& the reason why my whole fyp is mj fics is bc a lot of the other fandoma im in (criminal minds, jjk, invincible etc even love island) dont have nearly as many black reader/writer fics & i cannot be only change i want to see
Summary: The biggest ball of your life was happening tonight, and luckily you got a ticket! But why are you numbered? And why does the wine look so dark?
Tw.: This heavy primal play, very nsfw, Janet is mean and a psycho, blood play, Janet prefers her blood bags with meat in their bones, Reader is smart but confused,
A.N: I'm on a roll again with writing even if I don't get many request I GOTTA GO TO WORK! Plus this helps me think about ideas with stalker Michael which is otw (get it) but still gonna be late. Like and Comment and if you want I can make another. Bone apple and teeth
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There was no way. No way to even imagine that your bestie friend Tia got tickets to the Fall Soirée. When the you got the call from Tia saying that she scored two tickets, you didn't believe her.
"The Soirée is for high profile clients and celebrities Tia, and no offense but we work at a mini mart... How did you get tickets?"
"Well first off miss. attitude, I got invited by the host AND I don't work at the mini mart any more!"
Tia tells you that she had a midnight rendezvous with Jermaine Jackson (of course) and he gave her two tickets. One for her and one for a male friend.
"Now hold on, male friend? Tia I'm a girl?"
"I'm sure he was just being kinky or whateva! I'm sure it doesn't matter if you got tittie or a dick. Now I'm outside, go put your clothes on because we both need an outfit"
"I mean I got some clothe-"
"PUT YOUR SHOES ON GIRL"
After shopping and gaining many compliments on your outfits, you stand at your vanity mirror in awe. The dress fits like a glove over plump and fleshy parts of you, it's like you literally are a coke bottle. From the way the midnight purple shines against your skin, the way the ball gown-like end flows against the floor makes you feel taller, and the crystals embroidered on the hip curves with you perfectly. You looked delicious courtesy of Tia saying she'll take you home if nobody else does.
As you twirl around your small apartment in your dress you pick up a hair magazine to see what style you could do for the ball. Maybe a nice perm rod set? Or a curly afro that would frame your face beautifully? Or should you just do a nice pixie to show sophistication? After magazine after magazine you settle on the perfect style.
Tonight was the night, the Soirée was in 2 hours and you done everything you could to stand out. You got the dress, the killer hair a pin up bun with little curls hanging all over. When you came back home from your long hair appointment you added little rhinestones as decor. You wrap your shit as tight as you can and take a lovely everything shower, getting out to lather your body in your favorite oils and lotions.
You finally put on your dress with the help of Tia, standing back a smile with all 32 teeth showing comes on your face. You looked like a gorgeous doll and you felt like such a princess and with a final touch of lipgloss you were off. Leaving a trace of perfume wafting in the air as you close your apartment door.
Arriving at the soiree you look outside your window. For a good five minutes all you could see is fields? Fields with nothing growing or blossoming in the grass. You look at Tia who sings her heart out to Whitney and you shake your head, moving your shoulders to the beat you still drift your head to look outside and sigh. You hope you look presentable... Well no you hope your future sugar daddy is here tonight.
As the driver pulls in you see gowns and suits if white, red, and black flutter in and out of your vision. Celebrities of all kinds are here from hit Hollywood actresses, to directors of your favorite movies, and most importantly the entire Jackson family. Who you see are seated at the very end of the large ballroom. Michael is dressed in a very authoritarian suit and wears his signature aviators, Jackie in a tailored red suit that shows his chest a bit (whew), and Janet... Janet is full out dominatrix with her outfit. Black leather shines like plastic against her and it molds into her body as she walks from the table to the back of the room and into a room away from your eye. Her hair is up and spiky it makes you tense like she is some kind of super villain.
But you couldn't look at her again before Tia drags you off to the security who clicks your ticket and hands you... A white button?
Yes a white button with three numbers in bold print, 404. You pin the button in the curve of the right side of your bodice and you move to where Tia sits, close to the middle where most of the important guests sit.
Tia points out as many people as she can see, gossips about some that earns a tiny laugh out of you as you take in all the luxury you are surrounded by. Tia and you move around chatting with some celebrities but most just stare at you and Tia like meat.
You and Tia are now talking to some other people with buttons who say they were invited by either actors or friends. It seems like everyone got the same story though, invited by other and not formally invited by the Jackson family.
You shrug this though off and turn to see Tia cuddles up beside Jermaine who kissing all up on her... Gross but hey!
But soon the lights dim, and a spotlight is on family as they all stand in one fluid motion. A mic is given to Janet as she steps forward and moves to the top of the staircase.
"My esteemed guests, welcome to the best night of your lives" Applause is heard all around. Janet bows and motions for something to come forward. A man is tied to his knees, his suit shirt is ripped and his eyes are closed. Janet lifts his chin up and smiles and looks towards the crowd. You look around to see they have made a divide. People with buttons are on are side towards the doors to the fields you saw and the others? On the other side with eyes that watch either people with buttons or hanging onto every word Janet says.
"Today is a special day. A wonderful day. Today we celebrate our long heritage that the public shames, tonight we have our full of only the best, weaklings. Weaklings who desire something their feeble minds can't even comprehend."
You heard a loud shut and your head whips around, security bolted the main doors together. The wind howls and you could hear a pin drop before Janet could speak again the tied up man yells
"RUN, RUN EVERYONE THEY ARE CRAZY! THEY'LL KILL YOU IF THEY FIND YOU RUN-"
A squelch is heard as his neck is ringed nice and clean, his blood sprays the floor and he falls back with a thud, Janet moves her nails to her mouth and moans
"Bitter... Unfortunately he messed up the show but things must go on" Her gaze moves to our side and smiles wickedly.
"We have others to use. My guests the food is ready to be served. Take your pick, fill your bellies and gain your strength for the enviable day. For WE shall rise again!
Throughout Janet speech you didn't even notice when Tia left your side. You mind was trapped in confused that you didn't notice her body heat, her smell. The spotlight soon moves to the Jacksons again. And at the center Tia is moved, struggling and hit as they bare her neck to Jermaine, he whispers something to her before he bites her neck, blood sprays on his white suit and flesh falls as her life drains from her eye. Jermaine rips a chunk of her flesh and checks with delight, like a steak.
A scream is heard before it's silenced again by a man jumping through the air and tackling the woman down. The room erupts in chaos as people run to the door looking for a way out. The celebrities-no the beast run and crawl toward everyone with a button to feed on. You move to the window to break it because you know, you know they locked the doors for this moment. For a moment to have a blood free for all.
And Janet watches it all, as her rips the heart of the man from earlier and cleans the blood with a sucking smile. Her laughter is psychotic as it rings through the air.
Once the windows are broken people floor to the fields, but traps are laid around them wires, endless pits, and dogs are set to slow you down. You run and try to stay away from each kunge and grab, a man tries to push you towards a blood sucker before he's quickly tackled and punished. You watched as the woman bites and mauls him before you turn to run to the far right.
As you ran you didn't notice the floating being above you. Janet.
"It's no use weaklings. Do you think we don't know these paths? This was our home before you cunning bitches shocked away. You can run but know... Know that you will not leave this land with your heads" and with that she laughs again she she dives from the sky into the crowd to grab her second meal.
You run and keep running tossing and turning as you evade the blood suckers. Maybe if it was a God they would've given you the luck, to not see the massacre you just saw. A merciful God would've killed you to spare the pain but there is no God here. Here, they are you executioner and your savior but tonight. You believe there are no mercy.
You run and turned to the right to see a forest. Tall tress of dark oak that makes you feel like your in a cliche horror movie but you know. You know that nothing about this is fake. As you look around for any bloodsuckers you run deeper into the forest not noticing the red eyes that track you.
You kept running and running abandoning your shoes on the leafy ground. You end up seeing a pond with the moonlight beaming down on it. The sight makes you stop and look at its beauty, a sight that you believe no one has ever seen befo-
"You shouldn't be here"
A voice rings out of your head
"You ruined the formation, You ruined your only chance at living weakling" the voice is clipped and menacing like the hatred has bubbled up inside of them for far too long.
You whip your head around trying to find the source but find nothing. The voice rings through your head. I shouldn't be here. I shouldn't be here. You don't know what that entirely meant but you couldn't touch on that as you ran through the one to the otherside. The eyes in the trees looks down to follow you.
You run and run and couldn't even phase the sounds of feet behind you until you couldn't ignore it anymore. You turn you head to see Janet lunging from tree to tree like a feral animal in pursuit. And she was, for her prey was trying to escape her clutches. You run faster ducking under trees and jumping over logs as you hear her hissing through the air.
You turn your head only to see Janet lunging for you, her fang and jaw open for the kill. But mercy gives you a chance, for you doge and roll to the left avoiding her by a hair. Janet hits the floor and a deep gash covers her forehead. Her red eyes look at her blood before slowly climbing to your body that lays on the floor and a sickening smile spreads across her face.
"I'll make sure you death is the most painful bitch. I'll fucking gut you inside out. RUN"
And she didn't need to tell you twice as you grab a tree to pull you back up and ran deeper.
Janet watches with that same smile as she licks her blood and laughs. She loves a good chase, the adrenaline is something she craves and your giving it to her. She loved watching you run your little plump body trying to avoid it demise was making her feel things she hadn't in a long time. The smell of your blood going to give you a inch closer to freedom gave her a rush and as she watches you run away her thigh clench and her hip grind into the floor
"Mhm...run little weakling"
You don't know how long it's been. An hour? Maybe 3 hours? With the. The way your luck is going it's only been 30 minutes. However long it's been hell. You haven't seen Janet in a minute, which can only mean she either knows where you are and is waiting or she left you alone only to crush your hope hours later.
Janet sits in the top branch of the tree sharpening her nail, as she watches you truge along the path of the woods. Her face is unimpressed and blank as she watch your move. Chases are a favorite but this been going in far too long. So with cat-like accuracy she jumps down and glides along the forest floor behind you. The wind pulls her hair across her face but she makes no move to stop it. Only moving forward her eyes practically groping you for a far.
As you watch you look around in case Janet is watching, find nothing you keep watching until you see... A road! An escape is right there only a few feet away. You walk toward it only to see a huge valley below a perfect trap. With hills too high to run up and too steep to climb out of in timely fashion you stand there thinking of what to do when a crunch is heard.
You slowly turn your heard to see Janet on the tree behind you, she red eye glow like sirens and her fingers... Covered in black wave at you. You both hold eachother stare waiting for someone to move when s scream is heard"BOO" Janet screams she jumps across the tree toward you, you lunged to the side to grab a thick tree branch and Janet moves to a crouched position, you run towards her and she jumps at you but your quicker, with a harsh swing you smack Janet into a tree, her body slumps over and you take off running. A clear victory in your mind.
You run as fast as you can to the valley before you tumble down into the pile of leaves below. You cover yourself and quiet your breathe... Quiet.... Absolutely nothing but wind and distant howling. Everything seems safe before a voice echos in your mind
"Should hid better weakling"
And a shock of pain grips your body. Janet gripe your hair and drags your from the pile and climbs ontop of you with a snarl. Her fangs drip with drool.
"I told you to fucking RUN"
She picks up your head and slam it down on the hard floor. Your head feels the pain and spread it. Whimpers leave your mouth as you try to claw your way out. Acrylic nails bloodied and broken as you scream and kick for your life.
Janet takes it all with glee as she grips your wrist and pins you down with crazed eyes and a psychotic smile
"I told you. I told you if I caught you I'll gut you. WHAT WERE YOU THINKING"
She aims for your neck, her fand digs into your skin as you scream bloody terror. Janet revels in your terror and moans at the taste of your blood. Slurps and sucks are heard she takes everything she can from you. Your kicks slowly down and eyes start to close before she leaves your neck.
Janet looks down at your state and feel... Hot. She movers her thigh sort to welcome your knee and grinds her aching clit. She lets out a soft moan at the feeling.
She picks up her paces now humping your leg, using you for pleasure. You watch as she grinds her hot cunt on you, you should feel disgusted, you should feel violated but you feel nothing but a small amount of joy. Joy that has no explanation as you watch the woman take all she can get from you.
Janet tips her head back to gaze down at your bloodied body and smiles, leaning down against to kick your face and neck as her archs her back to dig her achy cunt into your leg.
"ngh~ I-I have a deal weakling... You let me use you. Let me own, and you get to live hm?"
She whisper in your ear before roughly kissing you, her fangs prick your lip and you wince in pain but Janet only giggles as she grinds faster. Tiny moan can be heard from you two and when she leaves your mouth she hold your face tight.
"Say yes. Cmon weakling. This is your chance to ... Let me take control.of this feeble body" you nod and she lets out a devilish laugh. She gets to her knees and looks up at your with hard eyes
"Get up. Take the dress off, you won't be needing it" you nod and stand tiny rocks and sticks latch to your thighs as you slowly peel off your only defense. Now standing in a black lace panty and bra set you look down to floor. Janet breath hitches as she takes you in and her thighs clench, Janet can feel her slick just flowing out of her slutty hole but she'll deal with that later.
"Spin around for me"
You spin around to show your panty covered ass, the fleshy jiggling a bit at the movement. Janet pulls you close to her as she rips the lace in the back apart, spreading your two globes apart to see your little hole. Untouched and unprepared she stares at the rosebub but sniffing. Once, twice and then moving her nose in deep she deeply inhales the scent of your hole. You cover you mouth, wanting to save a bit of your dignity for ego but Janet wants it all. A tongue slivers from her mouth and she licks around your rim, pressing a kiss to the puckered hole she dips the tip of her tongue inside of your hole and licks around. Slurping and spitting like it's your cunt. You don't even wanna know what she'll do with your pussy.
You bite your lip to try and stop the whines and moan from coming out when Janet stand kicks you to your knees. Her gaze is harden and angry as she stares down at you
"Listen to me and listen well. When I said I own you, I meant it. I own everything on and in this slutty body. You think hiding yourself from me will stop me from taking you? In your dreams weakling. You hide from me again and you'll wish you were like Tia. Am I clear"
"Y-yes Janet" a small smack is laid across your breast
"Yes who? Do you think your worthy to call my name?"
"N-no ma'am! I'm not, I'm sorry I should've known better"
"Yes what slut"
"Yes daddy... I understand daddy"
Janet looks down at you with a tiny smirk, but it vanishes as quickly as it came. She pushes her hair back and pulls down her zipper from the front of the bodysuit, slowly she reveals her perky nipples and soft breast. The moonlight does it damned best to show you how beautiful the sight of her naked breast are. Your eyes trail down to where Janet pushes the suit down and you lock your sight on her puffy cunt, a thing string of her slick pulls from the suit and now, she's completely naked. The only thing left is her lined up crowned and her blood eye necklace.
She grips your head in a gentle embraced for the first time and stares at you with a lustful gaze
"Do you know what this is" her opposite hand spreads her folds, showing her wet clit that wave at your. You nod your head unable to speak the sight is just that good.
But Janet only scoff ya king your head back a bit before speaking
"You don't weakling. This is your God now. You will worship my cunt day in and out. You will learn to crave my essence like you crave water. Am I clear" her tone leaves no room for anything other than 'yes' but deep down. Would you ever denie her?
Janet's middle finger comes to slowly circle her clit, making show of how well she can bring herself pleasure. She lets out small moans of satisfaction and watches your face, she takes in the look of pure lust in your eyes, she watches the fight between clarity and pleasure taken over you.
A small drop of her slick falls from her hole, and before you could think you move your head to lick the string up. Moaning at the flavor, this surprises Janet only for a second. Seeing how easy you are, she pushes your head to her hole, lips pressed against her she grind into your mouth.
"Now your getting it. Lick your owner up slut. Make daddy proud to save your insignificant life"
Her degradation is like music to your ears, as you lap at her sloppy cunt, you hands hold her thighs down onto your face as you globber and slobber all over her.
Janet never felt like this a day in her life. Hundreds of lovers and hundreds of years of passion cannot compare to how your eating her- no the way your devouring her essence is maybe the thing she needed. She didn't need blood. She needs your mouth, you tongue, that body if yours to feed her urges.
Janet feels like her peak is coming but, its so much to do before the sun comes up and her night of terror is over. Yanking your head away she ignores the whine you let out and wipes your mouth clean with her tongue. She pecks your lips
"Enough of that pet. You still need to prove your devotion to me. Remove your those" she points to your panties and you quickly slide them off, you look up to see her hand is out. Placing your wet panties in her hand, she thumbs over the wettness. She looks at the garment and throws it to the pile of clothes.
She pushes you down onto the floor and straddles you, she bites and gropes your breast with a sense of urgency now. Her tongue licks up any blood that her fangs nicked, her mouth suckles on your brown nipples and soft moans flow out of your mouth like music, to Janet it was like she was deaf and gained hearing and the first thing she heard, was your sweet sounds. She tries not to get mad all over again at the fact you tried to hold these sounds away from her. She already decided your punishment for that foolish act.
She leans back away from your nose bruised tits, and pressed kissed to your belly. From what you see, she likes to knead your belly like a kitten. She buried her face into the curve of your waist and sighs. Before spreading your legs, pushing them up to the moon (you a grandmother talking about legs to the moon?! Iykyk)
She leans down to sniff your cunt, your arousal makes Janet shiver in excitement over all the things she's could and will do to you. She gets two finger and covers them in your slick before sliding them inside, they went in so smooth it surprises you and Janet. Slowly she curls and presses against your wall, trying to find your sweet spot with a calm face, you on the other hand tries not to let yourself cum too quickly. Your legs tremble a bit as she digs into you.
"Such a messy pussy you have weakling. Look at how she so open for me, I bet no other human can make you feel like this can they?" You shake your head 'no' as moan and whimpers stop
"N-no daddy... Nobody ngh~ n-nobody"
Janet snickers before she ysnks her fingers out and places them in her mouth. The moment your slick hits her tongue her eyes dilate and she visibly relaxes. She sucks at her fingers before she scoops more and more of your essence. Purposely avoiding touching your clit and giving you the orgasms you need.
"Please daddy! I-ive been good right, just please just one time mhpm!"
But she pays you no mind, after getting her fill she flips you over to show your plump ass again. Smoothing her hand over it she gives a tiny smack to the flesh watching as it jiggles like water. Janet grips one side to open you up to see your hole. It winks, like it's trying to get Janet to come and do what she don't do to her cunt. But Janet only taps her finger against the hole before she places her cunt on your ass.
Slowly like she did your leg she starts to hump your ass, like she trying to fuck you she thrusts her hips to you making your body jump up. You let out soft moans at the feeling of her clit rubbing didn't you ass. Janet is not better groaning at the feeling of the soft flesh bringing her closer to her peak.
"Yess... Your doing so well weakling. Daddy gonns have such a good time with you back home." The words don't register with you before she rubbing your clit in small circles but fast motions. She presses against you hard like she trying to fuck into you deeper and deeper, she grabs your jaw and moves you to her lips and she kisses you with such fever.
"Cmon baby... Make daddy feel it, bring daddy there and I'll give you want you want~" you thrust your body back towards her digging into her clit, she cries out.
"FUCK- cmon baby do it again" she smacks your ass"
"Cmon show me... Show daddy what you can do" two more smacks land on your ass as she grinds against your ass
"G-gonna cum mhm-fuck` gonna cum!" She pulls off and flip your over before landing on your face. She rides your nose and flicks her nipples
"Cmon baby eat- worship me one last time ah! F-fuck cmon~" you lick and suck her clit and hole, scooping more of her slick into your mouth before Janet freezes with a chocked moan. Her squirt fills your mouth and you swallow her with an earger tongue.
Janet hope off your face lands on your chest, she pants as she lays kisses on your neck.
"D-did so good weakling. So good"
She looks up at you, but instead of red eye she has purple again.
"You want me...do you crave my body like I crave yours" as you stare you don't notice her drooling again, how she moves closer to the juncture of your neck
"You will learn to crave me my weakling... But for now you will be mines body and soul" and with that last line a shock flows through your body, she bites you but she's drink any blood only hold you there as something flows into your neck. You grow dizzy and before you black out. You see Janet over you, the moon shining still bright but over you two. You can hear two voices in the distance calling for Janet.
Not because they’re good or bad, but because they’re human.
Every person you pass carries entire worlds inside them. Secrets, regrets, memories they wish they could bury. Some people hide their ugliness well, while others wear it openly like scars across their skin.
But no matter who they are, it’s hard not to find something fascinating about them.
Because being human means being flawed. It means making mistakes, hurting people, loving people, ruining things, and trying again anyway.
Maybe that’s what makes us human in the first place.
After all, someone who's never made a mistake has probably never truly lived at all.
So maybe that’s why, sitting in the backseat of Smurf’s truck, you felt so painfully out of place.
Not because you’d never made mistakes or because your hands were clean, but because everything about Smurf felt unfamiliar in the worst way possible. Like stepping into a world that’s operated by rules nobody bothered explaining to you.
The air inside the truck felt too heavy, too quiet. Even the way she drove felt calculated, one hand resting lazily against the wheel while the other tapped against the door to music playing low through the speakers.
“Why don’t you get your stuff out of the truck?”
Smurf’s voice cut through the silence as she shut the engine off, her eyes flicking toward J before briefly landing on you.
You climbed out slowly, adjusting the straps digging into your shoulders, while J handed you the rest of your bags from the back.
And for a moment, you forgot how to breathe.
The place in front of you looked nothing like the cramped apartments you and J grew up in.
Speedboats sat lined up like toys for rich people. Cars gleamed beneath the fading sunlight. Surfboards leaned carelessly against walls like they were decorations instead of things people saved months to afford.
And then there was the house itself.
Large and beautiful.
The kind of home that didn’t belong to people who worried about overdue bills or empty refrigerators.
You followed closely beside J as Smurf led both of you inside.
The second the front door opened, a long beeping pierced through the house.
Smoke alarm.
A thin haze lingered in the air, curling through the hallway.
“God damn it!” Smurf snapped immediately.
She tossed her keys onto a nearby table and kept walking, I’m gone for an hour and…”
Her voice trailed off into irritation as she disappeared farther into the house.
You and J followed her down the hallway cautiously, like stepping too hard would throw you both out.
As you entered the kitchen, all you could do was take in the sight before you. Clean countertops, expensive appliances, and warm lighting hanging low from the ceiling.
But none of that held your attention for long.
Because sitting openly on the counter were stacks of cash.
Just sitting there.
Loose bands wrapped around thick piles of money like it was the most normal thing in the world.
Your footsteps slowed instinctively, and beside you, J noticed it at the same time.
The two of you exchanged a glance. No words.
None were needed, just the quiet understanding that whatever world Smurf lived in…it was nothing like yours.
You followed Smurf out to her backyard, which was even more of a sight to see.
“My cupcakes are ruined.”
You and J lingered a few steps behind Smurf. Close enough that you weren’t hiding, but far enough that you weren’t intruding.
The backyard stretched out toward the water, expensive and effortless. Jet skis bobbed against the dock while three men occupied the space as if they owned it. Two stood by the jet skis, laughing over joke you hadn’t heard. The third climbed out of the water, running a hand through his wet hair.
None of them noticed you, and you liked it like that.
Until Smurf spoke.
“You can’t do one simple thing?”
Her voice wasn’t loud. It didn’t have to be.
The irritation behind it settled over the backyard like a storm cloud.
One of the men shrugged.
“You told us to come over,” he said, already full of excuses,” not to do the cooking.”
“That’s what the note was for,” Smurf says waving it,” Can’t any of you read?”
Silence.
The kind where no one argued because they already knew she’d win.
You couldn’t see her face from where you stood, but you imagined the expression easily enough. Tired, annoyed, completely in control.
After a moment, she let out a slow sigh and turned back toward you and J.
“You remember your uncles, don’t you, J?”
Your eyebrows lifted instinctively.
Uncles.
So these were them.
The infamous brothers J had mentioned over the years in passing conversations. The names you’d heard but never managed to put to faces.
If the situation had been even remotely normal, you probably would’ve laughed at finally connecting the dots.
Instead, you stayed quiet.
Three rough-looking men.
One grandmother who somehow made everyone else seem nervous.
You decided silence was the safer option.
Smurf walked toward the two of you.
“y/n”
Your head snapped up immediately.
“You’ve never met them,” she said, her voice suddenly soft, almost affectionate. “But they’ll be your uncles too, okay?”
The sweetness in her tone unsettled you more than her anger ever had.
It wasn’t comforting, or nice, or anything you wanted.
It was deliberate.
Like honey poured over broken glass.
You forced a small smile, but it never reached your eyes, “...okay.”
You and J gave the three men a small wave.
“‘Hey. How you doing?” the one standing in the middle asked.
You searched your memory for the names J had mentioned over the years.
Baz.
Deran.
Craig.
If you remembered correctly, Baz was the one who checked in every once in a while. Probably when he remembered J existed. The only one who’d made even the slightest effort. Deran and Craig, on the other hand, had barley been part of J’s life at all.
The man in the middle had to be Baz.
He carried himself differently. Calmer. Less intimidating than the others. And so far, he was the only one besides Smurf who had spoken to either of you.
“Really sorry about your mom, man.”
J rubbed the back of his neck.
“Oh…thanks.”
An awkward silence settled over everyone.
“You too.”
The words slipped out before he could stop them.
Baz blinked. Then gave a small, understanding nod.
“Yeah,” the man to his right chimed in,” Been forever. Barley recognize you.”
His eyes drifted from J to you.
“...Or you.”
His head tilted.
“Who are you?”
The question shouldn’t have been difficult. A simple, “Hi I’m y/n I live with J.”
But somehow, it was.
Your lips parted, only to close again.
Who were you? You knew your name.
y/n Swan.
A girl abandoned by the two people who were supposed to want her. Raised by a woman who had no business raising herself, let alone two children. A girl who found more of a home in J’s apartment than anywhere she’d ever officially belonged.
You weren’t related to the Cody's. Not by blood.
But somehow between scraped knees, shared birthdays, sleepless nights, and surviving together…
You’d become family anyway.
Or at least, something close enough.
“I’m y/n.”
You gestured between yourself and J.
“I’ve lived with J and his mom since I was three.”
Understanding passed between the three brothers. Small nods, quiet acceptance. But none of them questioned it.
But you felt it. A pair of eyes lingering on you.
Smurf.
When you glanced toward her, she was already watching you with an unreadable expression, not suspicious, but interested.
Like she’d just learned something she intended to remember.
But before the silence could stretch any further, Deran cut back into the conversation.
“Yeah,” he said with a short laugh. “He was, what…five the last time you saw him?”
“Remeber when you and Julia were high and, like, really going at it?”
Deran looked at Smurf with a grin that suggested he thought the memory was hilarious.
From the look on her face, she disagreed.
“Right,” Craig chimed in, eager to help.”She threw something at you. Uh…”
He snapped his fingers, searching for the word.
“Coleslaw,” Deran supplied him triumphantly.
Craig pointed at him.
“Yeah. Coleslaw. She threw coleslaw in her face.”
The two of them laughed. You glanced toward J. He didn’t laugh, neither did Smurf.
“Guys.” Baz’s voice cut cleanly through the conversation.
The laughter died almost instantly.
“What?” Craig asked, genuinely confused.
“Shut up.”
Craig frowned but listened.
An uncomfortable silence settled over the backyard before Baz looked toward you and J trying to steer things somewhere less painful.
“You guys want a beer or something?”
You and J exchanged a quick look. Neither of you knew how to answer.
“Uh…no, thanks,” J said. “We’re good.”
Smurf brushed imaginary flour from her hands.
“DInner will be ready in an hour. Good thing I didn’t leave the roast in your hands.”
She shot her sons a pointed look before turning to you, her expression softening with surprising ease.
“How about I whip up another batch of cupcakes?” She asked. “Chocolate or vanilla, y/n?”
The sudden sweetness caught you off guard.
You looked at J before answering.
“Uh…I’m really not that hungry.”
“Hey,” Baz cut in gently.” You guys want a real drink instead?”
Something about the constant offers made your stomach tighten.
Beer, cupcakes, dinner, another drink.
You understood they were probably trying to help, or at least trying to pretend today hadn’t happened. But everything about the Cody family felt…off.
Too casual, too practiced. Like grief was just another guest passing through the house.
“We got tequila,” Baz continued. “ We got gin”
J spoke before either of you could be offered anything else.
“I’m…I’m really tired.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “ And I bet y/n is too.”
You nodded immediately, “Yeah.”
Smurf stepped closer resting a hand against each of your backs.
“Of course you are, baby.” Her touch was light, almost maternal. “ You two had a rough day.”
For a brief second, you let yourself lean into it. Not because you trusted her, but because you truly were exhausted and all you wanted was just quiet.
“Go on inside and get some sleep. I’ll save you both a plate.”
“Okay,” J said quietly,” Thank you,” you added/
Smurf looked toward one of her sons.
“Show J and y/n to Pope’s room, Deran.”
You bit the inside of your cheek.
Meeting J’s family like this was awkward enough. But Craig and Deran seemed determined to make it worse, joking about Julia as though she hadn’t died only hours earlier.
None of this was anyone’s ideal reunion, but the least they could’ve done was pretend it was.
Deran set his beer on the dock railing and jerked his way toward the house.
Without a word, he started walking. You and J picked that as a sign and followed.
“See you later,” J said.
“Thank you” You said, offering Smurf and the others a small, polite wave before disappearing into the house with J.
You and J followed Deran through the house.
Your duffel bag bumped against your leg with every step while carrying his own bag with two of yours, refusing to let you argue otherwise.
The hallway was lined with framed family photos, none of them included J.
“So…” J finally spoke, his voice hesitant. “Do you all still live here?”
“Uh, no,” Deran answered without looking back. “We’ve all got our own places.”
He stopped at the end of the hall and pushed open a bedroom door.
You stepped inside slowly. It was smaller than you expected, but comfortable.
A twin-full sized bed sat in the middle of the room, a dresser horizontal of it. A closet took up the corner and a sliding glass door let warm California light spill across the floor.
You set your bag down, J followed suit.
You eyes wandered around the room, quietly taking in what would be home for however long fate decided.
Truthfully… it was nicer than anywhere you’d ever slept before.
“We crash here whenever we feel like it,” Deran continued, leaning against the closet door.
“Helps keep Smurf happy.”
“...Smurf?” J asked.
Deran looked at him like the answer was obvious.
“Your grandmother.”
J nodded slowly,” Uh…thanks, Uncle Deran.”
Silence.
Then Deran’s voice cut through,” You’re not seriously gonna call me that, are you?”
You lifted both hands innocently.
“Don’t look at me.” you said with the ghost of a smile.
It did feel strange. Calling any of these men uncle felt like skipping ten chapters of a book you’d never read.
“What if he does, bro?” Craig wandered into the room carrying one side of an old television while Baz held the other.
“You’ve been called a lot worse.”
You stood up from your spot on the bed, ending up beside J near the doorway.
“We found this Tv in the shed,” Baz said as they carefully lowered it onto the floor.
“Can’t have you two living in squalor.”
“Thanks.” J said quietly, you nodded,” Really…thank you.”
“We just gotta find the right bracket and we’ll mount it later.”
“Cool,” you replied.
For a moment, nobody moved. You couldn’t help noticing how everyone had unconsciously divided themselves.
You and J stood together near the bedroom door.
Baz, Craig, and Deran occupied the opposite side near the sliding glass door.
It looked less like family meeting each other…and more like two teams waiting for someone to make the first move.
Baz broke the silence first.
“Those your only shoes?” You and J glanced down at your feet.
“Yeah”
Between the two of you, your combined wardrobes could probably fit inside one suitcase.
Craig let out a whistle.
“Dude…you can’t be wearing those around us.”
“Yeah,” Baz agreed, already digging through his wallet. “Go get yourselves some decent kicks.”
He pulled out a stack of bills and set it on the bed.
“Get some Nike Zooms or some Dunks.”
Craig pointed dramatically.
“But not the orange ones, okay? Those are ugly as hell.”
You and J gave what felt like your fifty thank you as the brothers filed out one by one, pulling the bedroom door shut behind them.
Silence settled over the room for the first time since arriving. You let out a long breath you hadn’t realized you’d been holding. You flopped backward onto the mattress, staring blankly at the ceiling.
“No shade J, but…this family is weird.”
J let out the smallest laugh, the first one you’d heard from him all day.
The mattress dipped beneath J’s weight as he laid down beside you. Neither of you bothered taking your shes off. You simply stared at the ceiling listening to the unfamiliar sounds of the house settling around you.
Voices drifted faintly from outside. A cabinet closed somewhere down the hall.
Then, quietly, J reached over and took your hand. His fingers were cold. He gave yours a small squeeze.
“We’re gonna b okay.”
You turned your head to look at him. His eyes fixed on the ceiling.
