casa amor and the villa go head to head in tonight’s challenge (previous, next)
that night, while the rest of the casa bedroom was filled with heavy breathing and light chatter, djed lay wide awake on his back, staring blankly up at the dark ceiling.
he threw his arm over his forehead, his mind constantly racing with thoughts of you. he could practically feel you right next to him—remembering the sweet scent of your vanilla perfume that usually lingered on the bedsheets, the soft warmth of your body curled into his side, and your kisses. god, your kisses. those deep, slow kisses that completely pulled him in every single time.
a small, quiet laugh escaped his lips as he thought about your faint, cute little snores that always broke the silence right after you drifted off to sleep.
he was going absolutely feral, clutching the blanket and tossing over onto his side. all he wanted was to be back in the main villa with his arms wrapped tightly around you.
you had chosen to sleep alone in the speakeasy, wanting to escape the noise of the bedroom and avoid sharing a bed with any of the new boys.
the quiet room was dim and still. you pulled the duvet up to your shoulders, closing your eyes and letting out long, low breaths as you fought to keep it together.
your right hand clutched djed’s chain for dear life, your thumb running over the smooth, cold metal again and again like a comforting prayer.
“if he isn’t the one for me, please give me some kind of sign,” you muttered aloud to the empty room, your voice barely above a whisper.
you squeezed the metal tightly against your chest. held together by the quiet hope that he was thinking of you just as deeply on the other side of the island, you finally drifted off to sleep.
the next morning, you were sitting at your vanity in the dressing room, gently applying your morning moisturizer, when cameron walked through the door holding a plate and a cup full of juice.
“good morning, gorgeous,” he said, flashing a bright, hopeful smile as he set the plate down beside your makeup bag.
he had put in serious effort. a warm plate of fluffy scrambled eggs, a side of fresh berries, and two thick slices of toast generously slathered with peanut butter, drizzled with honey, and topped with slices of banana.
the gesture was sweet, but as soon as the smell hit you, your stomach dropped. what cameron didn't know was that you hated peanut butter. insanely. the smell alone made you want to gag.
regardless, you flashed him a polite, appreciative smile, touched by the effort. “cameron, wow... thank you so much! this is so sweet of you, seriously.”
“of course,” he beamed, looking proud of himself. “i’ll let you finish getting ready”
the second he turned his heel and walked out of the room, you let out a long breath and looked at the plate in front of you.
“girl, what is that face?” ken asked, turning around from her mirror with her hair straightener in hand.
“i fuckin hate peanut butter,” you whispered, laughing as you carefully picked up the toast by the very edge of the crust. “he tried, though! bless his heart.”
you happily ate the eggs and the fresh fruit, then immediately slid the peanut butter and banana toast onto ken’s plate.
ken giggled, taking a big bite out of the toast while your lips turned up into disgust.
over in casa amor, the morning sun was beating down as everyone lounged around the garden, sipping from their water bottles and getting to know each other.
djed sat on one of the large blue beanbags near the edge of the lawn, resting his elbows on his knees as he stared blankly into the clear water of the pool. his mind was already miles away, back at the main villa, wondering what you were doing, what you had for breakfast.
"hey, can i pull you for a chat?"
djed blinked, looking up to see zaria standing over him in a neutral-toned bikini, shifting her weight onto one hip with a confident, expectant smirk.
he offered a polite, quiet smile, pushing himself up off the beanbag. "yeah, course. lead the way."
he followed her across the garden, keeping a good distance behind her until they reached the daybeds tucked away in the far corner of the casa villa. zaria sat down, tucking one leg beneath her, while djed took a seat on the opposite end, resting his back against the frame.
"how are you feeling?" she asked, leaning in slightly as she wrapped her hands around her bottle. "and thank you for breakfast again, by the way. that was really sweet."
"no problem at all," he responded, his accent smooth and low. running a hand over his locs before meeting her gaze. "truthfully speaking, being in here is killing me.” he says with a chuckle, “i am still open to getting to know new people and whatnot, but at the same time... it's tough for me to pull away from what i already have.”
zaria tilted her head, her dark eyes locking onto his as a knowing, playful smirk touched her lips.
"i understand that, i really do," she said softly, taking his hand into hers. "but i think it’s only fair to yourself that you do explore and get to know everyone while you're here. not just me, but all the girls. you never know... we might surprise you."
djed just let out a light, breathy laugh, shaking his head gently. he leaned his back against the edge of the couch, still keeping his distance.
"i hear you," he said, "i’m not closed off. just trying to be respectful, you know?"
zaria chuckled, impressed by his unwavering composure, even as she adjusted her position on the daybed to keep his full attention. “yeah, i know. i’ll be good i promise.”
from across the way, the other villa boys sat grouped together on the poolside loungers, their sunglasses on as they watched the conversation happening on the daybeds.
“this is good for him,” sam said, taking a sip of his water and gesturing subtly with his chin toward djed and zaria. “he’s been all about you-know-who since the day he’s gotten here.”
“literally from day one,” trey agreed, leaning back against his towel. “he hasn't even looked in another direction. but he needs to at least talk to these girls, man.”
the guys all nodded, genuinely wanting him to open up and get to know the casa girls. they knew how deep djed was in with you, and they believed he deserved to have some fun. without you by his side.
“zaria’s laying it on thick, though,” dave chuckled, watching as she leaned closer to djed on the cushions. “let’s see if he actually takes the bait.”
over on the daybed, completely oblivious to the boys' commentary, djed just kept his cool, nodding along politely while his mind constantly drifted back to you.
back at the villa, after chatting with the casa boys and your girls all day, it was time to get dressed for another night in paradise.
you put on a cute black lace top paired with fitted capris and sky-high stilettos, figuring if you didn’t feel good on the inside, you could at least look the part on the outside. your braids were pulled back into a high pony, highlighting your face perfectly.
standing in front of the full-length mirror in the dressing room, your eyes focused strictly on djed’s ankh hanging around your neck. the chain was completely clashing with your delicate lace top, throwing off the whole outfit, but the thought of taking it off felt like a betrayal. you knew that it was dramatic, but you couldn’t help but think of how rude it was to leave behind something he’d given you.
imani stepped up right beside you in the mirror, resting a soft hand on your shoulder before turning you around to face her directly.
“girl. my sweet girl, i really do love you. but stand the fuck up for real,” imani said, her eyes dead serious as she looked into your eyes. “like, what’s the plan here? you gone keep being sad while he’s over there doing him? or are you gonna have a good fucking time? i hate to be like that, but you moping around is not gonna bring him back, and it’s not gonna make him stay loyal to you either. you’re here for you. not djed fucking spence.”
her words hung in the air, a blunt dose of tough love that hit you right in the chest.
you stared at her, the truth stinging just enough to wake you up out of your funk. you looked back into the glass, taking a deep breath as you reached up to the clasp behind your neck. with a shaky hand, you unfastened the heavy silver chain, letting it fall gently into your palm. you placed it carefully inside your jewelry pouch on the vanity, setting it down with a soft sigh.
"you're right," you murmured, smoothing down your lace top and straightening your shoulders.
"damn right i am," imani grinned, grabbing your hand and giving it a squeeze. you tried to force a smile on your face as you looked at your bare chest in the mirror, but your chest tightened. you couldn’t help but feel like you’d just made the absolute worst mistake.
selah squeezed your shoulder reassuringly, completely unaware of the sudden, suffocating knot forming in your throat. "there she is! now come on, let's go get a drink."
you nodded, turning away from the vanity. the six new casa boys were lined up near the stairs, looking at you with like meat now that his chain was missing from your neck. cameron immediately caught your eye, flashing a warm smile as he stepped forward, his hand out to assist you.
"you look incredible tonight," he said softly.
"thank you," you forced out. you all gathered around the bar, toasting your wine to the boys’ second night in the villa.
taking a sip to swallow down the lump in your throat. you took a deep breath, you were gonna have fun and survive the night, but inside, your heart was still screaming for the man sitting on the other side of the island.
suddenly, ken’s phone buzzed with the unmistakable, loud chime of a villa text, cutting through the chatter.
“i got a text!” ken screamed, holding her phone up as everyone gathered around the main fire pit.
“islanders, tonight, the villa and casa amor will go head-to-head in a game of ‘raunchy races’!”
your nose crinkled at the name, “the fuck?” you muttered, shifting uncomfortably in your stilettos.
“#who’s on top, #moving quickly,” she finished, sliding her phone into her lap as the villa erupted into screams and high-fives.
“this means we have to go crazy, y’all!” mari yelled, jumping up and down on the cushions. “we cannot let the boys beat us!“
everyone sat in a tight circle around the fire pit. the rules were simple, casa amor and the main villa would both receive identical text messages at the exact same time containing a task, and whichever house completed the challenge fastest would win a point.
meanwhile, over in casa amor, the exact same text hit trey’s phone, sending their villa yard into absolute chaos.
“fuck the villa! it’s time to get nasty!” trey screamed at the top of his lungs, slamming his fist onto the coffee table as all the casa girls went crazy, cheering and tossing their hair back.
djed sat on the edge of the couch, watching the casa boys hype each other up like absolute madmen. he looked down at his bare hands, running a palm over his face as he let out a heavy, exhausted sigh.
“fuck me, man,” he muttered to himself, the dread settling heavy in his stomach as he realized what this game was going to require.
sam’s phone pinged first with a loud chime, and he instantly read it aloud: “demonstrate your favorite move while kissing the shortest boy or girl of the opposite sex.”
savannah immediately stood up, being the shortest girl in casa, and sam grabbed her hand. the two of them raced to the center of the patio in an attempt to beat the main villa, sam dipping her back low and pulling her into a dramatic kiss as the casa crew screamed at the top of their lungs.
over in the main villa, selah received the exact same text.
"shortest! shortest! who's the shortest?!" selah yelled, scanning the lineup before grabbing cameron, who happened to be the shortest boy present. she yanked him into the center of the firepit and locked lips with him in a frenzy.
both villas went absolutely crazy, echoing with deafening cheers and whistles. they finally broke away and a second later you got a text announcing the winner.
casa amor got the point.
the casa guys and girls jumped into a massive group hug, roaring with victory, while over in the main villa, mari clutched her head.
"come on, y'all! we gotta be faster!" mari yelled, bouncing on her toes as everyone leaned in close to the fire pit, waiting anxiously for the next text to drop.
in casa, maya’s phone pinged with the next text: “kiss the islander born in a foreign country.”
she sprinted across the patio and jumped straight into his lap, catching him off guard. djed caught her, his instincts taking over as he locked lips with her to secure the point, his hands resting on her waist to keep her steady.
“yes! go on, djed! dig in, boy!” the casa boys roared from the sidelines, pumping their fists and screaming at them to take it further.
obeying their orders, maya threw her head back, pressing in close and grinding her hips onto his to crank up the energy. he broke away and couldn't help but sigh in deep relief when it was finally over, running a hand over his mouth as he sat back.
meanwhile, over in the main villa, damian and imani were already on top of each other, her legs behind his head, locking lips in a sloppy kiss to get the win.
point: villa.
everyone in casa groaned in unison, the guys throwing their arms up in frustration while djed just leaned back against the couch, wondering what the fuck you girls were doing over there.
“kiss the islander with the best tattoos.”
amari was up in the main villa, grabbing chase by the back of his neck and pulling him down into a kiss so intense her head was damn near in the bushes behind you.
“yes, amari!” andreina screamed, clapping her hands violently while you laughed, trying to shield your eyes from the sheer chaos.
meanwhile in casa, cleo and dave didn't waste a single second. they dropped straight to the floor, cleo pinning dave down and straddling him as they kissed. dave picked her up off the ground and ran with her her bridal-style all the way into the bedroom while the casa boys went absolutely feral.
point: casa.
the villa girls groaned, slumping back into the fire pit cushions in defeat, while over in casa, the boys lifted dave onto their shoulders like he’d just won a championship belt.
back in the villa, cameron’s phone pinged. “kiss the islander you’re most attracted to.”
without missing a single beat, cameron turned, scooped you up into his arms like you weighed nothing, and sprinted straight into the kitchen. he hoisted you onto the marble kitchen island, climbing in between your legs, leaning over you.
“this okay?” he asked quickly, his breathing heavy as he checked in.
you gave him a brief nod, and he immediately leaned in, catching your lips in a deep kiss. the whole villa went wild, mari and ken screaming and banging on the counters to hype you up.
meanwhile, over in casa, djed’s own phone pinged with the exact same text. he grabbed zaria, picking her up with his heavy hands locked firmly under her ass while her fingers tangled into his thick locs. they locked lips in an intense kiss before she slid back down his body, leaving a trail of lipstick down his neck and cheekily licking down his open chest.
point: casa.
the boys in casa went crazy, jumping on djed as he wiped his chest with a heavy breath.
back at the fire pit, the loss hit the girls hard. you slid off the kitchen island, smoothing down your lace top with a sour look on your face.
“i’m so fucking irritated,” you sighed, rolling your eyes as you dropped back onto the cushions, really wanting this fuck ass challenge to be over.
your phone rang with the loud ping of another text. you snapped it open, reading the message aloud: “everyone pick a fellow islander and make out like it’s the last night on earth.”
not wanting to lose another point—and honestly just trying to get the nightmare over with as fast as humanly possible—you didn't even look twice. you turned to whoever you saw first, grabbing malik by his collar and pulling him down into a fast, frantic kiss. around you, the fire pit instantly erupted into absolute, unhinged chaos as every single person locked lips, hands flying everywhere as everyone got busy trying to get the win.
meanwhile, over in casa, the boys and girls threw themselves into the exact same challenge desperate to win as well.
soon enough, you got another text: casa wins the game.
the main villa broke apart, everyone groaning in utter defeat and breathless frustration as you wiped your lips with the back of your hand, pulling your top back into place.
"i hate it here," mari gasped, collapsing back onto the cushions with a groan while the girls tossed their hands up in the air.
you sat down beside her, staring blankly into the fire pit with your heart pounding against your chest, deeply regretting every single kiss you had just given out while wondering once again what the hell was happening over on the other side of the island.
over in casa, djed was sitting in the corner of the bedroom chatting with zaria, the faint sound of laughter from the rest of the house floating in through the open door.
after chatting for a while, zaria shifted on the edge of the bed, her eyes locking onto his as her voice softened. “i just want you to know that i do respect your connection in the villa, but it’s kind of hard for me to be fully present with you and be myself at the same time.”
“what do you mean?” djed asked, rubbing his jaw as he looked at her.
“i consider myself a very touchy person... i like cuddling, and kissing, and such,” she murmured, a playful, tempting smile spreading across her lips. before he could digest her words, she leaned in, her soft lips planting a string of lingering, warm kisses along the side of his neck.
djed’s breath hitched, his hands resting flat on the mattress behind him.
“and didn’t you have so much fun in the challenge with me?” she whispered against his skin.
“i-“ before he could even finish his sentence, zaria swung her leg over and climbed straight into his lap, cupping his face in her hands and finally capturing his lips in a slow kiss.
for a second, djed let the momentum of the moment carry him. but as her hands moved to his shoulders, a sharp feeling of pure guilt pierced through his chest. he gently grabbed her wrists, pulling back and breaking the kiss.
he kept his eyes tightly closed, resting his forehead against her shoulder for a brief second while his pulse raced in his ears. he was mentally kicking the absolute shit out of himself for giving in, even for a second.
the taste of her lips felt wrong. the feeling of her in his lap felt wrong. every single instinct in his body was screaming at him, telling him he belonged back in the speakeasy with you.
djed swallowed hard, opening his eyes and gently shifting zaria back onto the mattress beside him. he gave her a quick smile before excusing himself to the bathroom.
he ran both palms over his face, staring at the floorboards in dead silence as a cold knot settled heavy in his stomach. he missed you more than anything, and now he was terrified that he’d just ruined it.
( tw : flashing ) the og animated lines, but in other sizes ! apologies for not making these in different sizes in the first place—it’s actually been a year since I first released them heh. anyway, here are the other sizes 〜
as always, they’re vvv smol so it’ll be easier to save on desktop !
Hiii i’m not sure how you feel about age gaps but jaafar jackson x reader where she’s like 21 and he sometimes gets insecure about their age gap because he feels like she would be happier with someone closer to her age. And she’s over there just chilling and always flexing how she has a hot (almost) 30 year old boyfriend. I feel like the dynamic would be funny to see too.
for all that you are
Jaafar Jackson x fem!reader, 2.8k
sometimes Jaafar gets a little wrapped up in your age gap, but it never bothers you - little teeny tiny dash of angst, some emotional hurt/comfort, fluff and teasing and good vibes lmao, jaafar is hot send post
It’s not an unusual set up for the two of you: Jaafar finishing up his shower as you scroll through your phone. You sit on the bathroom counter, legs swinging, while Jaafar uses his towel to catch the rivulets of water dripping down his neck, pajama pants already hung low on his hips. Your legs are bare, dressed in just a large t-shirt, and Jaafar can’t help himself from skating his palm along your warm skin.
You look up from your phone, smiling at him, and he’s struck by just how lucky he is for what feels like the thousandth time today alone. He thinks about making a joke, how together you’re wearing a full outfit, but you open your mouth to speak before he gets the chance.
“Don’t forget, Cassie’s birthday is Friday and we said we’d go,” you remind him, and it takes him a second to digest the information because the way you said ‘we’ makes him feel a little dizzy with affection for you.
“How old is she again?” He asks, racking his brain for which one of your friends you’re talking about. You seem to exist in the liminal space of friendships that plagues all recent college graduates. There are your friends from childhood, from your years in college, your neighbors, and work friends from your first ‘real’ job who range in age from twenty one, like you, to almost sixty. So you can’t blame Jaafar for struggling to keep it all straight, to keep names connected to ages and faces of people he barely knows.
“She’s turning twenty three,” you say, glancing down at your phone as a text comes through, “she’s the oldest out of that little group, from that apartment I used to live in.”
You’re still looking down, responding to your text with rapid typing, so you don’t realize the hesitation that flashes in Jaafar’s eyes. Your comment was just a throwaway, a statement to provide context to who Cassie is, and yet, it seems to start Jaafar on a downward, internal spiral.
He knows, in the grand scheme of things, that he’s not old. He hasn’t even turned thirty yet, he’s got his whole life in front of him. And while the gap between you isn’t so severe, sometimes it hits him just how young you are.
Most of the time, it’s never anything major. He’ll ask if you’ve seen a childhood show and you’d shake your head, and he’d remember how it had gone off the air before you were born. He’ll make an outdated pop culture reference, and you’ll look at him blankly because when it was popular on the internet, you were playing with dolls.
“You’re makin’ me feel old,” he’ll tease sometimes, as you get ready for a night out with your friends or you make a reference he doesn’t quite understand.
“But you’re my baby,” you tell him in a sugary sweet voice that makes everything else fade away, “‘my pretty boy.” And he’d grin all boyishly, doe-eyed with affection for you, and the moment passes into something all sweet and soft.
And Jaafar always feels lucky to have you by his side, like you’re the greatest gift the universe has ever given him. The two of you met over a year ago, a few weeks after your twentieth birthday. He’d been enamoured with you from the get go, and things between you just seemed to click. At the start of your second date, you were absolutely certain that Jaafar was your soulmate.
To you, the difference in your ages wasn’t a factor in any way, it didn’t draw you to him or push you away. You made a teasing comment every once in a while, just to see Jaafar get all flustered, but that was the extent of it to you.
And while Jaafar didn’t disagree, and he’d been absolutely smitten with you from the moment you said hello, sometimes he managed to get in his own head about how much younger you were.
It wasn’t because he didn’t love you, body and soul, or that he found you immature or somehow lacking. He just didn’t want you to waste your youth on him, to spend your early twenties tethered to someone almost a decade older than you, for you to live to regret your time together. It certainly didn’t help that he trended towards introversion on the best of days, never wanting you to feel forced to stay in with him when you could be out at a bar or a club having the time of your life.
And it wasn’t as if he was overly clingy or controlling either. You still went out with your friends when you felt like it, Jaafar watching you get ready with a fondness in his eyes, telling you to call him when you needed to come home and kissing you before you went out the door. You always did call him, and he always arrived with a fond, sleepy smile.
Often, though, you preferred to stay in, the thought of socializing any more after the work week was done feeling the pure torture most of the time. As much as you enjoyed going out with your friends, a calmer night was just as fun to you.
It didn’t seem to click for him that you wouldn’t have the time of your life if he wasn’t right by your side.
Those doubts weren’t constant, and a majority of your time together the age gap never seemed to cross his mind. It certainly helped that you seemed perfectly content to constantly heap affection on him. You know he gets all shy whenever you remind him just how incredibly attractive he was, and that was part of the draw for you, watching the way he struggled to make eye contact as you continually showered him with compliments.
And it wasn’t only that he was unfairly good looking. Jaafar’s caring and sweet and funny, he’d move heaven and earth for you. He loves you in ways you never thought possible, so the years between you never seem to cross your mind.
Most of the time, when you catch him making comments about his age that he thinks you won’t take to heart, you’re able to remind him just how much you love him. You’ll list your favorite things about him until he’s giggling and pushing you away, all of the negative thoughts dispelled and replaced with affection, with desire, with need.
No matter how often you assuage his fears, though, they always seem to reappear.
For the rest of the week, Jaafar seems weighed down by insecurities. As much as he wants to tell you about it, he doesn’t want you to feel like you’d done something wrong or that you’d made him feel less than. At the end of the day, it was all in his own head, and he knew that. Still, that knowledge didn’t always make him feel better.
Even your own birthday a few months earlier hadn’t sent him into such a spiral. Sure, he had plenty of other things to focus on with planning and making sure everything went smoothly, and after that, all he was focused on was you and ensuring that you had the best time possible. A day centered around how old you are, and the gap between you didn’t cross his mind once.
Now, though, it’s all he can seem to think about. You can tell something’s bothering him, because of course you do, you know him better than he knows himself sometimes. It’s like a pressure nagging at the back of your head, something you can’t seem to ignore but something you can’t really address either. You decide to let it play out, knowing that Jaafar would come to you when he’s ready.
Or that it would all tumble out in the middle of your friend’s birthday.
Your friend, always extravagant, had decided that everyone needed to wear her favorite color for her party, so everyone got dressed up in various shades of pink and her apartment looked like a bubblegum factory explosion. You were dressed in something simple and silky, long enough to avoid any outfit mishaps while dancing even as it accentuated your features.
You looked good, and better yet, you felt good, holding yourself in a way that seemed to radiate confidence and Jaafar felt overjoyed to be by your side. And it certainly helped that you only had eyes for him, pressing yourself against his side as you found a relatively empty area to stand and talk with your friends.
With the noise levels constantly increasing as guests continued to arrive, Jaafar couldn’t hear a word you said even as you talked right beside him. You were in the middle of telling some of your friends, a pair of girls who lived in the same dorm as you during your freshman year of college that you barely got to see anymore, about the trip you and Jaafar were planning.
Positively gushing about it, you went on and on about the hotel he’d found, and how you were planning on buying the two of you matching swimsuits from a website you’d found. As always, you couldn’t seem to stop raving about him, even when he was right beside you. It was just as easy as breathing, the praise spilling from your lips for the man you loved more than anything. You could talk for hours if it meant talking about him, or talking to him, and really, you were just perfectly content to think about him.
Here, you seemed to be in your element. You were laughing and talking with all of your friends, accepting every shot glass pushed into your hand or red solo cup passed your way. Beside you, Jaafar felt out of place, even with his hand resting on your hip. You loved the feeling of his warm, solid body beside you, the constant reminder of his presence.
But then he’d whispered something about needing some air for a second, before slipping away. When he didn’t return as soon as you’d expected, worry cleaved through you and you weren’t able to focus on anything besides Jaafar, embarking on a mission to find him and bring him back to your side.
It didn’t take long, pushing through the small, crowded apartment until you found him on the little balcony, elbows resting on the guardrail as he looked over the city. You felt yourself flood with relief, before you took in his hunched stance and the tension in his shoulders. Sliding the door shut behind you, the sounds of the party fade away.
“Hey,” you say softly, ears still ringing from the room you’d just left, the thumping music muffled by the closed door.
“Hey,” Jaafar looks at you over his shoulder before turning back towards the city skyline.
“You wanna go?” You ask as you cross over to him, leaning beside him and pressing your arm against his. “I don’t think Cassie would notice if we slipped away.”
“Not if you’re having fun.” Even wrapped up in his own head, Jaafar thinks of you first. You and your happiness are always his priority, no matter what.
“I barely ever have fun without you,” you lean into him farther, and just as you’d hoped, he straightens up to wrap his arms around you. You let out a contented little noise, and Jaafar smiles softly as he rests his head atop of yours.
The silence that washes over you isn’t tense, exactly, but you’re waiting for Jaafar to speak. You know something’s been bothering him, and you’re hoping that he’s finally going to get it off his chest. You don’t want to have to pry it out of him, but you will if you have to. His burdens are yours, just as the same is true for him with you.
“I think I’m the oldest person in there,” he says quietly, as if he doesn’t quite want to speak those words out loud. It’s like he’s worried that you hadn’t noticed, that if he brings it to your attention it’s going to ruin everything.
Instead, you just scoff, as if he’s talking crazy.
“So what?” You ask, failing to see how that could possibly be a problem.
“I’m older than you,” he adds, like it’s such a big deal, like the realization has never hit you before.
“By a few years,” you counter, finally turning in his hold to face him. You look at him the way you always have, with love and fierce adoration for everything he is.
“Eight and a half years,” he retorts, and you roll your eyes, a smile playing on your lips at the same time.
“I refer you to my earlier question,” you say lightly, “so what?”
“Doesn’t it ever bother you?” Jaafar asks the question like he’s afraid of the answer. You simply stare up at him, blinking as you formulate your answer, and he practically squirms under the force of your gaze.
“It bothers me that you were too old to watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse when it came out, since I can quote episodes from memory,” you tease, “and that you don’t understand all of my awesome references to Disney Channel shows and shitty teen movies from 2016.”
You settle your hands on his chest, feeling his heart beating beneath your palm. For the most part, his worries have dissipated, the residual anxiety leaving him feeling exhausted for no reason. Deep down, he always knew what your answer would be, but he’d managed to convince himself otherwise.
“Well, you don’t get my references either,” he jokes, finally cracking a smile that makes his whole face light up. You resist the urge to press your palms to his cheeks, to squeeze his face together the way you would to a baby because you’re simply overwhelmed with affection.
“That’s because you're old and your jokes are outdated,” you tease, and Jaafar stares at you in shocked silence for a moment before the laughter takes over, and he’s practically doubled-over on top of you.
“You’re so mean to me,” he says after he controls his laughter, with so much softness in his words they have no bite.
“Alright, I’ll make it up to you.” You clear your throat aggressively, and Jaafar rolls his eyes. “I think you’re super sweet, and very attractive, and you’re the nicest boy ever. And you’re really talented, and you’re pretty alright at cooking. And you’re super sexy, I mean wow, am I lucky or what?.”
Jaafar gets bashful then, even though it’s just the two of you. He looks like he wants to hide his face, even as he smiles down at you.
“Alright, you can stop, you’ve made your point.” He squeezes your hips in another bid to get you to stop, but you don’t relent.
“Nope, I’ve gotta make my point.” You press yourself closer to him, crowding into his space even more so he couldn’t possibly hide from you and your unending compliments. “I mean seriously, have you seen yourself? It’s a miracle I can get anything done, I just wanna sit around and stare at you all day.”
“Are you done?” Jaafar asks as you slide your hands up from his chest to loop around his neck.
“And you take such good care of me,” your voice gets soft, gently before it grows silky smooth, “really, really good care of me.”
Slowly, Jaafar wets his bottom lip with his tongue, and you watch the motion with unwavering attention. He’s not sure what to do with himself, torn between wanting to kiss you and wanting to bury his face in his hands and hide away.
You decide for him, leaning up to kiss him softly. It’s all loving affection, even though there’s a heat and a keen sense of desire beneath it, because really your goal was just to remind him that there’s nowhere else you’d rather be.
“Wanna go, or wanna get back inside?” You ask as you pull back, moving to rest your hands on either side of his face, thumbs moving in gentle arches along his cheeks.
“Let’s stay,” he says, turning his face to kiss the inside of your wrist. The gesture flusters you, and Jaafar can tell. It makes him grin, even as you shake your head at him.
“You’re trouble, baby,” you tease, and Jaafar laughs softly, dipping down to press a kiss to your forehead.
For the rest of the night, Jaafar stays glued to your side, watching you in your element with your friends and feeling like the luckiest person in the world. You have the same thought whenever you feel his palm at your waist or when he dips to kiss the top of your head, just because he can, because he’s got the most perfect girl in the universe by his side and he’ll be damned if he doesn’t show it.
babe this request was perfecttttttttt <3 literally so me, i turn 21 in like 3 weeks hehehe this was right up my alley!! if you want any more of these two (maybe something smutty perhaps or litterally anything) let me know, this was so fun to write <3
𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: thirty seven days after your breakup, jermajesty is already smiling beside someone new. as you both try to move forward, old memories, familiar faces, and unfinished feelings make one thing impossible to ignore, some people never really leave you, even after they're gone.
the first thing you noticed was that he stopped calling you “pretty.” not because he didn’t think you were. he still looked at you the same way whenever you walked into a room, his eyes lingering just a second longer than they should. he’d still absentmindedly fix the sleeve of your hoodie or brush lint off your shoulder before either of you realized what he was doing. it was everything else that changed.
the “good morning, pretty.” the random flowers he’d bring home after passing the little stand on the corner. the way he’d pull you into his lap while you cooked, despite you complaining that he was in the way.
those little things disappeared so slowly you didn’t notice until one day they were just… gone. you told yourself every relationship had phases. people got busy, life happened, love didn’t always look the same. that’s what you kept repeating to yourself as you stared at your reflection in the bathroom mirror, carefully smoothing your hair into a high bun before rubbing a little lip gloss across your lips. maybe tonight would feel normal again, maybe tonight he’d smile at you the way he used to.
you walked into the living room with cautious hope. jermajesty was sitting on the couch, elbows resting on his knees, his phone forgotten in his hands. the television played quietly in the background, but he wasn’t watching it. he looked tired, more than tired. like he’d been carrying something heavy for weeks. “you ready baby?” you asked softly. he looked up.
his eyes landed on you. for a split second… there it was. that look. the one that made you feel beautiful before you’d even gotten dressed. “yeah,” he answered. your smile faltered for half a heartbeat before you forced it back. “dinner reservation’s in twenty.” he nodded. “okay.”
the drive to the restaurant was almost unbearable. normally he’d have music blasting, one hand tapping the steering wheel while the other rested somewhere on your thigh, laughing at something completely random trying to get a smile on your face. tonight the radio stayed low. his hand never left the wheel. you watched the city lights blur past your window, your reflection staring back at you every few seconds. you wanted to ask him what was wrong. instead you asked, “how was work?” “busy.” “anything interesting happen?” “not really.” “oh.” silence settled between you again, you hated silence. especially this one. it felt like there were a thousand words trapped inside both of you, refusing to come out.
dinner should’ve been perfect. the restaurant overlooked the skyline, warm lights hanging above the outdoor patio while soft jazz floated through hidden speakers. it used to be your favorite place. the waiter complimented your emerald dress you wore, you thanked him with a smile. jermajesty looked up from the menu.
“you do look beautiful.” your heart squeezed. finally. “thank you.” for just a second, things felt normal. until they didn’t. the conversation never found its rhythm. every topic died after a sentence or two. you caught him staring out over the city more than once. he caught you staring at him. neither of you said anything.
later that night, you stood at the kitchen sink washing dishes while warm water ran over your hands. you heard the apartment door close. “you forgot your hoodie,” you called. no answer. you frowned. turning off the faucet, you dried your hands and walked into the living room. jermajesty hadn’t left. he was standing by the front door. still wearing his jacket. keys dangling from his fingers. he looked… terrified. your stomach dropped. “…maj?” he swallowed.
“can we talk?” four words. four painfully ordinary words. and somehow, they sounded like the end of the world. you tried to smile anyway. “you’re scaring me.”
he looked down at the hardwood floor. you’d never seen him avoid your eyes before. “i know.” the apartment suddenly felt too quiet, the refrigerator hummed.
cars passed outside. somewhere upstairs, a dog barked. everything in the world kept moving while yours stood perfectly still.
you stepped closer. “did something happen?” he closed his eyes for a second. then opened them. “i’ve been trying to figure out how to say this for weeks.” your chest tightened. weeks? while you were planning date nights. while you were sending him apartment listings with bigger kitchens. while you were secretly saving engagement rings on pinterest, pretending you weren’t. he’d already been deciding how to leave. “…say what?” his voice cracked. “i don’t think,” he stopped. tried again. “i don’t think we’re making each other happy anymore.” the sentence echoed through the apartment. you blinked once. twice. waiting for the punchline. waiting for him to laugh and tell you he was joking.
he didn’t. your lips parted. “what?” “we’ve been trying, baby.” baby. he hadn’t called you that in weeks. “don’t do that.” his eyebrows pulled together. “don’t call me ‘baby’ if you’re about to break my heart.” his face crumpled. you’d never seen jermajesty look so guilty. “i’m sorry.” “no.” your voice came out sharper than you intended. “no, explain it to me.” he rubbed both hands over his face. “every conversation turns into an argument.” “because we don’t communicate.” “i know.” “then fix it.” “i’ve tried.” “then try harder.” silence. your breathing became uneven. “is there somebody else?” his head snapped up immediately. “what? no.” “don’t lie to me.”
“i’m not.” “then why?” his eyes filled before yours did. “because i love you…” your heart broke at the word love” “and somehow we’re still hurting each other.” you stared at him. you wanted to disagree. to tell him he was wrong. that love was enough. that if two people loved each other, they could survive anything. but deep down, you knew exactly what he meant. the missed dinners. the little arguments that somehow lasted hours.
the nights spent sleeping inches apart without touching. you just never imagined those moments were adding up for him too. “so…” your voice barely existed anymore. “that’s it?” he couldn’t answer. because if he said yes, it would become real. you looked around the apartment. your apartment. the framed pictures from vacations. the blanket you both fought over every movie night. his shoes by the door. this place looked like a home. how could homes end in a single conversation?
he quietly walked toward the bedroom. when he came back, there was a duffel bag over his shoulder. your knees almost gave out. “you packed?” he nodded once. “when?” “a little at a time.” that hurt more than anything else. he hadn’t decided tonight. he’d been leaving you… piece by piece. you wanted to scream. you wanted to throw something. instead, you just stood there. watching the man you loved pick up his overnight bag like he wasn’t carrying your future inside it. he stopped in front of you. close enough that you could smell the cologne you’d bought him for his birthday. close enough that if either of you leaned forward an inch, you’d be in each other’s arms.
he reached toward your face. hesitated. then let his hand fall back to his side. “i really am sorry.” a tear slipped down your cheek. you didn’t wipe it away. “me too.” he nodded once. opened the front door. and walked out. the click of the lock was almost gentle. you stood there for what felt like hours, staring at the door, waiting for footsteps to come back down the hallway. waiting for another knock. waiting for him to realize he’d made a mistake. nothing came. the apartment was finally as quiet as it had felt for weeks.
except now, you were the only one left to hear it.
thirty seven days. that's how long it'd been since jermajesty walked out of the apartment. thirty seven days since you heard his laugh echo through the kitchen. thirty seven days since you woke up beside him. thirty seven days since you became someone who checked the other side of the bed before remembering there was no one there anymore. you'd stopped crying every day. that had to count for something. now it was every few days. progress. or whatever people called surviving.
"girl, if you don't answer this phone..." genevieve’s voice came through your voicemail for what had to be the fourth time that week. "i know you've been dodging everybody, but i'm not letting you disappear. i'm coming over tomorrow, and if you don't answer the door, i'm using the spare key." the message ended. you smiled despite yourself.
she had always been like a big sister to you. she'd checked on you almost every day since the breakup. so had jaafar. the apartment didn't look like yours anymore. or maybe.. it looked too much like both of yours. his favorite mug still sat in the cabinet. his hoodie was still draped over the back of the dining chair. you'd told yourself you were keeping it there until you figured out what to do with it. instead, you walked past it every morning. and every morning, your fingers brushed against the sleeve. just for a second.
just enough to pretend he was still here. "baby?" you froze. your own voice echoed back at you from the apartment walls. you'd done it again. sometimes, without thinking, you'd call out to him after getting home from work. the silence that answered every time never got easier. you let out a shaky laugh. "get your shit it together."
your saturday started like every other one. laundry, grocery shopping, cleaning, trying not to think too much. you tied your hair up, before grabbing your tote bag and heading to the grocery store. halfway through the cereal aisle... your hand automatically reached for cinnamon toast crunch. you frowned. jermajesty didn't even live here anymore. he wasn't coming over tomorrow morning asking why you bought "the healthy cereal."
he wasn't going to stand behind you in the kitchen stealing handfuls straight from the box while you complained. you slowly put it back on the shelf. kept walking. until you turned around. picked it back up. and placed it in your cart anyway. your eyes burned. "damn."
by the time you got home, your phone battery was hanging on by a thread. you dropped your grocery bags onto the counter before plugging your phone into the charger. the screen lit up, a flood of notifications appeared. mostly work. a few texts. none from your sister. and then, jaafar jackson tagged jermajesty in a post. your stomach dropped. you shouldn't. you knew you shouldn't. you'd promised yourself. you'd muted his account. deleted your shortcuts.
avoided searching his name. because healing meant not looking. right? your thumb hovered over the notification. just one look. that's all. one look couldn't hurt. you tapped it. it was a carousel of pictures. the first was jaafar, the second was a random sky picture, the third... your breath caught. jermajesty. he stood outside a restaurant you'd been begging him to try for months. his arm rested casually around a girl you'd never seen before. she was beautiful.rich brown skin. soft curls framing her face. she leaned into him naturally, like she'd done it a hundred times before. they both smiled at the camera. your chest tightened. swipe. another picture.
this time she was laughing. his head was turned toward her. looking at her. the smile on his face... you knew that smile. you'd spent years learning every version of it. the shy one. the sarcastic one. the teasing one. the one he only wore when he looked at someone he cared about. your thumb started shaking. swipe. the last picture. they weren't kissing. they weren't holding hands. but she was fixing the collar of his jacket. and he was looking down at her with that same soft expression he'd worn the first time he'd told you he loved you. your vision blurred. you quickly locked your phone. like closing the screen could erase what you'd just seen. it couldn't. because now it lived in your head.
you slid down the kitchen cabinets until you were sitting on the floor. the grocery bags sat forgotten on the counter. ice cream slowly melted, milk grew warm. you couldn't move.
your phone buzzed. once. twice. three times. you ignored it, then it buzzed again.
genevieve 🤍
hey, are you okay?
another message.
i know you probably saw the pictures.
another.
please don't be alone right now.
your lip trembled.
so... everybody knew. everybody had already seen them. you set your phone face down. pulled your knees to your chest. and cried harder than you had the night he left. because the breakup, that had been full of possibilities. maybe he'd call or maybe he'd change his mind. maybe six months from now, you'd find your way back to each other. but those pictures, those pictures felt final. for the first time in thirty seven days... it wasn't the breakup that hurt the most. it was realizing the world had kept spinning
and somehow, jermajesty had learned how to smile again. without you.
your apartment smelled like vanilla candles. genevieve always lit one whenever she came over. she claimed it made the place feel "less sad." you never told her the sadness wasn't in the apartment. it was in you. "and i'm just saying," she continued, carrying two mugs of hot chocolate into the living room, "if one more person on tiktok tells me to 'romanticize my life,' i'm deleting the app." you let out the smallest laugh. "see?" she pointed at you dramatically. "there she is." "don't get used to it." "too late." she handed you one of the mugs before plopping onto the couch beside you. for a while, neither of you said anything.
the television played quietly in the background. some random reality show neither of you were paying attention to. genevieve glanced over. "you haven't been sleeping." it wasn't a question. you looked down into your mug. "you can tell?" "i'm kidding." you rolled your eyes. "that wasn't funny." "a little." you shook your head, smiling despite yourself. the smile disappeared almost as quickly as it came. genevieve noticed. she always did, "you saw the pictures." your fingers tightened around the mug. "yeah." she sighed. "i figured."
another silence settled between you. different from the ones you'd shared with jermajesty. this one wasn't uncomfortable. it was just... heavy. "i almost called you," genevieve admitted quietly. "why didn't you?" "because i didn't know what to say." you nodded. "me neither." "can i ask you something?" you shrugged. "sure." "are you mad at us?" your eyebrows pulled together. "what?" "my family." she looked nervous now. "because... you haven't really come around since..." she couldn't finish the sentence. since the breakup. you reached over, resting your hand on hers. "gen."
she looked at you. "none of this is your fault." "i know.” "or your mom,"!she nodded. "or anybody else's." "i know." "i just..." you looked around the apartment before your eyes landed on the framed picture sitting on the bookshelf. it was from christmas. you and jermajesty stood in the middle, surrounded by his family. genevieve had insisted everyone wear matching pajamas. randy jr. had complained the entire night. jaafar had almost burned the cookies. alejandra cried because she said everyone looked beautiful.
you remembered laughing so hard your stomach hurt. back then... it never crossed your mind that one day you'd be looking at that picture like it belonged to somebody else. "it's hard," you whispered. genevieve followed your gaze. "you're family." the words came out so naturally. like there wasn't another option, "you've always been family."
your throat tightened. "was." she immediately shook her head. "are." you looked away before she could see your eyes fill with tears. that evening, after genevieve left, you found yourself standing in front of the hallway closet. there, tucked behind a stack of blankets... was a cardboard box. jermajesty's things. you'd packed them almost two weeks ago. his hoodie, a few books, his favorite controller. a watch he'd accidentally left in the bathroom. you crouched in front of the box, lifting the hoodie to your face. it barely smelled like him anymore. just laundry detergent. time had washed him away. you folded it carefully and placed it back inside. closed the lid. but you couldn't bring yourself to tape the box shut.
doing that... felt too permanent. your phone rang just after seven. alejandra. your stomach flipped. for a second, you considered letting it go to voicemail. instead, you answered. "hello?" "mi amor." her voice was as warm as ever. "hi." "how are you feeling?" you smiled sadly, "i've been better."
"genevieve told me she came to see you." "she did.” “good." there was a brief pause. then... "listen, sweetheart... i'm calling because your cousin's birthday dinner is next weekend." you blinked. "oh." "everyone's coming." you already knew what she was about to ask. "i know things have been... difficult." an understatement. "but i wanted you to hear this from me." your grip tightened on the phone. "you don't stop being family because a relationship ended." your eyes immediately filled. "alejandra..." "i mean that." her voice softened. "those doors have always been open for you, and they'll stay open for you." a tear slid down your cheek.
"thank you." "so..." she waited patiently. "will you come?" you closed your eyes. every instinct told you no it would hurt. it would be so awkward. what if he was there? what if he wasn't? somehow... both possibilities terrified you. "i don't know." "that's okay." alejandra didn't push. "think about it." you nodded even though she couldn't see you. "okay." after you hung up, you stared at the dark screen of your phone. your heart and your head were already arguing. don't go. it's too soon.
you'll only make things harder. but another voice whispered something quieter. what if you lose them too? because losing jermajesty had already shattered you. you weren't sure you could survive losing the family that had loved you like their own for years. you sat your phone on the coffee table and looked around the apartment. for the first time since the breakup... home didn't feel like the place you'd built with him. it felt like the place you'd been hiding from the rest of your life.
and maybe sooner or later, you were going to have to open the front door.
you changed your outfit three times. the black dress felt too formal. the jeans felt like you weren’t trying. the green sundress reminded you too much of the one jermajesty said made you look “like summertime.” that one was immediately thrown back into the closet. in the end, you settled on a simple chocolate brown maxi dress that hugged your figure just enough without feeling like you were trying to impress anybody. because you weren’t.
at least… that’s what you kept telling yourself. you stood in front of the mirror, adjusting the gold hoops in your ears before fluffing out the ends of your hair. “you got this,” you whispered. your reflection didn’t look convinced. the drive to alejandra’s house felt longer than usual. every red light gave you another opportunity to turn around. you almost did.
twice. instead, you pulled into the driveway you’d visited hundreds of times before. nothing had changed. for a second, it almost felt like you were coming home. you hated how comforting that feeling still was. before you could lose your nerve, the front door flew open. “she’s here!” genevieve practically ran down the porch steps before wrapping you in a hug so tight you laughed. “girl, let me breathe.”
“no.” she squeezed harder. “i missed you.” your smile softened. “i missed you too.” when she finally let go, she grabbed your hand and pulled you inside. “everybody’s been waiting.” the familiar scent of seasoned food and candles wrapped around you instantly. music played softly from the kitchen. laughter echoed through the house. for the first time in over a month, your heart didn’t feel quite as heavy. “look who decided to show up,” randy jr. called from the living room. you rolled your eyes. “missed me?” “a little.”
“a little?” “don’t push it.” you laughed. “a hater.” “a proud one.” jaafar stood from the couch and pulled you into a hug. “it’s good to see you.” “it’s good to see you too.” he held your shoulders for a second before looking you over. “you look good.” “thank you.” “you eating?” “trying.” he nodded. he understood what you weren’t saying. you appreciated that he didn’t ask any more questions.
“baby!”you turned just in time for alejandra to pull you into one of her signature hugs. the kind that made you feel like all the broken pieces of you could fit back together again. “look at you.” she cupped your face. “you’re beautiful.” you smiled through the lump in your throat. “thank you.” she kissed your forehead. “i’m so happy you came.” “me too.” and surprisingly, you meant it. the evening slipped by easier than you’d expected. you helped alejandra finish the macaroni. genevieve convinced you to help decorate the cake. randy jr. challenged you to a game you beat him at. twice. “you cheated.” “i literally didn’t.” “there’s no way i lost fair and square.” “maybe you’re just bad.” gasps filled the room. “she got jokes!” you laughed harder than you had in weeks. real laughter, for the first time since the breakup. you forgot to miss him.
until, the front door opened. you barely noticed at first. someone had just asked you if you wanted another slice of cake. voices drifted in from the foyer. male laughter, a familiar laughter. your body reacted before your mind did. your smile slowly faded. genevieve noticed. her eyes flickered toward the hallway. then back to you. something unreadable crossed her face. you frowned. before you could ask what was wrong, you heard his voice.
“my bad, traffic was crazy.” your heartbeat stopped. no. you weren’t ready. he stepped into the living room. jermajesty. he looked almost exactly the same. same chain resting against his chest. same curls tucked beneath a fitted cap. same cologne. even from across the room, you could swear you smelled it. his eyes found yours immediately. everything else disappeared.
the conversations, the music, the decorations. it was just the two of you. standing there. looking at each other for the first time in thirty eight days. his expression shifted, surprise. then something softer. something that looked dangerously close to regret. your lips parted, but no words came out. he looked like he wanted to say your name. instead,
someone gently touched his arm. your eyes dropped. she stepped into view. the girl from the pictures. except somehow, she was even prettier in person. her complexion glowed beneath the warm lights. a soft smile rested on her lips as she looked around the room, clearly a little nervous. she moved closer to jermajesty without thinking. like it was comfortable for her, like she belonged beside him. your chest caved in. you couldn’t breathe. he glanced at her. then back at you. the guilt on his face was almost unbearable. you realized something then. those pictures hadn’t lied. this wasn’t rumors. this wasn’t social media making something look bigger than it was. she was here.
in this house. meeting the people you’d spent years calling family. the room suddenly felt too small. too loud, too hot. you forced your feet to move before anyone could stop you. “excuse me.” your voice barely came out above a whisper. you weren’t sure who you were talking to. maybe everyone. maybe no one. you walked past them. close enough that his shoulder almost brushed yours. close enough to hear him inhale sharply. close enough that, for one impossible second, you wanted him to reach for your hand. he didn’t. that hurt even more. by the time the bathroom door clicked shut behind you, your hands were shaking so badly you could barely lock it.
you stared at yourself in the mirror. mascara untouched. lip gloss still perfect. from the outside… you looked perfectly fine, inside you felt like you were standing in the exact spot where your heart had broken thirty eight days ago. only this time… you had an audience.
the bathroom felt smaller with every shaky breath you took. you gripped the edge of the sink until your knuckles turned pale. "come on," you whispered to your reflection. "not here." your voice cracked anyway. you splashed cool water across your face, careful not to ruin your makeup. you refused to walk out looking like you'd been crying over a man who wasn't yours anymore. even if you had. there was a soft knock at the door. "baby?" alejandra. you quickly wiped beneath your eyes. "one second." you unlocked the door just enough to peek through. alejandra's face immediately softened. "oh, sweetheart..." you looked away. "i'm okay." she didn't believe you. neither of you did.
without a word, she wrapped her arms around you. you melted into the hug before you could stop yourself. "i didn't know," she whispered. your eyebrows pulled together. "what?" her voice was full of guilt. "i didn't know he was bringing someone." you closed your eyes. you believed her. if she'd known... she would've warned you. "it's okay." it wasn't. but you couldn't blame her. she sighed against your hair. "you don't have to stay." you thought about it. you could leave. get in your car, go home. curl up beneath the blanket that still smelled faintly like him. pretend tonight never happened. instead, you shook your head.
"it's her first time meeting everybody." alejandra looked confused. you swallowed the lump in your throat. "i don't want her first impression of this family to be me running out because i couldn't handle seeing them together." your words surprised even you. alejandra reached up and cupped your cheek. "you've always had such a beautiful heart." you gave her the saddest smile you'd ever worn. "i wish it hurt less." when you walked back into the dining room, the conversations slowed for just a moment.
not because anyone pitied you. because everyone was worried. you offered you a reassuring smile. it was convincing enough. people slowly returned to their conversations. you slid into an empty chair beside genevieve. across the table, jermajesty sat with her. her name, you'd learned only a few minutes ago, was naomi. she laughed quietly at something randy jr. said. "i promise i'm not usually this nervous." "that's a lie," genevieve teased from beside you. "he gets nervous introducing anybody to us." the table laughed. even you smiled. naomi covered her face. "please don't expose me.
jermajesty chuckled. "too late." your chest tightened. his laugh hadn't changed. it still sounded like home. dinner carried on. plates were passed around. stories were shared. jaafar somehow found a way to make everyone laugh until they nearly cried. from the outside... it looked like any other family dinner. but every now and then, you caught jermajesty looking at you. not long. for just a second. like he was checking to make sure you were still there.
every time your eyes met, he looked away first. "jer." naomi nudged him gently, "hmm?" "you okay?" he blinked. "yeah." "you've been quiet.” "just tired." she accepted the answer. you didn't. because you knew him. he rubbed the back of his neck whenever he lied. he'd done it three times since you'd sat back down.
later, while everyone helped clean up, you slipped outside onto the back patio. the summer air was warm against your skin. you welcomed it. anything to escape the weight inside the house. you leaned against the porch railing, looking out over the backyard. so many memories lived here. cookouts, birthday parties, water balloon fights. late night conversations that lasted until sunrise. you wondered if places remembered people. if the porch missed you the way you missed him. the sliding door opened behind you. you didn't turn around. you already knew. "can we talk?" his voice was quiet. like speaking too loudly might shatter whatever fragile peace still existed between you. you let out a small laugh.
"haven't we done enough of that?" he stopped a few feet away. giving you space. space you suddenly hated. “i'm sorry." you stared out at the yard. "for what?" "for tonight." "which part?" the question hung in the air. he didn't answer. because there were too many parts. you finally looked at him. he looked exhausted. there were dark circles beneath his eyes. his curls were messier than usual, like he'd run his hands through them all evening. for the first time, he didn't look like a man who had happily moved on. he looked like someone carrying the consequences of his own choices. "i didn't know my mom invited you." you nodded once.
"i figured." "if i had known—" "what?" your voice wasn't angry. just tired. "you wouldn't have brought her?" he opened his mouth. closed it. because he didn't know. and maybe that was answer enough. you looked down at your hands. "she's beautiful." he frowned. you continued before he could interrupt. "she seems sweet. "she is."
your heart cracked quietly. "that's good." another silence. this one stretched longer than either of you wanted. finally, he spoke. "how've you been?" you almost laughed. thirty eight days. one breakup. a hundred unanswered questions. and all he could ask was, how've you been? you looked him in the eyes. "honestly?" he nodded. "i've been learning how to stop reaching for you." his entire face fell. you kept going. "every morning." you smiled sadly. "it's harder than i thought it'd be." he looked away. you noticed his jaw tighten.
his eyes glistened beneath the porch light. for a second, he looked like he wanted to say something. something important. instead, the sliding door opened again. "there you are." naomi stepped onto the patio with an apologetic smile. "i've been looking everywhere." the moment disappeared. jermajesty cleared his throat,
"hey." she looked between the two of you, sensing she'd interrupted something she couldn't name. "alejandra wanted to know if you guys wanted dessert." you stepped back immediately. "you two should go." jermajesty didn't move. you forced a smile. "go." naomi reached for his hand without thinking. he let her. your eyes dropped to their intertwined fingers. just for a second. then you looked away. he noticed. of course he did. you could feel him noticing. but neither of you said anything. because there was nothing left to say. you watched them walk back toward the house together. right before he stepped inside, jermajesty glanced over his shoulder. you were still standing exactly where he'd left you. and for the first time since the breakup, he realized something that made his chest ache moving on hadn't erased you. it had only taught him how impossible you were to leave behind.
jermajesty had always hated silence. he used to fill it with music. bad jokes. random conversations that started with "you know what i was thinking?" now... he just drove. the radio stayed off. naomi at in the passenger seat, scrolling through playlists on her phone. "you've been quiet all night."
he glanced over. "sorry." "don't apologize." she smiled gently. "i was just making sure you weren't mad at me." his eyebrows pulled together. "why would i be mad at you?" she shrugged. "i don't know." he reached over and squeezed her hand "I'm not." and he meant it. none of this was naomi's fault. she hadn't stolen him. she hadn't broken anybody apart. she'd simply walked into his life when he was lonely enough to convince himself loneliness and healing were the same thing.
after dropping her off, he sat in his car for another twenty minutes. he couldn't make himself drive home. his phone buzzed. genevieve. he answered. "what?" "don't 'what' me." he sighed. "i'm tired." "so is she." his grip tightened around the steering wheel. "is she okay?" genevieve laughed once. not because anything was funny. because she couldn't believe he'd asked. "you don't get to ask me that." he closed his eyes. "i know."
"you watched her cry in our mother's bathroom tonight." every word landed like a punch. "i know." "you watched her smile through dinner so nobody would feel uncomfortable." "i know." "and you still asked me if she's okay." he didn't answer. because there wasn't one. genevieve's voice softened. "jer..." "yeah?" "are you?" his throat tightened. he looked through the windshield at nothing. "i don't know anymore." his apartment was cold. not because the air conditioning was too high. because no one lived there except him. he tossed his keys onto the counter before opening the refrigerator. orange juice, eggs, leftover takeout. he frowned. "damn." she would've gone grocery shopping by now. the thought came without permission. he shut the refrigerator a little harder than he meant to.
he tried making coffee the next morning. he reached into the cabinet. paused. there were two mugs. one black. one deep brown with tiny gold speckles. hers. she'd accidentally left it months ago. he'd washed it. put it away. never returned it. his hand hovered over it before pulling back. he grabbed the black mug instead. the coffee tasted wrong.
"bro." jaafar leaned against the gym wall, towel draped around his neck. "you've missed every shot for the last five minutes." jermajesty blinked. "my bad." "you wanna tell me what's going on?" "nothing." "liar." he bounced the basketball once before passing it over. jermajesty caught it automatically.
jaafar watched him carefully. "you still love her." the ball slipped through jermajesty's hands. it rolled across the court. he didn't chase it. "i never stopped." the words echoed louder than he expected. jaafar didn't look surprised. he just looked sad. "then why'd you leave?"jermajesty laughed bitterly. "because loving somebody isn't always enough." he rubbed both hands over his face.
"every conversation became an argument." "i know." "she deserved better than the version of me i kept becoming." "did leaving fix that?" he stared at the floor. "no." "then what did it fix?" nothing. it fixed nothing. he still looked for her in crowded rooms, still reached for his phone whenever something funny happened. still almost sent her videos before remembering. still expected to hear her singing while she cooked. still couldn't drive past the little diner where she'd stolen fries off his plate every friday night. he'd left. but somehow, she'd come with him.
that night, naomi invited him over for dinner. she greeted him with a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "i tried making your favorite pasta." his heart sank. it wasn't her fault. she couldn't have known, you had always made that recipe. he smiled anyway. "thank you."
they sat together. talked. laughed. she told him about work. he listened. he really did. then she asked a simple question. "do you want parmesan?" he almost answered without thinking. "only if you already put it on mine." silence. naomi frowned. "what?" his stomach dropped. that wasn't something he'd ever said to her. that was something he'd said to you. every single time you cooked. because you'd always forget to sprinkle cheese on his plate first. he set his fork down. "I'm sorry." she looked at him for a long time. too long. finally she whispered,
"you're still in love with her." it wasn't a question. he couldn't lie. not to her. not anymore. tears filled her eyes before his did. she nodded slowly. almost like she'd been preparing herself for the answer. "i kept wondering why it always felt like there was someone else sitting at this table." his heart shattered. because she deserved so much better than being compared to a memory.
"naomi..." she held up her hand. "don't." a tear slipped down her cheek. "you've been so kind to me.” another tear. "but i've been competing with someone who isn't even here." he covered his face. "I'm so sorry." she smiled through her tears. "i know." she reached across the table and squeezed his hand one last time. "i hope one day you find your way back to each other." he looked at her. for the first time in weeks... he realized what made him cry. it wasn't hope. it was knowing she'd said one day. and deep down,
he believed that day had already passed. some loves don't end because they disappear. they end because life keeps moving while two people stand still. and no matter how much they still loved each other... they had already become memories.
one year later.
people liked to say time healed everything. you’d learned that wasn’t true. time didn’t heal. it softened. the memories didn’t disappear. they just stopped knocking the air out of your lungs every time they showed up. instead of crying when you heard his favorite song… you smiled.
instead of avoiding the restaurant where you’d had your first date, you walked inside. ordered dessert. left a good tip. kept living. because eventually, you had to.
your apartment looked different now. warmer. plants sat on the windowsill. your walls held new pictures. new memories. new versions of yourself. you’d finally donated the hoodie. returned the box of his things months ago. you even bought a new coffee mug after accidentally reaching for his one too many times. life had moved. so had you. just, not in the way you’d imagined. “excuse me.” you looked up from the shelf of books. a familiar hand reached for the same novel you were holding. your heart stopped. slowly… your eyes traveled upward same curls. same warm brown eyes. same chain resting against his chest. older. little more tired around the eyes. but still, him. jermajesty froze. “hey.”
it had been a year, and somehow… he still said your name the same way. like it was something precious. “hey.” the word barely left your lips. for a second, neither of you moved. the bookstore buzzed quietly around you. pages turned. people talked. someone laughed near the front counter. the world kept going, just like it had the day you’d watched him walk out of your apartment. just like it had the day you’d watched him walk in holding someone else’s hand. and now… it kept going while the two of you stood face to face for the first time in almost a year.
“you look…” he smiled. “good.” you laughed quietly. “you too.” he rubbed the back of his neck. you almost smiled. some habits never changed. “how’ve you been?” this time, the question felt different. you thought about answering automatically. good. fine. can’t complain.
instead, you told the truth. “i’m happy.” his eyes softened. “that’s good.” “yeah.” you nodded. “it took a while.” “i know.” you believed him. because healing wasn’t something you could fake. and looking at him now, he looked like someone who had done the work. you wandered through the bookstore together. not because either of you planned to. because neither of you seemed ready to say goodbye. you talked about work. about genevieve. about jaafar finally learning how to cook without burning something. you laughed. real laughter. the kind that wasn’t weighed down by grief anymore. it almost felt, easy. almost. until he stopped walking.
“naomi and i broke up.” you looked at him. he wasn’t searching your face for a reaction. he was simply telling you the truth. “I’m sorry.” he nodded. “she deserved somebody who wasn’t trying to outrun his past.” you looked down. “she seemed like a really sweet girl.” “she is.” there wasn’t bitterness in his voice. only respect. “I hope she’s happy.” “I do too.”
you reached the front of the store. the afternoon sun spilled through the windows. your cars sat in opposite directions of the parking lot. funny. even now, life was asking you to choose separate paths. he looked at you. “can i tell you something?” you nodded. “I still think about you.” there it was. the sentence you’d imagined hearing a thousand different ways. a year ago… it would’ve been enough to send you running back into his arms. today, it simply made your eyes water. “I know.” he smiled sadly.
“how?” you looked out at the parking lot. “because i still think about you too.” silence settled between you.mnot uncomfortable, not painful, just honest. “i used to hope you’d think about me every time you held someone else.” you admitted it with a small laugh through your tears.
“I know.” “i wanted it to hurt.” “it did.” his voice cracked. “every day.” you finally looked at him. there was no pride in hearing those words. no satisfaction. only heartbreak. because if he had suffered, then neither of you had won. “I don’t want that anymore.” you whispered. “I don’t either.” another silence. gentler this time. “I don’t think we were a mistake.”
he said. your eyes filled again. “no.” you smiled. “i think we were just… early.” his lips trembled into the smallest smile. “maybe.” you stepped closer. without thinking, you wrapped your arms around him. he hugged you back immediately. the embrace felt familiar. safe. like coming home to a house that no longer belonged to you. when you pulled away, neither of you rushed to let go. “thank you.” he frowned.
“for what?” “for loving me the best way you knew how.” his eyes closed. “i’m sorry it wasn’t enough.” “It was.” you shook your head gently. “It just wasn’t enough forever.” he swallowed hard. “i’ll always be rooting for you.” you smiled. “i know.” he laughed softly. “how do you keep doing that?” “because i know you.” he looked at you for a long moment. then nodded once. “yeah.” you both glanced toward the parking lot. time to leave. this time, neither of you waited for the other to walk away first. you’d already learned how painful that was. “take care of yourself, jer.” “you too.” you turned. took a few steps. then stopped. not because you wanted to go back. because there was one last thing you needed him to know. without looking over your shoulder, you spoke.
“i hope she makes you smile one day.” he stood quietly behind you. then answered with a voice so soft the wind almost carried it away. “she already did.”
you frowned. he continued. “she was you.” a tear slipped down your cheek. you smiled. not because it didn’t hurt. but because it didn’t have to anymore. you walked toward your car. he walked toward his. and for the first time since the day your love story ended… neither of you looked back. because some people aren’t meant to stay in your life forever. they’re meant to stay in your heart. and somehow… that was enough.
summary: jermajesty has been acting suspicious for weeks, but you never expect the surprise he’s been planning with both of your families. one heartfelt speech, one ring, and one question changes everything.
a/n : i’m sooo sorry i ghosted yall for like a week, ive been so busy and my inbox request looks a MESSSS i have so many. im so greatful that yall sent request though. it genuinely makes me happy, im gonna be focusing on writing them starting from the older ones to most recentttt ofc yall can still send in request just know it might take a while.. lmao 😫 and don’t hate me this isn’t proof read
sometimes you wondered if you were just dramatic. because there was absolutely no reason you should’ve been reading into every little thing jermajesty did. …right? you sat cross legged on the couch, pretending to pay attention to the movie playing on the tv while stealing your fourth glance toward him in the kitchen. he wasn’t doing anything suspicious. just making popcorn. except… why was he smiling at his phone like that? your eyes narrowed. he looked down at the screen, typed something, smiled to himself, then locked it the second he noticed you staring.“…what?” he asked, grinning. you blinked innocently. “nothing.” “mhm.” you looked back at the tv, “…who’re you texting?”
he shrugged. “just family.” “…family that makes you smile like that?” “they’re funny.” “right.” he laughed quietly, shaking his head before carrying the popcorn over. “you’re nosy.” “i’m observant.” he leaned down to kiss the top of your head before setting the bowl between you. “whatever helps you sleep at night.” you narrowed your eyes at him. he only smiled wider.
it had started about a month ago. at first, it was little questions. completely random ones. “what kind of flowers do you like the most?” “peonies.” “really?” “yeah.” he hummed like he was mentally taking notes. on another day, “would you rather have a huge surprise or something more private?” you looked up from your book. “what kind of surprise?” “just… any surprise.” “…private.” “why?” “because i cry ugly.” he laughed so hard he nearly dropped the mug he was washing. another day, “what’s your ring size again?” you froze. “why?” his eyes got just a little too wide. “…hypothetically.” “maj.” “hypothetically.” “…why are you asking?”
he scratched the back of his neck. “i forgot.” “…you’ve never known it.” “exactly.” you stared. he stared back. then he cleared his throat. “anyway.” and walked away. you blinked after him. “that was weird.” it wasn’t enough to convince you of anything. but it definitely made you wonder. just a little. okay. a lot.
the weirdness only got worse. he started taking phone calls in the hallway instead of beside you. one afternoon you walked into your bedroom without knocking, even though it was your own room, and found him sitting on the edge of the bed. the second he heard the door open, he shoved something into the nightstand drawer so fast you almost laughed. “…what was that?” “nothing.” “…you practically threw whatever it was.” “didn’t throw it.” “…maj.” “baby.” you folded your arms. “what’re you hiding?” he smiled. “can’t tell you.” “can’t or won’t?” “both.” he stood up, wrapped his arms around your waist, and kissed your forehead before you could investigate further.
“you’re adorable when you’re curious.” “i’m going through that drawer later.” “no, you’re not.” “watch me.” he laughed. “you’ll ruin my surprise.” your heart skipped. “surprise?” “…” “i didn’t say that.” “you literally just did.” “did i?” you gasped dramatically. “jermajesty jackson.” he burst into laughter. “oops.”before you could ask another question, he kissed you. he distracted you so well that you completely forgot what you were asking. which only made you more suspicious afterward. the following week, jermajesty was a nervous wreck. he hid it well. at least… he thought he did. but jaafar and randy jr. had known him his entire life. they could tell, “bro,” randy laughed, watching maj pace back and forth across the backyard. “you’re wearing a hole through the grass.” “i’m not pacing.” “you’re quite literally pacing.”
jermajesty looked down at his feet. “oh.” jaafar couldn’t help but smile. “you got the ring?” he instinctively patted the inside pocket of his jacket. “…yeah.” “you’ve checked like… seventeen times”“eighteen.” randy snorted. “man.” jermajesty rolled his eyes, though a smile tugged at his lips. “can y’all stop making fun of me?” “we’re not,” jaafar said honestly. “i’ve just never seen you this nervous.” jermajesty let out a long breath. “i just really want it to be perfect.” the teasing stopped. randy reached over, patting his shoulder. “it doesn’t have to be perfect.” jaafar nodded. “it just has to be honest.” maj looked down at the little velvet box in his hands. he’d carried it around for nearly three weeks. every day he’d planned a speech. rewritten it, scrapped it, started over. because somehow… no combination of words ever felt big enough. how were you supposed to explain to someone that they had become your home? that every version of your future started with them? that loving them was the easiest thing you’d ever done?
“what if she cries before i even ask?” jer mumbled. randy blinked. “then she’s probably saying yes.” “…what if i start crying?” jaafar laughed. “you definitely will.” “nigga, i’m serious.” “so am i.” the three of them looked at each other. then burst into laughter.
for the next few days, the planning became even more secretive. jaafar was in charge of keeping everyone updated. randy handled making sure both families actually showed up on time. their cousins helped string warm lights between the trees. his mom carefully arranged white lilies in glass vases. someone laid candles along the little pathway leading to the overlook where jer wanted to ask you. he kept repeating the same sentence over and over. “not too much.” he didn’t want anything flashy. he didn’t need fireworks, or photographers hiding in bushes. he just wanted it to feel… like the two of you.
meanwhile… you were losing your mind. “he’s hiding something.” you said it for what felt like the hundredth time. your best friend raised an eyebrow. “and what makes you think that?” “literally everything.” “very specific.” “he keeps disappearing.” “okay.” “his family keeps looking at me weird.” “…okay.” “jaafar smiled at me yesterday.” “not like normal smiling.” “there are different kinds?”
“yes!” you sighed dramatically. “something is happening.” “…or…” your friend grinned. “you’re just overthinking girl.” “probably.” you groaned. “i’m definitely overthinking.”
saturday finally came. jermajesty stood in the bedroom doorway, fixing the sleeves of his button up. you looked up from the vanity. “wow.” he smiled. “what?” “you look so handsome.” his cheeks warmed instantly. “thank you ma.” he walked over, placing a gentle kiss on your forehead before looking you over. then… his jaw practically dropped. “baby.” you looked down at your outfit.“what?” you looked up concerned, “…you’re…” he laughed softly. “you’re beautiful.” you smiled. “thank you.” he couldn’t stop staring. for a second he forgot how to breathe. she’s gonna be my fiancée. the thought hit him so hard he had to look away before he got emotional. “you ready?” he asked quietly. you nodded. “where are we going again?” he smirked. “it’s a surprise.” you sighed dramatically. “i knew you were gonna say that.” he laughed, intertwining his fingers with yours as he led you out the front door. behind his calm smile, his heart was pounding so loudly he was convinced you could hear it. because in just a few hours, if everything went the way he’d dreamed of, he wouldn’t just be your boyfriend anymore. he’d be the man you said yes to.
and hidden just a few minutes away, behind trees and soft string lights, your families, and everyone who loved the two of you were waiting quietly, trying their hardest not to give the surprise away. the group chat had been buzzing all afternoon with updates from jaafar.
jaafar: they just left the house.
randy jr.: everybody hide. seriously. auntie almost walked into the open with the flowers.
jaafar: maj’s gonna freak if y’all ruin this 😭
everyone settled back into place, smiling to themselves. all that was left now… was for jermajesty to ask the easiest and most important question of his life. the drive felt… normal. almost too normal. jermajesty had one hand on the steering wheel and the other resting on your thigh, gently rubbing his thumb back and forth like he always did. he even sang along to the music. if someone had looked through the window, they would’ve thought it was just another saturday night. but you noticed the little things. the way he kept taking deep breaths. the way he checked the time every few minutes. the way his fingers trembled ever so slightly whenever they left your leg. “baby, you okay?” you asked softly. he looked over at you for a second before smiling. “yeah.” “you sure?”
“just excited.” “for what?” he chuckled. “you’ll see.” there it was again. ‘you’ll see.’ he had been saying that all week. you rolled your eyes playfully, “i’m tired of hearing ‘you’ll see.’” “i know.” “just give me a hint.” “nope.” “just one.” “absolutely not.” you huffed dramatically, folding your arms. “fine.” he reached over and squeezed your hand. “don’t be mad at me.” “depends.” “on?” “whether this surprise is actually worth all the secrets.” he laughed. “i think it is.”
about twenty minutes later, he pulled into a quiet overlook. you frowned. “…maj.” he got out first before jogging around to your side. when he opened your door, he held his hand out. “come on.” you slipped your hand into his. “why are we here?” “just trust me.” you always did. so you nodded. he led you down a small stone path. the farther you walked, the quieter everything became. the only sounds were your footsteps and the soft breeze brushing through the trees. then, you noticed them. little warm string lights hanging between the branches. white peonies lining both sides of the walkway. candles flickering gently against the evening sky. you stopped walking. “oh my god, maj” your voice barely came out above a whisper. “what is all this?” he turned toward you. his smile was small, kinda nervous. the kind of smile he wore whenever he cared too much about getting something right. “come here.” your heart started racing. he took both of your hands.
they were warm, but very shaky. you looked down. “you’re so nervous.” he laughed quietly. “really nervous.” you had never seen him like this, not once. your stomach flipped. “baby” he looked down for a second, taking a deep breath before meeting your eyes again. his own were already glossy. “i had this whole speech memorized.” you smiled through the tears already building in your eyes. “yeah?”
he laughed, embarrassed. “it’s gone.” you giggled. “completely?” “completely.” that made both of you laugh. the laughter settled his nerves. he gently squeezed your hands. “i’ll just tell you what’s on my heart.” you nodded. he swallowed. “before i met you,” his voice caught. he smiled to himself. “i didn’t know loving somebody could feel this easy.” a tear slipped down your cheek. he reached up, brushing it away with his thumb. “every morning i wake up, and i get to see you…” “and every single morning i think the same thing.” he smiled. “how did i get so damn lucky?’”your lip trembled. “you’ve been there through every version of me.” “the good days.” “the bad ones.” “the days where i didn’t even know how to love myself.” his own eyes watered, “and you never stopped choosing me.” you couldn’t stop crying now. he laughed softly. “baby, don’t cry yet.” “i can’t help it.” “i haven’t even gotten to the important part.” you laughed through your tears. he smiled, completely in love with the sound. “every dream i’ve ever had…” “every goal, “ “every version of my future…” “you’re in it.” his voice grew quieter. “i don’t want a life that doesn’t have you in it.” “i don’t want forever, unless forever is with you.” he slowly let go of one of your hands. your breath caught, he reached into the inside pocket of his jacket. your eyes widened.
“maj,” he smiled through watery eyes. “yeah.” he lowered himself onto one knee. you covered your mouth immediately. “oh my god” he pulled out the little teal box. opening it with shaky fingers. inside sat the most beautiful ring you’d ever seen.
he looked up at you. his eyes never leaving yours. “you are my best friend.” “my safe place.” “my biggest blessing.” “and the greatest love i’ve ever known.” his smile grew. “so,” he took a shaky breath. “will you marry me?” for a second… everything went quiet. you couldn’t hear the wind anymore. or the birds. or even your own heartbeat. all you saw… was him looking up at you with hopeful eyes. waiting. your tears came even harder. you nodded so fast you could barely breathe. “yes.”
your voice cracked. “yes.” another nod. “yes.” you laughed through your sobs. “of course i’ll marry you.” jermajesty blinked. “really?” you stared at him “really?” he laughed. “i know, dumb question.” you nodded frantically. “come here.” instead of standing, he slipped the ring onto your finger first. his hands trembled so much that he had to laugh “hold still.” “i’m trying.” the ring finally slid into place. you both looked down at it. then back at each other. “hi, fiancée,” he whispered. you burst into tears all over again, “don’t call me that yet.” “why not?”
“because i’ll cry harder.” he stood up so quickly you almost stumbled into him. before you could say another word, he wrapped both arms around your waist and pulled you against him. holding you like he never wanted to let go. he kissed your forehead, your cheeks. your nose. your lips. between every kiss, he whispered the same thing. “thank you.” “thank you.”
“thank you.” you laughed, wiping at his tears with your thumbs. “why are you thanking me?” he rested his forehead against yours. “because…” his smile was brighter than you’d ever seen it. “you said yes.” before you could answer, a loud voice suddenly echoed through the trees. “FINALLY!” both of your heads snapped toward the sound. from behind the trees came jaafar, and the rest of the family, all laughing, clapping, and cheering as they rushed toward the two of you. you gasped, covering your mouth. “you all knew?”jaafar pointed at maj with a grin. “this man has been stressing us out for a month.” “he made us rehearse where we were supposed to stand.” “three times,” one of your cousins added. “he almost canceled because one flower wasn’t in the right spot,” jaafar teased. maj buried his face in your shoulder, groaning. “y’all said y’all weren’t gonna tell her.” “we didn’t!” randy jr. laughed. “we’re just exposing you now.”
everyone burst into laughter. jermajesty just looked back at you, your hand still in his, the ring sparkling under the lights. he smiled so softly it made your heart ache. “worth every second.” you leaned up and kissed him again. “best surprise ever.” behind you, someone yelled, “alright, enough kissing! let us see the ring!” and just like that, the quiet proposal turned into a night full of hugs, happy tears, pictures, laughter, and family celebrating the newest chapter in your love story.
summary: everyone always asks the same question. how did a girl like you end up with a guy like jermajesty? you never really have an answer. all you know is that somewhere between anime rants, late night studio sessions, and stolen kisses, you fell in love with the boy nobody expected.
nobody understood your boyfriend. sometimes you didn’t either. one minute he’d be sitting at his desk producing music with a level of focus usually reserved for brain surgeons. the next he’d be pacing around the apartment passionately explaining why a character from some anime you’d never heard of was misunderstood. “baby.” “hm?” you looked up from your phone. jermajesty was standing in front of the couch. serious.
way too serious. “he wasn’t the villain.” you blinked. “…who?” he looked offended. “you know who.” “i genuinely don’t.” “we watched it together.” “we watched a lot of things together.” “the anime.” “baby, that narrows it down to like fifteen different shows.” he groaned dramatically and dropped beside you on the couch. you immediately laughed. “are you really upset about this?” “yes.” “he’s not real.” “that’s not the point.” “it literally is.” “you don’t understand.”
“clearly.” jermajesty shook his head. “one day you’ll get it.” “one day i’ll pretend to.” “that’s all i ask.” you smiled and rested your head on his shoulder. his arm wrapped around you automatically. you didn’t even think he realized he did it anymore. “what were you doing in there anyway?” you asked, “working.” “working?” “on music.” “for how long?” he glanced at the clock. “…”
“jermajesty.” “…five hours.” your mouth fell open. “five hours?” “that’s not bad.”“you’ve been in that room since lunch.” “and?” “it’s dark outside.” “okay?”you stared at him. he stared back, completely serious. you burst out laughing. “you’re such a nerd.” “that’s crazy coming from someone who spent three hours watching reality tv yesterday.” “that’s different.” “how?” “because i said so.” “great argument.” “thank you.” he rolled his eyes. but there was a smile fighting its way onto his face. there always was. especially when it came to you.
later that night, the two of you ended up at a small party one of your friends was hosting. jermajesty wasn’t to fond of being around this many people, but nevertheless the he did it for you. he’d only agreed to come because you gave him those eyes. the ones he could never say no to.“baby.” you appeared beside him with two drinks. “you okay?”
“mhm.” “you’ve been standing in this corner for twenty minutes.” “it’s a nice corner.” you laughed.“there’s food.” “i know.” “music.” “i know.” “people.” “that’s actually the problem.” you nearly choked laughing. you reached for his hand. instantly, his fingers laced through yours. one of your friends spotted the two of you from across the room and immediately made her way over. “there y’all are.” you smiled. “heyy.” your friend looked between you and jermajesty. then back at you. then back at him. the way people always did. like they were trying to solve a puzzle.
“can i ask a question?” “that’s never a good start,” you said. “how did this happen?” you immediately started laughing. jermajesty groaned. “see?” your friend pointed. “everybody wants to know.” “why?” “because look at you.” you frowned. “look at me what?” “you’re like…” she motioned toward you. “you.” then she motioned toward jermajesty. “and he’s…” “me?” jermajesty offered. “exactly.” you looked at your boyfriend. his glasses were slightly crooked. his hoodie was currently peeking out from underneath a jacket. and he’d spent the entire drive here explaining a beat he’d been working on. you smiled. then reached up and kissed his cheek.
“yeah.” his face immediately turned a faint shade of red. your friend blinked. “oh.”“what?” “nothing.” you grinned. “exactly.” because what nobody understood was that while everyone else saw the quiet nerd standing in the corner… you saw the man who stayed up helping you study.
the man who memorized your coffee order.the man who sent you voice notes at three in the morning because he’d thought of something that reminded him of you.the man who got excited talking about music, and anime, and every random thing he loved. you didn’t just love him. you loved every single thing that came with him. you wouldn’t have traded him for anybody.
summary: after a breakup, you and jermajesty focus on co parenting your three year old daughter, jeni. during a family dinner, jermajesty’s jealousy over a flirty waiter makes it clear neither of you have moved on. one heartfelt conversation later, old feelings resurface and the little family you’ve both been missing finally gets a second chanc
warnings : kissing, jealousy, fluff
the late afternoon sun spilled through the sheer curtains of your apartment, painting everything in soft gold. the place wasn’t huge, but it felt warm. tiny pink sneakers sat abandoned by the front door, coloring books covered the coffee table, and a stuffed bunny was lying face first on the couch after what was probably another dramatic tea party.
you were standing in front of the hallway mirror fixing the strap of your sundress when a familiar black suv pulled into the parking lot below. your stomach did that annoying little flip it always did, jermajesty. three years later and he still had that effect on you. before you could stop yourself, you glanced out the window. there he was. tall as ever, climbing out of the driver’s seat dressed in a fitted black t shirt and dark jeans. the kind of outfit that should’ve looked simple but somehow looked unfairly good on him.
his curls were pulled back loosely today, a few pieces falling around his face. he’d gotten older since the two of you first met, his features a little sharper now, his jaw more defined, but his eyes were still the same. and entirely too easy to get lost in.
a loud gasp pulled your attention away. “mommy!” little feet pounded across the floor. jeni practically launched herself at the window. “it’s daddy!” you smiled despite yourself. jeni looked exactly like him. same big brown eyes. same bright smile, same dark curls that bounced wildly around her tiny face. the only thing she got from you was her nose and maybe her attitude. “i know, baby.”
the knock came seconds later. before you could even reach the door, jeni was already yanking it open. “daddy!” he barely had time to react before she crashed into him. he laughed instantly. the one you hadn’t heard nearly enough lately. “there’s my girl.” he scooped her up effortlessly. jeni wrapped herself around him like a koala. “i missed you.” “i missed you more.”
“that’s impossible.” “is it?” “yep.” he pretended to think about it. “okay, maybe.” you leaned against the doorway watching them. it was impossible not to. every single time. because no matter what happened between you and jermajesty… he had always been an incredible father.
his eyes found yours over jeni’s shoulder. and for a second everything felt too familiar. “hey.” “hey.” his gaze drifted over you. just for a second. but you caught it. the way his eyes lingered. the way he swallowed. “you look nice.” your cheeks warmed. “thank you.” jeni grinned. “daddy said mommy’s pretty.” you immediately covered your face.“jeni.” jermajesty laughed. “i mean..” “don’t start.” “i’m just saying.” you rolled your eyes. he smiled, and suddenly it felt a little too much like old times.
the restaurant sat near the water, its floor to ceiling windows glowing with the orange light of sunset. inside, soft music played while conversations buzzed around the room. jeni sat between the two of you in a booster seat, happily coloring on the kid’s menu. every once in a while she’d interrupt herself to tell a story neither of you fully understood. something involving a butterfly, a dinosaur, and a juice box. you nodded anyway. maj listened like she was delivering the most important speech in the world. you caught yourself smiling.
“what?” he asked. “nothing.” “you’re smiling.” “am i not allowed to smile?” “not at me.” you kicked him under the table, he nearly choked on his drink. jeni gasped dramatically. “mommy!” “don’t encourage him.” “she assaulted me.”“you’ll survive.” “i’m not sure.” he placed a hand over his chest. “tell my daughter i loved her.” jeni dissolved into giggles. you hated how natural this all felt, how easy. how much it made you miss him.
the waiter arrived a few minutes later. he was very attractive. you noticed. mostly because jermajesty noticed though. “good evening,” the waiter said, smiling directly at you. “can i get you started with something to drink, beautiful?” your eyebrows lifted slightly. jermajesty’s jaw tightened. “water is fine,” you answered politely. the waiter smiled. “good choice.”
jermajesty’s grip tightened around his menu. you tried not to laugh. the waiter left soon after taking jeni’s and jermajesty’s drinks. a moment of silence passed between you and jermajesty after he left, jeni in her own world coloring. “beautiful?”
jermajesty muttered. you looked up “what?” “nothing.” “maj.” “nothing.” jeni looked between both of you. completely invested. “mommy is beautiful.” you burst out laughing. jermajesty nodded. “exactly.” “see?” jeni pointed proudly. “daddy agrees.” you were pretty sure he wanted to high five her.
it got worse. every single time the waiter returned, he somehow found another reason to talk to you. another compliment, another smile, and another excuse to linger. each time jermajesty’s mood got darker. just… jealous. by dessert, his arm was stretched across the back of your chair. close enough that his fingers occasionally brushed your shoulder. the waiter noticed too. and apparently decided to push his luck. “so,” he said while setting down your check. “you got a boyfriend?”
the entire table froze. you blinked. jermajesty looked ready to commit a felony. “that’s my mommy!” jeni announced proudly. the waiter laughed. “well, your mommy is gorgeous. jermajesty’s smile became terrifyingly polite. “she is.” the waiter finally walked away. you looked at jermajesty. he looked at the waiter. the waiter wisely kept walking. “maj.” “what?” “relax.” “i am relaxed.” “you look like you’re planning a murder.” “i’m not.” pause. “anymore.” you laughed so hard you nearly cried.
the ride home was quieter. jeni had fallen asleep halfway there. her little head leaned against the car seat while her stuffed bunny rested in her lap. the city lights blurred outside the windows. inside, it was just you and him. the silence felt different now. heavier. you glanced over. his hands rested on the steering wheel.
you remembered those hands. the way they’d held yours. the way they’d held jeni when she was born. the way they’d held you when everything felt impossible. your chest tightened. “thanks for dinner.” he nodded. “always.” and something about the way he said it made your stomach twist. because he meant it. he always would.
once upstairs, the two of you carefully tucked jennie into bed. she barely stirred. just mumbled something about dinosaurs before rolling over. both of you laughed quietly. then you closed the bedroom door.
it was just you and him, the hallway light cast soft shadows across the walls. “why were you acting so weird tonight?” you finally asked. his gaze lifted. “i wasn’t.” you laughed softly. “jer.” he rubbed a hand over his face. “he was flirting with you.” “so?” the answer came immediately. “i didn’t like it.” your breath caught. “you don’t get to be jealous anymore.” the words landed harder than you intended. you watched his expression change.
watched something vulnerable appear there. something raw. because he knew you were right. he looked down. then back up. his eyes finding yours. holding them. “i know.” your heart pounded. “but i am.” the apartment suddenly felt too small. too full of things neither of you had said. his voice lowered. “every time i leave here, i don’t want to.” you froze. “jer…”
“every dinner.” he shook his head. “every movie night. every birthday. every time we do something together as a family.” his voice cracked slightly. “it feels like i’m getting a glimpse of what i lost.” your chest ached. “i miss you.” the confession barely rose above a whisper. but it hit you harder than anything else. because you could hear the truth in it. years of it. “i miss us.”
your eyes burned. and before you could stop them, tears gathered. he took a small step forward. then another. close enough now that you could see every detail of his face. the faint scar near his eyebrow. the softness in his eyes. the hope. “let’s try again.” your breath caught. “what?”
“us.” his voice was barely steady. “let’s try again.” you stared at him. unable to speak. because for years.. that’s all you’d wanted. he reached for your hand. like he wasn’t sure he still had the right. when your fingers intertwined with his, his shoulders relaxed. “not because of jeni.”
his thumb brushed yours. “because i love you.” your heart shattered and healed all at once. and before you could think yourself out of it you kissed him, like every piece of yourself had finally found its way home. and when he kissed you back. it felt exactly the same. he roughly pulled you into him trying to get as close as possible to you. your hands traveled from his chest to his neck. “i missed you so much baby.” he breathed out heavy in between kisses.
it felt exactly the same. like no matter how much time passed. no matter how many mistakes happened. you were always going to find your way back to each other.
summary: it was supposed to be a peaceful family cookout until old insecurities resurface and jealousy finally pushes the first baby mama past her breaking point, turning a simple gathering into a bunch of baby momma drama
contains: usage of ‘y/n’, jealousy!,pettiness hella arguing, glasses will be thrown, jermajesty is just trying his best, small fight towards the end
notes: jermajesty and Alyssa’s son = josiah ( 4 ), y/n and jermajesty’s daughter = jayda ( 2 )
“awww look at the you two” latoya awed at her young neice and nephew in their matching outfits “now you know that boys moma ain’t gonna like that” she said and looked at you with her hands planted on her hips.
you rolled your eyes “so? she should’ve brought him clothes when she dropped him of five days” you replied making Latoya’s eyes nearly pop out of her head.
“five days ago?!”“Mhm.” You shrugged. “And not a single outfit either.” “go play babies, you know she coming later” janet added, The kids took off toward the backyard, giggling as they ran past.
“who..?” You slowly turned your head toward Janet, she pursued her lips together and you knew exactly what that meant “my brother invited her too”
you scoffed “you can’t be serious” latoya made a face that could only be described as yikes, she nodded “Yeah… he told me earlier. I thought you knew.”
A little while later, you were sitting beside Jermajesty, talking with his aunts and uncles, when the conversation around the table suddenly died down.
The attention of the entire backyard shifted toward the entrance.
Alyssa.
“Hey everybodyyy!” She walked in like she was making an entrance on purpose as usual, a tight bandage dress hugged every curve, wedges clicking against the pavement as she strutted across the yard. A few relatives exchanged looks while others quickly glanced away, pretending not to stare.
Alyssa stopped in front of the table and placed a hand on her chest. “Well damn. I don’t get a hello, Jermajesty? Or are you still wrapped around your little girlfriend’s finger?”
without missing a beat you held your hand in the air, showing off your 6 carat diamond engagement ring on your finger, Alyssa’s eyes immediately landed on it and you watched the realization hit. she gasped dramatically and put a hand on your shoulder “oh my mistake, fiancée”
You smiled sweetly. “That’s better.”
jermajesty sighed and took a sip of his beer “hey Alyssa” he gave her a half smile and a simple nod “Anyways…” She glanced around. “Where’s my son?”
you and jermajesty both gestured toward the swing set where Josiah and Jayda were chasing each other around., Alyssa looked at the two kids before snapping her head at the two of you and her eyes narrowed “nobody asked me before putting my son in matching clothes.”
“They’re just outfits.” you replied twisting your lips at her “So?” Alyssa turned fully toward you.
“It’s always ‘just’ something with you.” she said crossing her arms “and it’s always ‘something’ with you, you sent Josiah to our house with no clothes. Not one shirt. Not one pair of socks. Nothing.”
A few relatives suddenly became very interested in their drinks.
Alyssa crossed her arms. “He told me he already had clothes over there.” “He does.” “Then what’s the problem?”
“The problem is you’re standing here complaining about an outfit when you didn’t even pack a bag.”
Alyssa took a step closer…you stood up immediately…the backyard went quiet.
“You always think you’re his mama.” Alyssa’s voice lowered. “And you act like being his mama means you don’t have to do your part.”
Alyssa scoffed. “There you go.” “There I go what?” “Trying to play house with my son.”
Your jaw tightened. “Watch yourself.” “Or what?”before either of you could say another word, Jermajesty shot up from his chair.
“Alright. Enough.” He stepped between the both of you “Not today.”
“Come on,” he said firmly. “Can we be cordial for one family cookout? Just one?”
You looked at Alyssa…Alyssa looked at you, then, slowly, you sat back down.
Alyssa did the same, flipping her hair over her shoulder as she dropped into her seat.
“Whatever.” “Yeah,” you muttered. “Whatever.”
But judging by the look she sent you from across the table, the issue was far from over.
An hour later, the backyard had settled into that familiar cookout rhythm, music playing, kids running around, family talking over one another.
You were helping set the outdoor dining table, lining up plates and silverware and unfortunately, Alyssa had decided to help too. The two of you worked side by side in complete silence.
No conversation, no eye contact.
Then a loud cry shattered the quiet.
Both of your heads snapped up Josiah came running across the yard with tears streaming down his cheeks, his little face scrunched up in pain.
“Mommy!” The nickname slipped out before he could think, and he ran straight toward you with his arms outstretched.
right past Alyssa
You immediately crouched down and opened your arms. “Come here, baby. You’re okay. Josiah crashed into your embrace, burying his face in your shoulder as his tiny body shook with sobs.
“Oh, Jojo,” you cooed softly. “Let me see.” You gently pulled him back enough to look him over, his knees were scraped up, small streaks of blood running down both legs.
“Aww, poor thing.” You brushed some curls out of his face. “What happened?”
“I-I fell,” he cried. “You fell?” he nodded.
“Well, that’s okay. We can fix that.” You wiped away a tear with your thumb. “Let’s go inside and get you cleaned up-” “I got him.”
The sharpness in Alyssa’s voice made you look up. Before Josiah could respond, she grabbed his hand.
You stood up slowly. “He came to me.” Alyssa’s jaw tightened. “Yeah. Because you always gotta play mommy.”
The comment immediately rubbed you the wrong way, you glanced down at Josiah, then back at her. “He ran right past you because you weren’t even paying attention.”
Alyssa scoffed and in one swift motion, she picked Josiah up and settled him on her hip. “Regardless, he’s my son.” The way she emphasized my son made your eye twitch.
“Whatever, Alyssa.” You folded your arms. “Do you even know where the first-aid kit is?”
For the first time since the conversation started, Alyssa actually shut the fuck up- i mean hesitated.
The silence answered the question for her, you couldn’t help the small look of disbelief that crossed your face.
Alyssa immediately looked away and without another word, she turned and headed toward the house with Josiah still crying against her shoulder.
You watched her disappear through the back door before looking over at Jermajesty.
Jermajesty sighed heavily and pushed himself out of his chair.
A few relatives nearby suddenly became very interested in their food. He walked over and pressed a quick kiss to your forehead. “I’ll be back, baby.”
You nodded. “Mm-hm.”
Jermajesty shot one last look toward you before following after Alyssa, already knowing he was about to get stuck in the middle of another argument.
The sun had started to set, most of the food was gone, and conversations had turned lazy and comfortable as everyone settled around the tables.
Across the backyard, Josiah and Jayda darted through the grass with mason jars in hand, giggling as they chased fireflies.
“Aww,” Genevieve smiled. “Look at them.” Several people turned toward the kids.
“They look like real siblings.” Latoya added “I’m serious,” she continued. “y/n treats that baby like he’s her own. That’s rare these days.”
The table murmured in agreement, you immediately noticed Alyssa’s smile disappear.
“Oh?” The single word made everyone quiet down.
Latoya, completely oblivious, continued. “I’m just saying Josiah’s blessed. Some women would’ve treated him different.”
Alyssa laughed, not a happy laugh, yhe kind that made people start looking around awkwardly. “Right.”
Jermajesty sat up straighter. “Alyssa-” “No, let her finish.”
The backyard suddenly felt a lot smaller.
Alyssa crossed her arms. “Go ahead. Tell everybody how amazing she is and how I’m a bad mother.”
“Alyssa, nobody said that,” genevieve tried.
“But that’s what everybody keeps implying, every family function I come to, y’all act like she’s Mother Teresa.” then her eyes landed on you.
“Every single chance y’all get.” You sighed “Can we not do this right now?” “No. Let’s do it.”
“Girl, let it go.” Alyssa’s head snapped toward you.
“See? That’s your problem.” “My problem?”
“Everything’s always ‘girl let it go’ when somebody’s disrespecting me.” You laughed. “Nobody’s disrespecting you. You’re just insecure.” Alyssa sat up straighter. “Insecure about what exactly?” You looked her up and down before shrugging. “If you gotta ask, I can’t help you.”
Jermajesty whispered “Baby…” but it was too late.
Alyssa stood up. “No, say it with your chest.”
You stood too causing several relatives exchanged nervous glances.
“You wanna play mommy so fucking bad.” she said narrowing her eyes at you “And you wanna be a victim so damn bad.” you shot back
The entire table went silent.
“What’d you say?” “You heard me bitch.”
Jermajesty immediately got to his feet. “Both of y’all sit down.” Neither of you moved. Alyssa took a step forward.
“I am so sick of you.” “And I’m sick of your attitude.”
Another step.
“Everything’s a competition with you.” You laughed. “That’s funny coming from the woman who spent all day trying to compete with me.” “Ain’t nobody competing with you.” “Could’ve fooled the fuck outta me.”
The next few seconds happened fast.
Alyssa shoved your shoulder, not enough to hurt but enough to disrespect.
The entire table erupted.
“Alyssa!” “What the hell?!”
You stumbled back before immediately shoving her harder. “Oh, bitch!”
The plastic cup in your hand flew before you even thought about it, water splashed across Alyssa’s face.
For half a second everyone froze.
Then she lunged.
The two of you crashed into the grass.
her hands found there way into your hair as one of yours did the same while the other slapped her repeatedly, leaving a few marks on her face…reality tv style
Randy jr and jermajesty jumped up from their chairs as the two of you fell to the ground and started to actually fight.
“Break it up!” Jermaine shouted over the commotion
“Y’all stop!” Janet said clutching her chest in disbelief
Jermajesty got between you first, wrapping his arms around your waist and pulling you back while Randy jr and Jaafar grabbed Alyssa.
“Alyssa!” “LET ME GO!” “You need to leave!”
“You need to tell HER to stop acting like she’s his mother!” The backyard exploded into chaos.
Jayda started crying and Josiah looked terrified.
That immediately snapped you out of your anger.
You looked toward the kids and Jermajesty followed your gaze.
His face hardened.
For the first time all day, he wasn’t trying to keep the peace. “Alyssa take a breath and go home.”
The entire backyard went quiet.
Because everyone knew he wasn’t asking and Alyssa knew it too.
She wiped blood from the corner of her mouth and laughed bitterly “Fine.” she pointed around the backyard. “All of y’all can kiss my ass. And don’t invite me to shit else.”
she stood in front of Jermajesty “i’m picking up my son on thursday” he nodded head in the air, avoiding eye contact
she stomped away leaving the backyard in silence
jermajesty looked at his father and pointed a finger at him “i don’t know why the FUCK you would invite her here in the first place, you wanted everybody to play nice and look what happened”
jaafar stepped forward. “jer-” “jaafar get the fuck out of the way” he cut him off
“you owe my fiancé and my kids a apology and i don’t mean that half ass bull shit either”
you picked up your daughter and bent down to give Josiah a kiss on the forehead “i’m sorry you had to see that my babies, it won’t happen again”
A few minutes later, you, Jermajesty, Jayda, and Josiah walked toward the car in complete silence.
The cookout was definitely over.
And somehow, everybody knew this wasn’t over either.
warnings: gaslighting, cursing, poor communication, emotional neglect, reader is a bird!!
you stared at your phone for what had to be the hundredth time. delivered — 4 hours ago. four hours. you sighed and tossed the phone onto your bed before immediately grabbing it again. still nothing. which would’ve been fine if he was actually busy.
except he wasn’t, because twenty minutes ago he posted on insta, and ten minutes before that he posted on his story. so clearly his phone worked. your jaw tightened as you clicked on his story again. online. of course. you didn’t even think before typing.
you: so you’re active enough to post but not answer me?
the message delivered instantly. three dots appeared then disappeared. then finally,
him: damn can i breathe?
a laugh slipped passed your lips as you stared at your phone in confusion, not because it was funny. because it was ridiculous.
you: jermajesty i’ve literally been waiting on a reply all day
him: and?
you: and? wtf do you mean and?
another few seconds passed.
him: i was busy you
you sat up straighter.
you: busy doing what? posting selfies?
him: here you go
him: starting problems for no reason
your eyes widened. the audacity.
you: i’m starting problems???
you: i sent one text this morning
you: one
his reply came immediately this time. funny how that worked.
him: because i’m answering now
him: why are you dragging it
you stared at the screen. that familiar feeling settling in your chest. the one where somehow you started a conversation upset with him and ended up feeling like you had to defend yourself.
you: i’m not dragging it
you: it just hurts my feelings when you ignore me
seen. a full minute passed then turned into three.
him: i wasn’t ignoring you
him: you’re too sensitive
you almost lost your mind after that comment, the sentence that always made your stomach drop. because he said it so casually. like your feelings were some inconvenience. like you were asking for too much.
you called him before you could stop yourself. he answered on the third ring. “what?” he said immediately. not hello. not hey baby. just what. you looked at your ceiling.
“why are you acting like this?” he scoffed. “acting like what?” “like i’m bothering you.” “because you’re doing too much.”your chest tightened. “i just wanted you to text me back.” “and i’m texting you now.”
“after four hours.” “because i was busy.”“you were literally posting.” “posting takes two seconds.” “then answering me would’ve taken two seconds too.” a moment of silence, then a sharp laugh from him. not a happy one. the kind that made you feel stupid. “so you really keeping track of everything i do?” “that’s not the point jermajesty.”
“nah, it sounds like the point.” you squeezed your eyes shut. he always did this. always found a way to flip it. always made you feel guilty for being upset in the first place. and somehow, even though you knew exactly what he was doing, it still worked.
because the next words out of your mouth weren’t about what he did. “i’m not trying to fight with you.” and immediately you hated yourself for saying it. because somehow he ignored you all day. and now you were the one apologizing.
pairing: jermajesty jackson x femblack!reader (but feel free to imagine whatever, i don't describe anything fr)
summary: jermajesty is part of the original twelve casted on love island season nine. when seeing you walk in as the first bombshell, he knows he has to have you. and he's not stopping until he does.
warnings: lowkeyposessive!jermajesty, pre-toxic!jermajesty, reader is soft now, but she'll be his worst nightmare soon enough, use of the n word, make out in soul ties, 3.4k words
a/n: thinking of making this into a mini series, like inter-connected oneshots type vibe? i saw a tiktok of someone saying that they need this season of love island to have a movie night, casa amor, and then another movie night and i was like fuckkk i gotta do it... so lmk if y'all like this and ill keep posting more
you had unknowingly been casted on the messiest season of love island.
you weren’t a part of the original twelve cast, though originally you were planned to be. a small family emergency arose and nearly pulled you out completely. instead, it was settled and handled by your sister. you gave the okay to stick to the process— coming into the villa as a bombshell the next day.
and of course, you were a hot commodity. no one in the villa was closed off, meaning you were pulled for chats consistently without all the added tension and drama. you’d started in a chat with a boy named ruben and found you had no connection immediately. your next few conversations were dry as fuck. one boy asked to kiss you within five minutes, and honestly? you didn’t play that shit. you’d gotten up with the quickness, making it maybe a dozen feet before deon pulled you for, finally, your first good chat.
physically, deon was your type to a T. he’d been a gentleman, holding your hand gently as you walked up the narrow steps and not letting go until you’d gotten comfortable on the overly cushioned couch. deon made sure to ask you questions and show you interest, spaced a respectable distance away from you as you chat about the vibes and everything you missed from coming into the villa late.
within a few minutes of chatting with deon, though, you feel a shiver down your spine. you ignore it for as long as you can but, as you shift positions to get more comfortable, you see an outline from your peripheral view. your eyes wonder and you see him sitting directly across the villa with a girl you’d been introduced to but already forgot the name of.
you feel slightly bad for her, because as she speaks animatedly— sitting so close that it was obvious they were coupled up— he watches you.
he doesn’t take his eyes off of you, even as you catch him in the act. in fact, you watch as his eyes trail slowly down— over your lips, down your printed dress that showed the perfect amount of cleavage, over your bare knee peaking through the slit, and over the heels on your feet. your stomach flips when his tongue glides over his bottom lip and plummets when he pulls his lip between his teeth.
his eyes travel back up your body until he meets your stare again. it feels like you’re frozen in his gaze, only breaking free when the girl— what was her name? winter? autumn?— lays her hand on his arm and pulls his attention away.
it takes less than two minutes for him to pull you after wrapping up your chat with poor, sweet, deon.
jermajesty doesn’t lead you far— just to the set of daybeds near the pool, away from the main seating area but still visible to anyone who wanted to look. he sits first and you sit across from him— a strategic distance— but he just grins like he knows exactly what you’re doing.
“nah, come sit over here,” he says, patting the seat directly next to him. “i don’t bite.”
you move closer, telling yourself it’s because refusing would hurt his ego, not because something in his voice makes you stand before your brain catches up.
he’s even prettier up close. loose curls fall over his forehead in a messy way, nearly grazing his thick but neat eyebrows. you can’t help the way you can’t look away from, switching from the heat of his dark eyes and his plush lips. his skin is so clear that you feel a little jealous. he has slight facial hair and you imagine what it would feel like rubbing against the skin of your neck and the inside of your thighs.
your first chat, outside of introductions during your entrance, goes just as you expect it to. he’s charming you in every opportunity and you’re accepting it with a shit-eating smile on your face.
“real shit— i saw you walk in and i already knew,” he says at one point.
“knew what?” you’d managed, and you hated how breathless you had sounded around him already.
“that you was gon’ be a problem for me.” and he sits back as he says it, spreading his legs wider and resting a hand on his knee. he watches you notice it and the corner of his mouth lifts a tiny bit higher. you roll your eyes, albeit playfully, and reply, “you know you’re coupled up, right?”
“i am. and?” there's no hesitation in his voice. “this whole thing is about finding your person, right?”
you hum in reply and he moves past it. “so what you looking for? ‘cause i peeped you with deon. he seem like a nice guy.” he says ‘nice guy’ as if it’s an insult, a slur. it causes a spike of annoyance to run through you. there was nothing wrong with being a gentleman.
“he is nice,” you sound slightly defensive.
“yeah, i bet,” jermajesty’s smile is slow, knowing. “you like nice? is that what does it for you?
you should say yes. you should tell him that nice is exactly what you want, what you need. instead, you hold his gaze and say nothing. he laughs— a low, rich sound that you feel in your chest and somewhere a lot lower.
“nah, you don’t. i can tell…” he trails off, “i bet you the type that need somebody who challenges you. keep you on your toes and make you feel something.”
“you don’t know me.”
“not yet, but i will.” he promises. your conversation continues until it’s time to unwind and get ready to sleep. that night, he shared a bed with winter/autumn/summer but doesn’t dare touch her. he turns to lay with his back facing her. conventionally, he can also see you two beds down, sleeping alone in your satin tank and short set.
the next morning, you’re met with two breakfast plates as you’re getting ready in the makeup room. the third arrives as you’re halfway done with your makeup. it’s jermajesty’s plate— and it’s piled up with twice the amount of food as the other two plates. the girl next to you shouts ‘damn girl, he want you bad!’ and you laugh. looking in the mirror sat on top of the vanity, you see a twinkling in your eyes.
the day is chill. you spend some time in the pool getting to know the girls better. jermajesty pulls you for multiple chats throughout this time, giving the other boys damn near no chance as he gets to know you better. that night, the villa is hit with a surprise recoupling where the choice is in the hands of the men.
to no one’s surprise, you and jermajesty share a bed that night. and the night after. and the night after.
you slowly get closer, even as your connection is tested by the arrival of two new bombshells— both men. they’re revealed during the villa’s lingerie party, as you’re blindfolded and handcuffed to a pillar. jermajesty has to remind himself that it’s a challenge as he watches one of the bombshells choose you to kiss, removing your blindfold, wrapping your legs around his waist and your arms around his neck. you’d looked at jermajesty the second the bombshell stepped back.
but, jermajesty refused to meet your eye. instead he eyed the bombshell, tracing every step he took with a clenched jaw and a bouncing leg.
the next day, he’s seething as the bombshell gets to take you on a date outside of the villa. his anger builds with each passing hour and he seems oblivious to the way the other islanders avoid walking within his vicinity.
he sits at the fire pit, elbows on his knees and hands clasped together so tight that his fingers start to go numb. his jaw works like he’s chewing on something bitter. isaac, one of the original six boys, approaches cautiously, his bottle of water and phone for pictures in hand.
“yo, you good, bro?” isaac asks.
jermajesty doesn’t look up, doesn’t really move at all, as isaac sits with him. “yeah, i’m straight.”
isaac side-eyes him, a burst of laughter leaving him. “this date got you in your feelings, huh?”
“nah, not in my feelings. i’m just observing,” he finally looks up, smoothing his palms down the front of his pants and rubbing a hand over his chin. “watching how niggas move when they think they got an opening.”
“ay, he gotta get in somewhere, it’s part of the show—”
“i know what it is. that’s why i ain’t trippin’. cause at the end of the day?” he leans against the back cushion, spreading his arms along the back of the bench. a picture of complete confidence. “she coming back to me. she gon’ tell me all about it, probably apologize for shit she don’t need to apologize for, and imma listen. imma be understanding. and then imma remind her who she really want.”
“what if she actually vibes with dude?” isaac asks, “like, the date goes well? what you gon’ do if they kiss?”
jermajesty’s jaw clenches again, that muscle jumping. “then imma have to check that. real quick.”
isaac opens his mouth to respond, but the sound of laughter and cheering cuts through the villa. both of them turn toward the entrance.
and there you are.
you’re glowing. that’s the first thing jermajesty notices— the way your skin catches the late afternoon sun, the way your smile is so wide it makes your eyes crinkle at the corners. you’re wearing a different outfit now, something flowy and baby pink that moves with you as you walk. and your hand—
your hand is wrapped around the bombshell's.
jermajesty goes completely still.
“oh shit,” isaac mutters under his breath.
the girls rush up to you immediately, a whirlwind of questions paired with squealing and hugs. one girl, deanna, wraps her arms around your waist, lifting you up and spinning you. jermajesty praises her in his mind, because that’s the thing that gets you to let go of his hand.
you’re talking animatedly when you get set down, gesturing with your hands as you recount different moments from the date. the bombshell is grinning down at you like he just won the lottery. he’s tall, light-skinned with a fade, wearing a linen button-up that’s open at the collar. he looks comfortable.
he notices as you recount the date, that you’re only showing genuine excitement over what you did— a private beach set up— and not over the bombshell. not over what the two of you talked about. he feels himself relax slightly. when deanna asks if the two of you kissed on the date, you shake your head ‘no’ and he feels the tension leave his body completely.
he walks right up to you, body angled away from the bombshell and giving him no attention, and asks to pull you for a chat. you say yes, the smile on your face growing bigger, and let him lead you down the stairs to the dock. he holds your hand the entire way, switching to wrapping an arm around your waist and pulling you closer when you finally sit. he breathes a lot easier with you in his arms.
that night, the tension comes back to him tenfold. the fire pit is lit and everyone is gathered around. the host’s voice leaves an echo through the space as she announces that the bombshells will get to choose who they want to couple up with, while the two boys left single will be vulnerable and at risk of being dumped.
jermajesty stands across from you, lined up with the rest of the boys. his face is a mask of indifference, but you can see the tension in his posture. you both know what’s coming and it leaves a sick feeling in your stomach.
brandon, the bombshell, is called first. he steps forward, confident and smiling, “this is an easy choice for me,” he says and his eyes find yours before he shifts his attention away immediately. “from the moment i got here, there’s been one girl who’s caught my attention. she’s beautiful, she’s real, and our date today just confirmed what i already knew. so the girl i want to couple up with is…”
he speaks your name, and it’s a fight to force a smile onto your face. you stand and step forward, even as your legs feel like lead. brandon meets you halfway and pulls you into a hug, leaning down until his mouth is lined up to your ear, “you okay?”
“mmhm,” you lie. you meet jermajesty’s eyes over his shoulder and the expression on his face makes your breath catch. it’s colder than cold, and he can’t seem to pick where he wants to focus his attention. his eyes jump from brandon’s arms around your waist, to your hands on his back, to your chin on his shoulder. you can’t help the guilty pout that crosses your face as you mouth ‘i’m sorry’. your stomach drops when he looks away with no acknowledgement.
the second bombshell makes his choice, leaving an islander named tyler at risk alongside jermajesty. the host continues to announce that the decision of who’ll be dumped from the island will be up to the girls. you blink frequently, wishing that you could advocate for them to save your connection. instead, you sit off to the side— shivering even though you don’t feel cold.
deliberation happens quickly. the girls huddle, whispering. you force yourself to drown it out, focusing on jermajesty. even as brandon’s leg presses against yours and his hand rests just slightly above your knee. when the girls announce that they’re saving jermajesty, you try and keep the relief under wraps. a shaky breath leaves you before you can stop it.
tyler is dumped from the island. you, having not really built any kind of bond with him, find it easy to say goodbye. in a fucked up way, you wish he’d hurry and leave so that you could finally talk to jermajesty.
when it’s over and everyone disperses, mostly leaving to comfort tyler’s old connection, brandon immediately tries to pull you toward the daybed but you shake your head with a small frown.
“sorry, i just need a minute,” you tell him. “wanna… decompress first.”
he accepts your answer and you wait until he’s gone, until most of the islanders have scattered. and then you go the direction you’d watched jermajesty head in moments earlier.
you find him in soul ties.
he’s sitting on the day bed, one leg pulled up and the other stretched out in front of him. the lights cast shadows across. suddenly nervous, you stand in the entrance, watching the rise and fall of his shoulders.
“you just gon’ stand there?” his voice is quiet and flat. he doesn’t look up as you climb over to sit beside him, but he does wrap a hand around your calf, supporting you so that you don’t fall.
you wrap your arm around yourself, “i wanted to check on you.”
he looks at you, so deadpan, as he asks where the other half of your couple is. you groan and throw your head back, two hands pressing hard against your forehead. you can feel an incoming headache from the day overall.
“you know that wasn’t up to me,” you lean your head back up and look at him. unconsciously, you turn to face him fully and bring both legs under you, now sitting on your knees. “we just talked. that’s it. i didn’t— we didn’t kiss or anything. i didn’t ask for him to pick me.”
“you wanted to? kiss him?”
“no, i— maj,” you pause and take a deep breath, because were you really gonna stutter over a nigga on reality tv? “i don’t know... maybe he wanted to, but i didn’t. i couldn’t stop thinking about—”
you cut yourself off, but, of course, he catches it anyway.
“thinkin’ ‘bout what?” he grins, but it’s more condescending than anything. “thinkin’ about me while you was out there holding his hand, smilin’ all big and shit? happy as hell about that basic ass date?”
a flash of irritation hits you. if he was gonna be petty, then fine— you’d be petty too. you give him the same grin and say, “yeah, actually. i was thinkin’ about you as he hand-fed me strawberries too.”
it’s the wrong answer and you regret it as soon as the words leave your mouth. they hang in the air between you dangerously. you feel an urge to leave, to end this conversation before it goes somewhere you can't come back from but you're frozen in place as he watches you with those dark, unreadable eyes. and fuck, you think he might actually be crazy as he shakes his head slowly and laughs.
his arm that rests behind you inches closer, fingers teasing the ends of your hair. he’s still leaned back, still with one leg pulled up. “i want you to understand something.”
“understand what?” you glance at his fingers before meeting his eye again.
“you can couple up with whoever you want. you can go on all the dates, hold all the hands, smile all you want.” his fingers graze your neck and the rest of his hand follows. you swallow as he swipes his thumb down the front of your throat before moving to your jaw. “but at the end of the day? you gon’ end up right here with me. because you already know who you belong to.”
“i don’t belong to anyone.”
“nah?” he’s getting closer, but he’s not the one leaning in. he’s got a gentle hold on your jaw and he uses it to guide you slowly towards him. “then why you in here right now? why you ain’t with brandon, celebrating your new couple?”
you look away, silently.
“go ‘head, tell me i’m wrong.” he challenges, his voice dropping lower. his thumb reaches your bottom lip, hovering before brushing across.
“jermajesty—” his name leaves your lips; a sigh of resignation.
“yeah ma,” a small smile, “that’s what i thought.”
and he kisses you.
it’s not gentle. his hand slides from your jaw to the back of your neck, fingers tangling in your hair as he pulls you closer. his other hand grips your waist, and the kiss is claiming, possessive, everything you knew it would be and more. there’s a hunger in it, the build up of tension finally snapping all at once.
he takes advantage the second a soft exhale leaves you, deepening the kiss until you’re dizzy with it. he tastes like mint, and something sweet, and you need more.
you push him back— though you follow right after, leaving no space between you. you move to straddle his lap and he adjusts immediately, hand guiding your hips as you settle over him. your hands have a mind of their own, trailing down and back up his chest, traveling over his neck and around, finding purchase in his hair and tugging. his grip on your waist tightens at that, teeth catching your bottom lip, and you make a sound you’ve never made before— something between a gasp and a moan that has heat flooding your cheeks.
a deep groan leaves him in reply. you feel the hand in your hair untangle, urging an arch in your spine as it travels down until he reaches your ass. jermajesty kneads, grabbing you and pressing you closer, and you can feel exactly how much he wants this, wants you.
you help him, grinding down into his lap and pulling away from his mouth to trail kisses down the side of his face. his stubble scratches against your lips int he best way. you lick and bite the tender space on his neck, right under his ear, before leaving open mouthed kisses.
“mm, fuuck—” he eagerly tilts his head to give you better access, throat exposed and vulnerable as both arms wrap around your waist. he presses his hips up once, grinding against you in a way that makes your breath catch, before he forces himself to stop. his breathing is ragged, chest heaving beneath you.
you fall into a fit of giggles in his neck, giddy and breathless and overwhelmed in the best possible way, and you hear his soft laugh, dangerously close to your ear. his warm breath ghosting across your skin and sending shivers down your spine.
with one last lingering kiss to the corner of his mouth, you remember where you are and go to sit back at his side. but the second you shift your weight, you feel it— the hard press of him against your thigh. jermajesty’s arm pulls you back down immediately and your eyes widen at him.
heyy boo first off yo work is amazing queen i love it fr. i got sum in mind thoo…so im thinking 1995 vmas michael and beyonce reader being in a relationship but right now they being petty with eachother like going tit for tat. so michael did his performance (yk he points at lisa during this) so then reader like 2 can play that game. so she does her crazy in love performance and brings out jay z but their too close for michael liking so he becomes jealous and gotta show reader who she really crazy in love for😉
HIII QUEEN thank u so much 🥺 i love your mind and i love this request here it is boo 🫶🏽!!
warnings: jealousy, pettiness, making out, possessiveness, happy ending, fluff.
summary: michael points at Lisa during his performance. you decide two can play that game. unfortunately for both of you, neither one knows when to stop being petty.
you were not looking at michael. absolutely not. not even a little bit. okay, maybe once. but that was it. from your seat in the audience, you watched the stage lights flash across the arena while trying your hardest to focus on literally anything else. the crowd, the cameras, the presenters, the ceiling. anything except the man sitting a few rows away from you looking unfairly good tonight. it wasn’t helping that michael knew exactly how to dress when he wanted attention.
the leather black outfit. the gold accents. the curls falling perfectly around his face. the confidence. it was annoying, honestly. especially because the two of you were currently in the middle of what could only be described as the world’s dumbest argument. neither of you could even remember how it started anymore.
one petty comment became another, then another. then suddenly both of you were refusing to call first. refusing to apologize first. refusing to be the bigger person. which meant that for the last week you’d both been acting ridiculous. and unfortunately for you, michael looked incredible while doing it. you quickly looked away when you caught yourself staring. girl, stand up. the last thing you needed was for him to catch you checking him out. his ego was already big enough.
still, when his performance began, your attention immediately drifted back to the stage. because no matter how annoyed you were with him, michael jackson performing was michael jackson performing. and that man knew how to command a room.
the audience was completely captivated. including you. you hated that. every move looked effortless, every spin, every pose, every second of it. you found yourself smiling despite your best efforts. then it happened. that moment. the point. toward lisa. your smile disappeared instantly. you sat there blinking. oh. oh, that’s what we’re doing tonight? you watched him continue performing like nothing happened. like he hadn’t just started a war. when he glanced toward the audience afterward, you could’ve sworn you caught the tiniest hint of satisfaction on his face. which only made it worse. your jaw tightened. fine. if michael wanted to play games… you could play too.
backstage later, assistants rushed around while stylists made final adjustments before your performance. the energy behind the curtain was very chaotic. everyone seemed nervous, everyone except you. you were focused. determined. and maybe just a little petty. okay. a lot petty. “you ready?” one of your dancers asked. you nodded. “more than ready.” you took one last look in the mirror. your outfit was perfect. your hair looked amazing. everything was exactly how you wanted it. except for one thing. a certain jackson.
you hated how easily he could get under your skin. you hated how one stupid little gesture during a performance had managed to stay in your head for the last hour. and you especially hated the fact that you already knew he was somewhere out there watching. probably expecting a reaction. probably expecting you to be jealous. well. if he wanted a reaction… he was definitely about to get one. the stage manager gave you the signal. showtime. you smiled. “let’s go.” and somewhere out in the audience, michael jackson had absolutely no idea what was coming.
the second you stepped onto the stage, the crowd exploded. the roar of the audience washed over you immediately, adrenaline rushing through your veins as the lights hit. this was your element. your kingdom. and for the next few minutes, you planned on making full use of it. somewhere out there in the crowd sat michael. watching. whether he wanted to admit it or not. the thought alone made you smile. you moved confidently across the stage, feeding off the energy from the audience as cheers echoed throughout the arena. back in his seat, michael’s eyes never left you.
he tried acting casual. he really did. but it wasn’t working. because despite everything, he was completely captivated. he always was. it didn’t matter how many times he’d seen you perform. didn’t matter how many rehearsals he’d watched, didn’t matter how many award shows, concerts, appearances, or television performances. you still managed to leave him speechless. every single time. his friend sitting beside him noticed immediately. “you know you’re staring, right?” michael didn’t even blink.
“i’m watching the performance.” “mhm.” “i am.” “that’s why you haven’t looked away once.” michael ignored him. because unfortunately he was correct. and then things got worse. much worse. because suddenly another figure appeared on stage. the audience erupted. jay-z. michael immediately sat up straighter. “…oh.” his friend burst out laughing.
“oh, you’re finished.” “what?” “look at your face.” “my face is fine.” it was not fine. not even close. especially when jay walked over beside you. you looked completely comfortable together laughing, smiling, sharing the stage effortlessly. michael hated how comfortable it looked. his jaw tightened. then tightened some more “relax.” “i am relaxed.” “michael.” “i’m perfectly relaxed.”
he looked like he wanted to fight somebody. meanwhile, you were having the time of your life. every time the camera found you, your smile seemed brighter. every time jay leaned over to rap his verse, michael’s eye twitched. you weren’t doing anything wrong. technically. but you definitely weren’t making things easier. especially because a tiny part of you knew exactly what you were doing. and exactly who was watching. when the performance finally ended, the crowd jumped to their feet. standing ovation. cheers everywhere, you stood at center stage smiling while taking in the applause. for a brief moment your eyes drifted toward the audience. toward michael. and there he was. already looking at you. his expression unreadable.
but his stare? oh. you knew that stare. you had known it for a long time. your smile widened. just slightly. his eyes narrowed immediately. and suddenly you felt much better about that little lisa situation.
────୨ৎ────
backstage afterward was chaos. everyone wanted to congratulate you. from producers, dancers, artists, friends. people were hugging you, praising the performance, telling you how incredible it was. you thanked them all politely. but your attention kept drifting elsewhere. because michael still hadn’t come over. which was unusual. very unusual. normally he’d be the first person backstage.
the first hug. the first congratulations. the first kiss against your forehead when nobody was looking. but tonight? nothing. you already knew why. which honestly made you want to laugh. a few minutes later, you finally spotted him. standing across the room. arms folded. watching you. you excused yourself from the conversation you were having and casually walked over. “hi.”“hi.”
you blinked. that was it? just hi? you fought back a smile, “did you like the performance?” “it was good.” good. not amazing. not incredible. not the greatest thing he’d seen all night. just good. you almost laughed right there. “good? “mhm.” “that’s all?” he shrugged.
you stared. he stared back. the tension between you could’ve powered the entire building. finally you folded your arms “what’s your problem?” michael looked offended. “my problem?” “yes, your problem.” he let out a short laugh. “i’m not the one with the problem.” “really” “really.” “okay.” “okay.” you both stood there. silent. stubborn. refusing to give in. until finally michael spoke. “you seemed very friendly with jay z.” there it was. you nearly smiled. nearly. “and you seemed very friendly with lisa.” his jaw clenched immediately.
his jaw clenched immediately. score. for a moment, neither of you said anything. you just stood there staring at each other while people rushed around backstage completely oblivious to the silent battle happening between you. finally michael sighed. the kind of sigh that suggested he was already tired of this conversation.
“that’s different.” you let out a laugh. “how?” “because it is.” “great explanation.” “you know what i mean.“actually, i don’t.” michael rolled his eyes. you almost gasped. “did you just roll your eyes at me?” “did you just bring jay z on stage to make me jealous?” you placed a hand over your chest. “michael joseph jackson.” “that’s not an answer.” “and that’s not an answer either.” “yes it is.”
“no, it isn’t.” “yes, it is.” “no.” “yes.” “no.” his friend walking past suddenly stopped. looked between both of you. then immediately turned around and walked away. smart man. you and michael continued staring each other down. neither willing to back down. neither willing to admit the obvious. which was that both of you were being completely ridiculous.
“you know what?” michael said. “what?” “i don’t care.” you nodded. “good.” “good. “great.” “great.” the second the words left his mouth, both of you knew he was lying. badly. horribly. embarrassingly badly. because michael had many talents. lying when he was jealous was not one of them.
you smiled. just a little. his eyes narrowed immediately. “stop smiling.” “why?” “because you’re enjoying this.” you couldn’t even deny it. “maybe a little.”. “unbelievable.” “what?” “you know exactly what you’re doing.” you laughed.
“that’s funny coming from you.” “what’s that supposed to mean?” you stepped closer. “you pointed at lisa.” his head immediately tilted back in frustration.
“we’re still talking about that?” “yes.” “it was one point.” “one point?” “one point.” “one very intentional point.” he groaned dramatically. which only made you feel more justified. “you knew i’d see it.” “i did not.” “michael.” “…okay maybe i did.” “thank you.” “but you brought jay z.” “for the performance.” “mhm.” “he was literally part of the performance.” “mhm.”you were both smiling now despite yourselves. because neither of you could keep a straight face anymore. the argument was stupid. you knew it
he knew it. yet somehow neither of you wanted to let it go. “you were jealous.” michael pointed at you. “you were jealous first.” “because you pointed at lisa.” “because you were ignoring me.” “because you were being annoying.” “because you were being stubborn.” “because you were—” he suddenly stopped. you blinked “because i was what?” michael looked away. immediately. your eyes narrowed.
“what?” “nothing.” “michael.” “nothing.” “michael.” he rubbed a hand over his face. and suddenly something about his expression changed. the teasing. it all softened. just a little. when he looked back at you, his voice was quieter. “i didn’t like it.” you blinked. “didn’t like what?” his jaw tightened. clearly debating whether he wanted to say it. then finally, “seeing him with you.” your heart did the tiniest little flip. michael looked annoyed about admitting it. very annoyed. which somehow made it sweeter. “why?” he stared at you like the answer should’ve been obvious. “you really have to ask?” you bit back a smile. “maybe.” he shook his head. “because i didn’t like it.” “michael—” “i know it was part of the performance.” “okay.” “i know you weren’t doing anything.” “okay.” “i know.” you nodded. he exhaled. then looked directly at you. “i still didn’t like it.” for a moment the noise backstage seemed to fade away. because suddenly the petty argument wasn’t so funny anymore.
a few moments later he walks you to his dressing room, its quiet, just the soft hum of distant music from backstage. michael sits on the edge of his velvet couch, still in white button up, with a few already unbuttoned. hair slightly damp from performing. he looks up at you eyes intense but tender. "baby... I did see that look on your face when I pointed to lisa." he stands slowly and walks toward you, taking your hands gently in his. ‘that wasn’t about her… it was for show. you know how this industry is gotta give ‘em something flashy."
a small pout forms your lips, “i know michael, sometimes i just wish we could let everyone know about us so we wouldn’t have to be this discrete.” michael’s face softens completely. he cups your cheeks with both hands, his thumbs gently brushing over your skin like you're the most precious thing in the world. his was voice low and sweet, "oh, my love… i want that too. more than anything."
he leans down slowly so slowly and kisses you softly on the lips. a tender kiss full of longing and years of hidden feelings finally breaking free. when he pulls back just an inch, his eyes stay closed for a second as if savoring it... then they flutter open to meet yours. you bite your lip trying to hold back a smile on your face slowly looking around the dressing room, “how much longer do u think we have before someone comes barging in telling us to go?”
michael follows your gaze, around the room cluttered with flowers, champagne bottles, and his glittering costume pieces. he chuckles softly, a warm rich sound that vibrates through his chest. “we got about… ten minutes before publicists start knocking like vultures." without warning, he grabs your hand and pulls you toward him again, but this time spins you once playfully before kissing your forehead. michael gently guides you down onto the plush velvet couch, his hands steady and warm. the sequins on his jacket catch the dim golden light from the lamps. he sits beside you, then turns to face you fully, knees touching yours. with a quiet tenderness, he lifts one hand to brush your hair behind your ear… then leans in slowly.
the air between you feels electric, not with tension now, but with love that’s been waiting too long to be free. and then he kisses you again. deeper this time. softer than before… like a promise being sealed. michael pulls back from the kiss just slightly, his lips still close to yours. he exhales a quiet laugh, half frustration, half amusement, and rests his forehead against yours. michael bent down whispering with a playful sigh, "mmm… I'd much rather be somewhere with a bed right now. or at least less publicist proof walls."
you giggle, and push him lightly on the chest before sitting up fully. "we don’t have time for that, mr. jackson! they gon’ come knocking any second!" the teasing tone in your voice makes michael pout dramatically, the way only he can. the second you're on his lap, michael’s arms lock around your waist like iron, tight, claiming. there’s no hesitation this time. bis kiss hits you with deep possessive in the way only a man who loves someone fiercely can be. no softness now… just raw emotion, months of hidden glances and stolen moments pouring into one intense embrace. one hand cradles the back of your head while the other presses firmly against your lower back to pull you closer as if he could melt you into him. his lips move over yours desperately… like he's trying to brand himself onto yours. the knock startles both of you, but michael doesn’t pull away completely. just breaks the kiss for a breath, his lips still brushing yours as he calls out in that smooth, calm voice he uses with staff.
“yeah! I’m fine, just changing!" then the doorknob jiggles slightly. panic flashes in your eyes, and suddenly you’re both stifling giggles like teenagers caught sneaking around. michael rests his forehead against yours again, laughing quietly, a rare sound so warm and boyish it makes your heart skip.
“we look ridiculous right now michael.” you laugh shaking your head. he was still smiling against your lips before kissing them once more softly, “no more petty stuff from me.” he said holding up his hand, “promise." you tilted your head pretending to think about it, “i can’t say the same,” you grinned. “but you know i’ll try.” a laugh slips past your lips before you leaned in a and pressed a quick peck to his lips before he could react. before he could respond, you grab your purse and headed towards the door. the sound of your heels clicking the floor echoing thru the room.
“you’re impossible,” michael called after you. “and yet you love me.” reaching the door, you glanced back over your shoulder, michael was still standing exactly where you left him. his head shook slowly as a smile tugged the corners of his mouth, he bit the inside of his cheek, trying and failing, to hide how amused he was. the look on his face made your own smile grow. “you coming?” michael left out a soft laugh and walked towards you, i’m right behind you baby.”
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