Please excuse any grammatical errors.

March 15, 1992

~Tia's P.O.V~

Sometimes when waking up it takes me a minute to wake up. My eyes may be open but I still be in dreamworld. I had some type of weird dream where I was gripping something, I just don't remember. I opened my eyes remembering I fell asleep on the couch, but not on Donald. In my dream I was gripping something else, but in real life I had a tight hold on his shirt. The covers were only covering my bottom half, and completely off him. The analog clock read 9:56 a.m.

I looked up and saw that he was still asleep. I slept on my side, back to the backrest of the couch, with my leg propped up on his. I moved over on my stomach and felt something poking my ribs. Please don't let it be what I think it is! I looked at his shirt and saw it soaked with my saliva. Yes, I sometimes slob a profuse amount in my sleep. That's embarrassing! I know he feels it on his stomach, just like I feel what's poking me.

I finally have enough courage to look down, even though I have a pretty good idea on what it is. I slightly lifted up and saw what it was. MORNING WOOD... It wasn't sticking straight, but it was against his hard thigh restrained from his blue sweats. My eyes grew large at the sight. I began to carefully slide off of him, so carefully I fell on the floor, underneath the table. I hit my baby toe on the leg of the table, and when I tried to get up I hit my knee on the glass of the table. I promise that I'm not clumsy!

"Ahhh," I moaned in pain, and quickly quieting down. I grabbed my foot rubbing it trying to rid of the pain.

After all of that occurred, I looked up and saw he was still asleep. Dang, this man is a heavy sleeper! I stood up, covered him with the blanket, and walked away from the couch limping. All in one, brushed my teeth, washed my face with a different towel than I used on my body, and showered all at the same time.

When I walked out of the bedroom after getting dressed I saw the covers completely off his body, Donald had his right hand behind his head, and left in his pants. He was still asleep, but ever so often his hand would move and a small groan/moan would leave his lips. I knew exactly where his hand was rested underneath the material.

"I'm not about to just stand here and watch this. I'd be a whole pervert to watch." I mumbled to myself, fixing to go to the kitchen. I saw movement at the corner of my eye just as I was about to do that.

"Why my shirt damp?" Donald said to nobody in particular, after his hand that was in his pants slid up to his clothed stomach. His voice was very raspy, more than it is on some of the JoDeCi records. Donald's eyes popped open, looking towards the ceiling.

"It ain't een hot in up in here." He mumbled to himself sitting up on the couch. He then turned his head and looked over to me. "Mornin'." He nodded at me.

"Good morning. Uh, you want another shirt? I got some large dude shirts in the my suitcase." I said with raised eyebrows, pointing to the bedroom. I don't want to tell nobody that I slobbed all on their shirt.

"Nah, I'm good. It's just a lil sweat, it'll dry." He chuckled. Dear God, his laugh is even better upon awakening. Not saying that he has a bad voice, everything is just much deeper in the morning. I closed my eyes and tightly clenched my legs. Girl, you need some alone playtime, because this got you on ten.

I opened my eyes with my legs still clenched. "Alright, uhhh..." I scratched the back of my head.

Donald blew his breath in his hand and frowned deeply. "But you can hook me up with some toothpaste and a toothbrush though." He laughed.

"Definitely..." I laughed, "I know that breath up to something no good."

"It's early and I see you already got jokes. Okay, I give you that one." He nodded with the corners of his mouth turned upside down.

"I do." I slowly nodded. "The toothpaste in the bathroom at the top of the cabinet." I told him before going back into my room to grab a new toothbrush from my suitcase. I ALWAYS carry spares.

"This black powdery shit?" He asked standing in the doorway.

"Yeah." I said turning around and getting up.

"This toothpaste? It look like black coke." He said closing the jar.

"It's toothpaste. Its says activated charcoal on it. You dunce..." I laughed.

"Dunce? I ain't stupid I just ain't see it."

"I know you aren't stupid, it was a joke." I laughed. "Here you go." I said handing him the toothbrush.

"How you use this? I ain't ever saw no black power toothpaste before." He asked referring to the activated charcoal powered toothpaste.

"Just dip it or pour it out in the toothbrush little by little." I said with a shrug.

"A'ight. Aye, can I get a towel?" He said leaving out the room and going into the bathroom.

"You know where they are, go ahead." I responded going to the kitchen.

"A'ight, cool." I heard him say.

I took some fruit, almond milk, and ice out for a fruit smoothie. "I'm making a fruit smoothie, you want any?" I said loud enough for him to hear.

"You said what?" He asked sticking his head out the bathroom, with the toothbrush in his hand.

"Do you want a fruit smoothie, or do you want me to order food from downstairs?" I asked him.

"Oh, I 'a take some food from downstairs. Just get some waffles, bacon, eggs, and a orange juice with pulp."

"Okay." Orange juice is disgusting as crap, especially with pulp, but oranges are delicious. I think its the little additives they add in the containers to make it last that makes me dislike it so much.

I washed the fruit and combined everything in the blender on pulse for sixty seconds. While that was happening I ordered some room service for DeVanté. By the time I was finished with that my fruit smoothie was ready. He came out of the bathroom washing his face.

"You got some moisturizer? After I leave here I'm going straight to the studio."

"What kind of question is that? Now, you know I got some moisturizer. Look on the dresser in the room. There's an green bottle and an orange bottle. The green is thick and the orange is more watery." I told him, pouring my smoothie into a glass cup.

"Yeah, whatever that means. Ion pay attention to all 'a that, I just put it in my head of it reads moisturizer." He chuckled.

"Typical..." I laughed out. There was a knock on the door.

"Want me to get that?" He asked me, and I nodded.

He walked to the door, "Who is it?"

"Room service." I heard a muffled voice answer from behind the door. DeVanté opened the door.

"DeVanté Swing?" The man asked surprised.

"That's me."

"Wow, what're you doing here at a hotel?" The worker asked DeVanté.

"Thank you, have a nice day." DeVanté responded grabbing the food cart.

"You're welcome, and you too." The hotel worker responded and left. DeVanté closed the door.

"You are very dismissive." I said once the door closed.

"That nigga was being nosy as hell. Ain't none of his damn business on why I'm here. Asking all them questions. In this case being dismissive was called for. You know what I'm sayin'?" He walked over to the couch, folding the blanket.

"I do, but ehh..." I said shrugging taking a gulp of the smoothie.

"That smoothie looking kind of good, lemme get a taste."

"Nahh, I asked you did you want some, and what you say? NO. Did you not?" I asked looking at him from the corner of my eyes.

"I did, but a nigga can't change his mind?" He said matching my tone.

"Yeah, but not in this case. I didn't make enough for you. I would have made extra of I knew. You dang sure ain't drinking mines, so dead the thought. Sir." I smiled turning my head to the side.

"I like how you just said that then put sir at the end." He said sarcastically. He put the blanket away at the top of the closet.

I smirked at him. "Thank you."

"It wasn't a compliment, but take it as you want to." He chuckled.

"Don't worry, I did."

"Mmhm, with yo smart ass." He walked over to me and snatched my cup from me.

I jumped up, "Uhnuhnn, not this again. You bet' not put yo lips on my cup. Ion know where them thangs were last night. Give it here!"

"Nah, I said I wanna taste it. I'm finna get my taste." He held it up to the ceiling, where I couldn't reach.

"DeVanté." I gritted my teeth at him.

"Nahh," he backed away from me, putting his lips near my cup.

"Dude, put your lips on my stuff and see what happen." I challenged him.

"What you finna do?" He asked with a 'you ain't finna do shit' expression.

"You play too much. Now, give it here!" I jumped up trying to grab it.

"Aht aht. You so mean with it, you need to learn to be nicer." He put it higher, his arm now straight up.

I'm not playing. I jumped on his back, and he spun around fast. DeVanté's clumsy behind ended up losing his balance. We ended up falling backwards, me still on his back, his back against my front. Nothing managed to spill from the cup though. I tried to push him off of me, but he stayed put. He opened his mouth and did a waterfall.

DeVanté smacked his lips at the taste, "Ahh, refreshing." He then stood up. I followed suit.

"Why must you always do this to me?" I asked getting up.

"Like I said before, it's fun fucking with you. You know what I'm sayin'?" He laughed and did another waterfall.

I snatched it from his grasp. "Give it to me, drinking up all my stuff. Your breath fogging up my cup."

"It's clean though." He rolled the cart near the couch and too a seat to eat. "What time you leavin'? He asked.

"When I get ready." I snarkily replied to him, rolling my eyes.

"I told you about rolling them big ass eyeballs. You know, you can be so nice,l yet so mean?" He said eating some eggs.

"So? You're the first to say that. Yet, you be mean to me a lot." I replied wiping the rim of my cup off.

"Ain't no need for all that. I ain't een put my lips against it." He laughed. "And mean? Give me an example of me being mean to you."

I held up my fingers. "One: you snatch things from me. Two: you hold things up to where I can't reach. Three: you tripped me on purpose. Four-"

"Stop, I said one example. Stop bringin' up old shit." He said slightly rolling his eyes.

"Bringing up old stuff? You just asked me to give you some examples, and that's exactly what I did."

"I said one though, you went through a whole list. Besides, when I tripped you didn't I catch you before your face hit the floor?" He asked with raised brows.

"You did, but it wouldn't have been needed if you didn't do it. Am I correct?"

"Do you ALWAYS need to be right? Damn." He picked up the bottle of orange juice and took a big gulp.

"What? It's not about being right, it's about making a point."

"It's the same thing. So what the hell are you talking about?" He laughed.

I shrugged my shoulders, "I mean..."

"Yeah, what I thought."

"Whatever..." I rolled my eyes again taking a gulp of my smoothie.

April 1, 1992

~DeVanté's P.O.V~

We were finally through with the moving and settling in process. JoJo and K-Ci was done with they stuff too. I'm happy as hell for this move. Dalvin all the way on the other side of the house, so I don't got to hear shit. Not to mention how bigger the place is compared to the last. We still have a four bedroom. Tia and Tionne were currently here, we was all chilling in the living room. This was Tia's first time at the new condo. I came back with a water bottle that Tia asked for.

"Thanks." She smiled, grabbing the bottle from my hand.

"You welcome." I took a seat.

"Yo De, I got something to tell you." Dalvin shakily sighed out.

"Right now? In front of them?" I asked, knowing this was serious.

"Yeah, it's something I have to tell you and Tionne. We have to tell you." He said pointing to himself then to Tia.

I raised my eyebrows at them curiously. "What is it?"

"Well, maybe she should tell y'all..." Dalvin trailed off.

"Tell me what?" I asked anxiously.

Tia inhaled and exhaled deeply. "DeVanté, I'm pregnant... and it's Dalvin's baby." Tears poured from her eyes.

"What!?" Me and Tionne said at the same time. Except I stood up.

"Are y'all for real!?" I asked looking at the both of them.

"Yes, bro I couldn't keep this from you. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do this. I ain't mean to hurt you, it's just-" Dalvin spoke up after a long silence, and Tia nodded rubbing her stomach.

"Nah, fuck that you knew! You knew! And you get the fuck out my house!" I said to Dalvin, the to Tia pointing to the door. "BOUNCE!"

"No, she staying. She's carrying my child, De. She's my soon to be baby mama, and you gon' learn how to except that. Except it whether you like it or not. She would have been part of this family some way. Just not the way you wanted it to be." Dalvin said frowning at me, while pointing at HER.

"Nigga what!?" I yelled. "Not the way I-"

"So you fucking my man?" Tionne said to Tia, her hand on her chest. I never wanted to hit a women so bad in my life.

"I didn't mean to. It was an accident, it just happened" Tia cried louder, and put her hands against her face.

"It just happened!? You just magically appeared on top of my brother. And of all people!? I told you how I feel. Fuck that! I told boffa y'all, and y'all pull this shit?" I was getting emotional but held a strong face.

Dalvin stood up and grabbed my shoulder. "Bro, it was just a accident. We were both drunk and high at the time. It was a mistake."

I tightly grabbed his hand, squeezing it, and twisted his arm around. "Fuck you say? And I could have sworn I told yo ho ass to get the fuck up out this bitch." I said to Tia, and twisted his arm harder. Dalvin groaned in pain.

"Wait! It's a joke! Stop, stop, stop!" Tia yelled out grabbing my shoulders attempting to pull me away from Dalvin.

"We fuckin' with you!" Dalvin yelled.

"Nigga what!? This shit ain't funny!" I angrily yelled out, pushing him away from me.

"It's a joke De." Tionne laughed.

"You know about this shit too!?" I said turning to her. "Yo ass was in on this!?"

"Duhh, why you think I was so calm?" Tionne laughed.

"April fools." Tia innocently smirked with her arms out.🤷🏾

"Y'all play too fuckin' much! Shit won't funny." I yelled out still mad but bursted into laughter. "Y'all foul for that. Yo, you a good ass actor with the tears and shit." I said to Tia.

"Thanks to Theater in high school." She replied.

"We even set up a lil camera for yo reaction." Dalvin laughed out pointing at the TV stand. He winced at putting his arm back down. That's what his ass get. "It was my idea, for all them times."

"Like James Brown record 'The Big Payback. Womp, womp, womp!" Tia laughed out.

"Dumb ass nigga. You know I wouldn't no shit like that." Dalvin said patting my shoulder.

"I should have known." I chuckled.

"I ain't like that. You should have known when he said we were both drunk and high. You know dang well I don't drink or smoke or any of the other stuff." Tia laughed. "I'm sorry," she said with a sad face.

I slightly pushed her away. "Nah, you on't do thay shit and get to hug me. I got y'all." I said nodding my head. "Best believe that. All I know is y'all play too much. You know what I'm sayin'..." I hugged her.

Dalvin grabbed the camera from the TV stand. "You got us? What that mean?"

"Dalvin, it means he'll get us back." Tia chuckled at him shaking her head.

"I love you baby, but sometimes it take a while for you to catch up. You and De. It must run in the family. When we have kids, I hope they don't inherent that trait." Tionne told Dalvin laughing.

"I'm not as dumb as I look- as I sound." I told her.

"Right, I'm smart. Don't underestimate me. See? You ain't think I could use a big word did you?" Dalvin said to Tionne.

"That's a normal word. It ain't big, but that doesn't mean y'all are stupid. There are many smart people who have a hard time catching on." Tia said shrugging.

"Right..." I said not really catching what she said, but left it alone. "What y'all wanna do?" I sat down on the couch, and drank some liquor. I'm a Henny type of guy.

Tia shrugged, but Dalvin answered. "I miss L.A and I want to get in the water like I'm still there. Lets go to the indoor pool downstairs."

"Nah nigga. You know how much attention that's gon' be? Our bodyguards ain't even here. Nahh." I said shaking my head at him.

"You right. Let's watch Boyz n the Hood." Dalvin made another suggestion.

Just as he said that there was a knock in the door. I already know who it is. Dalvin got up to answer it and in came JoJo and K-Ci. Them niggas always be here. Sometimes I don't mind but other times...

"Wassup," K-Ci nodded his head at me.

"Man, JoJo we ordered no food." I answered.

"Why you always think I come for food?" JoJo frowned.

Dalvin, and I all looked at each other knowingly. "That's what you always do!" Dalvin said and we all bursted into laughter.

"Man, whateva'. What y'all niggas was doing?" JoJo said throwing his hand out at us.

"They ass was fucking with my head. Talking about she pregnant by Dalvin and shit. Just a bunch of bullshit." I shook my head laughing at the thought. It wasn't funny then but it is now.

"Hell yeah! That shit was funny as fuck. I got it all on camera. Look." Dalvin said too hyped. We all gathered around him amd watched everything laughing.

"For a minute it look like yo ass was finna cry!" K-Ci pointed laughing in my face.

I pushed him away, "Fuck out of my face."

"He did!" JoJo laughed louder than us all.

"Aww," Tia said grabbing my cheeks.

"Yo..." I brushed her hands away from my face. "I wasn't finna do shit."

"Okay, dude. We believe you..." Tia said not believing me.

"Hell nah, I don't." Dalvin laughed.

"It was a figurative of speech." Tia said laughing.

"Let's get order some food and watch this movie." I said changing the subject. "Where is it?" I asked Dalvin.

"Tryna get shit off you. You ain't slick nigga!" JoJo said laughing.

"What y'all tryna eat?" I asked ignoring him.

K-Ci laughed pointing to JoJo. "Ask JoJo, he know all the good places to eat at."

"I can't deny it." JoJo shrugged. "What type of food?" He asked us.

"I'm in the mood for some Chinese food." Tionne said.

"That does sound good baby." Dalvin said nodding.

"It do." I added.

"A'ight, Chinese then." JoJo said walking over to the phone. "Imma order a some of eveything.

"A'ight. Let me go and get the movie." Dalvin said walking in the direction of his room.

We were all eating and watching the movie. The movie was on the sex scene and during it I noticed Tia looking down. I elbowed her.

"That bitch bad." K-Ci commented. "Her titties look good too."

"Imma tell Mary you said that." Tionne said rolling her eyes at him.

"Why you not paying attention?" I whispered to Tia.

"Because..." She said silently trailing off. I waited for her to answer but noticed she wasn't.

"Because of what?" I laughed.

"It's..."

"Because it sex? Sex ain't nothin' to be scared to see. It can be an art." I told her. She just shrugged.

"Nigga, shut the fuck up!" JoJo yelled out.

"Fuck you yelling at. Nigga, I live here." I said turning to him. He ain't said nothing else, he shook his head and ate some more food.

"I guess," Tia mumbled. "Watch the movie." She chuckled lowly. I turned back to face the TV.

We were now near the end where Ricky got shot. I wanted to shed a tear. That shit was sad as hell. Especially knowing of some people who died this way. Tia looked like she wanted to do the same.

"You good?" I said leaning over to her in her ear.

"Mmhm," she slowly nodded, taking a bite of brown rice. "I'm fine." She lowly replied.

"No you ain't, but me neither. So, imma leave it alone." I said watching her a bit longer.

I guess she felt my eyes, "What?" She asked turning her head to me. I shrugged my shoulders as she continued to eat. I continued to stare, I didn't want to see this part anyways. It was too much.

"DeVanté..." She said trailing off.

"What?" I chuckled.

"Stop with the staring. Your eyes are like glowing or something." She chuckled.

"Vampire." I grabbed her arm fixing to bite it.

"Stop it." She laughed a little to loud.

"What she saying stop it for? Y'all better not be doin' no freaky shit while we in here." Dalvin leaned over Tionne to see us. He was on the loveseat with Tionne on his lap.

"Me? What about y'all? She on yo lap in the dark. Don't nobody sit up that long." I said flipping the script.

"Y'all shut the fuck up! We having a moment here. Ricky just died and y'all crackin' jokes!" K-Ci loudly said.

"Nigga, Morris Chestnut is still alive, his character us just dead. Calm ya lil boney ass down nigga." Dalvin said drinking some 40.

"Right," JoJo laughed. "Morris still up and thriving. Ol' sensitive ass nigga." Most of us laughed at his comment. I shouldn't have because I was feeling some type of way too.

IMPORTANT NOTE: You will see looooonnnng time skips. It may not be the next chapter, then again it just might.🤷🏾 I really wanted y'all to get an idea of them all, and I feel like I have accomplished that.

Word Count: 4,000

Please feel free to like and comment. It's greatly appreciated. I love feedback, it motivates me to write more.

Thank you all for taking the time out to read another chapter of mines. ❤🖤💛💙💜💚