Please excuse ANY errors.

December 27, 1998

~Tia's P.O.V~

Feeling kisses going down, then back up my neck, my eyes tiredly fluttered open, just as he reached my lips. He pecked them then pulled away.

"Wake up, love." He spoke, giving me a whiff of his minty breath.

"I'm awake." My voice came out groggy, so I cleared my throat, even though I'm not planning on speaking another word.

"A'ight, so get dressed. We gotta go." He said moving off of me.

I nodded, pulling the covers over my head, and relaxing again. I heard him smack his lips at me.

"So you not gon' get up?" He questioned. "Well a'ight."

Rolling my eyes, I huffed, turning on my side, before closing my eyes again.

I didn't hear anything for a while, so I laid on my back, and naturally, I began to drift back off to sleep. That is until I felt cold air enter the covers, then it subsided. Finally being able to relax again- my legs were pushed back to where my knees are pointed up and I felt Donald kissing both of my thighs, going lower and lower as he did.

Enjoying it, I moaned out. "Oh, my God..." I moaned out. "Okay..." I nodded feeling him get closer. "Okay..." I moaned out again, then my body jerked back once he got too close to my private area and I closed my legs with his head between them so he wouldn't be able to move. I don't want things to go any further. "Oh- Woah... Wait! I'm up! God!" I laughed loosening my legs.

He looked up at me chuckling. "Then be about it and get your butt up." He said, covering me with the covers again, then sliding on top so we could be eye to eye. "It's easy to wake you up, but actually getting you up?" He raised his eyebrows. "That's a WHOLE 'nother story." He laughed and I rolled my eyes smiling. "Keep rollin' yo eyes and they gon' get stuck. Now come on and get up, babe." He tapped the side of my leg. "This time for real."

"Okay." I yawned loudly, slamming my hand over my mouth because I know my breath is a bit off this morning.

Once my eyes opened, I looked straight up at Donald shaking his head.

"God damn. You fine and all, but your breath..." He noticeably held his breath, he moved back before inhaling again. "Babe, sometimes your mornin' breath ain't as easy as Sunday mornin'. Pshh, hard to handle." He laughed. "I forgot the as hell part too."

"Hush, I had a snack before bed last night," I spoke, sitting up on my elbows covering my mouth.

"Lemme guess. Some spicy Sour Cream and Onion chips?" He raise his eyebrows, then looked over to the nightstand. "They over there. Surprised that your loud ass muchin' and crunchin' ain't wake my ass up."

"I'm not that loud. You're so overdramatic."

He moved my hand. "Your shit may stink, but ain't nothin' I can't take. Shit, my breath be on ten too sometimes. You good." He got off of me and sat beside me.

Yawning again, I nodded. "Okay, I'm up and I'm for real this time, Donald." Confused, I looked back at him, stretching. "I thought we were due to stay here until the third or fourth of January?"

"And we are, but WE are just about to leave for a few hours. Just me and you for the first time in a long time." He nodded towards the closet. "So should get dressed."

"What time is it?" I asked him, wiping the crust out of my eyes.

"It's like... Almost three now."

"In the mornin'?" My pitch raised a few octaves.

"Yeah." He laughed. "Come on. Get up." He threw the blanket off of my body letting the slightly chill air hit my body.

"Where are we going to be up this dang early?" I spoke, walking to the closet.

"Out." He replied and I turned around to see him laying back on the bed with his eyes following me.

"Don't do that, Donald."

"Do what?"

"Where are we going? Like for real." I asked turning away from him and looking through my clothes.

He exhaled. "I'm sorry. Just get dressed and you gon' see. We ain't had a day to ourselves since we been here. Every day it's just been a family thing and I need- we need some space away from every fuckin' body in this damn house." He was exasperated, looking at the ceiling, then his eyes met mine. "I'm sorry. My bad for my choice of words AND tone, but we both need this, especially you." He exhaled loudly. "And the reason we're up this early is that Paris traffic is already regularly heavy, but will be even worse because a lot of people on vacation are leaving."

"You good. It wasn't directed toward me. If you were to step out of line with me, I know how to correct it and so do you." I smiled. "But to be fair, we both need it equally. Even though that's what the bedroom is for. We've both been around assholes too long." I laughed obnoxiously, throwing an outfit on the bed.

"Mm," He mumbled.

I looked at him. "Got somethin' to say? Somethin' smart? I can tell." I raised my eyebrows.

"If you wanna call it that. I'm just thinkin' how quick it was for you to pick something out when you usually take eight hours JUST to do that." He raised his eyebrows.

"I'm just trying to hurry up."

He sat up quickly, leaning on his elbows. "Matter fact, you should grab a few things. Me too, while I'm telling you." He stood up, then kissed my lips before making his way to the bathroom door.

"Like what?" I asked him.

"Huh?" He gave me a confused look.

"What genre of clothing to wear and to pack?" I asked being specific.

"Oh!" He nodded, hoping the door. "Somethin' to sleep in, something just in case you spill somethin', somethin' to go out in, and a bathing suit." Then he disappeared into the bathroom, then his bedroom.

"What about what I'm supposed to wear?" I shouted to him.

"You always dress up, so casual!" He yelled back. "In yo book!" He laughed peaking his head around the corner. "You askin' me what to wear AFTER already picking out your clothes?"

"Yeah, I know it doesn't make sense, but I needed to know." I chuckled.

"Well, if you don't know, now you know." He said going back into his bedroom.

"One thing we both can agree on is that there hasn't been a single boring day. Always something going on." I laughed.

He walked back inside. "I agree, but I would rather it be boring as fuck around them than all this bullshit. I'm sick of being tired. It's not even just one or three people"

"I'm sorry," I exhaled.

He shook his head. "You always apologizin'. For what?" He furrowed his eyebrows, shaking his head at me.

"For allowing Yasir to stay. Though he hasn't verbally said much. However, my letting him stay is part of the reason because you and I don't get along with him." I replied wrapping my arms around him.

"I get that, but it AIN'T necessarily you. Not fully- actually, not AT ALL. Me and you are cool. I understand if you said he couldn't stay and kicked him out- because I know you don't want me to do it, but your mama would be at your neck even more. It probably would've been an even worse trip. It ain't your fault that he showed up either. it was just as much as a surprise to me as it was to you. Yeah, I invited him a while ago, but it was your mother who told him our location. All in all... Your mama and my pops are the common denominators." He said wrapping his arms around my waist.

"Oh, and Yasir!" He said making sure not to forget him. "Can't forget that nigga! Things would be even more hectic because I know you wouldn't kick your mom out, but she..." He pressed his lips together, shaking his head. "Imma shut up- No, imma say this." He exhaled really arguing with himself, causing me to be slightly amused.

"All I'm sayin' is that I slept with you like I do every night and I know how it is when you slept and when you woke up. It's like they keep your PTSD recurring just by mentioning it. Physical pains too. Even when we went to Philly, you wasn't like that. Yeah, when you were awake, you were down, but you ain't go to sleep that way. Here? Around them? It's different. It's like-" He shook his head. "Let's just go."

Shaking my head, I grabbed his hand. "No, say don't hold back. I won't get mad. Just don't be disrespectful." I replied.

"You got a lotta patience when it comes to them... And imma leave it at that." He shook his head at me.

"Okay." I nodded, understanding, but then I thought about it. "Do I not have enough patience with you?" I raised my left eyebrow.

"You do. That ain't what I meant when I made that statement though." He shook his head with his eyes closed, before opening them and proceeding. "I don't understand how family can treat family members like they somebody off the fuckin' street- somebody they just saw for the first time, but want your patience and financial support in return for their bullshit treatment. I don't fuckin' get it." He shook his head. "Fucked up."

"Donald- babe, I don't need you to be worried about and stressed all out about what my family has got going on." I stood on my toes and pressed my forehead against his. "Don't stress out about that. It's okay."

"What you mean?" He spoke, completely perplexed. "It's okay?"

"I mean just what I said," I replied.

"No, I know what you mean, I'm confused on why you even fixed your mouth to say somethin' like that?" He questioned. "If I see you goin' through somethin', it's gon' affect me regardless. Especially when it's happening in 3D. It's a HUGE difference between you tellin' me and me witnessing firsthand. Ain't you the SAME exact way with me, Tia?" He asked me, rhetorically.

"Yes," I verbally responded regardless of the question being rhetorical.

"Then how do you expect me to stay calm and bring kumbaya when I'm watchin' you go through what you go through? What she did was fucked up and this is our first time speakin' on this."

"I know." I nodded. "I'm sorry." I apologized.

"You ain't did nothin' but apologize to me since we met. More than half of those times, I didn't even know why. What have you done? I mean, really?" He sat down in the bed looking up at me, waiting on an answer. "Exactly! You would always apologize for shit that I never knew what it was for. I was confused about that then and STILL am, to be honest."

"I'm-" Donald shot me an amusing expression and I switched up my wording. "I- I don't know what to say." I stuttered.

"You got the words, I'm sure." He chuckled. "You should express yourself. I ain't gon' come at you all crazy like ya mama or brother or my pops."

"I just don't wanna feel like a caged bird when I'm supposed to be on vacation. Like... I want to interact with everyone. I really do. I like the aspect of family- a close-knit family. I wanted this to go well as much as the next person, but as you said, everything can't be Kumbaya, especially when the people who need to try just aren't trying. I keep expecting change when and hoping for it with four fingers crossed that it'll happen and it just doesn't." I expressed folding my clothes.

"And no I'm not innocent either, but I do need to be more realistic with this situation. Thought money would fix things as a family, but it made it worse- I made it worse by providing those things all those times. Thinkin' I was makin' it better, but didn't, especially because I stopped cold turkey." I exhaled after speaking.

"Don't do that." He said putting my clothes inside the bag that his are packed inside.

"Do what, Don?"

"Blame yourself all the damn time. The only problem you have is not defendin' yourself against them consistently. What's went down on Christmas ain't on you. The only thing you did was allow him to stay. That's IT and that's ALL" he rubbed his face, exhaling deeply. "If my brothers needed somethin', I would do my best to help them out if I could. It's just that once I notice them not helping themselves, then that's when that shit would halt and I would tell them about themselves. The thing with that mothaf-" he paused, "your sibling is ungrateful. That's a whole 'nother story." He shook his head.

"I know." I nodded again, "and that's why I stopped providing financially. That and so many other reasons."

"But you still emotionally attached to him. I get it because that's your brother- why are we even back on that anyways?" He chuckled. "We been talked about that situation. It's dreaded now. Though that cut-off is affecting the future and present- Yasir's really, it's the past." He zipped up the bag. "Do you wanna stay the night at a hotel or however many nights we need alone? I'm sorry because I ain't even ask you about that."

"I don't mind if you don't mind, but you sure- I mean, you been spending a lot of money and you paid off debts..." I hinted. "I could pay," I offered.

"Babe, are you asking ME if I could afford to do this?" He laughed. "Are you implying that I'm broke?" He joked.

"No, I don't think you're broke or anything. I'm just sayin' that we don't have to." I shrugged. "Paris is expensive as hell. You rented this house for everybody to stay in."

"It's not really, you just cheap as hell. Admit it?" He laughed, "how you cheap about my money too?"

"Frugal is the word." I corrected him, amused.

"Use whatever word that helps you sleep at night." He laughed. "I told you that I paid my debts slowly. I ain't just pay it in one lump sum goin' broke in the process. It's been years since I started and a while since I finished. I definitely got the money for this. I'm good. You probably wouldn't have been with me if I was a broke ass nigga and I get it. Especially in your case."

"Precisely." I nodded at him, confirming it. "Daddy taught me better than that. Mama too. Shoo, even my grandparents on my sperm donors' side," I chuckled.

"I know. Plus, I asked YOU if YOU wanted to go to a hotel. This ain't one-sided and about just me." He looked up at me. "Think about you for a change. What YOU wanna do?"

"Yes." I exhaled. "I do."

"Then that what we gon' do then?" He spoke in high pitched voice, bringing me closer to him and onto the bed.

He was about to kiss me but moved his wrist to see his watch. "You gotta hurry up before the traffic picks up." He pecked my lips and pulled away quickly. "See ion know if you wanted to wash yo ass or not but-"

I sat up and pushed his head away playfully. "Don't do me. You know I ain't leaving the house without doin' that, but I already did that before we went to bed." I stood up walking into the bathroom.

"Wedgie deep as hell that ass!" He yelled out. "Booty just a muchin'."

I stuck my middle finger up, closing the door with a smile.

"You should use that finger and that thumb to help out your backside!" He cracked. "And you can put something comfortable on since we not goin' straight to the hotel."

I laughed, grabbing my toothbrush and toothpaste to brush my teeth. Then I turned on the shower and I opened his bedroom door to release any steam that will build up. I hate the air being so hot and thick when I'm showering and the water temperature doesn't help either. Plus this is too small of a space. After taking a shower, I went back into my bedroom to get dressed.

"You're still in here..." I trailed off.

"I'm gone." He stood up, with his hands up like I was the police, then left my room and closed the bathroom door behind him.

I got dressed and called out to him. "Donald?"

"Yeah? You done?" He said from behind the bathroom door.

"Yeah, you can come inside."

He opened the door with a smile. "Tia, don't say it like that." He chuckled.

"Say what like what?"

"Nevermind." He shook his head at me laughing. "Let's roll." He grabbed the bag and I grabbed my flip-flops that I use as house shoes, and some gym shoes. We walked out and down the stairs. "Are the stairs really worth it?" He questioned once we made it down to the main floor.

"Yes!" I laughed. "You didn't have to take the stairs though."

"You right, I didn't." He nodded, opening the front door.

I walked out to see the car running and Jax sitting in the front seat. I looked at Donald. "He was out here all this time with the car running?" I asked him.

"No, I ain't slow. I know how long you take to get dressed and we probably wouldn't have no gas left waiting on you." He said laughing. "Hah, you funny."

"And tired," I replied yawning getting into the car.

After opening then, closing the car door, Donald went around to the trunk to put our bag away, then ran back inside the house.

"So, a vacation on a vacation?" Jax asked me.

"I guess you can call it that, but it really a short getaway." I nodded.

Donald came back outside a few minutes later, and by the way, he was walking, that man is definitely tired and took the stairs again. He opened the door, plopping inside making the car shake.

"I-" Donald cut himself off mid-sentence by coughing l out of breath. "I forgot something." He sat back. "I'm tired as hell." He said placing the bag on the seat between us.

"We can definitely tell," Jax replied as Donald closed the door. "You breathin' heavier than usual."

"You ran up and down the stairs, huh?" I questioned. "Need your inhaler?"

"Yeah, I was in a rush." He exhaled. "Shit take like twenty extra seconds. Twenty that I ain't got." He chuckled, exhausted then gave me a look. "Inhaler?" He asked me with a confused expression, then realized I was joking.

"Thanks too, because I surely forgot." I expressed. "Definitely gotta keep tabs on our stuff."

"And therapy." He added, closing the car door. "It's cold out there."

"What?" I said confused, putting on my seatbelt. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"I know you not gon' tell me about what's up completely. So you also got a session with Ms or Mrs. Johnson tonight. I got the idea from the Christmas gifts you gave and from what happened that day. You didn't sleep peacefully. I realized that you wouldn't even be missing this many days of therapy if we wouldn't have been here, but we are." He shrugged.

"You too," I added. "Us both. We both need it. Did you book yourself an appointment while you were at it?" I questioned.

"No... Could I use your computer if I were to?" He asked strapping himself in.

"Of course," I nodded.

"Okay, then I will." He replied, sitting back.

Once our conversation was finished, Jax spoke up. "Ummm, so can I turn on the radio?"

"Yes." Me and Donald replied together.

Donald continued. "Just don't blast it. It's too early for that and we're both still tired as fuck."

"A'ight," Jax replied.

We sat in comfortable silence listening to the CD that Jax inserted into the CD player.

"Mind if I lay on you?" Donald said looking at me.

"As a matter of fact, I do," I joked. "I don't mind and you know it."

Donald moved the seatbelt strap behind him and laid his head on my jacket that was on my lap. "I might end up goin' to sleep and I know my head is big and heavy, so it's just a warning."

"Amen," Jax said laughing and so did I.

Donald pulled his hood over his head, shook his head, chuckling, then tightened the strings to his hoodie.

"Where are we going first?" I asked.

"The hotel," Jax replied and I laid my head against the headrest of the car.

Luckily, Donald did get two, ten-passenger-seat vans and this regular car. Now there won't be an excuse for us to leave because there is surely enough room in both vans. Though, this car was supposed to be for our security guards so they can go wherever they want when we don't need them.

Glancing down at my lap, I saw that Donald's breathing steadied, indicating that he was asleep. I don't understand how he can sleep in cars, especially planes when he doesn't even like to fly. I can only doze off for a couple of minutes if I'm very tired. It's three something in the morning and traffic is already pretty heavy here.

"So how you enjoyin' bein' here with everybody?" Jax asked me, stopping at a red light.

"Could definitely be better." I shrugged.

"Trust me, it'll definitely get better. So what's better, when we came here the last time or now?" He questioned.

"Mmm, that's hard because I didn't have to pay for as much as I did when we came other times. I only came out of my pockets once." I told him. "So, yeah... I don't know. This time is definitely the most sentimental though. This whole setup is sweet."

"Yeah, this traffic is like L.A. or N.Y.C." Jax shook his head. "Horrible and mothafuckas don't know how to fuckin' drive. I'm glad I don't live here."

"If I were to move states, would you come with?" I questioned.

"Mm," one side of Jax's mouth curved down. "I don't see why not because I ain't got nobody. You all the family I got." Jax chuckled. "I been workin' for you for a long ass time now."

"You have. My VERY first bodyguard at that." I emphasized.

"I know and DAMN those five years went by fast as hell!" He said in reminiscence, laughing. "That's crazy."

"You ever thought of finding your folks?" I asked him.

"Of course, I thought about it, but I ain't ever put in the actual steps to do so. I'm still tryin' to figure it out." He said glancing at me. "I feel like if they really wanted to find me, they would've by now."

"I mean, it's pretty hard to find family. Technology isn't that good right now. Some people don't even find their biological family until they're old." I explained. "I get what you're saying though."

"Right..." Jax trailed off and then suddenly slammed in the brakes, waking Donald up. "Aye, what the fuck!?" Jax sat up all the way, looking out his windshield. "I swear these mothafuckas cannot drive for shit."

"The hell is goin' on?" Donald sat up.

"My bad, man. Dude cut me off." Jax shook his head. "Ain't have his blinkers on or nothin'. Like he in that of a fuckin' rush!?"

"Aye, calm your ass down." Donald frowned getting a bit upset, mostly because he was woken up from his sleep. "It's gon' be a'ight. Just keep drivin'." He chuckled. "Got some badass road rage. You need me to drive?"

"Umm, that's exactly what he's doing," I replied to Donald in an obvious tone about him saying Jax to keep driving.

Donald turned to me with a smile, covering his face with the hood of his jacket by pulling the strings, then laid back down in my lap.

"I thought you was about to say something slick. You looked like you wanted to too." I chuckled, looking down at him.

"I look like I wanna go back to sleep." He mumbled, then I felt his finger- wet finger go into my ear.

"BABE!" I raised my voice, lifting him off of my lap and wiping my ear with his hoodie. "Tell me you did not just stick yo wet ass finger in my ear?"

"I didn't." He shrugged and I gave him a look.

"That's so petty," I said shaking my head. "I don't know where yo mouth been," I spoke laughing.

He smacked his mouth with his lips turned to the side. "Now Tia, you know damn well where my mouth been. Don't try to play me. It ain't been there in a while, but you KNOW where it's been. You and me, both. Don't be actin' brand new."

I averted my eyes from him to Jax, who is looking back at me laughing and shaking his head. Then I looked back to Donald again, basically telling him to cut it out.

"Babe, I'm sorry for that, and trust me, with YOU, he KNOW," Donald said lowering his voice, leaning in towards me, but not whispering.

"Doesn't make a difference," I whispered back looking at the side of his face.

"This car ain't big at all, so... Yeah... Just lettin' boffa y'all know." Jax shrugged with the corners of his mouth turned down, glancing at us through the rearview mirror. "And uhh- unless Tia got a deep ass voice, she ain't the one I hear. Well, with at least as long as y'all been together."

I busted out laughing and Donald was left there looking stupid. "That's somehow even more embarrassing."

"Even more on my part." Donald's head jerked back. "Wait- this nigga said as long as we been together." He frowned, speaking to himself, looking at me. "What's that- what's that supposed to mean?"

Raising my eyebrow, I replied, "don't get lost in your thoughts. Get some sleep." I told him.

"Babe, I ain't even sleepy no more." He said sitting back on his side.

"What? You want him to hear us both?" I questioned in a whisper, sure that Jax wouldn't be able to hear me.

"Hell, nahh. I don't want him to hear nobody. Hearin' him say that was weird."

"All in all, that mess was disgusting," I told him giggling. "Sticking your wet finger in my ear."

"It was." Donald nodded at me, laughing and looking at me from the corner of his eyes. "But nothin' too bad."

"From your perspective."

"From my perspective, yes." He repeated in agreement, then looked directly ahead in deep thought.

Averting my eyes away from him, I looked out the window at the beautiful sun that was starting to rise.

"Nice, huh?"

"Huh?" I turned around to Donald.

"The view? It looks nice, don't it?"

"Ahh, yes. The skyline looks beautiful. Reminds me of when I was a kid. Yasir and our cousins would lay a bunch of blankets on the grass and look at the starry sky. That was at night, but..." I shrugged.

"Still a nice memory. We could look at that tomorrow too but from an even better view. Sunset and sunrise if you want to." He replied. "That's if you go to sleep and get out of bed early enough." Donald laughed out loud.

"Wake me up how you did today and you'll get your wish," I replied.

He paused before nodding his head, but I can definitely tell that he wanted to say something.

"What's wrong?" I asked him, grabbing his hand.

He softly squeezed my hand. "Noth- we'll talk later." He smiled, letting go of my hand, then patting my thigh.

"Okay..." I trailed awkwardly.

Other than the music, the car ride was silent. After checking into the hotel we made our way up to the top floor. When we made it to our room, Donald popped the door open and I walked inside looking all around.

I asked turning to him, "It's nice."

"It is and the more space, the further the chase." He replied.

Laughing, I replied, "what does that even mean?"

"I don't even know, but it rhymed." He shrugged, smiling with flared nostrils, holding back laughter.

"You're so fuckin' lame for that," I said laughing more and he joined.

"You know what? I DO know what that means. We always running around and shit. More space, more opportunity. Even though you still gon' get caught." He raised his eyebrows.

"I can definitely run faster. Ask Michael Jackson." I laughed.

"Imma go across the hall to my room." Jax pointed behind him at the opened door.

"A'ight man." Donald dapped him up. "See ya in a little bit."

"See ye!" I waved and Jax left.

Donald closed the door behind him. He then turned around to face me with his back against the door.

"Thank you. I'm happy that you did this," I told him.

"You are welcome. Me too." He nodded.

"What was up with you in the car?" I questioned, leaning more on my right leg.

"Right..." He nodded.

"Okay..." I said waiting on him to start.

"Tia, if I ain't doin' what I'm supposed to do, why won't you just tell me?"

"What? What are you talking about, Donald? You're literally doing everything right." I shrugged my shoulders with my right hand pointed at him.

"Eatin' it right... Why didn't you just tell me? I told you what you were doin' wrong when it came to me. You can't do the same?" He questioned.

"What?" I said confused. "If you were doing it wrong I would definitely tell you, ESPECIALLY with you asking me. Is this- is this about what Jax said back in the car? Because now that I think about it, that's when you started to drift off- act all different."

"Partly and then it started to make sense because when we are in that type of mood, you always seem to push me away for some reason. I even asked you the other night and when I asked you, you couldn't even answer."

My mouth dropped open, amused. "Is this another joke?" I laughed, but his expression remained the same. "I stopped you because I was pleasing you!" I chuckled. "Who complains about this? I think you're messing with me."

"To answer your question, me and unfortunately, I'm not jokin'. Then in the car, you said if I were to wake you up like I did this morning, you would be out of bed in a heartbeat. You did push me away quick as hell too. Now wait- I'm not no weird ass nigga to get mad when they woman don't want to do somethin' sexual that they don't wanna do. However, I do think if I ain't doin' somethin' right, it's your job to correct me so I can do it correctly. Doin' that instead of subliminally sayin' stuff. My feelings are hurt."

"Because there are kids in the house as well as everyone else. YOU even said it your damn self. So... I'm confused." I looked off to the ceiling with a frown. "I never said you were bad or gave that impression."

"That's why I got us a room on our own floor. Except for Dalvin bein' up there." He told me. "Can't nobody hear shit from up there unless they walk they asses upstairs and they lazy and old asses ain't gon' do that? Too many stairs for that."

I started cracking up at that lazy and old-ass part. "Dang! See... You ain't have to go there about them! There IS an elevator."

He chuckled for a split second, then frowned. "That's not funny."

"Boy, bye! You ain't think I heard that laugh or see those lips curve up, huh?" I folded my arms with my head jerked back. "Are you still mad after I just explained to you why?"

"Yeah, because that's one of the reasons I got us our own room with nobody but Dalvin on that floor," He shrugged.

"Ohhhh... So you think Dalvin wants to hear that too? I'm considerate of his feeling too. I don't wanna be heard by nobody and have to face them and find out that they did hear. It ain't me."

"Babe, I feel like you makin' excuses. You ain't think about that the other night when it came to me." He said confused. "Sayin' no is cool, but sayin' it because I'm bad at it is bullshit."

"I did and you- ever since that first time, you're more muffled. You be holdin' back. Bitin' yo lip and shit." I shrugged. "And on the plane, we were too close to everyone though. I told you that."

"You're all off-topic. How we get to being on the pla- never mind. Dalvin walked past me when I was on my way back to the bedroom. Gave me a whole ass, knowin' ass look and a few words. That chair is right there on the other side of his wall. He KNEW and that nigga don't care." He revealed to me with a shrug. "Plus on Christmas mornin', he saw what was finna go down. Him and Derek stopped that shit."

I gasped, turning around, and his eyes widened in realization. "He heard you!?" I said surprised. "So he heard me talkin' my shit too!?" I said in disbelief. "See THAT is why I don't want nobody around when we are hearing and DEFINITELY not seeing none of that. That's private!"

"Chill, maybe- maybe he thought it was me alone. You know?" He said trying to convince me and himself me.

"Nahh, you was too damn loud to be in there by yourself. Who the fuck were you answerin' to? He sure as hell ain't think it was to the Lord himself."

"You just said I wasn't that loud!" He said wide-eyed.

"You were loud eno- look, you're treating this like it's sex. I just ain't ever know or heard of a man to get mad that they not eatin' coochie. It's the 90s and there ain't too many men out here eating coochie. Most dudes don't even do it or admit to doing it. Not saying that you are o-"

Donald pulled be back against him with his arm resting against my chest. "You LOVE to say most. I'm not none of these niggas. Plus, this is technically sex- oral sex to be exact, and the only AND it is our only version of sex. I want to at least be great at that before we start- whenever we do get past that stage."

I looked up at him. "Ummm... You cut me off. I was going to say that." I said holding onto his arm. "Stop cuttin' me off and you a' hear me."

"I'm glad we both know that." He leaned down into my ear, speaking lowly.

"Okay... And we ain't in that house no more." I looked at him, hinting.

Donald broke eye contact for a split second before looking me in the eyes again. "I'm tryin' to interpret that, but I don't want to automatically think sexual."

I cut my eyes at him. "While you're doing that, I'm about to get ready for our date," I said removing his arm, then turning to him. "I take too long, remember?" I said slowly walking backward.

"No, I know what it means. I just..." He shrugged. "Ion een know."

"Right... Like I said, let me get ready. I have to do my hair too."

"Yeah, and I'm already dressed so... But even if I wasn't, I would wait until you're like three hours in of you of getting dressed." He laughed, stomping his feet and moving his arms like he was doing the cha-cha.

"You really cracked yourself up with this one, huh?" I said halting my steps.

"Yeah, whatever. You just mad because I'm funny. Funnier than you."

"Alright, Donald. You keep dreaming."

"No, imma keep believin'. Get it right, sweetie cups!" He snapped his fingers at me.

"Uhn uhn!" I laughed walking away. "He did not just call me sweetie cups."

"I did, now what?" He said holding his arms out. "And how you gon' get ready with no clothes?"

"Right, I don't know. You're distracting as hell." I told him walking back to where he stood to get our bag.

"I got it." He picked it up once I made it all the way to him. "And yes, I did wait until you came all the way over here, purposely."

"I know, big head. Thanks."

"Surprised your ass ain't got nothin' smart to say?" He chuckled, standing up straight. "Somethin' even smarter than what you just said, watermelon titties."

I stuffed my laughter at his name."I thought about it but decided against it. Especially when we just finished discussing something that doesn't make sense." I pursed my lips at him. "Not that big of a deal, clown feet."

"Not that big of a deal." He mocked. "Frida Kahlo."

I rolled my eyes. "Let me find a bedroom to get ready in because you're-" I pointed to him, cutting myself off laughing hard as heck.

"I'm what?" He raised his eyebrows.

"All over the place." I laughed. "My eyebrows are arched," I told him, "kinda. they aren't that bad right now." I rolled my eyes, laughing.

"That's you being all over the place. And what about when they not?" He bit his bottom lip. "Mmhm. This way, Frida." He nodded toward the opposite way I was headed.

"How you know?" I questioned.

"As coincidental as this sounds, me and the fellas stayed in this very hotel suite some years back when we toured. When a little more money started rolling in for us all of course." He explained as I followed him. "It was cheaper than four rooms altogether."

"It's very coincidental." I giggled. "You had the biggest room which you're leading us to?"

"Nope, that was K-Ci. That small ass nigga is fast as fuck. That boy had crackhead speed." He said cracking up.

"I wonder why?" I squinted ahead of me.

Donald turned around. "What was that?"

"Oh, I said that out loud, huh?" I spoke rhetorically. "I just said I wonder why?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I mean... I don't know much about what he was or is into or anything, but me- personally? I've been around a lot of functioning drug addicts. Grew up around them, though I ain't know it at the time. The signs are there." I explained.

"I mean, I wouldn't put it past him. We ALL knowingly knew Mary do that type of shit and they STILL mess with each other to this day. Toxic as fuck." He shook his head. "Though I said I wouldn't be surprised, I don't think he I do that and fuck himself up. He got in my ass when he found out about me- PAUSE!" He laughed, opening the door. "But K-Ci went in on me about that. EVEN THOUGH I ain't do that other shit they found in my system."

"Okay..." I nodded. "How did it feel?" I said just wanting to know. "Did you- did you like KNOW something wasn't right when it happened to you?"

"I mean," he shrugged both of his shoulders, "I guess I just felt extra high or some shit. I don't know. I was already high as fuck from all the prescriptions I popped prior. That day I popped quite a few pills and just thought that was taking effect-" I turned to him as we entered the room as continued on, "until I fell asleep and felt my life slipping away. Still then, I thought that maybe I took too much of what I usually take and... Yeah. I don't really know how to explain it, but near-death experiences are scary and ion ever wanna go through that again."

"Well, you're still here and you're still here for a reason." I smiled.

"Yup! Well, I changed my lifestyle and habits, so I think I'm good as long as I keep at it. Damn, ion knows how these party people and all these celebrities can live that life for DECADES constantly sleeping with a different person every night and doin' all these drugs. Shit gets exhausting and dangerous. Especially with all these damn deadly ass diseases."

"We both got checked though and good on that too, so... Eh." I shrugged.

"Yeah. And I know they have these near-death experiences, but I don't understand how they continue on with that lifestyle?" Donald said confused.

"Well, I guess it isn't up to us to figure it out. Different strokes for different folks. However, some people are just constantly running from their past-"

"And escape." He pointed out. "As I did and want to live every moment as if it were their last. Even if it means self-destruct."

I snapped my fingers. "Oooo, yes! Excellent explanation! Just stop cutting me off."

"Right. I just got too excited to make a point before I forgot. Imma get my clothes out of this bag." He said about to place the bag on the bed, then looked at me. "Right... Germaphobe." He put it on the floor and squatted down.

"Yeah, it took me everything not to say anything back at the house, but I'll just have to change the sheets." I laughed. "You're fine and we just have to compromise."

"I forget even simple things like putting outside shit on the bed since it's what I'm so used to doin'." He replied placing clothes on the bed. "So again, remind me why clothes are okay, but the bag isn't?"

I rolled my eyes knowing that he's trying to be funny. "Because it wasn't physically out in the outside air-"

"But the bag was." He spoke at the same time as I did, mockingly finishing my sentence.

"It's true though. I have a lot going on? I know."

"Indeed, you do, but I have known you for years. That back at that house was a slip-up, I just was trying to hurry up before everyone woke up and before the traffic started to pick up. I'm sorry about that. Bein' around all of them is makin' me crazy." He laughed. "Got me actin' all out of character. Not my damn self. Shit, the both of us ain't as bubbly as we usually are. That's how I knew we needed out. Shit, I'm thinkin' we should add an extra day if staying here. What do you think?" He questioned.

"We'll see. It's hard sleepin' in strange beds and rooms."

"Alright... You sayin' that now, but later tonight you finna be callin' hogs, because you ain't get hardly no sleep."

"Again, we'll see tonight." I rolled my eyes, folding my arms. "And I do not even snore unless my nose is stopped up from being sick."

"So you do snore." He laughed.

"Lightly and sometimes. Not as much as you do, Donald. You snore every day, just not heavily and too annoying." I told him.

"Yeah, I know." He stood up with his clothes. "As I said, imma get ready when you tell me you are, because I know you probably ain't ready then." He laughed. "Probably can take a whole ass nap."

I laughed with him, "perhaps."

He kissed my lips, then left out of the room, closing the door behind him. Instantly, I began to get ready.

Word Count: 7,400

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