Please excuse ANY grammatical errors.

February 14, 1992

~DeVanté's P.O.V~

Nineteen!? I can't believe Tia is JUST nineteen years old. A nineteen year old got me acting like this. I mean, I ain't complaining, but DAMN I feel some type of way. She so young and part of the industry, but seems to know what she's doing. Tia sometimes reminded me of my mother.

"What you planning on today?" I said turning to Tia.

She was nodding off but tried to play it off. "Huh," she giggled, "Yes."

My eyebrows furrowed in amusement, "You ain't even hear what I said."

"Ahuhnn, I did hear what you said." She said in a sleepy voice.

"Then, what I say?" I asked turning my whole body to her.

"I heard what you said and I answered you with a yes."

"But, what did I say?" I smiled knowingly.

"You said..." She trailed off looking up at the ceiling, trying to think.

"Exactly, caught yo ass slipping!" I laughed at her.

"Okay, you did. I'm tired though, I'm always working. So, what did you say?" She defended.

"I said, what are you planning on doing today?" I said slowly.

"I'm not illiterate, you don't have to talk so slow." She laughed, and I joined.

"I have to run the studio ALONE today because Spike has something planned with his girlfriend. Of course there will be others, but I'm the main one in charge." She said in a dull tone.

"Why you sound so dull? Shouldn't you be happy?" I asked now turning my body forward, towards the TV.

"I mean, yeah... But, they all aren't easy people to deal with." She replied.

"There will always be some bad people out of the whole bunch. Just be the boss that you are, talk like you KNOW you in charge, with authority, then they'd listen. Talk how you did when you had the gun up to my head." I laughed at the thought.

She laughed, "That's not so easy for me to do, Donald. They look at me as inferior because of my age and possibly some other things."

"C'mon now, stop it. Lay the law down, BE authoritative. You need me to come? I seem quiet and all but I ain't taking NO shit, and you look the same way."

Tia smacked her lips, "Man, stop it!"

"What? I'm serious as fuck. If you need me to come, I'll come. I ain't got shit to do today, so I'm free."

"Donald-"

"Don't call me that, it's not my name."

"As I said, DONALD," she put emphasis on my name. "That is your birth name... Anyways, you don't even know what where doing."

"And? I'm coming, besides it's boring as hell here, ain't got shit else to do. They get out of line, I'll straighten they ass right up. What time we leaving?" I gave her a look.

"Dang, it's like that?" She laughed at me.

"Yeah..." I smiled.

"I have to be there at four in the evening today because we have to film some night scenes."

"Mmkay. So, tell me..." I trailed off.

"What is it?" She asked turning away from the TV towards me.

"Have you even celebrated Valentines Day?"

"Once, other than that it was my mother or brother would get me some gifts and sweets. Valentine's Day is not really important to me though." She shrugged.

"Most single people say that. You have a brother?"

She gave me a look at my first statement, then amswered my question. "Yessir, he's a bit older than I am. It's just the two of us on my mother's side."

"Interesting... He ever beat a nigga ass for you?" I chuckled playfully.

"Ummm," she thought out loud. "Nah, not really."

"Not really? What that supposed to mean?"

"Like it was an almost, or more like wanted to."

"Wanted to? What's he do?"

"Broke my damn heart." She chuckled lowly.

"So the guy was a boyfriend?"

"Yes, he was. The whole situation was a big mistake, but ehh,"

"Why'd y'all break up?" I asked.

"Dang, you ask too many questions!"

"C'mon, what was it?" I pestered.

"The real question is, why were we together from the get-go?" She raised her eyebrows.

"Answering a question with a question. You know, you tend to do that a lot?" I rhetorically asked.

"Do I?"

"SEE WHAT I MEAN!" I laughed out loudly. She cheesed with her front teeth on display.

"Yeah, yeah, yeahh... Anyways tell me about yourself. You ever celebrated it?"

"I have plenty of times, but I only celebrated it two people who were meaningful in my life. Other than that it was just to get something in return."

"You only dated twice?" She asked.

"Yes, in highschool and the one that showed up to the after party of the premiere."

"Oh, yeah. I remember." She shook her head and chuckled lowly. "You're telling me that you've only dated twice!?" She said surprised.

"Yes ma'am! It's hard to find a real one in this day and age. Why is that so hard to believe?" I asked.

"Well, look at you!"

"I look at myself everyday, but I'm not catching on." I scratched my scalp.

"I mean, look at you. You're a nice looking dude. I'm pretty sure women are throwing themselves at you all the time. Especially with who you are."

"Yeah, there are plenty of women throwing themselves at me, but those aren't the type I want to settle down woth or anything. I know the difference. Ya know?"

"I feel you, wholeheartedly. You also have to understand that there are so many pretenders. They will pretend like they ain't out there but are. Take yourself as an example." She laughed.

"I'm not a ho. Besides men can't be hoes."

"I beg to differ, sir. That's sexist." She said mocking the guy on Tombstone. "Who am I gon' believe you or my LYING eyes?" She said sarcastically.

"I'm stating facts, though." I shrugged.

"Ooowwweee, I'm so happy we are not together." She laughed.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I frowned getting defensive.

"Dude, did you hear yourself just now? You basically said men can do whatever, but if a woman does anything she's a whore. I can't stand dudes who think like that." She turned her whole body to me, giving me a look. (Think of that ItsBambii meme.)

"If I'm with somebody, I'm with them and ONLY them. I don't fuck around, when I'm in a relationship."

"Hmm, that's good to know. My bad for assuming." She said turning her body back around.

"No, I understand. You're just going by what you see and what I choose to tell you. I'm not gon' sleep around on a woman I'm committed to." I lowered my voice. "Anyways, how many people you been with?"

"That's personal!" Her eyes widened.

"No, I don't mean like that! I mean I hope you ain't a ho, you did say some people like to hide it."

"Nigga, don't come for me..." She folded her arms, shook her head, getting mad.

"I mean, how many people you dated?"

"That's still personal, but I've only dated one dude."

"Oh? So you dated a woman before!?" I was surprised.

"Man, nawww. I ain't ever date a women, nor will I ever." She laughed.

"Oh, okay. The way you put it just mad it seem like you did."

"I'm strictly-- well you know the rest." She laughed.

"Yeah. You're a nice looking woman though, I'm just surprised you only dated once."

"After the first dude, I said no more until I get myself together. Besides, me and that dude shouldn't have been together in the first place. I've had a few dudes tryna rap to me, but I knew it wasn't on no I want to be with you type stuff. You know what I'm saying?"

"They be just wanting to fuck, you mean?"

"Yeah, that ain't me!" She laughed, moving her hands back and forth against each other.

"I feel you, I like that. You seem like you got it together to me though."

"I feel like I do too, but I can feel my grip loosening sometimes. I still need to deal with some of the things I've endured." She said.

"I get it, I think..."

~Tia's P.O.V~

We made it to the filming destination. The person in the front let DeVanté drive pass. They had a spot with my name on it, even though I didn't have a car.

"You see my name?" I asked DeVanté.

"Yeah."

"Park right there." I directed him.

"Okay, miss director." He chuckled.

He parked in the spot I told him, we got out the car, with him opening my door as always. Gentleman move. We made it inside, and I had to sign in. After that we made our way to the back. We went inside my trailer and took our stuff off.

"This your dressing room? This shit look better than what them motherfuckers be giving us singers." DeVanté stated.

"Yeah, this is it." I spun.

"Y'all got it good."

"Everybody's room isn't the same."

"Word? Well, it's still better than the small ass rooms they give us singers." He laughed. We walked out of the room and into the spot where we'll be filming at.

"Hi, sweetie." Angela Bassett said coming up to me.

"Hello," she hugged and I hugged her back. "This here is Donald," I said pulling back and gesturing to him. I said his real name knowing it'd piss him off, other times I do it unknowingly.

"Well hello, Mr. Donald."

"Hey, Ms. Bassett. You could call me DeVanté, everyone calls me that." He said shaking her hand, eying me from the corner of his eyes. I just smiled deviously at him.

"Is everyone here?" I asked Ms. Bassett.

"Yes, I believe so." She replied.

"Okay, that's good."

We made it to the the first spot we'd be filming. Angela isn't needed no time soon. We jump between scenes, we definitely have to do so today since Spike isn't here to play Shorty. The actors are actually being paid to sit and wait anyways. That's just how show business work.

"Here you go." I grabbed my walkie talkie, from Darius.

"Thank you," I replied, grabbing it from him.

"I need Denzel," I continued reading off the names of the scene into the walkie talkie. When I finished DeVanté tapped my shoulder.

"Pssstt," He said loudly. "When you said Denzel, you didn't mean Denzel Washington did you?" He asked.

"Yes, I did."

"Dead ass!?" He was loud which caused Ms. Bassett and others to turn our way. I quickly shushed him.

"You dead ass?" He asked more quietly.

"Yes, I'm serious." I laughed.

"Why you ain't tell me?" He asked.

"Because when I was calling off names YOU cut ME off. Remember?"

"Yeah, my bad for that."

"It's fine, but for future references I hate being cut off." I eyed him.

"Yo, not on no gay shit or nothing but, I'm dead ass finna see Denzel Washington with my two eyes in real life." He said a bit excited, ignoring what I said.

I laughed, "Yeah, you sure are."

"Is he as cool as I think?" He asked.

"Cooler," I chuckled. "Relax..."

"I am relaxed."

"Then let me the hell go!" I whisper- yelled. He let go of me.

Denzel Washing was the first to enter with his hair slicked back and dyed. He was never a problem. It was some of the others and a few I need for the scene right now.

"Hello, where are we starting? I heard things would be a bit shifty today." Denzel asked me.

"It is and we are working on the jail scene today." I replied, DeVanté elbowed me, wanting me to introduce him.

"Oh, um this is DeVanté."

"Hello, I'm DeVanté Swing, a musician."

"Ahh, yeah. I've seen you on TV with some your crew. I enjoy y'all music." Denzel shook DeVanté's hand.

"Wow, you really listen to Jodeci?" DeVanté asked.

"Yes, in fact my wife and I both listen to a few or y'all songs."

"Thanks." He replied.

"Alright then." He said awkwardly, and I told him where to go.

"Denzel Washington listens to my music. Music that DeVanté Swing wrote his damn self." DeVanté said starstruck at the fact.

I laughed shaking my head at him. Someone who wasn't needed for this scene showed up.

"Hey, where am I supped to be?" Kyle asked me.

"Uhh, I don't meed you right now. I will call when I do though." I smiled.

"You telling me, you called me over here for shit, and you ain't even need me?"

"I don't know who called you, but I didn't. I said I don't need you for this scene. You can go hack and do whatever it was you were doing." I replied back.

"Man, this some bullshit! I was told YOU called me over HERE." Kyle said angrily walking closer to me.

I folded my arms leaning on my right leg, "Look, I already tol--"

DeVanté cut me off, pushing him away from me, "Aye bruhh, don't get to close. Ain't no need for getting all disrespectful. You heard the lady, she don't need you right now. Get on..."

"Fuck you supposed to be?" Kyle laughed, "You her body guard or some shit, pipe down playa."

"That's exactly what I am!" DeVanté raised his voice.

"I know who you are, you that Jodeci nigga. That mousy one. Yo ass quiet, but here trying to act all tough and shit. What you gon' do sing me away?" Kyle chuckled, "Nahhh, I think I'll STAY." He referred to the Jodeci song.

"Nigga, you heard her and now you hear me. I may be a singing ass nigga, and quiet, but I wil BEAT YO ASS." DeVanté's voice deepened at the end."I suggest you get yo ass on before some shit go down, partnaa. I won't repeat myself again. You go or I make you go." DeVanté mocked Kyle gritting his teeth, and walked up on the Kyle dude. Kyle was shorter than DeVanté but was bigger than him in weight.

Kyle stepped back, "You ain't even worth losing this job. Imma tell my folks not to listen to yo ass." He walked off.

"You do that, scary ass nigga," DeVanté yelled out. "I see what you mean. Niggas outta pocket, can't talk to no woman like that. Especially you, you ain't even get disrespectful. I still wanna duke it out with his disrespectful ass."

"It's fine," I shrugged, and walked to where we'd be filming.

"Yo, no it ain't. He ever do that shit again, tell me. I'll beat thay chucky ass niggas ass." DeVanté said catching up to me.

We started filming the scenes and had to go outside for a few. We finished what we needed for the day, it was going on one in the morning.

"That's a wrap for the day! Good job!" I yelled out to the cast. I heard a few 'finally's', 'yeses', etc. I walked backwards to my seat.

"We need you all back here at 1:30 tomorrow afternoon." I said

"Finally!" A now bored DeVanté said loudly, grabbing my waist, as I noticed I was on his lap.

"Hey, you wanted to come." I chuckled, getting up.

"Yeah, and I'm glad I did. Since niggas wanna get all disrespectful and shit!" DeVanté yelled looking at Kyle menacingly. "I just ain't know we'd be here this long, though."

"You're a producer, you should know all the work it takes to complete something."

"Next time you wanna sit on me, let me know."

"In my defence you felt just like the chair, skinny behind." I laughed.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I may be skinny but a nigga got some muscles. Let's go, baby." He said motioning for me to follow him.

"Yadda, yadda, yadda. You knew," I laughed out.

"C'mon, let get our stuff amd dip up outta here. A nigga hungry, them little smacks wasn't shit." He laughed.

We grabbed our stuff from the room and made our way out. "Now, you got a feeling of what it's about. You wanted to know so bad."

"Yeah, and I can't wait to watch it either. Malcolm X was the G.O.A.T! That's crazy where he came from and the great things he did."

"You ain't said nothing but a word. He had a very interesting life." I replied as he opened up the car door for me. I got in and her slammed it shut.

He got in on the drivers side. "Where you wanna go to eat? It's late as hell."

"I don't care where we go." I shrugged, strapping myself in.

"Taco Bell it is!" DeVanté started up the car.

"Eww, no... Not Taco Bell."

"You just said you ain't care!" He laughed.

"I don't."

"Why do y'all women do that shit? Niggas ask y'all where y'all wanna go, y'all say y'all don't care or don't know, and when we suggest its always a big fat NO."

"We don't do that. Y'all just be picking out horrible places."

"Y'all do! What you want then?" He asked me.

"Umm, I'm thinking Mediterranean." I said, looking at him.

"You sure?" He said in a tone like he was talking to a child.

"Yes, DeVanté..." I folded my arms.

"What was that?" He smiled at me.

"You heard me!"

"I just wanted to hear you say that again," he said, looking at me. "Go on." He motioned with his hand.

"Why?" I furrowed my brows at him.

"Just do it, please. Slowly this time..."

"Yes, DeVanté..." I repeated slowly, then caught on. "Hey, you promised!" I elbowed his side.

"What, I do?" He innocently said.

"You know what you did, don't play stupid." I squinted.

"What, I can't have no fun?" He laughed about to pull off.

"Your seatbelt," I pointed.

He looked at it then turned back to me, "What about it?" He said confused.

"Put it on!" I laughed.

"Oh!" He chuckled, feeling stupid I know, reached back and grabbed it and strapped himself in.

We ordered our food and made our way home. We opened the door and was met with moaning. Dalvin is really getting it on! We both took our winter stuff off.

"Wow, this nigga! Tionne ain't even in town, he bet not have no random broad in here!" DeVanté said angrily, walking up to Dalvins room door. Wow! He cheating on Tionne!? Dang...

"Dalvin you bet not have bought no random broads in this house!" He said banging on his door, while Dalvin was in there banging somebody.

"What the fuck you want!?" Dalvin yelled out.

"You heard me, nigga!" DeVanté said walking away. "He know he ain't supposed to bring no randoms here! We don't do that shit! Fucking pissing me off, can't wait to I'm out thia bitch." He said walking into the kitchen, with me following behind him.

"What you want to drink?" He said washing his hand then getting a cup out.

"Water is fine," I answered. "I got it." I mumbled walking near him, about to grab the cup.

"Nawww, I got it. If you can reach it do it." He moved his arm up to the ceiling.

"Now you know, I can't reach that." I jumped up.

"I know that's why I did it! Stop jumping. Them titties ain't happy in that shirt." He laughed.

I stopped looking down, noticing what he meant, "DeVanté!" I slightly yelled out.

"What? Just an observation. I like fucking with you." He waled to the refrigerator and opened the freezer to put ice in my cup.

"Play too much!" I said fixing myself then washing my hands since I came from outside.

"I do."

"I can't believe you've never had puff pastries." I said drying my hands, then trashing the paper towels.

"Nope, never even heard of them."

"Today's your day to taste it then."

"What am I tasting?" He said lowly all up on me.

I chuckled, "Stop!" I laughed pushing him.

"I was just trying to hand you your water." He held his arm out.

"Yeah, okay." I grabbed my cup, and DeVanté grabbed some plates. DeVanté and I both made our way to the dining room. I plated our food.

"This shit look bomb!" He said rubbing his hands together.

"I hope it's good, I never ate at this place. Mediterranean food is delicious though."

"I hope so too, with the money spent on all this."

We sat down for to eat. I silently said grace and began eating. "For a nonreligious, you sure do seem like one. Closest thing to God I ever seen."

"DeVanté don't say that, it's blasphemous!"

"Okay, but-" DeVanté was cut off by a grasp. We turned our heads.

"I'm so sorry!" The girl who I know as Jada Pinkett said picking up the things she dropped.

"It's fine. I like ye little show by the way." DeVanté said referring to 'A Different World'.

"Thank you." She replied.

"Please don't tell nobody where we living," DeVanté said nicely.

"Don't worry, I won't!" She said then turned to leave. DeVanté stood up to make sure she left.

DeVanté came back into the dining room and sat down. "He lucky it wasn't no crazed fan or nothing, his ass would have been getting beat the fuck up." He picked up his spoon and began to eat.

"So, do you like it?" I asked as he bit into the pastry.

"Mmhm, it's bomb." He said still chewing, and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Good." I said then continued to eat. Then Dalvin entered the room. I saw the look on DeVanté face and I knew what was about to happen.

Authors Note: I'm up to my neck in schoolwork, so my next update probably won't be until later next week.

Word Count: 3,700

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