𝗌𝗎𝗆𝗆𝖺𝗋𝗒: you and juju broke up months ago but her family still invites you around.
𝗌𝗈𝗅á𝗇𝖺’𝗌 𝗇𝗈𝗍𝖾𝗌: here’s part two !!
yes i have been gone for a while shit got real but i’m back i’ve missed you guys so much and someone asked for part two of “still here” so here it is
the second the front door slammed, the whole house went quiet.
like quiet quiet.
nobody touching their food. nobody saying nothing. just forks sitting on plates and tension hanging over the table like smoke.
you looked down at your lap for a second before pushing your chair back slowly.
“i’m just gonna go,” you said quietly.
sari immediately looked up. “baby, you don’t have to leave.”
“no, it’s okay,” you said, giving her a small smile. “i think i should.”
robert sighed but nodded like he understood.
mali looked over at you while you grabbed your bag. “call me when you make it home.”
you blinked. “ok i will.”
you told everybody goodbye before heading for the door.
and even while leaving, it still felt weird. like part of you belonged there even though it shouldn’t anymore.
the drive back to your apartment was quiet at first.
too quiet.
your hands tightened around the steering wheel while the night blurred past your windows. every five seconds your brain kept replaying juju standing up from the table. the look on her face. the way her voice sounded tight like she was holding too much in at once.
you stopped at a red light and immediately grabbed your phone.
arielle answered on the second ring.
“bitch what happened now?” she said before you could even speak.
you snorted softly. “why you answer the phone already irritated?”
“because every time you facetime me lately you got that same sad ass angle and i know it got something to do with a certain six foot two women’s basketball player.”
you let out a laugh this time, shaking your head as you rested the phone against the holder.
“girl.”
“am i lying?”
“no.”
“exactly. now talk.”
the light turned green and you started driving again.
“i went over there for dinner.”
arielle went silent for half a second.
“…why?”
“because her mama invited me.”
“and see right there? that’s the problem. her family need boundaries.”
you sighed. “i know.”
“how’d it even go?”
“bad.”
“define bad.”
you licked over your lips. “mali said she hopes me and juju work things out and juju got mad and walked out.”
“damn.”
“yeah.”
arielle shook her head on the screen. “juju be acting like she don’t care till somebody say some real shit.”
you didn’t answer.
“did she say anything to you?”
“not really. she barely even looked at me.”
“mm.”
you stared out at the road. “i just hate this. like… i miss them.”
“them or her?”
that made your chest tighten a little.
“mainly her but them too,” you admitted quietly.
arielle sighed. “see, that’s why you need to stop going over there.”
you frowned. “i know.”
“nah seriously. because now you stuck in this weird in between shit. you’re not with juju but you still attached to her family.”
you pulled into your apartment complex slowly.
“and honestly?” arielle continued. “if juju really care about you like everybody say she do, she needa figure her shit out on her own. you can’t keep standing there waiting for her to emotionally clock in.”
you parked your car but didn’t get out yet.
“i think i should stay away for a while,” you said after a moment.
“finally,” arielle muttered.
you rolled your eyes.
“i’m serious though,” you said. “for me and for her.”
“good. cause all this hanging around each other pretending y’all okay clearly not working.”
you nodded to yourself.
“you gon’ be alright?” arielle asked.
“yeah.”
“you lying but okay.”
you laughed under your breath.
“call me tomorrow,” she said. “and don’t start crying listening to no slow music tonight either. i know you.”
“arielle get off my damn phone.”
“i’m sorryyyy.”
the call ended.
you sat there in the dark for a second, staring through the windshield before finally grabbing your bag and heading upstairs.
once you got inside your apartment, you kicked your shoes off and sat on the edge of your bed.
then after a minute, you grabbed your phone again and called mali.
she answered quick.
“you make it home?”
“yeah.”
“good.”
you nodded even though she couldn’t see it.
for a second neither of you said anything.
then you finally spoke.
“i think i’m gonna chill on coming around for a while.”
mali went quiet.
“…you sure?”
“yeah,” you said softly. “i think it’s better that way.”
𝗌𝗎𝗆𝗆𝖺𝗋𝗒: you’re cheating on your boyfriend with bella
𝗌𝗈𝗅á𝗇𝖺’𝗌 𝗇𝗈𝗍𝖾𝗌: kinda based off “when he’s not there” by kehlani cause i genuinely love that song but here’s the bella oneshot
you’ve been fucking with bella behind your boyfriend’s back for a while now.
it started small. it always does. a look that stayed a second too long. a joke that got a little too real. bella’s hand brushing yours and neither of you pulling away fast enough to act like it didn’t mean anything.
you told yourself it was nothing.
bella never said that.
she’s only seen your boyfriend twice. once when you invited her over, and once at a coffee shop downtown.
she smiled at him. polite. normal.
kept it pushing.
he doesn’t know.
you’re on the couch, tv on, not really watching it when your phone buzzes on the table.
bels💕: he gone?
you stare at it for a second. he left almost two hours ago to see his parents. he won’t be back for a while.
you: yeah
bels💕: ok coming leave the door unlocked
you get up and unlock it.
about twenty minutes later, the door opens and you look up.
there she is.
she moves like she’s been here a hundred times. like she knows exactly where everything is.
“miss me?” she asks, voice low, eyes already on you.
you shouldn’t smile.
you do anyway. “i saw you yesterday.”
“and?”
you step closer. too close.
“you didn’t even give me time to miss you.”
bella huffs out a quiet laugh like she expected that.
later you’re both on the couch, some random netflix movie playing.
her arm’s around you, her head resting against yours, fingers in your hair.
then—
“you ever gonna tell him?” she asks.
you look up. “about what?”
she sighs, already irritated. “don’t do that. you know what.”
you look away. “no, i haven’t told him.” a pause. “what you want me to say? ‘yeah i’ve been fucking bella behind your back’?”
“be serious.”
you glance at her. “i am.”
her hand stills in your hair.
“you think this just stays like this?” she asks, quieter now, but heavier.
you shift under her. “i don’t know what you want from me.”
“honesty,” she says. “at least with yourself.”
you let out a small scoff. “i am honest.”
bella tilts her head, looking at you like she already knows that’s not true. “no. you’re comfortable.”
that hits.
you sit up, her arm slipping off you. “and you not? you keep coming over, you text me first. don’t act like i forced you into this.”
“i didn’t say that,” she says calm. “i knew what i was getting into.”
“then what’s the problem?”
she watches you for a second before answering.
“you act like i only exist when he’s not here,” she says. “like i’m something you pick up when it’s convenient.”
you frown. “i text you all the time.”
“yeah,” she says. “when you can.”
it goes quiet.
“are you not my secret?” you ask. “you knew what this was.”
“yeah,” she nods. “at first. but now it’s too much.”
she leans forward, elbows on her knees.
“don’t treat me like i don’t matter outside of that.”
you swallow. “that’s not what i’m doing.”
bella raises an eyebrow. “isn’t it?”
you open your mouth, then close it again.
“i’m not asking you to tell him,” she says. “i just wanna know where i stand.”
that sits there.
then she leans in, presses a kiss to your cheek, and stands up.
and just like that, she leaves.
a week passes.
no texts. no random “you alone?” no her just showing up.
nothing.
you hate it more than you thought you would.
you’re back on the couch, phone in your hand, staring at your messages.
you type.
delete.
type again.
you: you good?
no reply.
you toss your phone beside you. “whatever,” you mutter, like you don’t care.
like you didn’t just check twice.
buzz.
you grab it fast.
bels💕: i’m straight
that’s it.
you: haven’t seen you in a minute
long pause.
bels💕: yeah
you frown.
you: so what that mean
typing… gone… back again.
bels💕: it mean i meant what i said
your jaw tightens.
you: so now you just acting different
bels💕: i’m not acting
bels💕: i just stopped acting like i’m okay with stuff i’m not
you stare at that.
you: so what you want me to do then
she calls you.
you answer quick. “what?”
she’s quiet for a second. you hear her moving around.
“that right there,” she says. “you always act like i’m asking for too much.”
you sigh. “because you are. you knew the situation.”
“and you knew i wasn’t staying in it forever.”
silence.
“i’m not telling you to leave him,” she adds. “i’m telling you stop treating me like i only exist when he’s not there.”
you press your fingers to your temple. “that’s not—”
“then what is it?”
you don’t answer.
because you don’t have one.
“i don’t know,” you admit.
she exhales. not mad. just done.
“exactly,” she says.
a pause.
“figure it out,” she adds. “and don’t call me till you do.”
the line goes dead.
and now it’s just you.
same couch.
same silence.
but it feels different now.
like you can’t ignore it anymore.
the next few days feel fake.
like you’re just going through motions.
you and your boyfriend in the kitchen, talking, moving around each other like normal. he kisses your cheek. you let him.
you always let him.
“you good?” he asks one night.
“yeah,” you say, rinsing a plate that’s already clean.
“you been off.”
off feels like the smallest word for this.
“just tired,” you say.
he nods. “come to bed early.”
you hum, but your mind’s somewhere else.
later, he’s asleep.
you’re not.
your phone’s in your hand under the covers.
you scroll through old messages.
he gone?
leave the door unlocked
you up?
your chest tightens.
you wait for a text that doesn’t come.
the next evening, he leaves again.
“i’ll be out a few hours,” he says.
“okay.”
the door closes.
and everything shifts.
you sit there for a minute.
then grab your phone.
you: you busy?
three dots.
bels💕: depends
you: on what
pause.
bels💕: on if you figured it out
your jaw tightens.
you: he’s not here
bels💕: that’s not what i asked
you lean back, exhaling.
then—
you: i miss you
it just sits there.
then
bels💕: missing me ain’t the issue
you: that’s not fair
she reads it.
no reply.
you: you act like i just switched up for no reason
nothing.
the door opens.
your head snaps up.
“hey,” your boyfriend calls.
you straighten up. “yeah.”
he sits beside you. too close.
your phone is right there.
screen down.
like that fixes anything.
“what you watching?” he asks.
you glance at the tv. “nothing.”
“you good?”
“i said yeah.”
he looks at you for a second.
then stands. “i’m gonna shower.”
you wait.
water starts running.
then you grab your phone.
you: what you want me to do then
read.
bels💕: stop acting like i’m something you can pick up and drop
you: i’m not doing that
bels💕: you are
you: so what, you want me to ignore him when he’s here
pause.
bels💕: no
bels💕: i want you to stop hiding me like i’m something to be ashamed of
that one sits heavy.
because she’s right.
a few days pass.
not quiet.
just off.
then one night, you see it.
her story.
bella, arm around some girl.
close.
too close.
no caption.
you watch it again.
and again.
your chest tightens.
you text.
you: who is that
bels💕: don’t worry about it
you: be serious
bels💕: i am
you: so that’s what we doing now
pause.
bels💕: what are we doing
you: you know what i mean
bels💕: say it
you: you posting up with other girls
bels💕: yeah
simple.
it stings.
you: wow
bels💕: you got a whole boyfriend
you: that’s different
bels💕: how
you: because you know what this is
pause.
bels💕: yeah
bels💕: and i’m done acting like i don’t
your stomach drops.
you: so you just gonna replace me
bels💕: you not even available to be replaced
that one hurts.
bels💕: i’m just moving how you been moving
you stare at the screen.
and for the first time, you don’t have anything to say.
…
the next day, you go to her anyway.
you tell your boyfriend everything first.
all of it.
no half truth.
no soft version.
just the truth.
he listens.
then he tells you to go.
so you do.
you end up at bella’s door.
she opens it, looks at you.
“what?”
“i told him.”
she pauses.
“told him what.”
“everything.”
she studies your face for a second.
making sure.
then she steps back.
“come in.”
you walk in slow.
it’s quiet.
different this time.
you look at her. “i’m not going back to that.”
she watches you. “you sure?”
“yeah.”
a beat.
then she reaches for you.
slow.
her arm wraps around your waist, pulling you in.
your body folds into hers easy.
like it already knows where to go.
her hand comes up to the back of your head, fingers sliding into your hair, holding you there.
close.
steady.
you breathe against her.
and for once, you don’t feel split between two lives.
𝗌𝗎𝗆𝗆𝖺𝗋𝗒: you and grace hard launch your relationship.
𝗌𝗈𝗅á𝗇𝖺’𝗌 𝗇𝗈𝗍𝖾𝗌: i honestly hate this, so i’m probably gonna write another grace fic to make up for this.
the hints of you and grace dating start small.
grace is at your first meet of the season, tucked in the stands next to zakiyah. grace posts a picture of her and zakiyah in the stands on her instagram story, then her next story is a video of you sticking your landing with a heart emoji. fans notice, but they brush it off.
then it becomes a pattern.
every meet, she’s there. whether she’s with zakiyah or by herself, she’s there to watch you. always there, recording your whole routine. and the people clock that.
you, on the other hand, you’re courtside at all the home games, wearing her number. when she scores, you’re quick to clap. everyone notices.
when grace posts a lil lip-syncing video, people notice one of your hoodies in the back, laying on the arm of the couch. how do people know it’s yours? because in one of your tiktoks, you had that exact hoodie on.
in most of her tiktoks, there’s always something belonging to you lying around in the background. they notice.
on your page, it’s the same thing. grace is always in the background of your videos. when you’re doing your grwms, you can hear her talking in the background. in some, you’re wearing one of her hoodies.
grace is on live, laid back, showing some thirst traps she made. the chat is going crazy, per usual. she’s smiling. she swipes to the next one… at least she thought she did, but she actually swiped to a picture in her camera roll.
just for a second.
it’s a picture of you lying in between her legs, head leaned on her thigh, her hands in your hair. she swipes off fast.
but it’s obviously not that easy. people like to screen record lives.
the chat starts going crazy:
@hoopsluvr22: “hollon, swipe back to that.”
@graceknoxglazer2: “who is that?”
@ilovewomensbasketball34: “that’s that girl on the gymnastics team!!”
the next day, people are posting the clip from the live, and now people are digging, comparing things, looking at clips, and checking reposts.
and the reposts don’t help you guys’ case.
both of you are reposting the same types of videos: “when you have someone who supports you no matter what,” “having a girlfriend that’s obsessed with you >>>,” “i’m keeping this one private.”
you, grace, and zakiyah are on live… well, not really.
zakiyah is the only one in frame, talking to the chat, answering questions while laughing.
because out of the frame, you’re in grace’s lap.
legs folded over hers, phone in your hand like nothing is happening. grace’s arms are wrapped around your waist, her chin resting on the top of your head.
then suddenly, after zakiyah readjusts her phone, it turns to the side a bit. now you and grace are in frame.
zakiyah freezes for a second before grabbing her phone and ending the live, but that really doesn’t matter.
because people screen record everything.
by the next morning, the clip is everywhere, slowed down, zoomed in, all that.
“wait, so they are together??”
“it was so obvious.”
“i wonder if they’ll confirm it.”
that same day, grace goes live by herself, and the chat is going crazy, asking if you and her are together. grace ignores all the people asking about it.
later that day, she posts a picture on instagram of you in her lap, her arm wrapped around your waist like she’s not letting you go anywhere.
Thank you so much for the influx of Juju fics. I'm so happy to see the tag filled with new hca and fics, and I'm enjoying every single one. Thank you!!
𝗌𝗎𝗆𝗆𝖺𝗋𝗒: you and juju broke up months ago but her family still invites you around.
𝗌𝗈𝗅á𝗇𝖺’𝗌 𝗇𝗈𝗍𝖾𝗌: someone asked for a juju series so that’s what i’m going to do. part two coming sunday
it’s been almost five months since you and juju broke up, but no one in her family seems to accept that it’s been over.
you and juju’s breakup was super unexpected to everyone. you guys were like a match made in heaven. everyone around you knew you loved each other deeply.
juju wasn’t a bad partner, she just was never there for you. not physically, she was always there, but emotionally she’d shut down when things got hard. whenever you needed reassurance, she could never give it. she’d just get quiet.
when you’d ask her about it, she’d try to change the subject. the more you tried reaching for her, the more she pulled away, so you just decided to end things.
even after that, juju’s parents still love you and they still invite you places, whether it’s their house, a restaurant, or some type of gathering. you’re always invited.
sari still calls you every day to see if you’re doing okay. robert always looks forward to you coming by, and with her siblings, you talk to mali like you guys are best friends.
juju can’t stand it, and it doesn’t help that her parents and siblings adore you. she feels like it just makes everything awkward and weird.
tonight sari and robert are hosting a family dinner, and sari decided to invite you. and juju is trying to persuade her to uninvite you.
“mom, why did you invite her?” juju says.
“juju, it’s a family dinner. why are you so upset about it?” sari says as she’s setting the table.
“yeah mom, keyword family.”
“she is family, juju,” sari says sternly.
“no, she is not, mom. why are you inviting my ex to have dinner with us?”
robert walks into the kitchen. “what’s all the commotion about?” he asks.
“she’s upset about me inviting y/n,” sari says.
“it’s not that big of a deal, juju,” he says.
“that’s exactly what i told her. she keeps acting like it’s such a big deal though,” sari adds.
juju puts her hands on top of her head and lets out a sharp breath. “oh my gosh. why does no one see the issue here? why would you invite my ex? that’s so weird. it’s going to be awkward.”
she turns and walks upstairs, heading straight to her bedroom. she drops onto her bed, staring at the ceiling as if it’s going to give her an answer that makes any of this make sense.
for a moment, it almost works. her eyes start to get heavy, the tension finally loosening just a little.
then her mom’s voice cuts through from downstairs.
“juju, come open the door for your sister.”
she doesn’t move right away. just lies there for a few seconds, staring at nothing.
then she exhales, pushes herself up, and drags herself out of the room.
by the time she gets downstairs, she already feels drained in a way she can’t shake off.
she reaches the front door, unlocks it, and swings it open.
mali is standing there, purse in hand. she pauses for a second before stepping inside.
“you good?” she asks, closing the door behind her.
juju stands there with her arms crossed.
“no,” she says flatly.
mali raises a brow, already knowing what this is about.
“juju, it’s not that serious.”
“it is that serious,” she shoots back, voice tightening. “y’all keep acting like it’s normal.”
“you’re the one making it weird,” mali says casually, hanging her purse up on the hall tree before walking toward the kitchen.
juju follows her. “i’m making it weird?” she lets out a short laugh. “she’s my ex, and she’s coming to our house for dinner.”
mali shrugs. “you guys were dating for so long she’s practically part of the family now, juju. get used to it.”
that hits something sharp in her, and she doesn’t respond.
because that’s the part she hates the most.
they walk into the kitchen and juju takes a seat at the island, watching as mali greets their parents like nothing is wrong in the world.
“you guys are in—” mali starts, but she’s cut off by a knock at the door.
“she must be here,” sari says.
sari wipes her hands and walks out of the kitchen, heading to the door. she opens it.
and there you are.
“hi, mrs. watkins,” you say softly, hugging her.
“hi, honey. you look so beautiful today. come inside so we can get ready to eat.”
you step in and close the door behind you.
the house shifts immediately, like it always does when you’re there.
you walk into the kitchen. mali smiles and greets you, robert does too.
juju, on the other hand, avoids your eyes completely.
everyone eventually moves to the dining table while sari finishes bringing out the plates.
mali and robert are talking to you, asking how you’ve been, what you’ve been up to, like time didn’t split anything in half.
sari sets down the last plate. everyone starts eating.
except juju.
she takes a few bites, then just starts picking at her food, eyes distant, jaw tight.
then mali, too casually, like she doesn’t feel the weight of what she’s about to say, speaks up.
“i hope you two figure it out. you guys were an amazing couple.”
sari and robert glance up.
the air changes.
you freeze.
juju freezes.
for a second, she just sits there, processing it, staring at the table like she can rearrange the moment if she looks hard enough.
then she exhales.
“why are you doing that?” she says, voice low.
mali blinks. “doing what?”
juju shakes her head slightly, like she’s trying to hold herself together.
“being weird.”
“you know what?” she says suddenly, pushing her chair back. it scrapes loudly against the floor. “i’m not doing this.”
she stands, grabbing her phone from the table.
for a second, she pauses, like she wants to say something else but can’t find a version of it that won’t come out wrong.
then she looks up.
“and so everyone is aware, i’m done.”
she turns and walks out of the dining room.
no one stops her.
before anyone can say a word, the front door slams shut.
ngl... mens sports are so boring idk how people watch them i might just be gay but i cant sit through an nba game but ill gladly sit through all the wnba ones
