Please excuse any grammatical errors.

February 1, 1992

~Tia's P.O.V~

"Hey, Tia!" Dalvin excitedly said to me.

"Hello, Dalvin. How's it going?" I said, taking off my shoes, even though I should have done it at the door.

"Great now, I'm pretty sure you heard EVERYTHING that was said out there." Dalvin put emphasis on the word 'EVERYTHING', giving DeVanté a certain look.

"Yeah, I did..." I trailed off. I can't help but feel some type of way. K-Ci apologised to DeVanté but didn't apologize to me, and I haven't even done anything to him. Even when he was at my hotel, I was nothing but welcoming to him and he said all that about me.

"Look, K-Ci didn't mean any of what he said." DeVanté explained to me.

"Yeah, I know I heard," I laughed, and continued. "But, my question is did you?" I asked him

"Yeah... I'm gonna go..." Dalvin interrupted standing there awkwardly and took this as his opportunity to leave.

"I meant every word." He said lowly. My breath hitched, and my when he said that.

"Donny, I..." I trailed off, then continued. "I- I'm I'm sorry, but I'm not looking for a relationship just yet. I have personal issues that I promised myself I'd deal with before I get involved with anyone. Things you won't understand. I'm not bringing extra baggage to a relationship. When I do eventually start dating, my intent will be to marry. Not just to be doing it."

I still haven't been to therapy, or dealt with my childhood trauma. I've been so busy with work and writing, and when I wasn't writing I was on the telephone either speaking to my mother, my brother, Tupac, DeVanté, or some other family member. It's still messes with my head this day.

"It's fine, Tia. I'm willing to wait." Said no man ever. He came and sat down next to me on the bed.

"Yeah, but for how long?" I turned to him. "I can't take people making me empty promises. Most times it just ends in disappointment. I don't think I can't take another one of those to someone I'm close to." I said with my eyes slightly watering, then turned away from him, because ain't nobody about to catch me at a weak point.

I wiped my eyes and turned back around. I don't trust nobody wholeheartedly because if family can do you in and mess with your mental then the people outside are definitely going to do the same.

"You understand, right?" I asked him.

"Not completely, but I have and idea. Like I said, its completely fine. You're going to be my wife in the future. Mark my words, Tia" He said sincerely and my eyes widened in shock.

"Thank you for understanding. You really think I'm wifey material?" I asked with a surprised expression.

"Definitely! I've known you for a short period of time but I ain't EVER felt like this. Your mind got me whipped." He said in a serious tone. "Need a hug?" He laughed holding his arms out. I joined in on the laughing and hugged him.

"Hey, are you hungry?" He pulled back.

"Yeah, I could eat." I shrugged. He got up and I followed. We entered their kitchen, and he opened the freezer.

"A'ight so, we got chicken nugget TV dinners, meat loaf TV dinners, and rib TV dinners. Which do you want?" He took them out as he said the names. After he finished reading off the names squinted at it and then his eyes widened. I should have known a house of dudes wouldn't have no real food.

"Umm, th- these are expired." He said embarrassed, scratch the back of his head. He opened them and they had freezer burn all over.

"Yeah, that's fine. I don't even eat red meat, and those chicken nuggets are over- processed," I said to DeVanté.

His eyes popped out of his head, "So, you don't eat steak, or pork chops!?" He exclaimed.

"Yes, it's exactly what that means!" I laughed out.

"You're bugging HARD! Pork chops are the bomb. Girl, you're bugging!" He said expressing himself with his hands.

"How about we order something today, and tomorrow we can go grocery shopping?" I asked him.

"That's fine with me." He said throwing out the old tv dinners. "What do you want to order?"

"Let's order some Jamaican food. You know any good places near here?"

"Yeah, I know this one place called the Jamaican Grill. I had it a couple of times." He said a Dalvin entered the kitchen.

"Is it authentic? Sometimes it be someone else attempting to make it." I joked.

"Idunno, I've never been inside. I just order from there." DeVanté said.

"We'll see," I smiled.

"Aye man, why you throwing out our food? That's the good stuff." Dalvin asked looking at DeVanté with a confused expression.

"Because it's old. Its been in there for a while now. We 'bout to order some Jamaican food, what you want?" DeVanté asked Dalvin.

"Oh... Just get me some Ackee and Saltfish." Dalvin answered back.

"You can eat that? Many people are allergic to it." I asked Dalvin.

"Yeah, it's the bomb. Different from anything else I've ever had." Dalvin replied.

"It was good but it put me in the hospital," I said slightly chuckling.

"Alright, what you want Tia," DeVanté said turning to me.

"I want some curry shrimp and chicken and some plantains," I replied.

"A'ight, I'm 'bout to order." He said walking to the kitchen phone.

"While you do that, I'm going to go shower. I still got airplane muck on me. You guys never showed me the bathroom, where is it?" I asked them both.

"It's straight down the hall. The towels are in the closet in the bathroom." DeVanté said to me while dialing the number to the place.

"K, thanks."

I walked out the kitchen and went straight into the bedroom they let me stay in. I grabbed my clothes, my loofah, shower cap, and a bar of soap, then made my way to the bathroom. When I entered it I closed and locked the door. Their bathroom was clean, THANK GOODNESS. I sat my clothes on a stand in their bathroom, and my loofah and soap on the holder. I opened the shower door and the tub was clean as well.

Many people keep the other rooms tidy but their bathroom be looking filthy. Or when their bathroom is clean the tub be looking atrocious. But, DeVanté and Dalvin seem like some clean people. I opened the bathroom closet, and grabbed a dry towel. I sniffed it, just to make sure. I turned on the water to warm it up some, while it was warming I put on my shower cap, got in the shower, and handled my hygiene.

~DeVanté's P.O.V~

I hung up the phone, turned around, and was immediately met with Dalvin. ALL IN MY PERSONAL SPACE. "Back up some, dude." I said slightly pushing him.

"My bad, bro. So, what happened?" Dalvin said referring to what happened when he left the room.

"Nothing happened." I simply replied.

"Nothing? So y'all not working on it or anything?" He asked me.

"Nope, we just friends. We cooling." I replied.

"Damn... Do you feel some type of way?" Dalvin asked.

"Of course I do. Something personal and serious is holding her back. Though, I don't know what it is, I know she's hurting. She said she didn't want to bring extra baggage in no relationship, and I respect that." I told him.

"Damn, you never know what someone is going through. She sure has a strong exterior, because I sure can't tell she's hurting." Dalvin replied. "How do you know it's deep though?" He asked me.

"That she does. She didn't think I'd notice but her eyes watered, but before her tears could fall, she turned around to wipe them away. You can learn a lot about a person from their eyes alone. But, I told her I'd wait for her. I'm willing. Even if I do end up messing around with somebody, I'll drop them for her." I explained to him a bit saddened at first and then in a more serious tone.

"I ain't ever met no nigga who said he was gon' wait. So, why are you?"

"Honestly, I think its deeper than just liking her. Something I can't completely comprehend, and can barely put in words. But, I know it's there. I also know her mind got me whipped. She's sexy but don't show too much. She's so wise, and intellectual. Man, I really don't know what I'm feeling but I feel it deep in my heart. That woman is going to be my wife someday." I told Dalvin.

"Cupid bit you in yo ass, and Valentines Day hasn't even came. Dang, she got you good bro. I can't believe Mr. 'I AIN'T EVER GETTING IN ANOTHER RELATIONSHIP AGAIN' has a change of heart." Dalvin said patting my shoulder.

"Hah, fuck you man." I laughed playfully shoving him.

"You sure it's not the same feeling you had with Mary J?"

"I'm 100% positive it isn't. When I was with her I kind of knew something was missing from the jump. Yet, I didn't listen to myself and tried to make it work. Scandalous bitch..." I shook my head, and Dal just looked at me shaking his head laughing.

         Dalvin and I were sitting on the couch. He was playing a single player game, while I was writing some songs, glancing up at him or the TV every once in a while.

🎵I'm in need of love

and baby you're in need of love
so what about us
on and on and on til the break of dawn, and it's on

I wanna love you
I wanna love you🎵

As I was writing I noticed it sounded similar to a Roger Troutman song. This is good. Then there was a knock at the door. It had to be the people with the food. Me and Dalvin looked at each other wondering which one of us were going to answer it.

Dalvin smacked his lips, "I'll get it!" He got up and answered it. It was the food like I thought. He payed them and closed the door. He sat everything down on the coffee table.

"Yeah, a nigga over here starvin'!" Dalvin said rubbing his hands together.

Tia came out the back dressed in some fuzzy white pajama shorts, a black tank top, a black bonnet, her glasses, and some fuzzy black and white socks. I guess it was a set. She looked good. She sat on her knees in front of the coffee table where the food was. Her breast bounced when she sat. When she leaned over I couldn't help but look down her shirt. I'm a breast guy but I like the booty too.

"Ahh, the foods here. I came just in time." Tia said walking near Dalvin and I.

"Mmhm," Dalvin said taking the food out the bag.

"This is mine," Dalvin said. "This is yours," he handed Tia her food, "Here yours go De," he handed me my food.

"Thanks," Tia told him.

"Thanks Dal," I said.

"Yeah, okay." He waved is off. "Mm mm mm, look at this!" He said digging in.

"What'd you get?" Tia asked me.

"Oxtails and jerk chicken."

"Oh, okay." She grabbed a plastic spork, and made her way to the dining table, while I watched her.

"You could have stayed here and ate." I told her.

"No, thanks. I'm messy when it comes to eating food." She looked at me.

"Yeah, stay your ass right there then." Dalvin said and we all bursted out laughing.

February 2, 1992

~Tia's P.O.V~

I woke feeling severely dehydrated. I'd usually sleep with water on the nightstand, but I didn't think about it last night. So I got up walked through the living room and into the kitchen. DeVanté was shirtless, with some tight boxers on, drinking apple juice from the carton, in front of the opened fridge. Some was even falling down his chest.

Since I saw him from the side I saw what he was working with AND it was the morning so it was a bit stiff sitting against his left leg.👀👀👀 What woman wouldn't look down below at an attractive shirtless man with boxers on? I'm guessing after a while he felt my presence, because he turned his head in my direction.

"Oh, shit! You scared the shit out of me!" He said startled.

"I'm sorry about that." I apologised to him.

"It's fine," he threw his hand up. Then he looked down at himself, and attempted to shield himself with his free hand. Hah, that didn't help at all.

"I'm SO sorry! I would have had more clothes on, but like I said I didn't think you'd be up." He said putting his juice up and covering himself with both hands. He wasn't doing a good job with doing so or maybe he didn't want to.

"You're fin-good, this is your house. Do what you feel comfortable doing. Don't mind me."

"How could I NOT mind you?" He chuckled. "But, what ARE you doing up so early? It's only 7:15." He said looking at the clock and then me, still shielding himself.

"I'm thirsty, and I saw you were as well." I laughed.

"Ahh, yeah... I was thirsty. Imma just go back to throw on something." He said embarrassed.

"Okay," I said walking to the sink. "Hey, what cabinet has the cups?" I asked him.

"The one right above the sink." He turned his head. "Again, I'm so sorry." Then he left.

I opened the cabinet and grabbed a glass cup. I remember there was ice in the freezer last night, when he pulled out those old TV Dinners. I opened the freezer, and grabbed an ice tray, and went back to the sink where my cup was. I began popping the cubes out of the ice tray.

"I'm back," said a still shirtless but more covered bottom DeVanté. His yelling cause me to pop some ice out the tray and onto the floor.

"My bad, I ain't mean to scare you." He walked over to me and picked up the ice cubes.

"You're okay. Where's the mop?" I asked him, as he put the ice cubes in the sink. He filled the tray back up and headed to the freezer.

"Over there, in the closet." He pointed to the kitchen closet. I grabbed it and mopped up the water that was left from the ice cubes up. He came back with another tray.

"Here you go," he handed it to me and grabbed the mop from my hands and put it back in it's place in the closet. I put ice in my cup then filled it with water, and drank it all at once. He just looked at me.

"What? I told you that I was thirsty." I laughed and turned back to the sink for a refill.

"You did. You did," he said nodding his head with the corners of his lips going down, not in an angry way.

"I like those pajama pants. They're cute. Do you really like Snoopy?" I said turning around, leaning on the sink, and looking down at his pajamas.

"Yeah, Charlie Brown has been my favorite cartoon since a child." He smiled looking into my eyes, with the corner of his bottom lip in his mouth. I looked into his for a while, then shifted my eyes elsewhere, because I had gotten nervous.

"Yo, you good?" He asked stepping closer. My eyes widened and my breath hitched.

"Mmhm," I mumbled back.

"Calm down, I'm not gonna do anything to you." He reached into his pocket and pulled a key, and a piece of paper.

"You may need to get in, when we aren't here so here. This paper is the code for downstairs." He handed it to me.

"Ahhh, okay. Thanks." I put the cup up to my mouth to drink the rest of the water, then chewed some ice. He backed back up.

"You one of them, huh?" He laughed.

"One of them? What're you talking about?" I asked confused.

"Them people who like chewing little ice cubes."

"Oh! Yes, I love it! The texture of the bits, and the coolness is very satisfying. I used to hate when my mom would do it, but here I am. My mama is so addicted to it that there was none she'd scrape the insides of the deep freezer" I reminisced, laughing.

"She'd scrape the deep freezer? Eww." He shuddered.

"Mmhm, same thing I said." I laughed.

We headed the living room and kept talking until it was time for me to get ready for the meeting with Spike Lee.

Word Count: 2,870

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