your lower lip.
You opened the DM.
“You awake?”
“Wide awake,” you replied.
Three little bubbles immediately appeared.
Without even realizing it, you sat up straighter, your eyes fixed on the screen as you waited for his next message.
A second later, it came through.
“You down for a drive?”
Your heart jumped.
How on earth were you supposed to sneak out of the hotel at almost two in the morning?
“Sure, pick me up in 10?”
“I got you, ma. Just send me the pin.”
𓏲ּ𝄢
You didn’t pay much attention to what you wore, hoping it’d be less noticeable and that you wouldn’t stand out.
After quietly grabbing your bag, you slipped out of the hotel.
As soon as the doors slid open, you were greeted by Jermajesty leaning against his car, hands tucked into the pockets of his hoodie.
“Took you long enough,” he joked, pushing himself off the car before opening the passenger door and gesturing for you to get in.
“Oh, please,” you rolled your eyes, trying to hide the smile creeping onto your face as you climbed inside and buckled your seatbelt.
The second the door shut, reality hit.
Your friends would ask where you’d gone in the morning. You’d have to lie. You’d promised yourself you wouldn’t let some guy become the highlight of a girls’ trip, yet here you were, sitting in his passenger seat, about to drive off into Amsterdam at two in the morning.
It was too late to back out now.
Jermajesty slid into the driver’s seat, started the engine, and pulled away from the curb.
“So…” you glanced over at him. “Where are we going?”
“I was out with my friends earlier today,” he said, keeping one hand on the wheel. “Saw a cool spot and thought I’d show you.”
The thought that he’d seen something and immediately thought of you made your heart flutter, though you quickly pushed the feeling aside.
“Well…” you smiled, settling back into your seat. “Let’s see it then.”
For the next few minutes, the car was filled with nothing but the quiet hum of the engine and the faint sound of the radio. Outside, Amsterdam’s streets glowed beneath warm yellow streetlights. Only a handful of people wandered the sidewalks.
It was two in the morning, after all.
“Can I get the aux?” you finally asked.
“Sure. Play whatever you want.”
He handed you his phone.
You scrolled through his playlists before one song caught your eye.
“You listen to Bryson Tiller?”
He glanced over for a second.
“Who doesn’t?”
You tapped Next to You. The beat filled the car as you turned the volume up just a little before placing his phone back down. Rain had started to lightly tap against the windows. Resting your head against the seat, you turned to look at him.
“Blue or red?”
“Huh?” He looked at you with a confused grin.
“Bryson Tiller’s albums.”
He laughed.
“Is there a right or wrong answer?”
“There is,” you replied bluntly.
“Oh…” he dragged out with a smile. “Blue. Of course. Always.”
“Correct answer.”
A laugh escaped your lips.
“Thank God,” he muttered, shaking his head.
𓏲ּ𝄢
A moment passed before the song faded into Angel by The Weeknd. The opening beat filled the quiet car.
“You’ve got pretty good music taste, Jer.”
He smiled, briefly glancing over at you.
“Well, thank you. Can’t ever go wrong with Abel, can you?”
“Nope. Never.”
The conversation drifted from one ridiculous topic to another. You laughed over stories that barely made sense, teasing each other like you’d known one another for much longer than a few weeks.
You knew this was wrong.
Sneaking out, lying to your friends… none of it sat right with you.
Yet somehow, sitting here with him felt right.
There was something different about this. More genuine than any conversation you’d ever had with a guy.
Eventually, the laughter settled.
“Okay,” he said, resting one hand on the steering wheel. “Serious question.”
You raised an eyebrow.
“What’s something about you that not many people know?”
You looked down at your hands for a second before answering.
“I hate disappointing people.”
He stayed quiet, letting you continue.
“I hate even the chance of letting someone down. Even if I’ve tried my absolute best to make everyone happy, if I get even the slightest feeling that someone isn’t okay with something I’ve done…” you sighed. “I beat myself up over it.”
The words came easier than you expected.
Normally you’d keep something like that to yourself. But around him, pretending felt exhausting.
Ironically, here you were admitting how much you hated disappointing people while secretly sneaking around behind your friends’ backs.
What could possibly go wrong?
“You shouldn’t be so hard on yourself.”
His voice gently pulled you away from your thoughts.
“I think…” he paused, choosing his words carefully. “At some point, you have to accept that you can’t make everyone happy. No matter how badly you want to.”
As he spoke, he slowly pulled the car into a quiet spot by the water.
The engine fell silent.
Outside, the city lights shimmered across the IJ while a cool breeze lightly fogged the windows. The music continued to play softly in the background.
Jermajesty unbuckled his seatbelt before turning to face you.
“You don’t deserve to let disappointment consume you,” he said quietly. “I know it’s easier said than done… but you’ll get there.”
You smiled softly.
“Thanks.”
For a moment, neither of you spoke.
“How about you?” you finally asked, shifting in your seat as Hurt You by The Weeknd quietly began to play. “What’s something not many people know about you?”
His smile faded.
He looked down at his hands instead of at you.
“The thought of loving somebody scares me.”
You frowned slightly but stayed silent, giving him the space to continue.
“Whenever I feel myself getting too attached to a girl…” he admitted, “…I pull away.”
He let out a quiet laugh that carried no amusement.
“I’m scared I’ll end up hurting her. Not because I want to… I never would. But I get in my own head.”
He looked out across the water.
“So I convince myself it’s better to leave first.”
The vulnerability in his voice caught you off guard.
You reached over instinctively, placing your hand gently over his.
“Jer…”
He finally looked at you.
“I don’t know what you’ve been through to make you feel that way,” you said softly, your thumb brushing against the back of his hand. “But pushing people away doesn’t protect them.”
“It just leaves both people hurting.”
His eyes lingered on yours.
“You deserve to let someone care about you without convincing yourself you’re going to ruin it.”
For the first time that night…
He didn’t know what to say. He just scoffed looking away.
“You really are good with your words, aren’t you?” he joked.
“What can I say?” A smug smile tugged at your lips. “I’m the jack of all trades.”
He let out a quiet laugh, shaking his head.
“Confident too, huh?”
“Only a little.”
a/n : okay this may be a little ass so I apologize…but I wrote this ON MY PHONE at 4 am cause I was determined. Not proofread whatsoever whoops.
i loved the jermajesty text msg i was wondering if u can do jermajesty and gf reader instagram pages like the different between your guys highlights of each other and different highlights also
BABYDADDY!JERMAJESTY X READER INSTA STORIES
A/N- idk how I feel abt this I think I posted this with the wrong ask, but I’ve been taking a break for a bit cause I’ve been busy and this has been sitting in my drafts so why not post it
-if you’d like to be added or removed from the taglist lmk! If your on the list but not getting notified check your mention settings,also if your still having issues turing on notifs will also notify you whenever I post
prompt: Diana Ross hates the young main vocalist from a very new popular girl group which people keep saying that sounds so much like The Supremes. The reader, seemingly enjoying the older woman's hate, decides she wants the boy Diana favors.
mid-1970s
The after-party at the Beverly Hills hotel was thick with cigarette smoke, expensive perfume, and the low murmur of Motown royalty. Crystal chandeliers threw soft gold light over the velvet couches and the open bar. Outside, the California night was warm; inside, every eye turned when the young lead singer of the newest girl group walked in.
She still carried the stage with her, hips rolling easy in a short, shimmering silver dress, afro perfect, lips glossy, that contagious sparkle that made people lean closer even when she wasn’t singing. People kept saying her voice and her group sounded just like the early Supremes. Diana Ross hated every single one of those comparisons. And the girl knew it. Lived for it.
Diana stood near the piano, regal in a flowing white gown, champagne flute in hand. Her eyes narrowed the second she saw the younger woman.
The girl didn’t look away. She smiled, slow, sweet, and pure provocation, and drifted right past her.
“Evening, Miss Ross,” she murmured, voice honey-soft and just loud enough. “You look divine. As always.” She let the words hang, then added with a little tilt of her head, “I hope I didn’t steal too much of the thunder tonight.”
Diana’s jaw tightened. No reply. Just that cold, elegant stare that could freeze blood.
Across the room Michael was laughing with a couple of musicians, still in his sharp suit from the show, the young star Diana always called “my baby”, the one she publicly praised and privately claimed. The girl felt Diana’s eyes burning into her back as she crossed the floor.
She didn’t rush. She moved like she still owned the stage, stopping right beside him, close enough that her perfume, something warm and floral and far too young, wrapped around him.
“Michael,” she said, smiling up at him, fingertips lightly brushing the lapel of his jacket as if she were just straightening it. “You were watching earlier, weren’t you? I could feel it.”
He blinked, surprised, then grinned that soft, polite smile of his. “You were… incredible. The whole room was on its feet.”
“I know.” She leaned in a fraction more, voice dropping to a playful, intimate register, one hand resting casually on his arm. “But I only cared if you were on your feet.” Her eyes flicked past his shoulder straight to Diana and she let the corner of her mouth curl. “Come dance with me. Just one. Before the night gets too serious.”
Michael hesitated, glanced around, but the girl was already guiding him toward the open space where a few couples swayed to the soft band. She placed his hand on her waist like it belonged there and laughed softly at something he said, loud enough to carry.
Diana watched every second.
The way the younger woman pressed closer.
The way she looked up at Michael with that open, hungry admiration.
The deliberate little glance over her shoulder that said I know you hate this. And I love that you hate this.
The girl spun once under Michael’s arm, silver dress catching the light, and caught Diana’s furious stare again. She simply smiled wider, bright, wicked, completely unbothered and kept dancing as if the most powerful woman in the room wasn’t seething ten feet away.
Small provocations.
Public claim.
And the sweetest satisfaction of knowing exactly whose blood was boiling.
𝒿. bellingham x childhood best friend!reader smau (fc: melanie moreno)
maisonetoile
Liked by yourusername, judebellingham, and 402,853 others
maisonetoile This week's lineup: Familiar Faces ☺️
Maison Étoile is bringing back your top three favorites from past launches ⤵️
- Morning Ritual: Maple shortbread cookie sandwich with whipped vanilla cream and a maple caramel center 🍁
- Smoke Signals: Milk chocolate cupcake topped with toasted marshmallow frosting and caramelized graham cracked crumble 🍫
- Lunchbox: Brown butter cake layered with roasted peanut butter mousse, raspberry preserve, and light vanilla buttercream 🥜
Coming to une étoile near you !
view all comments
user5 OUUUU I BEEN WAITING FOR THAT LUNCHBOX COMEBACK
user1 morning ritual is literally calling my mf name 😩 mind you i live in louisiana 😭
user9 user1 same im out here CRYING in texas
user2 user9 crying in singapore 🥲
user7 user2 me in australia 😕
user4 user7 they said a star near you like theyre not exclusive to paris 😭
user10 i got married in paris last summer and had smoke signals catered for a late night reception snack and everyone fell in love with it!!
user6 lunchbox...🚬...havent heard that name in a while...😮💨
yourusername for one week and one week only 😉
user3 yourusername okay but pleaseeee expand to other countries!! we need u out here in cali, i'm sick of crumbl 😾😾
user11 user3 no deadass, crumbl fell off so bad
yourusername
Like by judebellingham, sunisalee, and 739,014 others
yourusername frames from this week 🥐 🎞️ quel dessert avez-vous préféré cette semaine ?
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judebellingham make smoke signals a permanent item
yourusername judebellingham maybe
user7 judebellingham he knows what the people want
user2 user7 because he IS the people 😂 that guy loves some smoke signals
user11 shit so she's stunning AND she can bake ??? how did i get so unlucky in the talent department
user5 i spent like half my savings on morning ritual 😩😓 soooo worth it tho
leahkateb i neeeeeed to come back here to try lunchbox 🤤🤗
yourusername leahkateb anything for u 🙇♀️
user9 What do I need to do to get you to bring back Mixing Bowl ???
user4 yall are sleeping on morning ritual !!! (no pun intended)
yourusername user4 that's one of jobe's favorites
jobebellingham yourusername fine just expose me then 🙄 two can play that game.
user1 jobebellingham huh??
maisonetoile
Liked by yourusername, paigebueckers, and 620,957 others
maisonetoile This week's lineup: Sweet Chaos 😉
Maison Étoile is launching two new treats, completely unexpected and #exposed...We are also bringing back a classic from our founder's sweet childhood ⤵️
- Mixing Bowl: Mini brown sugar sponge cake topped with chocolate chip buttercream and milk chocolate nibs 🥣
- *Cerise Fizz: Tart cherry macarons filled with a light lemon filling and a hint of grenadine 🍒
- *Toasted Tide: Vanilla blondie with small bits of roasted coconut, topped with flaky sea salt 🌴
Coming to une étoile near you !
view all comments
yourusername do you guys think this is too on the nose? too soon? 😚
user8 yourusername LMAOOO UR SO HILARIOUS FOR THIS
user11 yourusername it's quite fitting actually. i see why everyone says the three of you are so similar
user2 yourusername it's actually your world and we're just living in it so don't even stress
user9 omfg she heard my prayers and brought back mixing bowl 😍
paigebueckers I've been summoned 👀
maisonetoile paigebueckers come on down!
user4 paigebueckers bruh paige always in a shirley temple's business 😂
user5 paigebueckers paige get out you got a game to play in like 20 mins 🙄😭
user6 maison etoile messyyy i was not familiar with your game!
user1 this week's launch inspired by jobe's post and basically being a second soft launch for y/n and jude 😭
yourusername
Liked by judebellingham, arianagrande, and 4,508,672 others
yourusername guess the croissant's out of the bag! je t'aime 🤍
view all comments
judebellingham ❤️❤️❤️
yourusername judebellingham 🤗
user11 OMFG ITS HARD LAUNCH O'CLOCK
user2 they're literally each others day ones i'm getting emotional 🥺😭
Liked by yourusername, maisonetoile, and 6,981,035 others
judebellingham Not sure how I've gotten so lucky to have her by my side ❤️
view all comments
yourusername 🙄 i've got a list of whys that runs about 23 years
judebellingham yourusername 😂😘
user8 so when's the wedding?
user2 i think they're genuinely perfect for each other
user4 jude already won the golden boy he doesn't need to win the people's princess too 😠
jobebellingham finally 😂 reckon i've lost my mind trying to keep this secret
judebellingham jobebellingham 🖕
user9 the hard launch heard around the world
user11 lmaooo where's all the twitter bots that swore up and down they were just friends?!
user6 jude bellingham and tom holland are probably the two luckiest guys on this planet. and of course they're both english
tomholland user6 💪😃
" author's note — hi loves, here's my second jude fic! if you couldn't tell, i love making smaus, so hopefully you guys enjoy reading them lmao...my requests are now open so please send in any and all ideas you have (i write for jude, charles leclerc, and oscar piastri!)
the baby fever is still going crazy so here's more girl dad jaafar
thinking about your gender reveal and how excited you both are, and it's a more low-key type of event, just your closest friends and families. and the reveal itself isn't anything crazy either, no smoke bombs or confetti canons, just a cake for you to cut dyed blue or pink on the inside.
and the whole time, you're both so convinced it's a girl. you've just got a feeling, it's like you can sense it, and jaafar's the same way. from the moment he found out you were pregnant, deep down he knew it was going to be a girl. you entrust the gender results to a close mutual friend who gets everything planned for the cake for the reveal.
you and jaafar stand there together, both holding onto the knife to slice into the cake and reveal the color beneath the white frosting. even though you're standing side by side, he needs to feel you closer, so he switches his hold on the knife to wrap an arm around you and pull you closer. you're so incredibly thankful for it, for the grounding presence of the weight and warmth of his arm.
then you close your eyes, and your friend who already knows the results helps to guide your hands and you're slicing into the cake together. it's a little awkward and you're both laughing and you can feel the excitement building from everyone in attendance. you cut a ridiculous looking slice, but all you're focused on when you both open your eyes is the bright pink color that's revealed inside.
you both tear up almost immediately, and you practically throw the knife onto the table to wrap jaafar in a hug, all but launching yourself at him because you're just too excited and he's ready to catch you from the moment he saw the color of the cake, and it's not quite comfortable with your ever-growing baby bump between you, but it's so perfect. you're both vibrating with the excitement of it all, with the grand reveal even though this is what you both thought the whole time. it just feels different to have it confirmed, to know that what you felt was true.
jaafar's just over the moon, so incredibly excited to meet your baby girl. it all starts to feel realer, then, more tangible almost. it's different than seeing your bump growing, than going to the ultrasounds, than getting the nursery ready. it all suddenly feels so much realer, so imminent. he's going to be a father, and he's going to have a daughter, and he's never been happier in his whole life.
tags (for my darlings who seemed to enjoy the other ones <3): @doe-eyedtenshi @plan3tch1ld @sometranslationnoteru @blindprotagonist @kissmyglxck @szalipcombo @melaninjoys @bri-bri313 @davidssdimples @sunshineyrosie
summary: jermajesty meets your identical twin sister for the first time in a way that neither of them are expecting.
themes: mistaken identity, jermajesty cannot believe his eyes, identical twins, hilarious misunderstanding, fluff and reassurance
authors note: from this request. i hope you enjoy.
2026
los angeles
you were so excited for tonight.
genevieve was celebrating her birthday with a party, and for the first time in what felt like forever, your identical twin sister, olivia, was actually going to be in the same city long enough to make it. she worked as a flight attendant, so getting more than three consecutive days with her before she was off to another destination always felt like a small miracle.
the last time she had been in town, you were out to lunch with jaafar and genevieve when your phone rang. olivia had just landed and asked if you could come pick her up from the airport. the three of you headed that way without a second thought, and somewhere between the drive from the airport and the rest of the afternoon together, jaafar had taken an immediate liking to her. what started as exchanging numbers before she flew back out for work had quickly turned into daily texts, late-night facetime calls whenever their schedules lined up, and counting down the days until they could finally see each other again.
at this point, despite you and olivia looking identical, jaafar could tell the two of you apart without even thinking about it, so he was just as excited for tonight as you were.
you, however, had something else you were looking forward to.
jermajesty was finally going to meet your sister.
he knew you had a twin, but somewhere along the way he'd assumed the two of you were fraternal. he had never actually asked, and you had never thought to correct him, mostly because it had never mattered. after all, every time olivia came home, either she was working, you were busy, or jermajesty had something going on. somehow, despite the year the two of you had been together, tonight would be the first time your worlds were all in the same room.
on the drive to the club for genevieve's party, your phone buzzed every few minutes with updates from your sister; she was at her hotel getting ready, her flight had landed while you, jermajesty, and the rest of the family were still out at dinner.
by the time everyone arrived at the club, another text popped up: i'm in an uber. almost there.
you smiled to yourself as you typed back that security already had your name at the door, but considering she also happened to have your face, you doubted she'd have much trouble getting inside.
a few minutes later, your screen lit up again: i'm here.
you looked over at jermajesty. “i’m gonna go grab my sister at the door,” you say.
jermajesty nodded before leaning over and pressing a soft kiss against your forehead.“alright, imma go to the bathroom then to the bar, you want your usual?” he asks.
you nodded, smiling as you leaned in to steal one more quick kiss before the two of you split off in opposite directions.
that was one thing about you and jermajesty, neither of you could ever seem to keep your hands off the other.
it wasn't anything over the top. it was simply who you were together. a hand finding the other's, a kiss in passing, his arm settling around your waist whenever you stood beside him, your fingers absentmindedly playing with his while you talked. physical touch had become its own language between the two of you, and even being apart for a few minutes felt strange when you'd grown so used to always reaching for each other.
you made your way toward the entrance while jermajesty disappeared into the crowd, heading for the restroom before making his promised stop at the bar.
as soon as you reached the front, you spotted olivia waiting just outside the ropes. you waved to the security guard. “she's with me.”
the guard nodded before looking from you, to olivia, then slowly back to you again. his eyebrows lifted ever so slightly as he found himself staring at the exact same face twice. after a second, he just shook his head with an amused laugh and stepped aside to let her through.
the moment she crossed the entrance, you wrapped your arms around her in a tight hug. “ah, i’ve missed you livvy, how was the trip?” you ask and she smiles.
“barcelona is beautiful. we’re going there for our birthday… we were only there for 3 days, but i already marked all of the places we need to go back and see,” she says and you can't help but smile.
you swear your sister could convince you to book a flight anywhere just by talking about it. every trip she came home from was filled with stories about hidden cafés, little shops tucked away on side streets, and places she insisted the two of you had to experience together one day. even with her constantly traveling for work, the two of you had always promised each other that your own vacations would never be spent apart, and hearing her already making birthday plans with you made the months she'd been away feel a little smaller.
“perfect, i’ll start packing my bags now,” you tease.
she laughs, and before long you're both laughing together so naturally that it reminds you just how much you've missed having her around. facetime calls and text messages were enough to keep each other updated, but nothing compared to standing in front of your sister again after weeks apart, hearing her laugh without a speaker between you and wrapping your arms around her whenever you wanted instead of waiting until her next flight home.
then her eyes begin wandering over the crowd. “now, where’s jaafar?” she asks.
you immediately burst into another fit of laughter. “wow,” you tease. “i see where your priorities are.”
she nudges your shoulder with hers, unsuccessfully trying to hide the smile spreading across her face as you guide her toward the section where everyone was gathered.
genevieve notices the two of you first and immediately pulls olivia into a hug, telling her how happy she is that she was able to make it and how good it is to see her again. the hug has barely ended before jaafar is already standing in front of her, and the smile that crosses both of their faces makes it obvious how much they've both been looking forward to tonight.
for weeks they'd had to settle for facetime calls squeezed in between flights and filming schedules, counting down until they could finally have an actual conversation without worrying about someone's connection freezing or one of them having to rush off. now neither of them had to look through a screen anymore.
they could finally just be together. jaafar wraps his arms around her, and olivia hugs him back just as tightly and watching them makes you smile to yourself. setting them up had turned out even better than you'd hoped.
“hey, when maj gets back can you tell him i went to the bathroom?” you ask. your sister nods.
“i’ll come with,” genevieve says. you exchange a knowing smile with jaafar before you and genevieve head toward the bathroom, intentionally leaving the two of them alone for a few minutes.
“so, how was your trip?” jaafar asks.
she laughs immediately, rolling her eyes. “really, j?” she asks.
he laughs too, fully aware that he'd already heard every story she could possibly tell after listening to them over facetime all week, but hearing them wasn't really the point. he had simply wanted an excuse to hear her voice while she was standing right in front of him instead of coming through the speakers of his phone.
without another word, he reaches up and gently cups her cheek before pulling her into a kiss that both of them had been waiting weeks to share.
unfortunately, jermajesty had terrible timing.
he was making his way back from the bar with both of your drinks in his hands when his eyes instinctively started searching through the crowd for you. he expected to find you laughing with genevieve somewhere nearby or waiting for him where the two of you had been standing before you went to get your sister.
instead, his eyes landed on someone with your hair, your dress, and your face sitting impossibly close to jaafar. before his mind could even process what he was seeing, that person leaned in and kissed his brother.
jermajesty stopped walking so abruptly that one of the drinks nearly sloshed over the edge of the cup.
nothing about what he was looking at made sense.
he had known you long enough to know the way you looked at him, the way you reached for his hand without thinking, the way your entire face softened whenever you smiled at him. he had also known the relationship you had with jaafar since before the two of you had even started dating. if anything, the two of you behaved like siblings, constantly teasing each other and making fun of one another whenever the opportunity presented itself. romance between you and jaafar had never even crossed his mind because it simply wasn't something that existed.
which was exactly why his brain refused to accept what his eyes were telling him.
it couldn't be you, but every time he looked again, it was still your face. his stomach dropped. without even realizing he'd done it, he hurried over to the nearest table and set both drinks down before pushing through the crowd toward them.
“jaafar, what the fuck, man!?” jermajesty yells as he yanks them apart.
olivia stumbles back in surprise, completely caught off guard by the stranger who had just pulled her away from jaafar, while jaafar looks between his younger brother and olivia only once before the realization immediately hits him.
he knows exactly what jermajesty thinks he just saw.
“okay, hold on, maj, let me explain,” jaafar says.
“explain what? that you and my girl are playing in my face?” jermajesty asks, and the hurt in his voice catches jaafar off guard.
this wasn't jealousy or anger. this was the sound of someone whose entire understanding of the person he loved had just been turned upside down in the span of a few seconds.
jermajesty loved you with everything he had, so much so that he'd already been quietly planning the next chapter of your lives together. jaafar had been helping him pick out rings, giving opinions on proposal ideas, and listening while jermajesty talked about the future he wanted with you. now he was standing in front of the two people he trusted most, trying to understand how the life he'd been imagining could have unraveled without him ever noticing.
“maj, hold on–” jaafar tries again.
“you’ve been helping me plan a proposal while sneaking around with her behind my back!?” jermajesty asks. the words reach you just as you and genevieve step back into the room from the bathroom, and your heart immediately sinks into your stomach.
you've never heard jermajesty's voice sound like that before. your eyes widen as you look from him, to jaafar, and then to your sister, and then, all at once, you realize exactly what happened.
“proposal?” jermajesty hears your voice, and his head snaps around so quickly it almost makes him dizzy. you're standing there beside genevieve exactly where he expected you to be, looking at him with wide, confused eyes.
for a second, he can't move. he slowly turns back toward jaafar and the girl standing beside him with the face that looks exactly like yours. then he turns back to you, and then back to olivia again.
“what did we just walk in on?” genevieve asks as she takes in jermajesty’s horrified expression, jaafar's pleading look, and olivia's equally confused one.
“i–i thought…” jermajesty turns back to you, still trying to piece everything together. “you were…” he trails off before looking over at olivia again, his eyebrows knitting together in complete disbelief. “am i that drunk already or are there two of you?” jermajesty asks.
a laugh escapes you before you can stop it.
the sound immediately catches jermajesty's attention, and despite the emotional whiplash he'd just been put through, seeing you laugh instead of looking guilty eases the tightness that had been squeezing his chest ever since he walked back from the bar.
“maj saw me and liv kissing and he thought it was you,” jaafar says to you with a small sigh. “and i was trying to explain that it wasn’t you,” jaafar says.
that was all it took.
the entire situation clicked into place in your head, and before you could even think about holding it in, you doubled over laughing.
jermajesty watched you for a second before shaking his head, a disbelieving smile finally breaking through all the panic he'd been feeling.
“mama, that’s not funny. i almost had a fucking heart attack,” jermajesty says as he walks over to you.
the second he reaches you, his arms instinctively slide around your waist, pulling you back against his chest as though he needs to reassure himself that you're really there. he buries his face against the side of your neck, his shoulders finally relaxing now that he can hold you again, and the soft brush of his curls against your cheek makes your smile grow even wider.
for the first time since he'd walked into the misunderstanding, his heartbeat finally began settling back into something normal.
behind the two of you, jaafar, olivia, and genevieve all started laughing too, the tension that had filled the room only moments ago dissolving almost instantly now that everyone understood what had happened.
you reached up and rested your hand over jermajesty's forearm where it was wrapped securely around your waist before looking over at your sister.
“well, livvy… this is my boyfriend jermajesty,” you introduce.
olivia finally lets out the breath she'd been unconsciously holding and laughs, the confusion she'd felt after being abruptly pulled away from jaafar giving way to relief now that the misunderstanding had finally been explained.
“maj… my twin sister olivia,” you say.
jermajesty lifts his head from your shoulder but doesn't let go of you, his arms remaining comfortably around your waist as he looks over at olivia with an embarrassed smile.
“i’m sorry for flipping out like that,” he says to olivia.
jaafar and olivia both shake their heads almost immediately.
“no, i understand… just means you love my sister,” she says.
jermajesty doesn't hesitate.
“more than i’ve ever loved anyone i’m not related to,” he says.
the sincerity in his voice steals the breath from your lungs.
your cheeks warm almost instantly as you bite down on your lip, hoping it might hide the smile threatening to take over your entire face, but judging by the amused looks everyone around you was giving, it wasn't working very well.
even after everything that had just happened, he still had an effortless way of making you feel like you were the only person in the room.
“you could’ve at least told me she was your identical twin,” he says.
you smile up at him.
“you never told me you assumed she was fraternal,” you say.
jermajesty lets out a quiet groan before laughing to himself, realizing he had absolutely no one to blame but himself for the emotional roller coaster he'd just endured.
“now, what was this about a proposal?” you ask as you tilt your head back to look at him.
his eyes meet yours, and despite everyone standing around the two of you, his attention settles entirely on you.
his hand gives your waist a gentle squeeze, a familiar gesture that had become second nature whenever he looked at you.
“from the beginning, this relationship was only ever headed in one direction,” jermajesty says as he presses a lingering kiss against your temple.
the simple gesture makes you melt into him, and when you glance around, you catch the knowing smiles spreading across the faces of your siblings.
none of them are surprised.
if anything, they all look like they're quietly waiting for the day jermajesty finally asks the question out loud, because after seeing the way he'd reacted to believing he'd lost you for all of five minutes, there wasn't a single person standing there who doubted how deeply he loved you or how certain he was that forever had always been the plan.
“well, my answer is obviously yes, but i still need that official proposal,” you say.
jermajesty laughs, shaking his head as he looks down at you. hearing you joke about spending the rest of your lives together instead of questioning what he'd seen felt like the greatest relief he could've asked for.
“you just want me on my knees,” he says. a smirk slowly spreads across your face.
the moment your eyes meet your sister's, she immediately recognizes that look. after twenty-something years of being twins, she knows exactly when you're about to say something that will get you into trouble.
“you do that regardless,” you say.
olivia bursts into laughter loud enough to turn a few heads around your section of the club, while genevieve doubles over beside her, giggling just as hard. jaafar lets out an exasperated laugh as he drags a hand down his face, already knowing exactly where the conversation had gone.
jermajesty can only shake his head as he pulls you a little closer against his side, giving your waist another gentle squeeze. “don’t be putting our business out there, mama,” he says.
you only smile, completely unapologetic. “where’s my drink, though?” you ask.
jermajesty's eyes suddenly widen. “oh, shit, i gotta get new ones. the shock of thinking you were making out with jaafar made me put them down and somebody else probably snatched them up by now,” he says.
he leans down to kiss your cheek before making his way back toward the bar, and you watch him disappear into the crowd with a smile that still hadn't left your face. once he was gone, you slid onto the couch beside your sister before looking over at jaafar.
“i can’t believe he thinks i would make out with you,” you say as you scrunch up your nose.
jaafar places a hand over his chest, pretending to be personally wounded. “what’s wrong with me?” he asks as he laughs.
you immediately shake your head. “nothing, but you’re like my annoying older brother, i wouldn’t make out with you,” you say.
jaafar laughs, unable to argue with that comparison because, it was true. long before you'd ever started dating jermajesty, the two of you had the kind of friendship that naturally settled into something that felt more like siblings.
he teased you constantly, looked out for you without thinking about it, and had eventually been the reason you and jermajesty met in the first place, because he knew the two of you would go well together. the idea of anything romantic between the two of you was so ridiculous that it only made the misunderstanding even funnier.
“love you too, sis,” he says and you smile.
a few minutes later, jermajesty returned with two fresh drinks in his hands, making sure not to take his eyes off them this time.
the second he sat down beside you, he instinctively pulled you back against him, resting an arm securely around your waist. you settled comfortably against his chest without another thought, smiling to yourself when you felt him absentmindedly kiss the side of your head while everyone else continued talking around you.
by the time randy jr. arrived and finally met your sister, the story had somehow already become funnier than it had been fifteen minutes earlier.
everyone eagerly retold the entire misunderstanding from the beginning, explaining how jermajesty had nearly fought his own brother in the middle of the club because he'd been convinced jaafar was making out with his girlfriend.
randy laughed so hard he had to wipe tears from the corners of his eyes, while jermajesty sat there with bright red cheeks, trying unsuccessfully to defend himself.
however, as embarrassed as he'd been, there wasn't a single part of him that minded becoming the punchline tonight. after the panic he'd felt only a short while earlier, sitting there with you tucked safely against his side and your fingers intertwined with his was more than enough to remind him that everything was exactly as it should be.
the rest of genevieve's birthday was filled with dancing, and laughter about the misunderstanding that happened, and by the end of the night, jermajesty had accepted that this would probably become one of those stories the family would never let him live down. secretly, though, he didn't mind all that much.
because every version of the story ended the same way; with you still in his arms.
Ministers laughed over overflowing cups of tea, nobles exchanged stories from distant provinces, and musicians filled the palace with melodies Zuko barely heard. His attention had wandered long ago. It rested on you.
You stood among a small circle of guests, smiling politely as one of the younger Fire Nation generals spoke a little too enthusiastically. Whatever story he was telling had earned your laughter, and Zuko watched the man's expression brighten at the sound.
His jaw tightened. It wasn't jealousy…at least, that's what he tried to tell himself. He trusted you completely, it was everyone else he didn't trust. The general leaned closer - not enough to be improper. Just enough.
Zuko's fingers tightened around the porcelain teacup in his hand. Across the room, Sokka noticed immediately. The smirk tugging at his lips was impossible to miss.
Aang followed his gaze before quietly shaking his head, already recognizing the familiar look settling across his friend's face. Without another thought, Zuko excused himself from the ministers surrounding him.
The conversation continued behind him. He didn't hear a word of it. Your smile softened the moment you noticed him approaching. Without hesitation, you stepped away from the gathering. The general paused, watching with poorly hidden disappointment as you drifted toward your husband instead. Zuko stopped beside you.
For a heartbeat, he simply looked at you. Then, as naturally as breathing, he reached for your hand. His thumb brushed absentmindedly across your knuckles before he intertwined your fingers with his. He never looked away from you. The gesture was subtle. Quiet. Yet unmistakably possessive. Not a claim born from distrust. A reminder; she was his.
Your lips curved into the smallest smile, as though you understood exactly what had prompted the sudden affection. Rather than tease him, you gently leaned against his shoulder. The tiny movement unraveled every knot in his chest. The tension disappeared almost instantly. His shoulders relaxed - his grip softened. He was no longer that hotheaded teenager who would quite literally throw someone out the window for having a small glance at you; but gosh he would still very much love to do that.
Across the hall, Sokka failed spectacularly at hiding his laughter. Katara elbowed him before he could say anything, though the smile she wore suggested she found the entire scene just as amusing. Aang simply chuckled into his tea. Classic Zuko. The FireLord remained blissfully unaware - or perhaps...he simply didn't care. His attention was occupied elsewhere. You. As the musicians began another song, you gave his hand a small squeeze.
“No need to throw anyone dear” you softly whisper to your husband.
“No? Well I’d very much like too” he quietly replies while sipping on his tea. Laughter heard from you.
Zuko glanced down at your intertwined fingers before looking back at you. The corners of his mouth lifted into the smile reserved for no one else. Warm. Soft. Entirely unguarded. The banquet continued around you, filled with conversation, politics, and celebration.
Yet Zuko scarcely noticed because in a room crowded with nobles, generals, and ministers, there was only one person he ever found himself searching for; and now that he'd found you... He had no intention of letting go.
-–—•
“BOY LET ME KNOW IF THIS IS CARELESS I”- hehe anyways, the movie is officially out!
summary: sometimes all it takes is one conversation to fix things
notes: lowk made this at 4-6 am… inspired by the song alone with you by tevin campbell
you sat on your large couch in your college campus apartment, you were doing some homework you didn't even need to finish until next week
your friends had been texting non-stop for the last hour, begging you to come out to a house party down the block. you gave them every excuse and finally said no, you honestly wanted to go but didn’t because you didn’t wanna see him … Jermajesty
you and Jermajesty had been close friends for years and then the two of you started dating and it felt like heaven, the two of you would do everything together and were practically glued to the hip until he became very distant all of sudden and then the sudden non sensical arguments came along
so you took matters into your own hands and broke up with him, since you refused to let him go around telling people that he dumped you
that took place three months ago, you unfollowed and blocked him on everything and took different routes to class just so you couldn’t see his face again
but deep down you couldn’t stop thinking about him and you missed him, it was just you and him 24/7 and now it’s just you…all alone by yourself..
all of a sudden your front door busted open making you jump “GET UP GIRL WE GOING OUTSIDE” your friend nana said happily
she skipped and hopped on the couch next to you “get ready” she said and slowly closed your laptop closed “get ready for what? i’m not going anywhere”
“yes you are” she said with 100% confidence “and where am i going?” she sat up and did a little dance, shaking her chest “to a house partyyyy”
you rolled your eyes “absolutely not” you said shaking your head with a small laugh “pleaseeee you know i don’t like going to functions by myself” she said pouting, puffing her bottom lip out
you narrowed your eyes at her “fine” she clapped her hands together and squealed, bouncing up and down “finally! okay let’s get you ready!”
you sighed as Nana pulled up from your seat on the couch, you wore your usual party outfit, did your makeup and styled your boho braids and headed out the house
the party was already packed by the time you arrived, music jumping as you walked into the door, Nana danced to the music and immediately lost herself in the crowd
you watched her gravitate towards a group of friends as you walked to the couch and sat down, on the way there you realized she didn’t actually need you to go with her, she just wanted to get you out of the house
you sat down on a empty couch in the corner and scrolled mindlessly through tiktok, after a good 6 minutes of doing so you felt the cushion next to you sink and you obviously paid no mind to it
I guess I couldn't wait to get to school, oh baby
To see your pretty face, I've got to stay cool
“i like your timbs” a familiar voice said, making your heart immediately drop to your ass
you slowly turnedyour head to your side, Jermajesty looked at you with that smile you missed so much “look we’re matching” he said sliding his timb next to your
the two of you stared at each other for a moment too long due to you completely freezing “hi y/n..” he said softly
“hi Jermajesty” you muttered completely lost in his eyes, he gave you a soft smile
“can we go somewhere and talk….i just wanna be alone with you…just for a second” he asked “uhm sure”
l just want to be alone with you
And there's nothing else l'd rather do
Jermajesty stood up and reached his hand out to you. for a second, you stared at his open palm, remembering all the times you'd held it. you reached up, sliding your fingers into his and stood up, the two of you walked out the house and began walking around outside
“so how’s it been” he said walking next to you with his hands behinds his back “it’s been good” you replied looking at the ground
“i haven’t seen you around campus in a while” he said “ive been doing a lot of my classes online lately” you said “thats too bad, i kept hoping id accidentally run into you…i really missed seeing your pretty face around campus” he said and let out a slight chuckle
the two of you made a bit of casual small talk, doing everything you could to keep the conversation on the surface. but the elephant in the street was way too big to ignore
suddenly, Jermajesty reached out and gently took hold of your wrist, stopping you in your tracks, you turned to face him, the cool breeze blowing a few stray braids across your face
“y/n…what happened to us?” he asked “what are you talking about Jermajesty? you know what happened” you replied and he shook his head “no y/n i mean what happened to us” he said, you looked at him and observed his face “we were fine and then we weren’t” he said calmly taking a step closer to you
“do you not remember?” you asked, your voice dropping slightly “do you not remember the days you’d go without saying a single word to me? the way you became so distant out of nowhere? or all those pointless, petty arguments we kept having?”
Jermajesty stayed quiet, slowly nodding his head “i do” he admitted quietly “i remember”
“that’s what happened” you said, holding his gaze “we started drifting apart, Jermajesty…you pulled away, and i was left sitting there feeling like a ghost in my own relationship and i couldn't just stay and watch us fall apart like that”
Jermajesty took a slow step forward “i panicked y/n” he whispered, his voice trembling slightly as he reached out, his fingertips barely brushing the back of your hand “everything was getting so real, so fast... and i got scared so i pulled away like an idiot, and i pushed you until you left. i hated myself the second you walked out that door”
you looked at his hand wrapped around yours, then back up at his face, gently, you reached up with your free hand and cupped his cheek, the soft stubble of his jaw familiar against your palm
“why didn’t you just tell me, Jermajesty?” you whispered, your voice thick with emotion as you searched his eyes. “if you were scared, you should've just talked to me. we could’ve gotten through it together... you didn't have to push me away”
Jermajesty leaned into the touch of your hand, closing his eyes for a brief second like a man who’d been starving for it
“i know... i know, and i’m so stupid for that” he said, his voice dropping into a desperate, barely audible murmur. he wrapped his hand over yours where it rested on his cheek, holding it tight against his face
the way you receive me Don't take this as an aggression
Girl, I've learned my lesson
“please y/n... just give me another chance” he pleaded, stepping even closer until there was no space left between you. i’m so sorry. i swear i’ll communicate better, i’ll be open with you about everything, even when i’m scared. just... don't give up on us yet. please”
you took a soft breath, looking at him “Jermajesty...” “i miss my best friend” he smiled sadly “i miss my girl and if you’ll let me…i wanna spend the rest of college making up for every day I made you feel alone”
you stared at him gently tracing his cheekbone with your thumb “if we do this... no more hiding, no more quiet treatment when things get heavy, you talk to me, kay?”
“no more hiding” he promised instantly, his voice firm and unwavering “i swear”
before you could say another word, he wrapped his arms around your waist and pulled you tight against his chest, burying his face in the crook of your neck. you closed your eyes, wrapping your arms around his shoulders and breathing in the familiar scent of his cologne
slowly, Jermajesty pulled back, just enough to look down at you, though his hands never left your waist
his eyes roamed over your face, taking in every detail as. a soft, breathless smile tugged at the corners of his lips, all the tension finally melting away from his shoulders
“i missed you so much” he whispered, his voice thick with devotion
“i missed you too” you murmured back, resting your hands flat against his chest
Jermajesty leaned down, his eyes dropping to your lips for a split second before lifting back to meet yours, silently asking for permission. When you didn't pull away, he closed the tiny distance left between you
"The sound lured Michael closer, like a siren calling to a sailor. He was mesmerized. The soulful melody led him to right outside the master bathroom. A soft gasp escaped his throat when he realized where the sound was coming from...
“My girl can sing” Michael said to himself quietly, his hand drifted to his chest over his palpitating heart"
SYNOPSIS: Michael catches reader singing in the shower now he's obsessed with writing the perfect song just for her.
CONTENT: SUPER SWEET FLUFF, slightly suggestive, era 1995, history era!Michael,
Author's note: Found out I'm a mezzo soprano and started thinking what it would be like to have mike write a song for you that compliments your voice 🥺 I know the pic is from bad era but let's pretend it's history era mmk 🤫 love you 🫶🏾
Btw: The song I imagined Mike writing for her is Love on the Brain by Rih Rih
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───
It was early afternoon when Michael arrived home unexpectedly. These days, most of his time was divided between the recording studio and the dance studio. It was rare that he was allowed a moment to breathe, so he decided to come home for a little during his studio engineers' lunch break.
Michael slid off his loafers and placed them neatly on the shoe rack before wandering into the kitchen.
“Baby, I’m home” he called out to you. Usually around this time of day, you were in the den reading or doing yoga out on the patio. Michael perused the fridge absentmindedly looking for something good to snack on. He settled on a charcuterie style lunchable you’d meal prepped for him; grapes, berries, cheese, almonds and pepperoni. You knew he wasn’t someone who particularly enjoyed eating, so you made sure you kept his favorite snacks ready for him when the mood did strike. Just another small way you showed your love for him.
Michael stood at the counter munching quietly. When your soft voice never called back out to him, he went looking for you. He wandered up the stairs, and he was nearly to the top when the sound reached him. Low and warm, rich like honey. Notes with a slight raspy edge caressed Michael’s ears and he stopped in his tracks.
Was someone else here? That’s weird. You never mentioned one of his sisters or your girlfriends stopping by. And this wasn’t the day Michael worked with his vocal coach.
The sound lured Michael closer, like a siren calling to a sailor. He was mesmerized. The soulful melody led him to right outside the master bathroom. A soft gasp escaped his throat when he realized where the sound was coming from.
It wasn’t a stereo that had been forgotten, still churning out melodies. And there was no one else here.
“My girl can sing” Michael said to himself quietly, his hand drifted to his chest over his palpitating heart. He had heard you sing before, but never like this. Usually, it was half-hearted melodies or sing-songy Broadway tunes that made Michael giggle. This was different.
Michael closed his eyes and instantly he saw colors and shapes. The notes danced together behind his eyelids, soft gold that melted into a burnt amber before dissolving into a deep violet at the edges. The colors moved the way your voice did, warm and slow, folding into one another.
He had wandered inside the bathroom without even realizing it. He rested his back against the wall and the experience became euphoric. Warm steam flooded from the shower and the manuka honey and vanilla body wash that he loved drifted in the air.
Michael couldn’t believe it. You had been together for just over 8 months, cooking together, lying awake at night chatting about any and everything, and most recently you’d moved in with him. You had accompanied him on more flights and drives than he could remember. And he never knew. It was completely lost on him that the woman he’d been sharing his daily life with possessed a gift of this caliber that had gone unheard.
Before he knew it, the producer in him roared like a lion.
“She’s a mezzo soprano”
“Her chest voice is incredible. She can do so much with that.”
“I love how she carried that vowel; she came up with that on her own”
“How long has she been able to do that?”
“Does she know she can do that?”
Before Michael realized it, he had been still for a full minute— and without meaning to— he did what he always did when he heard a melody he couldn’t shake.
His lips parted and he found the harmony you’d been carrying. It was soft, a few notes below your melody. His voice intertwined with yours as naturally as your bodies tangled together in the warmth of your bed as you lulled each other to sleep. As natural as breathing. The notes locked together and blossomed as if you and Michael had been harmonizing together your whole lives, like two missing pieces of a puzzle.
On the other side of the shower curtain, your eyes flew open when you realized a third voice had joined you and Lauryn Hill. The water kept running but your singing had stopped cold, leaving Michael’s tune drifting through the air.
“Mikey?” You opened the shower curtain and peeked at him. There he was with a lazy, adoring smile tugging at his lips.
His eyes drifted over you longingly, admiring the way your soft brown skin contrasted against the pale, soapy bubbles dripping down your body. Water droplets dripped from your lashes onto your cheekbones and your curls began to coil once removed from the stream of water.
Having natural hair meant that your wash days were extensive, so you had to find some way to entertain yourself. You hadn’t accounted on your doting boyfriend coming home early and catching you belting out notes from "I Used To Love Him".
“Wow baby. Why didn’t you tell me you could sing?” He asked, tone full of wonder. He leaned in to kiss you and let his lips linger, savoring the moment, before pulling away.
Immediately you covered your face.
“How long you been there? Oh God.” You felt heat spreading across the back of your neck from embarrassment. You shut off the water and stepped out of the tub, allowing Michael to wrap a towel around your body.
“Long enough mama, how long were you gon’ keep this lil’ secret?” He teased as he watched you wrap an old t shirt around your curls to dry them. You tried to slip past him into the bedroom and instinctively, his palm cracked across your ass, squeezing gently to soothe it.
You made a face and rolled your eyes.
“Don’t start Mike, I was just messin’ around.” Michael continued to trail behind you like he always did when he planned to ask you a million and one questions about a discovery he’d made about you.
“I’m serious. I’ve never heard you sing like that before.” He murmured, taking the bottle of lotion from your hands. He squeezed a little into his palm before dropping to his knees. His hands roamed over your thighs and calves gently, massaging the lotion into your skin as he looked up at you.
“That’s because I don’t. Especially not around you or any of my loving sister and brother in laws.” You laughed to yourself under your breath at the idea of trying to hold a candle to anyone in the Jackson family. Singing was really just a hobby to you. Something you took great pleasure in when you could be as loud as you wanted without fear of anyone judging you.
Confusion made its way through Michael’s features. He trusted you with his whole soul and hoped you felt the same way about him.
“Especially not around me?” the question came naturally he was genuinely lost.
You cocked your head to the side like he’d just said the most foolish thing you’ve ever heard.
“Mike, you serious? Because you’re Michael Jackson.” Your statement had every bit of “duh” laced through it, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Ain’t no way I’m gonna try to hold a tune ‘round you when you’ve got the voice you do.” You took the lotion from him and added, “And I’ve seen the face you make when somebody can’t sing. You can’t help it.”
At that, Michael laughed, full-bellied and warm. He was absolutely guilty as charged. Woman, man, nor child was safe from the concerned look that would screw up his features when someone was off-key. And unfortunately for him, it happened often. Just like when he froze mid-sway with a look of absolute discontent while recording “We Are the World” when Huey Lewis took over the melody and messed up his whole groove. Unfortunately for Michael, the camera caught the whole thing and now it was a running joke. Admittedly, Michael was a perfectionist.
“You ain’t wrong. But that, baby— that was perfect pitch. You’ve got one of the strongest chest voices I’ve heard in a real long time. Full of soul, the perfect mezzo-soprano. Reminds me of my Motown days, don’t nobody sing like that these days.” You continued to stare at him skeptically through the mirror as you rummaged through the dresser for something comfortable to put on.
“You not messin’?” You asked, voice a little shy.
“No baby, I’d never play with you like that. I really mean it. You got somethin' special.” He came up behind you once you’d slid on a t-shirt and a pair of boy shorts. He rested his chin on your shoulder so he could meet your eyes in the mirror. His arms wrapped around your midsection and pulled you close to him.
“C'mon, let me hear it again. Just a lil’ bit. One little tune.”
Teeth found your bottom lip and you shook your head even though you were laughing, a clear signal you were close to giving in. Michael’s voice dropped into a low, old-timey soulful tone, the one he always used when he was teasing. He sang the words deep and sweet,
“IIIIIII would like to sing with youuuu, would you like to sing with meeee?” The melody was simple and he smiled at you boyishly in the reflection of the mirror as he brushed his lips over your shoulder.
Instinctively, you answered in perfect pitch. Your voice was rich and clear, “Nooo” you sang, holding the note with a vibrato and his eyes lit up. Michael turned you in his arms.
“That’s what I’m talkin’ about. You been holdin’ out on me.” You tried to look away as a smile continued to take over your features. He moved his head, following your gaze. “Don’t hide from me, pretty girl. Let me see you. All of you.” Soft lips brushed against yours as he swayed you both back and forth.
“Mike, I’m not a singer. ‘S just for fun.” You were still shaking your head at the idea.
“I’ma put you on a record, baby. Maybe start with background vocals, maybe more. That voice is dangerous.” Your eyes widened at his statement and instantly you blurted,
“Who?! Not me, that's your job papa.” You patted his chest and smiled cheekily. He laughed at your small outburst and pressed a kiss to the tip of your nose.
“Mark my words, you gon’ sing for me, mama.” Nodding, a glimmer of mischief twinkled in his eyes. One you realized all too well.
Before he could get any more ideas, you wiggled out of his grasp and sashayed out of the room.
“Boy quit botherin’ me and go shower. You smell like you been dancin’.”
“Hey!” Michael frowned, lifting one arm and sniffing before his eyebrows rose. “Oooh, you right” he mumbled to himself before wandering back to the bathroom.
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───
A few days later Michael found himself absentmindedly tapping a pen against a notepad. His studio engineers had gone off for break and he was left alone with the same melody looping through the speakers.
Michael sighed and rubbed his tired eyes. He needed to pivot to get his creative juices flowing again. He began absentmindedly flicking through different melodies he’d been sent by various producers. Sometimes he liked to listen to the tracks again after stepping away from them for a while, maybe inspiration would strike.
Then the speakers changed to a track that Michael didn’t remember declining. The melody was lazy, bluesy like the stuff he grew up on. Marvin Gaye, Sam Cooke, Etta James. It had the warm soul doo-wop that was lost from today’s music.
Immediately, Michael’s fingers began moving. He layered an electric piano, a clean electric guitar, a deep thumping kick that gave the tune a soulful rhythm, a ticking snare. His mind kept drifting back to your warm, velvety tone. He began building the song around that memory. Every layer he added complimented the sultry, thick mid-register notes Michael had heard you deliver. Before he knew it he had completed the entire melody.
“Oh” punched from his chest softly when he played back the final result.
It was so good. So you.
He snatched his notepad from the desk beside him so fast that he nearly ripped the top page. He began messily scribbling down lyrics. The song reminded him of “I’d Rather Go Blind” by Etta James, and immediately it got his gears turning.
A pen tapped Michael’s lips as he played around with the lyrics in his head, singing softly to himself before jotting.
And you got me like, oh.
What you want from me?
And I tried to buy your pretty heart, but the price too high
Michael paused every few moments and paced the studio as he continued to work through the song. Within 30 minutes, he had the lyrics and melody completed along with a demo.
His studio engineers returned, and Michael was in a flow state. Quickly, he dismissed them, telling him they’d reconvene that evening. When Michael got like this and a new idea for a song grabbed a hold of him it possessed him until he saw it through.
The confused engineers looked at each other and shrugged, thanking Michael for the extra break time. The second they left Michael swiveled his office chair over to the phone.
He dialed the number he knew by heart and tapped his foot anxiously as he waited for you to pick up. The line trilled three times before your voice came through the receiver,
“Jackson residence, who’s speaking?” Michael couldn’t help but smile to himself at you performing wifely duties already.
“It’s me, baby. How you doin’?”
The clerical tone melted away from your voice and it was replaced with the warm, loving tone he was used to.
“Doin’ fine just came back in from yoga. What’s up, papa?” You were still wiping sweat from your brow from your work out.
“I need my muse. Can you come down here and lay eyes on some new stuff I been workin’ on? Want your opinion on if its album worthy, and I need some inspiration. Come sit with me.”
Warmth spread through your chest at his words. Michael never failed to make you feel needed, loved, and wanted. He often referred to you as his muse, a source of pure inspiration.
“Of course. Gimme an hour to shower and get dressed and I’ll stop by, alright?”
“Fine by me baby. I’m gonna send someone to get you, take your time.”
You told him you loved him and ended the call. Wonder what he has up his sleeve now.
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───
A woman of your word, you arrived at Michael’s studio just an hour later. You were dressed cute and comfy. You wore a loosely buttoned flannel that fell open just enough the reveal the curve of your cleavage. The sleeves were rolled up to your forearms showing the smooth brown skin there.
A pair of black shorts sat low on your wide hips and hugged the full shape of your thick thighs. Anklets rested against each ankle and a pair of strappy sandals adorned your feet. A pair of sunnies were pushed into your hair, holding your curls back from your face and spilling freely around your shoulders. You weren't wearing makeup and your bare face was soft and open.
Michael felt a possessive tug in his chest as his eyes trailed over your collarbones. Your signature gold jewelry caught the studio lights as you moved, a gold plate that bore Michael’s initials rested there. Unashamedly he took in your shapely figure, admiring the way you rolled your hips as you walked over to him.
You gently grabbed his face, squishing his cheeks as you gave him a warm wet kiss. Michael felt his heart flutter, like it always did when you loved on him like that. You sat in the empty office chair next to him, obviously confused by the lack of studio engineers.
“What’s up, baby? Where is everybody?”
“Gave ‘em the afternoon off. I needed to work somethin’ out. Check this out for me?”
You trailed the tips of your toes up his clothed shin affectionately as he brought up the track. The demo Michael had just recorded began floating through the room and his eyes flicked up to yours. He watched your face the way he always did when he wanted your honest opinion and thought you might hold back. He filed every little expression away mentally with time stamps. He would adjust those parts later.
When it ended, Michael turned fully toward you.
“So, what do you think?”
“It’s beautiful… really beautiful.” You looked over at him. “Who is it for?” You had heard all the tracks for his upcoming album, and you were aware that this was not one of them.
Sometimes, Michael would record demos for his siblings to emulate if he was writing new material and wanted to hear how it sounded with someone else’s voice or in a different key. This was something he often did with La Toya, sometimes Rebbie.
A shy look took over Michael’s expression and he smiled while biting down on the right side of his lip. He moved closer to you and took your smaller hand in his. He pressed his lips to your palm, giving it soft kisses while he held your gaze tenderly.
“It’s for you.”
His statement didn’t register at first and you just blinked at him.
“Quit playin’. You givin’ it to Rebbie or La Toya? I think it fits Toya more.”
Michael shook his head and pressed your palm to his cheek.
“That’s too bad, ‘cause this was written exclusively for your vocal range. That chest voice of yours is what this song needs to pop.” You still looked unconvinced, disbelieving almost. Wandering lips drifted over your palm and knuckles again.
“C’mon baby, for me. Please? I wrote it just for you.” He coaxed in a tone that would make the bees give up their honey. His doe eyes never left yours as he waited patiently, trying not to pressure you— even though he was aching to hear that voice of yours wrap around the lyrics he’d written. He could already imagine your pretty lips forming the notes effortlessly.
Your heart rate picked up when he didn’t take it back or say he was joking. Pointing a finger at your chest, you lifted your eyebrows.
“For me? You serious right now?”
Michael’s expression didn’t change. He was dead serious.
“I’m always serious when it comes to you.” He stood and continued holding your hand, brushing his thumb over your knuckles sweetly. “You don’t even have to do the whole thing. Just try the chorus or the first verse. Whatever feels good to you. If you hate it, we’ll stop… I promise.”
The room was empty. It was just you, Michael, and the soft hum of machinery. This was the definition of no pressure, Michael had set up the environment perfectly for you. He knew his woman. This was a gift you’d been protecting for a long time, and he wasn’t going to let anyone snuff that light out. There was no one to tell you to sing differently or anyone who could try to polish your authenticity. And he damn sure wasn’t going to.
You were still sitting motionless. Staring at him with a bewildered look. He was acting as if he wasn’t Michael Jackson— like he didn’t just tell you he wrote a song especially designed to cater to your voice. Your eyes blurred with tears and Michael’s expression softened.
“Baby don’t cry, I’m sorry” he cooed, dropping to his knees. “Was it something I said? Am I pushing too hard?” He brought his hands up to your cheeks and brushed your tears away, ready to do anything to soothe whatever ache had arisen.
Your hands came up to his wrists, not to push him away but to anchor yourself and hold him closer. You shook your head before saying,
“No one’s ever done anything this thoughtful for me before. I can’t believe you did this. You’re always watering me and helping me grow, and I just—” He rose to his feet and pulled you into his chest, he held you tight. He understood everything you were trying to say without you needing to.
“I love you. I’ll never dim your light baby, you’re a star to me.”
He held you like that for a long while. He didn’t push or bring the song up again. Just rocked you back and forth like he was soothing a hurt child. After a long while, barely above a whisper you said
“I think I’m ready.”
“You don’t have to do anything you don’t wanna do baby.” Michael mumbled against your hair. He loved the song he’d made for you, but your comfortability was more important than any of that.
You sniffled and pulled away a little to look up at him.
“I want to. Let’s do it.”
Michael studied your face for a moment looking for any trace of distress before finally nodding and agreeing. He turned and held your hand in his as he guided you inside the booth. Instinctively he adjusted the mic stand to your height from his. He resized the headphones so they were snug and placed them over your ears before placing a kiss to your forehead.
He lifted your arms and gently removed the gold bangles that you wore one at a time.
“These’ll make too much noise, I’ll hold on to ‘em for you.” He slid the bracelets into the pocket of his slacks. A room temperature water bottle was placed on the stool next to you and he handed you the notepad that contained the lyrics he’d messily scribbled down while in his flow state. “Sip on that and look the words over. Make any changes you want, whatever feels natural. It’s your song, baby.”
Michael was prepping your vocal chords with the room temp water and making sure everything was perfect. When he went back to the control center, he smiled brightly at you and gave you two thumbs up before making a heart with his hands.
After giving you a few moments to study your lyrics and jot down any revisions you wanted to make you gave Michael a thumbs up. He leaned into the mic to speak to you.
“You ready, mama?” You nodded and took a deep breath. “You’re gonna kill it, let’s do it.”
Michael counted you in and started the track. Your voice filled the studio just as Michael imagined it would. Warm, rich, and soulful. He was on the edge of his seat and an astonished smile spread across his face. It was like he finally plugged in the one piece the song was missing. You.
When the last note faded, Michael almost broke his thumb trying to hit the talkback button.
“Sooo good, baby. That was magic. Please let me hear it again. Just… one more time.”
So, you sang the song again. And once more after that, just because he asked in that soft tone and looked at you like you had just given him something irreplaceable— a look that made you wanna throw your panties at him.
When you finally exited the booth you nearly fell over from the force of Michael colliding into you and wrapping you in his arms. He pressed his cheek to your head and held you tight, swaying you like he always did when one of you was overcome with emotion. This time, it was him.
“You’re so incredible” he murmured against your temple. “I already knew it, but that was amazing, baby I’m so proud of you.”
Your laugh was a little shaky when it came out from the adrenaline you were still feeling.
“Boy stop, you’re so extra. You’ve been in the studio with the likes of Stevie Wonder and Smokey Robinson. I can do a lil sum’, but I ain’t all that.”
“You all that and two bags of chips.” He pulled back to look at you and you laughed hard at his twist on the euphemism. “I’m serious. We’re keeping this. This belongs to you. And one day when you’re ready… I hope you’ll show the world. I want the whole world to hear what I heard that day you were in the shower.”
“Maybe.” Your voice was softer than you intended and full of possibilities.
The track kept humming in the background under the low studio lights. Michael’s heartbeat was steady under your cheek, and for a long moment neither of you said anything. Everything else could wait— including the unfinished tracks Michael had forgotten he was supposed to be working on.
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───
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Everything posted here is written by @brownsugarletters. Please do not repost, copy, translate, claim as your own, upload to AI tools, or share my writing outside of Tumblr without permission.
I put a lot of care into these stories, so please keep them here and respect my space.
pairing: off the wall era!michael x latoya's bsf!reader
summary: michael has a huge crush on you, and you have one too. hearing his brothers tease him that he has no chance with you gives you the confidence you need to act on your feelings
themes: fluff, mutual crush, michael yearning, brothers teasing him
author's note: from this request! hope you enjoy.
1980
encino
michael had the biggest crush on you.
you’d been friends with latoya for years, and for just as long, he’d thought you were gorgeous. every time you came to hayvenhurst for dinner, he found himself hanging onto every word that came out of your mouth as you talked and laughed with his family. the sound of your voice settled somewhere deep inside him, warm and comforting in a way he could never quite explain, and hearing you laugh always managed to bring an unconscious smile to his face. he loved whenever you were around, even if he could never hold a conversation with you for longer than five minutes before his nerves caught up to him and left him stumbling over his own words.
he’d never said anything about his crush because he was convinced you only saw him as "latoya’s younger brother," and nothing more. so instead, he admired you from a distance, content with whatever moments he could steal while pretending his heart wasn't racing every time you looked his way. now, he was sitting in the living room with his brothers while you and latoya were upstairs getting ready for the pool day everyone had planned.
“watch when she comes down in her bikini, mikey’s gonna short circuit,” marlon teases and michael rolls his eyes as he turns to his brother.
“shut up, marlon,” he says and his other brothers laugh.
“you will, you always do whenever she’s around,” jackie says as he shakes his head.
“come on guys, don’t start,” michael says because he’s already blushing.
“when you finally gonna tell her, huh?” jermaine asks and they all laugh again.
“oh come on, mike’s got no chance with her, have you seen her?” marlon says and they all laugh again while michael’s cheeks burn hotter.
the truth was, you also had a crush on michael. there had always been something about him that drew you in, from the quiet kindness in his smile to the way his shyness only made him more endearing. you'd figured out a long time ago that the easiest way to pull him out of his shell was to ask about his music, and every time you did, it was like watching him come alive. he could spend hours talking about melodies, lyrics, and ideas that danced around in his head, and you loved listening because he never seemed to realize just how talented and thoughtful he really was.
“he’s just gonna keep writing songs about her and yearning,” tito says as he shakes his head.
“stop, y’all, you’re embarrassing me,” michael says, right as you and latoya are coming down the stairs.
“cmon mikey, what’s the worst that could happen, she tells you no?” marlon teases.
“which she probably will,” jermaine says and they all laugh again.
“you guys are terrible,” michael says with a soft laugh.
you shake your head at the teasing, but then the meaning behind every word finally settles in, and your heart nearly skips a beat.
michael has a crush on you too?
all at once, every little moment you'd brushed aside came rushing back. the conversations where neither of you seemed to be the first to look away, the way his eyes lingered on yours just a heartbeat longer than anyone else's, the softness that always settled over his features whenever you walked into a room. you'd spent so long convincing yourself you were reading too much into it, telling yourself that michael was simply attentive and sweet by nature, but hearing his brothers tease him made it impossible to ignore what had been right in front of you all along.
because you had noticed the way his entire face seemed to brighten whenever he saw you. you'd noticed how his smiles stretched just a little wider around you than they did with anyone else, and how, no matter how many times you told yourself to act normal, you always ended up blushing whenever he looked at you for too long.
latoya glances over at you, and the knowing look she gives you says everything. she already knows about your crush, and judging by the tiny smile tugging at the corners of her mouth, she knows exactly what you're thinking now.
when you walk into the living room in your bikini and cover up, the brothers fall silent, immediately wondering how much you heard. you make a beeline for michael, and to everyone's surprise, even your own, you settle yourself right onto his lap.
the room seems to freeze.
michael's eyes go wide as you make yourself comfortable, one of your arms naturally slipping around his shoulders to steady yourself while your fingers find the soft curls at the back of his head. you gently begin playing with them, smiling to yourself when you feel him go completely still beneath you, like he's forgotten how to move.
“hi, michael,” you say with a smile and michael’s entire face flushes as he looks at you.
“h–hi,” he says softly which makes you smile wider. “are you um… are you comfortable?” he asks and his brothers fight the urge to laugh at his question, and you nod your head.
“very… is it okay that i sat right here?” you ask and he quickly nods, and then tries to recover himself.
“y–yeah, it’s okay,” he says and you nod with a bigger smile.
his heart is beating so hard he's almost certain you can feel it through the way you're sitting against him, but somehow, despite how overwhelmed he is, he can't bring himself to look away from you. all he can think about is how close you are, how gently you're running your fingers through his curls, and how this has to be some wonderful dream he'll wake up from at any second.
“you know michael… i was wondering if i could ask you something,” you say and michael bites his lip, trying to hide his smile as he nods.
“yeah?” he asks.
“i was wondering…” you trail off and lean close to his ear to whisper so his brothers won’t overhear. “if you’d like to go out on a date with me?” you whisper and michael’s eyes widen, only making you smile more when you pull back from his ear to look at him.
his brothers haven't taken their eyes off either of you the entire time. moments ago they'd been teasing michael about never having a chance with you, and now they can do nothing but stare as the entire situation unfolds in front of them in a way none of them could've possibly predicted.
“r–really? with me?” he asks and you nod.
“of course, silly. you’re so sweet and cute, and i love when we get to spend time together,” you say and jackie’s jaw basically hits the floor.
for a moment, michael can only look at you. he'd spent so long convincing himself this could never happen that hearing the words come from your lips leaves him completely speechless. every insecurity his brothers had joked about only minutes ago melts away beneath the warmth in your eyes, replaced by a happiness so overwhelming that he can barely contain the smile spreading across his face.
“i’d love to… i–i’ll make it real special,” he says and you smile, leaning forward to press a gentle kiss to his cheeks and you feel the warmth of his flushing skin.
“perfect… will you come swim with me?” you ask and michael quickly nods, making you smile wider.
you stand from his lap, and as soon as michael finds his feet again, you reach for his hand without a second thought. your fingers lace together effortlessly, and with a smile that says you know exactly what you're doing, you purposely saunter past all of his brothers on your way toward the backyard. michael follows right beside you, still blushing so hard it reaches the tips of his ears, but he can't stop smiling as your hand remains wrapped around his.
the brothers watch the two of you disappear toward the pool with matching looks of complete disbelief. “well, i’ll be damned,” marlon says and they all laugh again.
“we should’ve known,” jermaine says as he shakes his head, and then all the boys and latoya come out and join you all at the pool. the afternoon quickly fills with laughter as you and michael splash each other, trade playful teases, and steal shy smiles every time your eyes meet. somehow, despite all the noise around you, being together feels effortless, and by the time the sun begins to settle lower in the sky, the only thing either of you can think about is how excited you are for your first date together.
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