#*taking notes* sonic... likes... interior decorating...

[descendant-of-truth]

Obsessed with this little moment in the beach episode. Sonic went flower-picking instead because he hates the beach, and he was SO excited to come back home and show everyone the flowers he brought, which is so so adorable but then. nothing. nobody's home. they're still at the beach

This doesn't ruin his moment or anything, he still very happily admires his job at decorating the room, but he's also a little dramatic about it. how TRAGIC it is that no one's here to appreciate his handiwork. they could be here, witnessing the best flowers this room's ever seen, but instead they're too busy splashing around in the water.

And the thing is, he's probably using more words on all this commentary than he would have if everyone had actually been there. I don't know why he's like this but I love him with all my heart

[endoll]

HOW SWEET

O13 — CatNap and Hoppy Hopscotch

pairing soccerplayer!sunghoon x sororitysister!yn

Synopsis when your sorority president volunteered the house to work with the soccer team for fundraising, you didn’t know how you were supposed to react. Not when your assigned partner turned out to be Park Sunghoon, the vice-captain and your worst enemy since grade school.

note IM AT 1K FOLLOWERS YAYAAAA CHAPTER TO CELEBRATE

last masterlist next

The address Sunghoon gave you didn’t surprise you one bit. The house, just outside of the city, was big… at least bigger than yours. A two story house with yellow walls and a gray roof. The outside was decorated with drawings on the wall (which were obviously done by a child), and small signs littered the rock bed.

They must have cats you noted, looking down at a sign that read “beware of the feline,” buried in the rocks.

When you finally made it to the white door (that felt too fake for your liking), you couldn’t help but listen to the noises from inside.

“Sumin, put your damn pants on!” You could hear Sunghoon yell. There was a response that you couldn’t quite make out, then Sunghoon again, “Park Sumin, you little—”

And with that you rung the doorbell, hearing the boy yell that he was coming. You looked down at yourself, you were wearing nothing fancy: a tank-top and some jeans. The weather was getting warmer, but a breeze still was persistent.

Sunghoon opened the door, his chest heaving because of some activity you didn’t know what to name.

“Hey,” he nodded at you, looking at you up and down as if he was inspecting you.

“Hi,” you responded, hand grabbing your brown tote bag and swinging it slowly in front of you.

Sunghoon noticed, of course, moving out of the way to let you inside.

You accepted his invitation, taking time to observe the surroundings. The interior was even nicer than you expected. Just the entryway had hardwood floors and freshly painted gray walls. “Nice house.”

“Thanks,” he didn’t waste time, leading you up the stairs and straight to a bedroom.

It must’ve been his: a mirror screwed into the wall with his shoes lined up neatly against the wall beneath it. Poster’s of different things he likes on different walls (figure skating, BigBang, Sonic the Hedgehog?). His bed was the most minimal thing, just a plain dark blue blanket.

“Who are you supposed to be babysitting?” You asked him, not hiding the fact that you were looking at his decorations.

“My sister… but she’s watching Elmo in her room so we should be fine,” he picked up his backpack that sat in the corner of the room, taking out an iPad.

“Right,” it was your turn to nod. “So where do we start?”

“What the fuck are you even talking about?”

“What the fuck are you talking about? There’s no way we can fit a lot of people in when we have one tiny little box for all thirty-thousand members!” You argued at the man, moving his phone that sat in front of you. He had looked up kissing booth and suggested using an actual tiny one.

“At least I had an idea, what do you have, swan?” His arms were crossed, while he leaned back against his bed.

You both sat with your legs crossed on the floor facing each other, notebooks sitting between you and he even got his iPad out to draw a sketch on what its supposed to look like.

“We need at least two, and they need to be cute colors, not blue. Romance colors, like red or pink,” You grabbed his iPad and drew over the booth sketch. You colored the walls a baby pink with red lettering and hearts, then flipped it to show him, “see?”

He shook his head, “It’s not for love, it’s for charity.”

“They need to think they have a chance or else they won’t pay!”

Sunghoon let out a groan, standing abruptly. “I’m going to get some water, do you want anything?”

“Waters fine,” you faked a smile, which dropped as fast as it appeared.

He rolled his eyes and left, leaving you alone. It wasn’t like this is your first time alone in a boys bedroom, you’ve obviously had boyfriends before. But this was different, it was Sunghoon’s room.

You hated him with your whole heart. No matter what people said about him, you’d never forget what he did to you when you were ten years old. It almost feels stupid to still be mad, but it was the first time you’ve known real embarrassment. The day he decided to ruin your childhood.

Your thoughts were interrupted at the sound of tiny footsteps coming towards you.

Your head turned from the notebook, looking at the door to see a young girl, probably no older than six, looking at you with wide eyes. “You’re not Haruna.”

“Thank God I’m not,” you spoke before you could think, now it was your turn for your eyes to widen. This girl could snitch on you to her and you weren’t sure Haruna was above fighting.

The little girl giggled, walking over to you. She opened a drawer, pulling out two toys, then sat next to you. “Good,“ was all she said before she switched the topic. “Do you want to play?”

You took the plushie she handed you. “Who is this?” You turned to have it face you, a purple cat with a moon charm on the collar.

“Catnap,” she held up hers, “and this is Hoppy Hopscotch.” A green rabbit with a similar design to your cat, except a lightning bolt instead of the moon.

“Right…” you agreed, looking between the two animals. “Does Hoppy Hopscotch like Catnap?”

“She loves him,” the little girl held the bunny close to the cat. “They’re together.”

“Oh, of course,” you nodded your head. “Obviously.”

You moved the cat to the side, talking awkwardly pretending to be the cat. The little girl laughed at your attempt, but played with you anyways.

It wasn’t long after that Sunghoon came back, two bottles of water in his hands.

“What the fuck? Sumin, what are you doing?” He set the waters on the floor and picked up his sister off the floor.

“I’m too big to watch Elmo!” She crossed her arms, “and mom told you stop cussing at me!”

Under his breath, he mumbled something you couldn’t make out, then continued to argue with his sister. “We’re busy, Sumin. Get out, now.”

“But me and not Haruna are playing! Hoppy Hopscotch and CatNap are about to go on their first date!”

“My name isn’t not Haruna—“ you tried to tell her, but your voice got lost between the two siblings.

“Leave.”

“Make me,” she gave him a challenging stare.

In this moment, all you could notice was how similar they looked. Same dark brown eyes, same silky black hair, same pale skin. Even their mannerisms are the same, it’s like someone took Sunghoon, shrunk him, and made him a girl.

Sunghoon had stepped forward, placing his hands underneath the girls armpits to hoist her body over his shoulder. When he started walking out, she kicked her legs and whined.

“Not Haruna, help me! Save me, please! Help—“

You laughed at the sight, waving bye to the girl and watching Sunghoon come back and shut the door.

“Where were we?”

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[ninjakasuga]

Sonsal Celebration Year 2, Day 4: Choice

Here we go again; prompt number four for day four. I hope everyone is enjoying the fun we’re having with the Sonsal celebration hosted by @boundforfreedomsonsal and hope you all look forward to the rest of the celebration prompts as they come!

Choice: “Nrghh, I can’t make up my mind Sal!”

Sitting in the chair by her desk desk in their bedroom; Sally continued to dry her hair with a towel, while another was wrapped around her figure. Craning her head towards Sonic as he stood by a full-length mirror, with two different dress coats in hand. A small smile curls on her lips as she instantly figured out his problem. “Having trouble deciding on what suit to wear Sonic?”

Turning to face her, the hedgehog’s expression was that of a childish pout, two clicks away from blowing a blood vessel. “I don’t do clothes besides my gloves and shoes on principal, but now I gotta wear a monkey suit. Pants and a shirt and jacket, man it’ll drag me down! Plus, I dunno which of these things looks good, they’re both fancy as heck!” He ranted, holding up, each suit and jacket pair to place emphasis on his points.

As she finished tying the towel around her head, she got up from the chair and walked over her main squeeze, eyeing each outfit as she spoke to him sympathetically. “I know a fancy dinner isn’t your thing, but it’s a dinner with both of our parents and my brother and his family. A family get-together and celebration of our recent good fortunes.” Gently she brought a hand up to run through his head-quills, allowing herself a content smile as he made a soft murring sound and closed his eyes. Obviously enjoying her handiwork very much. “Your Mother’s pregnancy, my Father’s health taking a turn for the better, your Dad being deroboticized, the recent victories.”

“-Getting you back.” He added, opening his eyes, his gaze looking upon her with slight concern. When he didn’t see the ‘dead dread’ in Sally’s eyes, relief flooded Sonic. That was a sign Sally was slowly making progress recovering from the mental distress of that ordeal. Often times bringing it up, she would get quiet, nervous, and starting to relive events in her mind. Putting the two outfits on small hooks on the wall, he turns to face her and takes her hands into his as their eyes meet again. “You good Sal?” He inquired gently, wanting to confirm things were alright regardless.

With a wry smile and a nod, Sally leaned in so their noses brushed together. “I’m good hun, the nightmares happen less and less, and I don’t, start having vivid flashbacks from just bringing it up.” Inching closer, she kissed him, looking deeply into his emerald orbs seeing the worry and love in them for her. “You don’t need to be on eggshells around me with that topic.”

Squeezing her hands the speedy hedgehog let himself chuckle. “Just checkin’ Sal, I know you’re no pushover, but a Hedgehog worries from time to time.”

“Worry no more my love, now as for your outfit woes…” Looking over at the choices, she points to the right one. “That one.”

Eyeballing the outfit, a simple black pair of slacks, and matching sports coat with a white button-up shirt, and a solid red tie. “Why that one?”

“It’s nice and the colors compliment your blue quills and your tan fur.” She replied, reaching up to run a finger along his tan-colored muzzle. “Plus, it’s simple, no extra frills, but stylish, at least I think you’ll make the suit look good.”A laugh erupted from Sonic’s throat, unable to help himself at her compliment. 

“Well, do make cool, look cool so I’ll take your word for it.” He smiled, wide and knowing he was full of bull, to which both of them enjoyed a long chuckle and a hug. “Thanks for the assist hun.”

“Anytime.” Kissing his cheek, she walked over to her own dressing area and removed her towel around her figure. At the wolf-whistle coming from her boyfriend, she looked over her shoulder. “Behave, you’ve seen me fully unclothed plenty of times.”

Waggling his eyebrows, Sonic flashed one of his trademark cocky grins. “Doesn’t mean I ever tire of it. Especially with that tail wagging at me.”

As if to defy him she shook her booty and even wagged her tail, but held up a hand, wagging her finger in a ‘no-no’ gesture. “We have dinner in a few hours. I want to get ready in time. So this time my dear Sonic, fight the urge to jump me. I’m doing the same if it’s any consolation.”

Crossing his arms, the blue hedgehog sighed dramatically. “Oh, aaaalllright. I guess I can not jump my beautiful, smart, sexy, amazing girlfriend this once.” After playfully sticking his tongue at her; to which she had a good laugh, (which made him smile inside) he turned away and walked out of their bedroom to let her finish her ‘fancying up’ without giving into ‘temptation’. 

He wasn’t that bad, well most of the time he wasn’t. Maybe, occasionally he let his ‘lower brain’ do the thinking. After all, who could resist that fluffy tail wagging at them? He sure couldn’t!

“Oh Sonic, you have it bad.” He chuckled to himself, smiling and stopping in the middle of their shared living space, and just, admiring their relatively new home. Not long after his Mother announced her pregnancy; Sally and he had a sit-down and talk about the other… thing that happened that day. Specifically being busted for having a ‘sexy sleepover’ at his folks home. Suffice to say, they were a bit gun-shy about it happening again, and both cringed if there was a repeat concerning Sally’s folks instead of his. Sonic rather liked not being on Max’s bad side, and undoing any respect he gained from both her folks in general nor did they want to wear out any welcome or leeway his parents were already giving them.

So they made a choice and opted to get a home together. Of course, Nicole built it via her nanites, but they both had input on the interior set up and design. It wasn’t much, but it was theirs. The only real hurdle was doing so without stirring up any hubbub with their parents, well more Sally’s than his given their traditional sensibilities. His folks as expected instantly supported the idea, so it was down to a discussion with the Acorns. Suffice to say, Sonic was gobsmacked when Sally and he explained their plans to Max and Alicia, neither objected and gave their blessing.

“All I ask is you keep loving and protecting our daughter as you always have Sonic, and yes you can have our blessing.” Max had said plaintively as if the topic was a simple affair. Alicia chimed in her own words of blessing, and well, boom, here they were. To this day Sonic was still unsure what happened to improve his standing with Sally’s folks but he was grateful for it. Having their own home; felt like a big step in their lives, and one both of them were ready to take.

Oh sure, they had some small arguments about this and that, habits both had that got on the other’s nerves, or each having a preferred method to solving a home issue. Yet for any bickering or actual argument they had, to Sonic it felt like they came out of it wiser, and closer. Cleaning the house, making meals together, tending to the small garden outside, even decorating felt new and another experience to strengthen their bonds. Not to mention the privacy was nice; they could walk around practically naked without care if they wanted, and well the improvement of their sex lives could not be understated.

They’d only been living together for two months now, but it felt longer and, almost magical in how soothing having something that was ‘theirs’ to call their own. Everything gave Sonic optimism about their future co-habitation. In fact, as such optimism swelled in his chest, he walked over to a small alcove and reached into a vase and retrieved a small black box hidden within it. Opening the box, he admired the simple, forged re-sized power ring topped with a special gemstone he recovered on one of his adventures. Closing the box he looked up towards the doorway to the bedroom, wondering if he should wait a bit longer, or make the choice and ask Sally the big question now?

The hedgehog’s answer came almost instantly as his brain seemed to work in tandem with his heart. Smiling, he holds the box behind his back and walks back towards the bedroom. “Hey Sal, got a second?”

“What is it Sonic?”He smiled as he strode in, his tone playful. “Oh, nothing much, just a question I’ve been burning to ask ya’ hun.”

That night, Sonic not only got a resounding ‘YES!’ to his question; but the two were, a little ‘late’ to the dinner party, but luckily for them, they had a proper excuse that made the celebration that night, all the more memorable.

Author Notes: I admit this one gave me some trouble and I found myself kind of ‘adding’ to the actual ‘choice’ into several choices. The first choice being Sonic’s outfit, then the choice of the two acquiring a home together, as well as making the leap to being a live-in couple together. Lastly, Sonic’s deciding to propose to Sally that night.   

[uzumaki-rebellion]

“Wet Sugar” [Part 11 of 30]

"I won't make you pull out Getting it all tonight (All that I want) I just wanna go down In history how you like (Wanna be the one) As the one who makes you comfortable 'Cause your lips, they got me feeling very vulnerable (The way that you speak to me, freak with me Gives me a rise)

In too deep Don't wanna pull out (And I think we're) In too deep Don't wanna pull out…"

DVSN—"Too Deep"

Summary: Erik & Yani take a big step...

NSFW. Mature content. Smut. As always, Like/Comment/ & Reblog if you enjoy it! Happy reading!

Erik spent an hour soaking his right hand in ice. His knuckles were bruised from handling Chez.

Yani was quiet after they dropped Twyla off at Leona's. When he took her back to the compound to retrieve her car, her silence bothered him.

"You okay?" he asked when they arrived at Klaue's.

"I'm fine."

"You still look shook up from what happened."

"It was a lot to see."

"Can you stay over for a bit?"

"No, I have to get back to Sydette and then I'm heading over to my cousin's house."

"Can I come see you tonight? We can watch TV…I can help watch the kids—"

"It's better if I babysit alone. Bam is not good with new people and he won't let us watch TV in peace."

"Can I see you tomorrow?"

Her eyes wouldn't meet his and she rubbed her right hand over her thigh in a nervous tic. He stepped closer to her and let his left hand cradle her face.

"What's wrong? You still worried?

"Yeah."

He pulled her in for a hug and he felt her soft body relax into his, her tension draining in his arms. Her face rested on his chest.

"Nothing is going to happen. Believe me."

He tilted her chin up to him and bent his head to kiss her. Her lips took his and he was gentle with her mouth.

"Call me tomorrow if you want to hang out," he said. He didn't want her to commit to anything if she still needed to get her bearings.

"I will," she said.

He watched her leave and wondered if he ruined their fragile reconnection.

Hand cool and feeling better from the ice, Erik took a look at the security feed from all around the compound. No intruder detections. No weird glitches in the security system. He checked on the secret vault in Klaue's main house under the large world globe that held the man's liquor. Afterward, he took a walk to the gun range and made his way to a false room that led down into a fully functioning wide-open workspace.

Erik had already moved in the equipment he would need to work on Klaue's arm, the prosthetic secured behind a magnetized forcefield. He had carefully disassembled about forty percent of the arm to study the mechanical functions. Klaue confided that it was a modified Wakandan mining tool he had stolen when he snatched the cache of vibranium for Erik's father. The arm used sonic and electromagnetic tech, and it was Erik's second introduction to technology from his father's homeland.

The entity known as Ultron had rendered Klaue an unwilling amputee, and somehow Klaue had jerry-rigged himself a haphazard weapon from the Wakandan tool. The first thing Erik did was to implant a secret tracking device. Once he figured out how to fix the vibranium issue in the arm, he would deliver it to Klaue personally. He would always know where the man was anywhere on the planet. It would make Erik's life easier. He made a note to order some robotic tools through Marisol in Brazil and have it FedExed to the P.O. Box he had set up in Havensight under an assumed name.

Sound was his specialty, and his days at M.I.T. were spent studying sonic warfare. He was actually excited about working on perfecting the weaponized arm. He had a small glimpse of Wakanda by accident when he was a child. Rubbing his right knuckles, Erik thought of the night he had snuck out of his parent's bedroom with his father's kimoyo beads. He was almost ten and working hard on a science project to enter into the Stark Science Expo. An affordable personal homecare robot for the elderly, that's what he was creating for the expo. Something to help his Nana who had become too frail to care for herself the way she used to. His great-grandmother was one of the great loves of his life. He wanted to make something for her to help make life easy the way she had done for his mother before he was born.

Erik chuckled to himself. How strange it was to remember how he was so enamored with anything Stark related when he was a child. Then to become Tony Stark's intern at nineteen and getting to know the man behind the Expo was a whole other level of irony. To think that Iron Man himself had unknowingly helped prepare Erik for his takeover of the world by giving him access to cutting-edge cyber tech as a teenager was a feeling he relished. There would come a day, one day soon perhaps when Erik would look that man in the face again. Maybe they would have another conversation like the one they had ten years previous where they had shared some personal things with one another during a time where Erik's father had left him a small clue reminding him of what his destiny was.

The night Erik slipped away from his parent's room with the kimoyo beads had been a life-changer. Tinkering with his robot all day with his father as a test subject and observing his father's beads glowing with a silver light prompted Erik to wait for his father to slip the beads off of his arm and rest it in the velvet casing he kept it in at night near his bed.

Erik could remember it like it was yesterday. Watching TV with his parents on their bed, his father nudged him to leave so that he could make love to his mother. His parents hadn't even noticed him slipping the beads into his pajama bottoms. He left their room and went into his retrieving the fingerprints he had lifted from his father when he touched Erik's robot project. Erik knew that his father's beads weren't just decoration. They heated up sometimes. Changed colors. Glowed when Baba didn't think Erik noticed. Vibrated.

Sometimes his father stroked the beads, not as one would do to adjust jewelry, but more like he was typing a code into it, his subtle taps catching Erik's eyes. When Erik tried tapping the beads himself, nothing happened. So he set out to collect his father's fingerprints, trying to collect enough oils in the print to try and see if he could figure out a code that he was sure his father was using to make the beads stop glowing or even vibrate.

He could hear his parents making love, something that was normal to him as a child, and it was the perfect time to experiment with the beads. His father was a deep sleeper after he had sex, and Erik knew he could put the beads back before the sun came up.

Then it happened.

He used the lifted prints and a force bipolar gripping tool to try and open a bead, but then it all went haywire when a force-field of blue light blinded him with intense brightness that flooded the room. His own fingertips had access to controlling the beads at that point and he stroked one of the symbols releasing holographic images that floated around him with images of his father's homeland. His first introduction to the real Wakanda.

His parents caught him and Erik had a glimpse into his own future. It broke his family apart for a short time. Right before the really bad times began. When his family was broken forever.

He shook the memory away before it led to a place he didn't want to go to in that moment. The immediate goal was to figure out why the vibranium was overpowering the prosthetic controls in the arm. He couldn't do that until he knew how the mining tool worked inside and out.

After taking enough 4D photos of the interior of the arm, Erik took a break to make himself dinner.

"Yo man, you can't keep blocking the walkway."

Jerome only stared at Erik as he lounged on the cement path catching the final rays of sunlight. He walked around the iguana.

"Stop shitting near the pool too, nigga," he tossed back knowing the iguana didn't give a damn and would keep defecating wherever it pleased.

Dinner was just leftover grilled lemon chicken and a baked sweet potato. He ate his meal out on the balcony and watched the sea along with a bourbon colored sunset. He didn't feel like working on the arm again, and he didn't feel like reading or watching TV.

Sitting on the balcony in the balmy weather was pleasing to his overactive brain. His mind could become manic in a lot of ways when he worked on things. He checked his cell searching for Yani's name on the gossip site she mentioned. He saw the picture causing the ruckus and was glad that his dark glasses hid most of his face. He saved the picture in a gallery file. Something about the way they looked walking together made him feel good. Sydette was pointing to something that he was smiling at, and he could see why his dimples would make the comment section blow up. The baby was smiling too even though her eyes were blacked out, her own dimples deeper than his, and Yani clutching his arm just made them look like a little family.

He would be hard-pressed to blame Chez for thinking incorrectly about his paternity. Erik almost felt bad for the dude. Not over the paternity gossip, but for losing Yani. Ursula wasn't that much of a looker, and the other side chick he had on his couch was subpar at best.

He read the comments and the breakdown seemed evenly split, half thinking Yani had stepped out on Chez, the other half stanning Yani and applauding her for moving on from a deadbeat. He wondered how it felt for Yani to be island famous not because of her own talents, but because she had a baby with a popular man-baby. He couldn't imagine dropping babies in women back to back like that.

He checked Yani's timeline and she hadn't added any new pictures or updated her feed. He scrolled through old photos of her and her avatar popped up.

"Hello?" he said almost breathless.

"Hi," Yani said.

"Hey, what's poppin'?"

"You want to come over?"

His voice got a little cocky.

"I thought your little cousin would have a problem with me?"

He checked his watch. It was almost eight.

"My cousin ended up canceling her plans. I'm at home."

He wanted to pick her up and bring her to the compound, almost suggested doing that, but then he thought about Sydette. Shit. A baby did change a lot of things. Yani would have to pack up a bag for her and then, depending on when they left his place, they'd have to maybe wake the baby up, pack her up again while disturbing the child's nighttime routine.

It also meant that if he wanted to mess around with Yani, which he did want to, he was in Leona's home and sex was out of the question.

But he wanted to see her again.

"I'll be right over," he said.

###

They watched a sketch comedy show re-run with Sydette sitting between them on the couch. Leona was fast asleep and Twyla was in the bedroom she shared with Yani watching another TV show. When an adult animated show came on, Yani lifted up her t-shirt and slipped her bra cup aside to let Sydette do a final night feed before bed. Sydette suckled but kept her eyes on Erik, and he felt himself get a little jealous. He wanted to be on Yani and kept hoping the little girl would fall asleep soon. The thought made him think of his father again and how he would get annoyed when Erik used to linger on their bed to watch TV with his head on his mother's stomach. Somewhere in an afterlife, if there was one, his father was probably laughing at him. Erik now knew how he felt when Baba wanted alone time with his mother and Erik was blocking access.

Sydette was so sweet though, and he could see her eyes getting drowsy. Her head fell away from Yani's big dark nipple.

"At last," Yani whispered, "I'll be right back."

She scurried away with the baby and went to her room. Erik stretched his arms out on the couch and waited for Yani to return.

"You want anything else to drink?"

"No, I'm good," he said making his voice softer in volume.

Yani dimmed the lights in the room.

Alone at last.

She cuddled up next to him and they watched another episode of the animated show. He put his arm around her and she snuggled closer and he wished they were back in the living room of Klaue's house. His hand brushed against her right breast and she sighed. His eyes glanced over to the hallway. The two bedrooms had their doors closed and it was hard to see the couch from where the back rooms were.

"Give me a kiss," he said.

She tilted her head up and he kissed her, already knowing she was wanting some affection by the way she was leaning into him.

"Is Kendall coming home soon?" he whispered.

"No. He's performing tonight at a club on the other side of the island."

His lips devoured hers and she squirmed on the couch. He pulled her to sit sideways on his lap.

"My turn with them titties, baby," he said pushing her shirt up. She held it up for him with her left hand and he pulled out her breasts from the cups of her bra and latched his mouth onto the right breast. He sucked on her like he needed to be fed, his lips going back and forth to lick and nibble each nipple. His dick was already getting fat in his shorts just from how he was excited by her large nipples.

He kissed her and her hungry mouth gave as much as he could greedily take. His right hand fondled and plucked at her tips. Her head turned slightly back to check to see if anyone was stirring from the back rooms.

He pulled her hand to touch his erection that grew against his thigh.

"Look what you did," he whispered.

She tugged on him and his lips pressed into hers until her fingers curled around the head of his dick. He was free-balling in his knee-length basketball shorts. They both could see the wet stain where his clear fluid was soaking through against his thigh. She gripped him tight and he pushed his face between her breasts.

"Fuck…you got me so hard. Taste me baby…"

His fingers touched hers on his tip and he let his pre-cum wet his fingers. He brought the sticky fluid up to her mouth. She sucked on his fingers.

"Put Daddy's dick in your mouth."

Her hot tongue licked off the last of the natural lubricant from his fingers. He didn't care that he was in Leona's house at that point. He pulled down his shorts and let his erection spring free, his balls felt heavy resting on the couch.

"Take care of me, baby," he said, not liking the begging tone in his voice. He pulled her t-shirt over her head and pushed her off of his lap. He was rough with her, his desperate need to finally have her mouth on him stopped him from caring about gentle nudging. Not with those big juicy tits out like that and her perfect lips hanging open, her pink tongue licking the corner of her mouth.

She widened her legs and the soft silky green shorts she wore rode up until they were wedged tight against her inner thighs. She stroked his dick with her hand. He would normally yank a woman's hair when she didn't do what he wanted right away, but there was nothing to grab on Yani, her crispy as fuck fade sleek and gorgeous, her eyes set on his.

"C'mon girl, suck this dick, stop playin'."

He slapped at her face playfully and she ducked back from him, her thumb gliding over his glans with slow deliberation. They both watched him drip from his slit a copious amount of lubricant and she just kept fingering his wide spongy tip as it slid across her thumb and fell to the floor.

Her left hand lifted up her left breast and she squeezed it, then brought it against his dick. She let his tip rub against her nipple and more fluid dripped from him.

"Yani…"

He squirmed on the couch and her eyes stayed on his, watching him, but she still didn't give him what he wanted. Her silence unnerved him but he was hypnotized by his slick glans circling her areola.

"Fuck!"

Her mouth slipped around the top of his glans and sat there, her tongue pressed against the underside of it, resting on his frenulum and giving light pulses that made the sensitive skin tingle. He thought she would insert the rest of his length in her throat, but no, she stayed right on that glans, her tongue beginning to glide around the corona, that equally sensitive ridge surrounding the head before she dipped the tip of her tongue into his opening. Pre-cum pooled onto her tongue and her wet mouth spit into his weeping slit. Soft flicks into that hole made him clutch the cushion of the couch.

"Ah…damn…"

Erik's toes bunched up and his legs jerked with his thighs.

She let a stream of saliva drip all over his shaft as her tongue ran down the underside of his erection and suckled his balls, one by one until she had them glossy with her spit. She licked back up his length and engulfed the head again and just suckled it. Her tongue kept spreading spit around the head keeping it nice and slick. Trailing her nails past his heavily groomed pubic hairs, Yani rested her left hand on his stomach and twirled her index finger around his belly button.

She had his nuts jumping, each ball sack moving up and down. He'd never had his balls react so strongly like that and he had no control over their movement. The heels of his feet dug into the carpet because his slides had been kicked off the moment she licked the seam of his sack with that honey tongue.

His dick deepened in color and he watched his balls rise up tight.

"Hmmmmph!" he groaned when she finally took him deeper in her mouth.

His eyes darted toward the hallway opening, but it was still quiet in the back.

He tried pushing her head further down on his length, but she brushed his hand away, allowing her lips to suction down his dick so slow that he grabbed a throw pillow and shoved against his mouth to keep from yelling out loud.

By the time she was bobbing her head and slurping all over his shit, he gave up on controlling the situation. When she changed the pace back to slow and sloppy wet, he was ready to slay giants for her with his bare hands.

"Whatchu doin' to me baby?" he choked out with the pillow near his waist just in case.

Her eyes challenged him.

"Sucking your dick like you want," she said sliding her lips under the head.

"You sucking the fuck out this dick."

"You like it?"

"Fuck yeah…ohhh…don't stop…don't stop…shit baby, I wanna stick this dick in your pussy right now…stretch out them fat pussy lips…"

She released her mouth from him, her bottom lip wet with saliva from his shaft. His face contorted with pleasure and he was afraid to move or else she would do something to make him wake the household up. He gripped himself and slapped her lips with the weight of his thickness.

"Open that mouth back up…open up! Shit…got my balls still jumping…"

She did as he demanded and he thrust deep into her throat, moving his ass to the edge of the couch so he could hold her head with both hands and fuck her mouth hard. She pushed back from him when she gagged and he finally felt like he had the upper hand. Her lips and neck were drenched with spit and more of the pre-cum he released in her mouth. His balls were raised up tighter.

Yani plucked at her nipples, taking her time, gazing down at her own fingers pulling on the stiff tips. She jiggled their heft for him, and just like that, he gave in again, falling back on the couch and holding his dick up for her.

"Gimme that mouth…"

Her fingers slipped down her shorts and he could hear how wet she was down there between her folds. He shut his eyes thinking of her on his bed back at the compound as he fisted himself. Her tongue licked his balls, trailed up his length again and then she deep throated him.

Erik sat there and let his body take in all the sensations that cascaded all over him. Every nerve seemed to be vibrating in his skin and his erection was even more swollen.

"Take this fat black dick in your mouth, girl."

He felt the vibration of her groan around his dick, the veins pulsing in her mouth.

"Yeah, you like that. You like this fat dick in your mouth. Say it!"

She stared up at him, all treacly and innocent-looking in the face like she didn't have long inches of veiny black cock packing her throat. Her lips peeled back from him.

"I like this fat black dick in my mouth."

"This the only dick you gon' suck from now on. Hear me?"

"Mmmhmmmm."

"You taking it deep, baby. Make a nigga feel that shit…yeah."

She was shameless with her throat game.

"I'm gon' fuck the everlasting shit out of you…wait 'til I get you in my bed…beating them walls up. Packing that pussy deep. Sucking me so good, baby. You want Daddy to bust all in your mouth…all in that mouth. So fucking nasty wit it, Yani…so fucking nasty…oh shit baby! Oh fuck!"

Her neck was working his fat dick like there was no tomorrow. He couldn't hold out much longer. The heavy surge of semen was hot at the root of his cock. He gripped the couch pillow again ready to spring it up to his mouth.

"Yani…Yani…fuck…baby…I'm cumming…I'm cumming baby…swallow Daddy's cum…you nasty bitch…giving you this big load baby…Yani!" His throat felt red and raw from trying to keep his voice down without having to smother his face with the pillow. He wanted to watch her take his nut.

Erik's hips bucked and Yani swallowed his cum. When he hit the back of her throat, he pulled out and jerked off until more thick ropes spurted all over her face.

"Ah, yeah…that's it right there…damn girl…dassit!"

He slapped his dick on her face, the shaft still stiff as it smeared more cum across her lips and chin.

"Fuck, baby. I drenched your whole face…"

Yani opened her mouth and let his cum dribble down onto her breasts where her fingers rubbed it all over her chest. Erik bent down and picked her up, putting her side-saddle on his lap again.

"I better clean up my face—"

"Nah. Take your shorts off."

"Killmonger—"

He yanked on her shorts and the force of his grip startled her.

"Take them off."

He wasn't asking her. She looked over her shoulder.

"Nobody is waking up. Do what I tell you to do."

Her eyes widened, and for a second, he thought she was going to get up from his lap. He tugged on the waistband of her shorts and she eventually wiggled out of them. She only had her bra on twisted down her shoulders and not even covering her breasts.

He shoved open her thighs and let his index finger rest on her engorged clit. He felt it twitching under his finger.

"Don't move," he said.

The slow compact circles made her whimper.

"Killmonger—"

"Shut the fuck up."

His left hand rested around her waist and his right hand played with clit and only her clit. His head rested on her right breast but his eyes stared at her clit.

"Fat pussy," he hissed. Her outer labia were so puffy. He wanted to bite her pussy lips, mark that shit up with his slugs, make her know she was all his from now on.

She wiggled her wide backside on his thighs.

"Yani…I said don't fucking move."

He added his ring finger and circled her clit even slower.

Her thighs shook and she tried her best not to move anything more than that, but his delicate fondling made her pussy wetter, he watched her pink slit wink open spewing her stickiness out onto his lap. He started making zig-zag patterns on her nub along with the circling. Her ass cheeks clenched.

"Killmonger…please…."

"Nah. This is what you did to me. You give it, ya gotta take it too, girl. Thought I told you to shut your fucking mouth…"

Yani threw her head back and her lips curled up in a pout. His teeth grabbed onto her nipple and bit hard enough to make her gasp and stare at him. His left hand slapped her ass hard, the sound echoed in the room and her pussy spasmed.

"Got my cum all over your face. I like that shit. Get used to it. I'ma put it all over you when I get you alone—"

"We're alone now—"

He slapped her clit and her eyes grew wide and her mouth fell open.

"Stop being so fucking hard-headed."

He kept teasing her tight bud, never letting his various strokes go faster or slower, just the constant pressure that had her pushing hard sighs from her throat, made her chest heave so that her breasts jiggled, and forced her sweaty body to heat up even more against him. His dick was brutally hard again.

"Look at your pussy," he said.

Her eyes glanced down and her inner lips were covered in her slick.

"Won't need no lube when I get up in there."

Her chest heaved again and he kissed her, slipping his tongue into her mouth. She let go of his lips and looked down at her pussy again, his fingers constant sensual torture on her engorged clit.

"Killmonger!"

He was ready to scold her again, slap her vulva, but her desperate exhalation of breath caught him off guard as a bit of colorless fluid sprayed out of her urethra and her vaginal opening throbbed uncontrollably.

"I'm cumming…I'm cumming…I'm cumming…Gawd…" Her soft breathiness made his eyes roll back. Her voice was so sexy when she tried to be quiet and discreet. Her right hand clutched his shoulder with her nails digging into his skin.

Her face dropped onto his shoulder as she bit into his neck to keep from screaming out loud. Her orgasm seemed to last a long time before her teeth let him go and she slumped against him. He had a handful of sloppy wet pussy and his stiff dick was ready to beat down her walls. He reached for his shorts and realized he forgot to bring his wallet. The wallet and the two condoms he had hastily stuffed into it were left sitting on his bed when he had changed from jeans to shorts after working on Klaue's arm.

Erik laid back horizontally on the couch and pulled Yani down next to him spooning her. Rattled from the way she came on his hand he pressed his fresh erection between her thick cheeks and humped her like he was fucking her pussy. His body temperature was scorching and he felt sweat glide down his back and ass. His hands clutched her breasts and he dropped his scruffy cheek next to her face.

"I wanna be in your pussy, baby," he gasped, pumping against her fat ass.

Yani pressed back hard against him, flexing her cheeks so that her ass gripped his dick.

A noise distracted her.

"Twyla's up," Yani whispered. They could see the faint light in the hallway coming from her room.

They heard the soft stop and start cries of Sydette.

Erik kept pumping, his hips grinding his stiffness harder against Yani's ass.

"I have to take care of her—"

"Yani…wait a minute…lemme finish…I'm 'bout to bust—" "Killmonger, my baby is crying—"

"Hold on—"

She tried pulling away from him and he held her in a vice grip.

"I'm cumming baby!" he hissed in her ear.

Hot spurts shot on her back and dribbled down onto the curve of her ass.

"Goddamn," he groaned, rubbing her behind.

He released her and she ran to the bathroom with her clothes in her hand. Reaching for his clothes, he dressed quickly and sat back up on the couch. The cushion was damp so he padded into the kitchen to find paper towels to wipe up the mess they made. They should've put a towel down before they started.

Yani's body darted into her bedroom and she was gone for a long time. Erik cleaned up the couch then flipped channels on the TV. There was nothing on so he sat quietly waiting for her.

She returned carrying Sydette who had tiny jewel-like tears sitting on her cheeks. Yani took her into the kitchen and returned with a small round teething ring from the freezer. The baby's lips suckled the cold ring.

"She's in pain," Yani said.

"Baby teeth coming in are tough," he said.

Yani wouldn't sit next to him, just cradled Sydette while the baby gnawed on the ring.

"Come sit down," he said making sure he sat in the damp spot on the couch.

"I'm going to be up with her for a while…so…"

"I should leave then?"

"Yeah, it's painful for her and it'll be boring for you to stay—"

"I don't mind—"

"I'm tired. And I need to focus on her."

Her tone was neutral. He had messed up.

"I wasn't trying to keep you from her—"

"I have to deal with this now, Killmonger."

"Can I see you tomorrow?"

"I have to work."

"What time—"

"I'll call you when I can see you, okay?"

He stood up and walked over to her. He looked down at Sydette and stroked her head.

"Hey, Sweet Pea. You'll have all your teeth soon and this won't hurt anymore," he said.

It pained him to see her with tears on her face and to hear the pitiful sounds she made. He stroked her cheek and then stroked Yani's arm.

"Goodnight," he said.

He leaned in and kissed her cheek, grew bold and kissed her lips. She accepted it but pulled back quickly when Sydette started crying harder.

Walking out of the apartment, he thought of how he should've let her go to the baby. His need for pleasure and release made him ignore her need to handle her business. He'd never been with a woman with a child before. Actively avoided it. Maybe if he had seen her with her baby first, he would've ignored her.

He kept replaying his actions. He didn't keep her from Sydette that long. Maybe two minutes? And Twyla was in the room with the baby, so if it was a real emergency, an adult was there to handle it. He shook his head as he drove to the compound. He hoped she would call him.

###

Yani finished the Eco Tour intro to a group of thirty tourists. A Carnival Valor cruise ship had arrived for a six-hour excursion at the island, and this tour would take five hours with lunch. A full package tour of kayaking, hiking, and snorkeling.

"Let's go!" she said with true enthusiasm as she led the group to put on their vests and pick out their kayaks.

She sprayed sun-block on her arms and put some on her face as she slipped her high-def work shades on. She did another headcount and was shocked to see Erik climbing into a kayak with her group. She didn't even see him while she gave the intro talk.

"Where did you come from?"

Erik had his own wrap around shades on and his smile was seductive.

"Been here the whole time. I was standing in the back when you were talking."

"I didn't see you."

"I was to your right near the tree."

She didn't know if she felt annoyed or elated to see him at her job. She told him she would call him.

"I wasn't trying to jump on your tour, I just missed the earlier one by ten minutes, and I only took this one last minute. I'm not stalking you. I promise."

Taylor, Yani's co-guide on the trip, was already leading the kayakers out on the first leg to Cas Cay.

That damn smile again. Those dimples. And that body.

"Don't distract me," she said.

The paddle out to the cay was pleasant, and Yani brought up the rear of the group making sure no stragglers got stuck if they had trouble maneuvering their kayaks. Erik ignored her and spent time chatting with some women from Atlanta, two Black twins with cute braids piled on their heads and light brown skin that was slathered with an oily sunblock.

The three of them laughed a lot and Yani caught snatches of their conversation as Erik asked about neighborhoods and food places. Kayaking through the mangroves was filled with excited chatter and by the time they began the hike on the Cay two hours later, Yani was feeling a bit testy with Erik acting like she didn't exist at all. He partnered up with the twins again on the hike and when she tried to stay near them, Taylor had to keep reminding her to stay in the back for folks who had to use the restroom and needed to catch up without getting lost.

After a packed lunch they went snorkeling for the final part of the tour. The protected clear waters had people oohing and ahhing at colorful fish and when one of the women with Erik squealed out loud and jumped on him, Yani felt her blood pressure go up. The woman was clutching his biceps, her fingers on his keloids since he was topless.

"It's just a sea turtle!" Erik called out to everyone. The squealing twin took a long time letting go of him.

The turtle swam out to sea as the tourists stayed a respectful distance watching it as they snorkeled.

Erik's eyes sought out hers and something on her face made him dog paddle over to her. He looked her over and splashed a little bit of water on her.

"What's that face for?" he asked.

"Why you so touchy-feely?"

"Touchy-feely?"

His face scrunched up with confusion and then he smiled.

"She jumped on me."

She splashed water back at him.

"You must've learned a lot from your two new best friends, huh?"

"Girl, stop…"

He leaned in to kiss her.

"I'm still at work," she said backstroking away from him.

He watched her with a smirk on his lips and followed her.

"How's Sweet Pea?"

"Doing a little better. She just has to endure. We all went through it."

"Were you upset with me last night?"

Yani's eyes took in who was around them.

"You have to understand something. Sydette comes before anything. If I have to go to her, I don't care what I'm doing, I'm going to her." "Got it. Won't happen again."

He wiped his eyes and she led him further from the twins.

"Let me show you something," she said. She adjusted her tankini.

"You're at work though," he said.

"Shut up!" She said splashing water back at him.

She pulled her goggles and breathing tube back down and he did the same.

She swam over to a rock formation and pointed out some black and yellow rockfish. Erik gave her a thumbs up underwater and they saw more colorful beauties. His hand reached out and touched hers and she grabbed his hand and pulled him closer so she could see his eyes through his goggles. She lifted off the snorkel gear holding her breath and he did the same. She dived down deeper and he followed.

Baby barracudas swarmed in some mangrove roots and Erik was cautious as he swam next to her. They popped back up and his smile was bright.

"That was wavy," he said.

He treaded near her and gave her a kiss.

"People might see," she said.

"I don't care."

She kissed him back and before he could press up against her tighter, she shot away from him to return to the group.

The paddle ride back was nice mainly because Erik kept his kayak next to hers.

"You are great at this," he said, "I learned a lot."

"Good."

"I'm surprised you didn't become a marine biologist instead of a nurse. Water is your element."

"My parents used to say that."

"This job is physically taxing. You have to do this again when we get back?"

"No. We rotate. I led groups last week, and after this group is done, I'll help prep the kayaks for tonight. We do night time kayaking too."

"I should try that next time."

"It's fun."

Erik hung around as she bid the tour guests goodbye. When she was about to go clean the kayaks, he approached her. Some of her co-workers watched them.

"Call me when you have some free time," he said.

He left her standing by the dock and she wanted to leave with him. Being near him was difficult, her need to touch him was overriding her need to figure out how she would handle sex with him. When he first arrived at her Aunt's house, her clit felt like it had a heartbeat of its own. Just his arm around her was enough to make her start sweating with nervousness. She wanted him so bad, and she could tell he was going to push her to do things his way. And she wanted to do it. When he made her sit on his lap, she could not keep her mouth shut, could not keep herself from responding to his touches. When he struck her backside and her clit, she was sure her family could hear them. They couldn't mess around like that anymore in her Aunt's place. There was no such thing as simple petting with him. Or quiet make-out sessions. He was beyond that.

She finished her shift and went home to leftover peas and rice and baked chicken. She comforted Sydette with her teething ring and fell asleep before she called Erik to tell him she was home.

Working the morning shift at Eco Tours, Yani was finished by three and picked up Sydette before heading to Kmart to pick up some sales on diapers and new baby clothes. She strolled up and down the aisles with Sydette sitting in the shopping cart picking out items for the house that her Aunt would probably need.

Standing in line, she became aware of two women staring at her from behind.

"Is that Big C's baby for real?"

The woman asking had a scarf over her hair, her eyes unkind as the woman next to her stared at Sydette. Yani stood closer to the cart blocking their view of her daughter.

"You're just ignoring me?" the woman in the scarf said.

"I don't know you," Yani said turning her back toward them.

"That baby not his. Don't even look like him," the other woman slurred under her breath.

Yani started placing her items on the conveyor belt. Scarf woman took out her phone.

"Don't take pictures of my baby," Yani snapped.

The woman glared at Yani.

"I'm not hurting her—"

"Mind yuh business or leave the store."

The store clerk handling Yani's items cocked her head toward the two women, her voice loud and firm.

"Mind yours," the other woman said.

Yani picked up Sydette and kept her face away from the women.

"Do I need to call security?" said the clerk.

The two women rolled their eyes and Yani paid for her items.

"Mel, can you help this customer with her bags, please?"

Another male clerk who walked in with a few carts walked over and took Yani's things at the sales clerk's request.

"Thank you," Yani said.

Yani kept her hand over Sydette's face as she followed the young man out. No telling if other people recognized her and wanted to snap candid shots. She led the helper to her car and he placed her bags in the trunk as she put Sydette in her car seat. When she was alone, she sat quietly in the driver's seat. She was accustomed to people approaching her, but not people focusing in on her baby. It worried her.

She scrolled her social media feed and there was nothing new really. A few photos of her and Kendall under the hashtag "Juvay". A post about "Fiyahbun" being re-mixed in London with another artist adding a bar or two. Kendall was probably over the moon and Yani wondered who the other artist would be.

She checked a few other hashtags with her name and it was mainly photos of her with fans of the album, and a couple of old pictures of her and Chez in happier times. She saw the two women who were behind her in the line leave the store. She still felt unnerved. She would have to start keeping Sydette covered, or maybe go to stores later at night or early in the morning. She could handle things when it was just directed at her. But not her baby.

If she was to be with Killmonger, they would have to limit their public interactions, especially if Sydette was with them.

###

Eight days.

Eight days since Erik swam with her at Eco Tours, and eight days since she had seen him in person.

Her time had been spent working her two jobs and caring for Sydette. She left him messages twice but kept missing his calls because she would be traveling between Eco-Tours and the restaurant. His concern when he did talk to her on the third day was to make sure she was rested and able to spend quality time with Sydette, while also studying up for school in the fall. He said he was working on some things for Klaue that took up most of his time, and she missed talking to him in person. By that sixth day, he stopped leaving text or voice messages.

The eighth day of not hearing from him filled her with dismay. It was a rare day off for her, and she took the time to visit the clinic to get tested, leaving Sydette with Kendall for two hours. She spent the rest of the day looking after Sydette and checking her cell every fifteen minutes until she finally packed the baby up in her car and drove to the compound.

Standing in front of the gate in the dark, she hit the intercom button several times. She called him on the cell three times and still had no response. He didn't even have her on read for her texts.

Maybe he left the island again.

She pressed the intercom again and felt an overwhelming sadness come over her. Her lip trembled and she felt her eyes welling up.

Maybe he had changed his mind about her. Maybe he was off with someone else who didn't work all the time or have a baby to care for. Maybe he ghosted her and—

"Hey. Yani. What are you doing here? You have the baby with you?"

He stared at her face from the security vid screen.

"Hold on," he said.

She heard a loud buzz and the main gate rolled open.

She didn't bother to drive the car in, just walked in with the baby in her arms. Making her way to the main house, Erik met her halfway down.

"What's going on?" he asked.

He wore comfortable sweats with slides and some light green protective goggles rested on top of his head.

"Yani?"

She pressed her face into his chest.

He took Sydette from her arms and she buried her face more. He threw an arm around her.

"Baby, what's wrong?"

"I just want to see you," she said, "I thought you were gone."

"Ah, girl. I'm still here—"

"You never answer your phone or return my calls—"

"I've been working non-stop. So have you—"

She felt stupid for bawling into his shirt.

"Come on," he said.

He walked her and the baby down into Klaue's main house and sat her on the balcony lounger facing the ocean. He held Sydette and the baby sat quietly looking up at Yani.

Yani wiped her eyes and sat back into the cushiony softness of the lounger.

"It's been eight days since I've seen you. I've been working…I went to the clinic…I've been prepping for school. Sydette still has teeth pain…"

"It's hard doing everything by yourself. I know. I wanted to give you space to handle your life. I don't want to intrude or put pressure on you. I'm new to this type of relationship, still trying to figure out where I fit in on your schedule. I wanted to see you too. Don't think I didn't."

"I want to make time for you—"

"You don't have to explain anything to me, Yani."

Erik pulled her in closer and she rested her cheek on his shoulder. Sydette reached for her and Yani picked her up and held her as she leaned into Erik.

"It's tough. It's more crowded at my Aunt's house and I'm tired all the time."

They watched the slow lazy waves of the high tide roll in. Erik rubbed her arm and Sydette sat with her head against her chest.

"I'm just so tired…"

"Rest then," he said.

It was the last thing she heard before her eyes fell shut.

###

Water.

Sea Birds.

Fresh ocean air.

Yani's eyes popped open and she sat up fast and disoriented.

"Sydette?"

Her eyes ogled the room she was in and for a moment she thought she was dreaming because she didn't recognize her bedroom.

She wasn't in her bedroom.

She was in Erik's bedroom.

Wearing only her t-shirt that she drove over in, Yani pulled the covers back and stepped off the plush mattress and silk sheets. The wall to wall windows were partially open and she could smell clean air rushing off of the sea.

Shit. It was morning.

"Killmonger!"

She rushed out of the master bedroom and found Sydette sitting back out on the balcony with Erik. They both sat on yoga mats facing the water. Erik had his hands out in open palm prayer reception, and Sydette was right next to him, sitting up and watching his face. Her teething ring was clutched in her fingers.

Yani stopped to watch them.

She could hear Erik whispering morning prayers in Arabic, his hair tied up, and his blue linen shirt matching the morning blue of the sky.

"Mama!"

Sydette crawled to Yani as soon as she saw her, and Erik laughed at how fast she could get across the floor.

Yani reached down and picked the baby up.

Erik stood and stared at her. For a long time.

When he walked into the house, he stroked her cheek.

"What time is it?" she asked.

She was disoriented, didn't even know where her cell was, and Klaue didn't keep clocks in the house. Our Lady's Manor was to be a timeless place to relax for him.

"Nine."

"I didn't mean to fall asleep on you," she said.

"You were exhausted. I put you to bed. Sydette and I were right there with you."

"I left all her stuff—"

"I brought it in from your car when I drove it into the garage last night."

He took Sydette away from her again, and her daughter squealed and played with Erik's locs.

"Go back to rest. You can sleep as long as you want. I let Twyla know where you were."

Sleep.

God, that's all she wanted to do.

"I'll watch Sydette."

"It's past her morning meal," Yani said.

"She's good. She ate already. There was a jar of pears and peas in your baby bag. She's been bathed, diapers changed, the whole nine yards. Go on back to bed. If she needs you, I'll bring her to you."

She hesitated.

"Are we keeping you from your work?"

"Nah. Today will be an off day. All day."

She nodded and his eyes were gazing at her again in a strange way.

"What is it?"

"I want you to make a decision."

"What kind of decision?"

"I want you and the baby to stay here with me. I'll hire you to be my personal housekeeper and cook. But you don't have to do anything. Just take care of Sydette and do what you want to do before you start school. I'll pay you whatever you make at your jobs…double. I know you like the Eco Tours place a lot, so if you want to work there once or twice a week, I'll take care of Sydette, or take her to your Aunt's while you work outside the compound—"

"Killmonger, that's—"

"Let me give you this. Okay? That way we'll have time together when you want. And you don't have to worry about me not calling. I'll be right here with you."

"We're still…you're asking me to live with you…with a baby…"

"I don't want to see you crying at the front gate worried about me."

"That's huge. What if—"

"If you think I'm moving too fast, you and the baby can have any of the other two houses for yourselves. You make up your own schedule. I'll need you here to watch the place anyway when I deliver something to Klaue next month. Or maybe sooner. Your Aunt will be gone, so who else will I have? Think of it as your regular Klaue job if it makes you more comfortable with the arrangement."

She watched his face.

This man was something else.

"Any of the other two houses?"

"Your choice. Move in today if you want."

"I want to think about this."

"You know you don't have to think too hard, Yani."

Her heart palpitated.

Live here? In paradise? Beach all to herself? A big soft bed. Peace and quiet. Her baby swimming in a pool with her and being able to be in the sea whenever they wanted to be. Together. Sweet Pea crawling in the soft grass and being around trees and flowers. Getting to know Jerome. Having a mother who was relaxed and Lord Jesus…present for hours. Her baby deserved that.

"I want to take Sydette with me. I want to figure this out. Really make sure, y'know?"

Erik nodded.

She held Sydette close to her on Erik's bed. The giant king-sized luxury bed put Sydette to sleep within minutes.

Yani played with her daughter's beads.

She would stop working at the restaurant. She would stop working there any way by September, but if Erik was paying her double, no sense staying there. It was a night gig and she could be home at night from now on. Eco-Tours was a favorite place. She could work there once or twice a week just for fun and to get out of the house and meet new people.

What was holding her back? Why couldn't she say yes? And God, he was offering her a house of her own for three months. All to herself. She could have the house with the pool. A house she cleaned and prepped for other people since she was fourteen.

Erik's voice carried through the open windows.

"Bismillaahir Rahmaanir Raheem, Alhamdu lillaahi Rabbil 'aalameen…"

Yani closed her eyes.

Take what he wanted to give. Take it. It could be a vacation with her baby. Once school started, she would be so busy and so focused on doing well. Why not create a deeper bond with her child right now with this man's help?

Erik walked back into the room quietly and unwrapped his hair. He folded up the white cloth and placed it inside a bureau drawer.

"Killmonger," she whispered.

She held her hand out to him. He crawled onto the bed and spooned around her as she held onto Sydette. His cheek rested against hers and she took comfort in the weight and warmth of him surrounding her and the baby.

His breathing slowed down, matching the even pace of her own.

"Stay," he whispered.

"I will."

Chapter 12

Tag List:

@fd-writes​ @soufcakmistress  @cherrystainedlipsbaby @tclaybon  @thadelightfulone

@allhailqueennel @bartierbakarimobisson @cpwtwot @shookmcgookqueen @yoyolovesbucky

@raysunshine78 @the-illllest @terrablaze514  @l-auteuse @amirra88 @jimizwidow @janelledarling

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@scrumptiouslytenaciouscrusade @bugngiz @stariamrry  @honeytoffee @meilintheempressofdreams

@tyees

[starunicornmoon]

Serendipity

'Love is friendship set on fire.'

Serendipity

Sonic the Hedgehog approached Amy Rose's house with the same neck breaking speed with which he goes everywhere. He stopped just short of falling through her open front door, grabbing on to the doorframe to uncharacteristically steady himself. His mind had been wandering while he was running and he wasn't expecting her door to be open when he arrived. The smell of fresh paint wafting from the house cleared his head though as he stepped inside without being invited and caught sight of his friend in cut off denim shorts, her tank top somehow streaked with paint along her back, her quills up in a haphazard ponytail.

She looked adorable and Sonic grinned as he tiptoed up to the pink hedgehog humming to herself while she rolled a paint brush across her lounge wall.

"Hello, Sonic," Amy Rose greeted him without turning around or stopping in her painting.

Sonic huffed as he stopped trying to Ninja his way to surprising Amy and casually went to stand beside her, admiring her handiwork thus far.

"Decorating again?" he asked pointedly, as it seemed that at least three times a year Amy got the bug for painting a new room. He was sure the lounge was still relatively new. "What's eating away at you this time?" Sonic turned his full attention on Amy, his mouth twitching at the cream paint spread across one cheek and smeared under her bangs. He waited for her to meet his gaze that she was avoiding as best she could.

Sonic knew that if she was pulling out the painting clothes, rollers and colour chart then something was gnawing away at his friend. Her restless energy being converted into her redecorating and 'revamping' her life as she has put it each time. He crossed his arms over his chest, waiting for her to look at him. His foot started tapping impatiently, a habit that has still stuck with him as he's grown up. His patience getting slightly better - just a touch - over the years. When Amy looked down at his foot and arched a brow at his tick she shook her head.

"I don't want to talk about it," she simply replied, turning back to her wall and cocking her head to the side to admire her mind numbing work.

Sonic frowned and wondered if it was worth pushing her to open up about what was bugging her. Another change and proof of his maturity, the fact he wasn't running out the door, but rather actively thinking about talking about emotions and stuff. With Amy Rose no less. But you see their friendship has changed a lot over the years. As have the two hedgehogs. There wasn't a defining moment that caused it, or an open conversation of feelings and thoughts. Just a simple passage of time that helped their friendship mature along with their personalities, into a deep respect and understanding for them both.

Sonic would even go so far as to class Amy as close a best friend as Tails.

Not something he would have thought would ever happen when he was fifteen.

Deciding to not push her on whatever was upsetting her, Sonic uncrossed his arms and nodded, respecting her want of privacy and knowing that if she did want to talk about it then she would come to him if and when she is ready. "Want some help?" he offered instead, bending to pick up a spare roller and liberally coating it in fresh paint. He looked up at Amy with a wicked grin and twinkle in his eye.

"Oh no," Amy panicked, taking a hesitant step back. "Oh no, put it down! No, no, NO!" Amy cried as she turned tail and ran from Sonic who charged her with the roller dripping with paint. Thankfully Amy had the foresight to cover everything in old sheets, including covering the floor, in the hopes that she would make minimal mess in her distracted cleaning state. She hadn't factored in a humorous Sonic and his need to cheer her up by the most messy way possible.

She tried to dodge out of the way of his attack but felt it impact her shoulder as she spun around -

And came face to face with a roller.

Gasping she blinked past her shock, noting the very pleased grin stretched across Sonic's muzzle as admired his handy work. "You missed a bit," he shrugged, swivelling the roller around in his hand carelessly, flickering paint in an arc in the process. The growl coming from Amy stopped him though as he in turn took a shaky step back. "Ugh, Ames, what are you doing?" he quivered, putting his roller back up like a guard.

Who was he kidding though? This woman knew exactly how to get him, she spent enough time chasing him in her early teens.

Amy dived at him without hesitation, anticipating his next manoeuvre and meeting him halfway with her roller streaking through his quills and running down his back. Sonic halted instantly, his shoulders tensing under the attack. When he looked up at Amy she wore an equally cocky grin as she planted a paint covered hand on her hip and winked at him. Clearly she's been spending too much time with me, Sonic thought to himself with only a touch of pride.

"Oh yeah," Sonic murmured darkly. "It's on now!"

Amy only had a second to squeak before the true battle started between them. For the next ten minutes they ducked and dived from each other as they dipped their rollers quickly and tried to smother each other in as much paint as possible. Coating much of the sheet covered furniture as they jumped over it, hiding and attacking. They laughed, growled and howled as they got shots at each other. Amy held her own really well against Sonic who cheated a couple of times, using his speed to his advantage. But by the end they were both pretty well covered and out of breath as they bent over, leaning on their knees to recover.

"Thanks, Sonic," Amy finally spoke once she could breath properly.

Sonic didn't have to ask what for, he already knew by the way her tone softened and her eyes sparkled slightly as she looked at him. Without hesitation Sonic stepped forward and wrapped an arm around her to pull her in for a hug. He planted a firm familiar kiss to the top of her head and said, "Anytime."

They stayed in that familiar embrace for a few more moments before Amy pulled away, smiling again in gratitude. As she turned away to look back at the wall she'd been interrupted painting, she willed her heart to slow down as she ignored the heat still searing her back where Sonic held her. Years of being really great friends with the blue blur and Amy still got the same tingles and heart racing thrill from him. Now it's such a normal feeling that she barely notices it sometimes. But times like now, when she was feeling a touch more vulnerable than normal and it became a little harder to ignore.

"Are you staying?" she asked Sonic as she rolled her brush in more paint and got back to the job in hand, already wishing it was done so she could go shower the paint out of her quills.

"I've got no where else to be," Sonic replied, getting stuck in to the paint with more eagerness than Amy expected. Smiling, happy to have the company, they worked side by side like that without hesitation and in a comfortable and easy silence. Both lost to their own thoughts as they rolled and rolled until they got the rest of the room finished in half the time it would have taken for Amy to do it alone. That was something Sonic cherished the most about his friendship with Amy - the silence. She didn't expect him to fill the void with mindless chatter, she just let him come and go as he pleased and didn't ask anything of him.

He felt the guilt and niggle of sadness that he hadn't realised she was as happy for silence and peace as he was back when they were younger.

They stopped as they met at the final wall and stood back, side by side and looked at their work. It was plain, just a generic cream that covered all of the walls. But Sonic knew it wouldn't take Amy long to brighten it with accessories, artwork and flowers. Interior design is what she's good at after-all. Even if she has never quite figured out what her own home style is yet.

They dropped their rollers and collapsed down onto the covered couch, their bodies pressed up against each other.

Sonic threw a casual arm across Amy's shoulders and she leaned her head down on his shoulder companionably. "You know Tails could have made you something that would have painted this room in no time." Sonic mentioned, his hand waving lazily in the air to gesture the room around them. He felt Amy shrug against him and mutter something unintelligible. Sonic nodded and sank more into the couch. "I know," he simply replied, unaware of how grateful Amy was that he just got it. Got her and understood what she was saying, without her having to say a word. It was a relief to be able to just shut down around him and not have it be questioned.

They sat there for a while, resting their aching hands and bodies. Before long though Amy heard Sonic's stomach rumble with hunger.

Laughing she didn't hesitate to get up from her spot on the couch, missing his warmth instantly, as she made her way to her kitchen. "Chilli dogs OK with you?" she smirked as she glanced over her shoulder catching Sonic's dopey happy reaction as he stretched out on the couch and winked at her.

"You sure know how to treat a guy." he grinned, rubbing his belly with anticipation.

Laughing Amy turned away and walked into the kitchen, this same song and dance between them so regular and familiar, she didn't even stop to think about what to do next. Her body and mind going into auto-pilot as she imagined the blissful hot shower that would come once lunch was finished. She didn't question whether Sonic would still be there when she walked back into the living room or if his staying to help her and having lunch meant anything more than a friend helping another friend out.

She just felt grateful to have him in her life at all, in whatever way she could get him.

----------

A/N: I needed to get this idea out of my head. It'll be a multiple chapter story, hopefully I can do them justice. Thanks for reading. X

[rachelbethhines]

The Antoine and Bunnie Retrospective - 168

“Blackout” - Sonic the Hedgehog #207 

So way back in issue #110, Robotropolis was nuked by Station Square. Now I didn’t cover that story in the retrospective, but since then the city has been kept under a containment field and New Mobotropolis has been using the radiation as a source of power. 

As such the Iron King gets the idea to break the shield thereby draining  New Mobotropolis of it’s power and bringing it’s automated defenses down. 

But first he has to get through Sonic, Monkey Khan, and Amadeus Prower.

 If you remember from the Home arc, the fort guarding Robotropolis was Armand’s last command post before he died. And I kind of love this idea that literally everyone loved Armand. That regardless of what political sides they wound up on or what disagreements they might of had, no one had a bad thing to say about him. That Max and Amadeus were both his best friends right up until his death. Kind of telling that the revolution didn’t start until after he had pasted away.

Also on a side note, I’ve been reassessing my opinion of Amadeus recently. Before I had just lumped him in with Rosemary and kind of conflated her actions with his and that’s not really fair. Don’t get me wrong Rosemary is still a horrible person who could die in a fire for all I care, but re-reading through the series again I’ve notice that Amadeus is a pretty decent dude. He’s no Armand, or Jules, or even a Wynmacher but he is still genuine in his beliefs, makes actual good points concerning his grievances towards the crown, and is actually there for and supportive of his son. 

Good job Amadeus you manage to be better then Max, Locke, or even your wife. Not that that’s hard but given this book I’ll take it. 

But enough waffling about let’s get back to our main characters. 

While the above mentioned characters are off saving the day Sally drops in to visit Bunnie and Ant. 

*squee!* We get to see their home! And it’s clear that Bunnie is the interior decorator. I can’t say the Southwestern thing is my style but I do love that awesome dreamcatcher. This is the only room we actually see though so it’s possible Ant got a say elsewhere. Like perhaps the is bedroom in a Rococo style? While you know damn well he’s the one who organized the kitchen even if Bunnie may have picked out the silverware.    

Also fan theory confirmed  Bunnie is clearly reading a gossip/fashion magazine while recovering. 

Cuuuute! And it’s shows that yes there are little things about Ant, like his over-protectiveness, that annoy Bunnie, but she knows it comes from a place of love so she can’t get mad about it. Which is just sweet. 

Fucking thank you! Finally we get some female friendship moments in the comic! As much as I love Bunnie and Ant’s relationship it often comes at the expense of their other relationships and they both could stand to be integrated into the rest of the cast more. 

But the other problem here is the Sally doesn’t have enough of a support system. Part of this is her own fault for not opening up to others easily, part of it Max’s abuse cutting her off from her friends, but a good chunk of it is the writers just forgetting that the characters have friendships and lives outside of Sonic and romances. 

Also small confession; this is one of the main reasons why I don’t support Sallicole in the reboot. Neither Sally nor Nicole have any other close relationships with any of the other female characters post-reboot. Why should I have to sacrifice my w/w solidarity in order to see LGBT representation? Why can’t I have both? Why can’t the comic show Sally as Bunnie or Amy’s BFF and let Nicole talk to someone else for a change?

And this a frustration I have in much of the media I consume simply because there’s not enough female characters. Far too often any given show, movie, book or what-have-you will only feature two main girls and if you happen to ship those two together you can say bye-bye to any female friendships. Like please just add more women into stories for fucks sake. 

Anyways enough getting sidetracked, the whole reason Sally is here is to ask for relationship advice since a.) Bunnie is her BFF and b) Bunnie and Ant are like the only friends she knows with a successful love life. I honestly think the only other couples not torn to shreds right now are Knuckles/Julie-Su and Elias/Meg. 

But who is Sally crushing on you may ask? 

Monkey Khan. 

Yeah seriously. Up til now it’s been so subtle and shoved into the background that this story almost feels out of nowhere. Maybe if Flynn had actually committed to following through with it, I might be more favorable to the pairing, but after this tease it doesn’t really go anywhere and they’re right back to teasing Sonally again. Even though the Sega mandates had forbidden their love by this point. 

Also Bunnie, what do you actually know about dating? Antoine is the only person you’ve ever seriously been with and the “break up” with him wasn’t even a real. To which you’re response was to mope about and the try and make him jealous by flirting with Sonic. Not what you'd really call dating around. 

I love you both but, honey you and Antoine seriously lucked out on the whole finding your soulmate thing really early in life. 

Anyways Bunnie proceeds to describe Sally’s “type” while juxtaposed with scenes of Sonic and Ken fighting. Highlighting just how much of a rebound guy Khan really is. He’s a substitute Sonic in this relationship and you know that’s just a disservice to all parties involved.  

To Monkey Khan because he deserves better then to be yet another a sonic clone and this undermines a lot of development Flynn had given him recently. 

To Sally because she deserves more then to be saddled with yet another dead end relationship that only ends because of the powers that be decided to fuck with her character. 

And to Sonic, who deserves to be more then a prop for love triangles just cause he’s the title character and Sega has a bunch of stupid mandates. 

Still, at least there’s more honest communication going on with this triangle then the ones that came before and I appreciate this talk with Bunnie even if I don’t like the circumstances that brought it about.   

Also this is the best advice Bunnie has given her during this whole scene because it’s born from actual experience. How many years did she crush on Ant before admitting she liked him, three? If you want something then take a chance. You may not get it but if you don’t try how will you ever know? 

In conclusion Sonic and Ken trick the Iron King, Sally asks Khan out, and we get a wired ship tease of Sonamy. Flynn does remember that she’s only 12 right? 

Oh well they are actual friends here so you could take this as platonic. 

Next time on the retrospective we finally get to the invasion proper.