Lover of Slow Burns & Angst @starcrossedxwriter - Tumblr Blog

Masterlist

Here is the master list for all my fics! The date at the bottom is the last time it was updated (I try to keep it as updated as possible)

Thank YOU for reading, liking, reblogging, and commenting! I appreciate and LOVE the reception and feedback and commentary more than you could ever know - it fuels me and keeps the inspiration flowing!

All stories have a face claim. However, with all my OCs, I encourage folks to see themselves in the story so feel free to read as a reader insert if preferred! Also I love angst BUT all my stories are happily ever afters so enjoy the emotional rollercoasters knowing everyone'll be ok lol Thank you again for reading! Love y'all!

MBJ Fics:

#black writers #michael b jordan #michael b jordan fanfic #michael b jordan x oc #creed 3 #black panther #masterlist

queenpettylesarae

He looks so fine. Can't wait to finally see this movie.

starcrossedxwriter

Wicked Fantasies Part 1 (MBJ x Black OC)

A/N: this started off as 3k andddddd it tripled before my eyes lol (sorry!) Enjoy!

Series Warnings: NSFW, Smut with a plot, Heavy BDSM, Dom/Sub storyline

Raven checked herself in the mirror outside Helen’s office. She knew Helen hated when they did not look presentable and perfect, even when they were just meeting with her. She prayed Helen would actually have a client for her tonight. After her abysmal first date, she needed an opportunity to redeem herself quickly. However, as she approached her office door to knock, her movements halted as raised voices filled her ears.

starfallacy

i binged built for love and im nearly finished with this series and fuck... im sobbing... im a people pleaser myself and the way you called me out and dragging me by my name through raven? oh, i was cut reading this. i cried a couple of times and I HATE IT !! I HATE THISSS AGGHHHH THIS IS SO GOOD WTF

starcrossedxwriter

This made my day @starfallacy 🩵🩵 thank you so much 😭

And makes me wanna open the doc to at long last finish this story lol

eunoiadoll

𑜷 ACTS OF SERVICE ,, ⸻ elijah moore. 🔞

short intro to firefighter!smoke

prior to meeting elijah your past relationships weren’t the best—you didn’t have the greatest taste in men and it showed. the boyfriends, if you can even call them that lacked all the characteristics smoke had. they didn’t hold the door for you, buy you flowers, some couldn’t even change a damn tire.

the very first date you guys had was at a nice restaurant downtown. he had finally gotten a day off work and wanted to use it to take the prettiest girl he had met out for a day you deserved. “here’s the bill, i hope you guys enjoyed”, the waiter chirped with a short smile—setting the bill down. you lifted your hand to grab the bill, “what are you doing?”, elijah asked with a confused look. “paying the bill, what do you mean?” — “no ma’am i got it, move those pretty hands back.”

smoke love language is acts of service, he can’t always put it into words how he feels about you but he can show his ole lady how he appreciates her through his actions.

you’ll come home from a long tiresome day at work and your sweet elijah is already there waiting for you on the couch. your favorite tv show or movie turned on, dinner on the stove, snacks to keep you company, and just him. cater 2 you by destiny child? yeah that’s elijah. he’ll gently remove your shoes and place your manicured toes that he paid for might i add, onto his lap and just massage your feet while listening to your day.

smoke’s acts of service definitely is present in the bedroom. he wouldn’t even think about busting a nut until he got you to release that sweet cream at least twice. “come on darlin, you can give me one more right?” southern accent dripping in his voice—his large fingers digging at your sweet spot while rubbing on your sensitive clit. “see i think she can give me on more.”

elijah may not talk as much during sex, but he craves for you to talk to him. he’ll have you folded up in missionary, right leg draped over his shoulder with his plump lips leaving fat wet kissing on your ankle with the anklet that had his name. “come on baby talk to me, how i feel in this good ass pussy, huh?”, slowing down his strokes so you can respond.

a/n :: the people wanted smoke ... i delivered! no guys i felt so excited writing this like omg, i need to fuck this man NEOWW. i almost went overboard on this lil intro tho. i will be continuing and if i don’t yall got permission to cuss me out. also i know @aizawash0e did a firefighter!stack so shoutout to her.

nahimjustfeelingit-writes

😍😍😍

thebumblebeesworld

A fic where smoke realizes annie is pregnant before she does ??

(Wouldn’t be mad if you included the conception either 🤭🤭)

after i post part three of three's a crowd today, this is my next request to tackle!!! it'll probably be straight fluff tho because i been doing a lotttt of smut~~

chrisevansmentee

HAVE A BABY WITH ME

MBJ X PLUS SIZE READER.

you hold my head but in your head you've already left....

You cannot exactly pinpoint where it all went wrong between you and Michael but you started noticing a lot of cracks in your relationship after the birthday party at his best friend's place.

That night was a normal night, everyone was having fun and you were making out with him in a corner because you couldn't get enough of yourselves. Then his best friend, Ayo – who was the celebrant– needed his attention and found you both in a corner kissing like teenagers. you were both drunk, although Michael was a bit sober but you were already out of it.

You were on his lap and his erection was poking your lap.

"Ewwwww, get a room guys"

you hid your face in his neck shyly and took a nose full of his perfume.

" Get out, AY, you're supposed to be the center of attention, leave me and my baby alone"

your heart did something really funny at that statement, if only you knew it was a warning, you'd have shut your mouth. but no!!! you were so drunk (in love or with alcohol, nobody knows) that you threw caution to the wind and blurted: " yes AY, leave me and my husband alone"

you'd never said that before, infact you both never had that conversation at all, but you were in love so the next reasonable thing would be marriage, no?

no!!! big fat no!!!!!!

Your "Husband" froze, he stiffened under your touch, his hand that was stroking your hair stuttered before he continued and you didn't notice, you couldn't notice it, you only noticed the way Ay hid his scoff and how awkward it became. you didn't pay attention to it you only filed it away for when you were sober enough to have that argument.

"okay" Ayo exhaled " I was coming to tell you both that there's an after party after this one, but the Mrs is a bit drunk so I'll just call a cab..." Ayo's voice had a hint of pity in it

" yes please" you muttered.

Michael kissed your forehead but it wasn't as firm as it used to be and he stroked your hair

" I guess we'll be leaving then" he said to Ayo.

"aiit"

You were not conscious for the drive home but you remember him holding you in the Uber and something about him felt very stiff.

you woke up wrapped in sheets that smelt like him in the house you both owned.

he was in the kitchen, cooking his favourite meal, the one you didn't like but loved because he did.

you loved everything he loved because you loved him and yes you wanted to be with him for the rest of your life and you didn't mind compromising just to have him.

You yawned and the stench of your mouth was terrible and made you nauseous so you went to the bathroom and freshened up.

Downstairs, you met the shirtless hunk of a man, already plating the meal, your eyes caught his and he smiled at you and gestured to the chair. You sat and he placed the plate directly in front of you and you dug in immediately. You weren't hungover but you were very hungry, you dug in to the food and he watched you eat with a smile, while he was picking his own and when you were done, he washed both plates and sat in front of you and he held your hand.

" I love you so much" he said

"I love you more than anything" you replied truthfully , your dog would be really offended if she were there to witness that lie, because you loved her more than anything.

he nodded and his eyes darted away

"about last night" he said

your heart flipped, you probably embarrassed him" I'm sorry, I had too much to drink and i—"

"—did you mean it?" he interrupted

"— didn't know... what? mean what?"

" you called me your husband"

your brows furrowed "why would you ask that? of course I meant it" you scoffed.

you waited for him to laugh or probably address it further but he just said: "I... okay okay, I was just asking" while avoiding eye contact with you.

you fiddled with the plastic apples in front of you, a perfect example of calm outside but troubled within.

and funny enough that was the end of it, he successfully diverted your attention from it and somewhere within, you allowed him to distract you while being hopeful that after 3 years of dating, he would show you to the world and probably wife you up.

oh dear! that was the beginning of it all.

you free yourself of patience

The weeks that followed, you both got into meaningless arguments, most of which were initiated by you. There was an underlying tension that he didn't want to address even if he knew what it was. But you knew it was about the fact that there was no direction for the relationship and that he was hiding you and you were getting tired of asking.You were no fool, you knew the man and how meticulous he was with all his activities so... why was he stalling when it came to claiming you?

you sit on the bed but your shadow is getting dressed, you've had too many years of waiting

You continued being patient and loving even though your patience was running thin... And that day came when you ran out of patience.

it was on the night of his movie premiere, as always you stayed back in the hotel while he does interviews and comes back to you, that was the arrangement and you used to be okay with it two years ago, you were okay with him saying he was single on live TV and dodging questions about marriage and denying you. But that was 2 years ago, you had newer goals now. You kissed him goodbye and as he went to do his hair and makeup, you scrolled idly on Instagram while being cautious of the time because even if he pissed you off you loved him enough to always support him.

Immediately it was time, you turned the TV on and there he was, your baby, your man, your everything, looking good, smiling and winning hearts and shining under the flashes and you felt so lucky. Until he opened his mouth to speak. it was a harmless question, a simple one at that

" your movie was about a married couple struggling to understand each other, you played your role too well, should we be expecting any Mrs Jordan soon?"

you saw it, the way his eyes fluttered and he bit his cheek, you saw it... he was going to lie.

"nah nah, not really not now" he did the nervous laugh " but soon maybe when I get a girlfriend but not now"

the reporter who was only doing her job, laughed " okay Mr smooth, I hope it's soon"

he should have walked away but he decided to add insult to injury "not any time soon"

you turned the TV off and the room was silent again.

the tears could not come, instead you were filled with rage.

you sat in the silence and listened to your heart beat in your chest...

thump... thump... thump....

you couldn't decide whether to do a breathing exercise or to let the rage decide for you, on one hand you needed to be patient and on the other hand you were tired. Even animals were treated with more dignity, so you did the only thing a sensible woman would do , you packed your bags slowly like a robot and called your housekeeper.

you blocked and deleted his number in the Uber.

I know you're not coming to the life that we wanted

what if it's cut short by the fires I've started...

Predictably, he did everything to reach you.

" babe, please pick up" he texted with his second number which you were not aware he had.

" are you safe?"

better to be robbed and stabbed than whatever this was.

"Babe, you can't keep doing this, what did I do?"

you saw it, you ignored it.

you were already in an Uber going to your own house that you had partially abandoned.

it was your property... the housekeeper was already outside when you got there, your dog Suzy was excitedly wagging her tail and barking.

the housekeeper read the room immediately and helped with your bags and Like a zombie you went to your room and exhaustion got the best of you, you drifted off to sleep. You woke up to him arguing with your housekeeper to let him in.

you ran down the stairs and immediately locked eyes with him, you told your housekeeper to let him in. She did and went ahead with her chores but you knew she was listening.

"what do you want?" your voice had lost all warmth, even your dog felt it.

She whined.

he had the audacity to look hurt " what?"

" Michael Bakari Jordan, why are you causing a ruckus in my apartment?"

He stuttered and tried to come close to you but you moved back" I was worried about you, you were not at the hotel and you were not at our house either"

"your house" you muttered

"what?"

" your house!" you said loudly this time " Michael, that place ceased to be my house when you said that rubbish on TV"

he opened his mouth to talk and you shunned him " I'm done with all these games, I have needs too, I have feelings, you should have treated me with dignity at least, why are you hiding me from the world? is it because I'm plus size or because I don't fit your aesthetic and your reputation, what's wrong with me? why can't you show me to the world , why can't you love me properly?"

" no don't say that, I love you so much, you know what I said on TV was a lie"

"you don't love me , you love the idea of keeping me a secret and I'm done with that, we have no direction" the tears finally dropped "this relationship," you gestured between the both of you " has no direction, it's best we end it"

his eyes widened and he knelt down at your feet.

"please dont leave me, I love you, I will do better, I will marry you please I need you in my life, we can't just end things like that, I know you dont mean it, please come back"

"no you don't, you won't be needing me anytime soon, I mean what I'm saying too"

" no I'll make a post now, I'll do anything for you." He whined

"Michael" you sounded so tough but your heart was doing gymnastics and you were scared of the future, you already knew how messed up you would be after this break up.

" please go... I've made my mind up" your voice broke

"just like that? that can't be"

you turned away from him and jogged up the stairs to your room, you heard him following you but you were faster, you locked your door and watched him try to open it.

you sat on your bed and sobbed loudly as he yelled your name outside your door while also trying to open it but after various tries, he left.

he kept trying to reach you, and you did everything you could to be far from him.

have a baby with me...

After three months of no contact, you saw the changes in him that only you could notice,

Everytime you search up his Instagram he had made a lot of cryptic posts from that night and he wasn't much of a social media user but the way he had been so active was a testament to how badly he was taking the break up.

blogs were eating good because he was feeding them with a lot of material, he was everywhere trying to make a show out of moving on and they were capturing it. it was almost as if he wanted you to see how much you'd hurt him so that you would feel bad and come back

but you were also breaking inside you just wore it better, some nights you'd wake up with panic attacks or tears in your eyes, some nights your fingers hovered over his name in your phone but the hurt outweighed the love.

yes all the love you had for him turned into something else, it wasn't even hatred it was something else that didn't have a name. it was like a purgatory but between love and hate.

on some days you'd pass by some of your favourite spots and nostalgia would hit you hard.

one time, you saw him around the shopping mall but he didn't see you and you hid until you were sure he had gone.

but your heart longed for him, you didn't hide because you didn't want him to see you, you hid because you didn't trust yourself to not do something stupid.

that night, you cried again because you regretted letting go and little by little your heart started beating fast, your body started shaking, there was difficulty in breathing, you hurriedly called the house keeper and told her to stay with you, she suggested calling 911 and calling him and you quickly yelled 911, even though you wanted him. the ambulance came immediately and when they wheeled you in, the housekeeper was beside you, holding you and reassuring you and a selfish part of you wished it was him holding you, it wished he could see you now, so that he would feel remorse but that was wishful thinking.

even in the hospital, even during the consultation and treatment you still wished he had showed up.

upon all that, you were slowly letting him go, piece by piece, memory by memory and it was working.

he must have sensed it because one night he called you and you picked the call almost immediately. you were not aware it was him. "Have a baby with me, before you leave" he whispered,his speech was slurred.

"huh? it's 2am what the fuck is this?" you replied groggily

"please, at least let me keep a piece of you with me, I know I fucked up but just give me this chance, I realized that I got too comfortable with not knowing where our relationship was headed and I was scared of losing you" he ranted, he must have had too much to drink

"that makes no sense Michael"

he broke into tears " please, have a baby with me"

you had nothing to say, everything you wanted to say three months ago just vanished... and you had lost the patience for his theatrics " goodbye Michael"

"please"

you hung up.

It's too late for a dream....

Five years later, you, your daughter and your husband were at a fundraiser, your husband held your daughter on one arm and you on the other. you both were telling each other corny jokes as you walked the red carpet,

then you looked up mid conversation and your eyes caught his,he was standing alone, he still looked the same but his eyes looked wiser. a beautiful pregnant woman was beside him, your eyes locked with his finally

and he waved at you, you waved back and turned back to your husband and daughter and that was it, no small talk, nothing.

just a message passed between two ex lovers.

ms-mazarin

Words to replace said, except this actually helps

I got pretty fed up with looking for words to replace said because they weren’t sorted in a way I could easily use/find them for the right time. So I did some myself.

IN RESPONSE TO Acknowledged Answered Protested

INPUT/JOIN CONVERSATION/ASK Added Implored Inquired Insisted Proposed Queried Questioned Recommended Testified

GUILTY/RELUCTANCE/SORRY Admitted Apologized Conceded Confessed Professed

FOR SOMEONE ELSE Advised Criticized Suggested

JUST CHECKING Affirmed Agreed Alleged Confirmed

LOUD Announced Chanted Crowed

LEWD/CUTE/SECRET SPY FEEL Appealed Disclosed Moaned

ANGRY FUCK OFF MATE WANNA FIGHT Argued Barked Challenged Cursed Fumed Growled Hissed Roared Swore

SMARTASS Articulated Asserted Assured Avowed Claimed Commanded Cross-examined Demanded Digressed Directed Foretold Instructed Interrupted Predicted Proclaimed Quoted Theorized

ASSHOLE Bellowed Boasted Bragged

NERVOUS TRAINWRECK Babbled Bawled Mumbled Sputtered Stammered Stuttered

SUAVE MOTHERFUCKER Bargained Divulged Disclosed Exhorted

FIRST OFF Began

LASTLY Concluded Concurred

WEAK PUSY Begged Blurted Complained Cried Faltered Fretted

HAPPY/LOL Cajoled Exclaimed Gushed Jested Joked Laughed

WEIRDLY HAPPY/EXCITED Extolled Jabbered Raved

BRUH, CHILL Cautioned Warned

ACTUALLY, YOU’RE WRONG Chided Contended Corrected Countered Debated Elaborated Objected Ranted Retorted

CHILL SAVAGE Commented Continued Observed Surmised

LISTEN BUDDY Enunciated Explained Elaborated Hinted Implied Lectured Reiterated Recited Reminded Stressed

BRUH I NEED U AND U NEED ME Confided Offered Urged

FINE Consented Decided

TOO EMO FULL OF EMOTIONS Croaked Lamented Pledged Sobbed Sympathized Wailed Whimpered

JUST SAYING Declared Decreed Mentioned Noted Pointed out Postulated Speculated Stated Told Vouched

WASN’T ME Denied Lied

EVIL SMARTASS Dictated Equivocated Ordered Reprimanded Threatened

BORED Droned Sighed

SHHHH IT’S QUIET TIME Echoed Mumbled Murmured Muttered Uttered Whispered

DRAMA QUEEN Exaggerated Panted Pleaded Prayed Preached

OH SHIT Gasped Marveled Screamed Screeched Shouted Shrieked Yelped Yelled

ANNOYED Grumbled Grunted Jeered Quipped Scolded Snapped Snarled Sneered

ANNOYING Nagged

I DON’T REALLY CARE BUT WHATEVER Guessed Ventured

I’M DRUNK OR JUST BEING WEIRDLY EXPRESSIVE FOR A POINT/SARCASM Hooted Howled Yowled

I WONDER Pondered Voiced Wondered

OH, YEAH, WHOOPS Recalled Recited Remembered

SURPRISE BITCH Revealed

IT SEEMS FAKE BUT OKAY/HA ACTUALLY FUNNY BUT I DON’T WANT TO LAUGH OUT LOUD Scoffed Snickered Snorted

BITCHY Tattled Taunted Teased

writing-reigns-deactivated20200

reblog to save a writer

whispersandwhiskerburn

Reblog because the titles for each category are comedy gold.

ritual-unions-gotme-deactivated

cause I have been using this often lately.

themindfulwriter16

Scrolling thru old likes I forgot I had this

yeehawnce

MICHAEL B. JORDAN AS SMOKE BEHIND THE SCENES OF SINNERS (2025) WITH DIRECTOR RYAN COOGLER

aretasreads

Michael B. Jordan at JAY-Z's Yankee Stadium Show

nahimjustfeelingit-writes

Camera 0ff…

Summary: watching turns into wanting…and wanting turns into control

Warnings: Obsession /Voyeurism / Possessive Male / Hood romance grit / Daddy kink / Provider dynamic / Dirty talk + cum fixation / Unprotected, raw, dominant sex / Slow burn tension / Crime Drama + Thiller / Stalking / Urban Erotica

[ Part Three ]

#fic rec

nahimjustfeelingit-writes

“He came in that thang movin’.” BOYYY OH BOYYYY

😩😩😩

melodyofmbaku

Chapter 3 - Two of a Kind [Smoke Moore x Annie x Stack Moore]

Preview:"The difference between me and my brother," he said, his voice still quiet, still even, still so terrifyingly calm, "is that Smoke don't got a temper. Never did. Man was born patient." He looked at her steadily. "I wasn't."

Word Count: idk 😗

Warning ⚠️: They're not a trio. But everyone eats eventually 🤪

<<< Chapter 2

___

She slept better than she expected.

That was the first thing — waking up on Day 2 to light coming through the curtains at a normal hour, no pre-dawn sounds of someone else moving through the house, no particular weight of being monitored. Just morning. Just hers.

She lay there a moment taking stock of it.

The house was quiet. Stack was either still asleep or already up and keeping himself scarce, and either way she couldn't hear him, which meant she could pretend for a few minutes that she was alone. That it was just her and the morning and nobody's schedule but her own.

She got up. Didn't bother pinning her hair.

Came downstairs in her robe with her feet bare and the day entirely unscheduled in front of her and felt something loosen in her chest that she hadn't realized was tight.

Stack was at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee and the newspaper, already dressed, and he looked up when she came in.

"Morning."

"Morning." She moved past him to the stove, put the kettle on. He went back to his paper.

She stood at the counter waiting for the water to boil and looked out the window at the yard and didn't explain herself or account for her appearance or feel the particular low-grade awareness she always had of Smoke clocking the details of her. The unbrushed hair. The bare feet. Whether she'd slept well or poorly and what that meant and whether she needed something she wasn't asking for.

Stack just turned a page.

It was, she thought, a little bit wonderful.

The walk into town she decided on after breakfast. Nothing necessary — she wanted thread from the dry goods store, a specific color she'd been thinking about for the sewing project, and normally she would have asked Lennie to pick it up or added it to the list she gave Smoke and waited. But Lennie wasn't due until noon and it was a twenty minute walk on a pretty morning and there was no reason in the world she couldn't just go.

She came downstairs with her hat and her pocketbook and found Stack on the back porch.

"I'm walking into town," she said through the screen door. "Need a few things."

He looked up from whatever he was reading. Took her in — hat, pocketbook, the set of her that said she'd already decided.

"What time you think you'll be back?" he asked.

Not: you sure that's a good idea. Not: I'll have someone drive you. Not: what do you need, I can send for it.

Just — what time.

Annie blinked. "An hour. Maybe a little more."

He nodded. Looked back at his reading. "Alright."

She stood there a half second longer than she needed to, waiting for the rest of it. The caveat. The condition. The gentle redirection dressed up as concern.

It didn't come.

She went into town. Took her time about it. Stopped at the dry goods store, chatted with the woman behind the counter longer than strictly necessary, walked back the long way around past the church because the trees were pretty and the morning was fine and she could.

She was gone almost two hours.

When she got home Stack was in the sitting room and didn't look up from his book except to say, "Get what you needed?"

"Yes," she said, a little surprised.

"Good." He turned a page.

Annie went upstairs and put her things away and stood at the bedroom window for a moment.

Hm, she thought.

That evening she poured herself a third bourbon.

She didn't plan it. The first two had gone down easy on the porch, the night warm and the company quiet and pleasant enough, and she reached for the bottle again without really deciding to. Just did it the way she'd do it if she were alone.

Stack watched her pour.

Said nothing.

She set the bottle down. Took a sip. Looked out at the yard.

After a moment: "Smoke let you drink like that?"

Not an accusation. Not even quite a question. Just — conversational. Curious, almost.

Annie felt something move through her. Not guilt. Something more like being seen doing something she hadn't realized she was doing.

Smoke did not let her drink like that. Because Annie didn’t take bourbon well. She said it made her mean (and it did.)

But she didn’t say that. Instead she responded with "I'm a grown woman," she said.

"Mhm." He looked back at the yard.

That was it. That was all of it. He didn't push, didn't note it again, didn't give her the careful measured speech about what was appropriate.

But she felt it.

That considering quality in how he'd looked at her. Like he was making a note of something. Filing it away without comment.

She drank the third bourbon. It didn't taste quite as easy as she'd expected.

Later — later than she usually stayed up, later than she would have with Smoke in the house — she was still on the porch when the screen door opened and Stack stepped out.

He didn't say anything at first. Just looked at her, then up at the sky, then back at her.

"You turning in soon?" he asked.

Easy. Mild. Like it was just a passing thought.

"Eventually," she said.

He nodded. Went back inside.

Annie sat another twenty minutes out of principle. Then she went to bed.

She lay in the dark and thought about the way he'd asked what time she'd be back from town. The way he'd watched her pour the third drink. The way eventually had been accepted without argument.

He was easy, she decided. Easier than she'd expected. A little watchful, maybe, but fundamentally easy.

She could work with easy.

She pulled the quilt up and closed her eyes, comfortable in her assessment, already thinking about tomorrow.

She didn't notice that she'd answered his question.

She didn't notice that she'd come inside.

The invitation came on Day 3.

Pearl called in the late morning, her voice bright and unhurried through the receiver, the way Pearl always was — like she had all the time in the world and assumed you did too.

"Supper at Dottie's tonight," she said. "Just the girls. Dottie's making that roast and you know how she gets when folks don't show up for her roast."

Annie laughed. "I know."

"So you coming."

She hesitated, and hated herself for it. Hated that her first instinct was to calculate — to run through the variables the way she'd learned to, to anticipate the objection before it came. She wasn't even thinking about Smoke. She was thinking about Stack.

Which meant, she realized, that she'd already accepted that there was someone to answer to.

"I'll let you know by noon," she said.

Pearl made a sound. "Annie Moore, it's supper, not a summit—"

"By noon, Pearl."

She hung up and sat with the phone a moment.

Then she found Stack.

He was in the back garden — she hadn't known he was a man who sat in gardens, that seemed like information about him, something that didn't fit the outline she'd built — with his jacket off and his sleeves rolled and a cup of coffee going cold on the step beside him. He looked up when she came out.

"Something wrong?" he asked.

"No." She came and stood a few feet away, arms loose at her sides. Decided directness was the right approach — not asking permission, just stating the situation. "I've been invited to supper at a friend's tonight. A few of the girls. I'd like to go."

Stack looked at her.

Not the considering look from the bourbon — something more engaged than that. Like she'd said something that required actual thought and he was giving it actual thought, which was not what she'd expected.

She'd expected yes or no. Quick and clean.

He picked up his coffee. Took a sip even though it had to be cold by now. "What time?"

"Supper's at seven. It's Dottie Campbell's place, about fifteen minutes by car."

"You'd drive yourself?"

"Lennie would take me."

He nodded slowly. Set the cup back down. "What time you thinking you'd be home?"

And there it was — not no, not let me think about whether I'll allow that, just the practical question. The time. Like a man working out the shape of something reasonable.

Annie kept her expression neutral. "Ten. Ten thirty at the latest."

He was quiet a moment. She watched him think and tried not to read too much into the fact that he was thinking rather than just deciding.

"Alright," he said.

She blinked. "Alright?"

"You heard me." The corner of his mouth moved. "Ten thirty, Annie. Not eleven, not around ten thirty. Lennie brings you home by ten thirty."

"Ten thirty," she repeated.

"And you call here before you leave Dottie's. So I know you on your way."

She looked at him. "That's it?"

"That's it."

It was so reasonable she didn't know what to do with it. She'd come out here braced for negotiation, prepared with her arguments, ready to be measured and calm and persuasive — and he'd just said yes with two conditions that were so sensible she couldn't even object to them.

"Okay," she said, a little deflated.

Stack picked up his coffee again. "Tell Pearl I said hello."

Annie went inside and called Pearl back and told her she was coming and didn't mention Stack at all, because there was nothing to mention. Because it had been fine. Because he'd been completely, utterly reasonable.

She got ready that evening with something that felt almost like lightness. Put on the green dress, the good earrings, pinned her hair up properly. Looked at herself in the mirror without the particular weight of someone else's opinion of her appearance hovering at the edges.

Lennie drove her over at quarter to seven.

Dottie's was warm and loud and full of food and women who loved each other, and Annie sat in the middle of it and felt, for the first time in longer than she wanted to admit, like herself.

Just herself. Not someone's wife. Not someone's responsibility. Not a woman carefully within the boundaries of what was permitted.

Just Annie.

Pearl poured her something that was definitely not sweet wine and Annie drank it and laughed too loud at something Dottie said and had seconds of the lamb and felt the evening open up around her like a window she'd forgotten could open.

By nine thirty she was glowing.

By ten she was in the middle of a story that had the whole table leaning in.

At ten fifteen Pearl refilled her glass and someone put a record on and Dottie's cousin started dancing in the kitchen doorway and Annie thought—

Ten thirty.

She thought about it.

Looked around the table at these women, at this warmth, at the particular freedom of an evening that belonged entirely to her.

Stack had said ten thirty.

Stack, who had been perfectly reasonable. Who had let her walk into town alone and said nothing about the third bourbon and asked if she was turning in soon like it was just a passing thought. Stack who was, fundamentally, easier than Smoke.

Surely ten thirty was a guideline. A suggestion. The kind of thing a reasonable man said and a reasonable woman interpreted with some flexibility.

She didn't call before she left.

She told herself she'd forgotten, which wasn't entirely true.

Lennie pulled up to the house at eleven forty.

Annie smoothed her dress getting out of the car. The porch light was on. The house was lit from within, warm and quiet looking, and she stood on the front walk for just a moment breathing the night air, still warm from the evening, still full of Dottie's lamb and Pearl's laugh and the particular satisfaction of a night that had been entirely hers.

She went up the porch steps.

Opened the front door.

Stack was in the armchair in the sitting room facing the door.

Not pacing. Not standing. Just — sitting. Still and straight and entirely awake, one hand resting on the arm of the chair, the lamp on the table beside him throwing his face into sharp relief.

He looked at her.

Didn't say anything.

Didn't move.

Just looked at her the way a man looks at something he's been waiting on for a while, with a patience that had long since stopped being comfortable and become something else entirely.

Annie felt the warmth of the evening leave her body one degree at a time.

She thought about the phone call she hadn't made.

She thought about ten thirty.

She thought about the way she'd told herself surely and flexibility and fundamentally easier while Pearl refilled her glass.

The clock on the mantle read eleven forty-three.

"Stack—" she started.

"Close the door, Annie," he said quietly.

She closed the door.

The click of the latch was very loud in the silence.

Stack looked at her for a long moment. Long enough that she had to work to hold still under it, had to resist the urge to explain herself, to fill the silence with something.

Then he said, almost conversationally:

"You know, I told myself I was gon' be easier on you than he is."

Annie said nothing.

"Told Smoke the same thing." He tilted his head slightly.

"Said you didn't need nobody running your life for you every minute. That you were a grown woman and you'd act like one if somebody just gave you the room to."

The clock ticked.

"I believed that," he said. "I want you to know that. I really believed it."

He stood up then. Slow and unhurried, the way he did everything, unfolding from the chair to his full height. Took one step toward her. Just one.

"The difference between me and my brother," he said, his voice still quiet, still even, still so terrifyingly calm, "is that Smoke don't got a temper. Never did. Man was born patient." He looked at her steadily. "I wasn't."

Annie's heart was doing something uncomfortable in her chest.

"He's the better man," Stack said simply. "He's always been better than me. More controlled. More measured." A pause. "Unfortunately for you, he ain't the one standing in this room."

The silence that followed had weight to it.

"So I'm gon' ask you one time," he said. "And I want you to think very carefully before you answer."

He looked at her.

"What time did you say you’d be home?"

<<< Chapter 2

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A/N Not me pumping out these chapters 🤪 I been sitting on so much work and for that I'm truly sorry. But mama is backkk. Ours to Keep is killin' me lol. But that's truly my fave body of work so I will be putting both my feet and elbows in that to make sure that storyline is tight. Hope you enjoy this one as well, and as always your thoughts are welcomed and appreciated!

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My other works can be found in My Masterlist. Thanks for reading!

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#fic rec #can’t wait to read later

aretasreads

New Reported Details On 'BLACK PANTHER 3':

• Ryan Coogler wants to include mutants and supernatural connections to the ancestral plane.

• It will feature a coming-of-age story, with a heavy emphasis on legacy & what it means for T'Challa Il to inherit the title of Black Panther.

• There have been talks about making Nakia not want T'Challa II to be the Black Panther and inherit the throne.

Via Cosmic Circus

anniensmoke3

Annie & Smoke 🤎

Annie got smokes in her hand. 🥹😍🤎

nahimjustfeelingit-writes

I stumbled on a TikTok about how MBJ went from an okaylooking guy to the most desirable man (2020) 😬 I’ve been here since 2014 (could have been earlier if i’d watched the wire or amc) so to me he was already super handsome he’s just kept maturing. It makes me wonder if some of those women(especially the white ones) only started crushing on him because of his popularity and how common it’s become for him to be everyone’s celebrity crush

Michael has always been very handsome. Yes as he matured he’s grown more into his looks and went from having that boyish look to more of a grown man look. It’s also the way he carries himself. Mike only puts on the sexy when he’s in front of a camera but really seeing him in his natural element is what I love!

A lot of women like the idea of what he has to offer and his popularity and especially the palm colored ones 😭😩 it’s all strategic. It’ll be even more strategic now.

But I always laugh when I see “I’ve been sleeping on him!” Uhhhh yeah you have sis 😩😭😂

aretasreads

the shootout from this angle is interesting | sinners bts

waitingtobreatheagain

(This had been sitting in my drafts for way too long lol)

This camera test literally could be used in film school to showcase chemistry. It’s not even something that can be replicated, but an example of the natural chemistry two people have being the catalyst for building even deeper chemistry through building intimacy (closeness), the work they are doing, time spent together, and preparation (like the playlists).

It’s crazy to me that this is the first time they were on camera and you could absolutely feel it. Like you don’t feel like you’re watching two actors act…it feels like watching a couple in their own world.

We already know that the whole room (Ryan, Zinzi, Sev, Francine, etc.) felt IT when Wunmi & MBJ did their chemistry read so much so that she was offered the role in the ROOM. I don’t think folks think about how unheard of that is. Even though Ryan already decided long before that Wunmi was his Annie…that chemistry read still was make or break. If she & MBJ didn’t have the level of chemistry needed it would be dead in the water.

The chemistry between MBJ & whoever played Annie had to be a lot stronger than MBJ and whoever played Mary…just based on their roles in the movie and first and foremost their relationship. We (as the audience) had to believe that even for someone with such a hard exterior like Smoke that Annie is the love of his life, someone he lets his walls down for and shows sides of him no one else is privy to. Someone where whether it’s in passionate foreplay or even in dire situations he is able to let her take the lead. We also have to believe in an intimacy so close they have a short hand that is non verbal at times…it could be an intense stare, a plead for answers, an affirmation showing they trusted each other the most, a gaze showing all that unreleased passion as well as always being in each other’s vicinity side by side & each touch a further signifier of their bond. We had to feel like this was a man who would KILL for her and protect her in every way. A man who yearns for her in a way that only grew in his absence…where we can feel their passion for each other throughout, leading up to, and during sex. A man who for the first time actually acted on his own wants needs and desires for her. A man who never wanted to leave because when he found her he found home. A man who felt a love so deep for Annie that he would leave EVERYTHING behind (including immortality with his brother) to follow her into the afterlife so that they would never be apart again. And Wunmi showed us that it had to be HER. & they exceeded all expectations and more which is why we all just want more of them 🥹😭.

Like I actually need to see that chemistry read in FULL.

Imagine this being the first time on camera and the chemistry being so RAW it could be felt in maybe a 40 second clip.

Like they knew that this was lightning in a bottle. Even Michael and Wunmi seemed surprised at just how much chemistry was there.

I know proximity is holding onto some good bts shit we haven't even seen yet

I wanted to go moment by moment from the camera test snippet which I made into three gifs (sorry in advance for the quality) but here we go.

First, the way that throughout this clip Michael’s eyes are locked on Wunmi. When they are both facing forward, in true Smoke fashion, his focus is sharp and intense (even for the few seconds it lasts) as his eyes are taking in her figure. Maintaining the eye contact as they turn and instead of it breaking it, he just redirects it to her eyes. Then, as he readjusts her necklace and makes sure her earrings look as th. The clear but subtle Michael’s eye are locked on even when Wunmi is staring straight ahead, As they both turn to face each other, he immediately locks his eyes on hers.

Then, he moves into simple actions that may feel subtle but show the intimacy between them.

It’s less about *really* fixing her sleeves, straightening her earrings, and readjusting her necklace and more about establishing and maintaining physical contact with each adjustment.

Brushing her neck as he touches her chains and “levels her earrings

Starting at her shoulders as he pulls the inner collar of the dress before sweeping his hands down her sleeves.

Wunmi going from a neutral disposition to a brighter one when she is facing him. Smiling as she begins to talk as if this is natural part of Smoke and Annie’s routine.

Wunmi starting with a stare before she shyly (in a flirty manner) looks away just to regain eye contact as he walks up on her. Then, she begins talking with the same confidence she had as she gestures to the earrings he just touched.

Michael glancing up and down with his head fully tilted between her chest and eyes in repetition. Alternating between the same sharp focus and an uncharacteristic smirk that even shows a dimple.

THE. WALK. UP.

Closing every inch of distance so that they are now chest to chest.

Chest open with his shoulders back as his eyes are glued to Wunmi’s as he approaches with his whole focus being on her with his head tilted up and eyes low even if he isn’t fully listening (knowing him he is though) because he is so transfixed by her—just in her natural state. Wearing what she normally would, smiling how she would, confidently stating a point as she would.

The gentle sway he takes that shows the confidence, swagger, and the attraction he feels in each step which only adds to the suggestiveness of his final glance between her eyes and chest.

Intense, hungry eye contact is absolutely foreplay (or the start of it) for them as we see in the movie.

Very much on his grown man.

Following regaining eye contact, Wunmi continues talking with the same expression and energy and is seemingly asking for his opinion. She mirrors him not breaking eye contact as she waits for the response completely in sync. As she hears his response, she not only accepts it but is clearly feeling what he said. The head tilt while turning her head with a flirtatiously amused expression (like an "okayyy" iykyk). Then, she ends with finding his eyes again and tilting her head up which is even more direct as she nods.

Michael continues with the direct eye contact he's maintained since the "walk up" only breaking it to take in every facial feature, how her hair is styled, her accessories, and her dress before clearly responding affirmatively because of course Smoke would love her look from head to toe. Smoke replying in that matter of fact way while intensifying the eye contact after he replies as if to accentuate or back up what he said. He even gestures to reflect he is feeling her whole get up but it's limited due to how physically close they are. The glances that follow linger longer here at her eyes, lips/mouth, and chest. Then, he ends how he started with a head tilted glance from head to chest before ending with an intense, searing full eye contact gaze.

Still in my mind rent free, ngl.

I've said all this to say that building from/starting with this level of chemistry then somehow even doubling, tripling, etc. it is a special thing. Decades ago, it was a little more common to see in acting duos but know its even more rare.

Even more rare to see it bleed from the set and screen to interviews, carpet moments, etc. True lightning in a bottle chemistry and I hope they work together again.

Knowing me, I’m sure this will inspire a fanfic down the line lol.

Fin.

#sinners #this is everything #love this breakdown

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