ZOEY AKILA bennet !
sugarhill, ddot's crib
featuring; @itszoeyb .

"BYEE, LOVE YOU." zoey called out, waving to her dad and unlocked the door. today she was kind having one of her off days, a mood that ddot had picked up on during their facetime call earlier, prompting him to invite her over.

he originally intended to come over and walk her to his house, but with her dad already on the route to work, a ride seemed more convenient.

once at ddot's place, zoey took out her phone to let him know of her arrival. he read the message immediately. barely ten seconds passed before the sound of loud footsteps approached the door.

as the door swung open and she stepped inside, and she turned to offer a final wave to her father, who was just transitioning his car from park to drive.

as zoey shut the door behind her, she looked up to find ddot grinning from ear to ear, his expression giving away that he was high.

before she could utter a word, ddot wound an arm around her waist and drew her into a kiss. zoey's response was a heartfelt smile, wrapping her arms around his neck, reciprocating the kiss.

they briefly separated, only for ddot to shower her with a flurry of quick pecks, causing soft laughter from zoey amidst the amount of affection.

when he drew back to gaze at her, his eyes brimmed with adoration. "you're so pretty," he murmured, and without awaiting her response, he leaned in to kiss her softly once again.

he was so obsessed with her.

her crying session was abruptly interrupted by the ringtone of her phone. with ddot on the other end of the line, she mustered the strength to pause her grief, gently set aside the album and picked up the call.

she had quickly dabbed at her eyes, sat up, took a deep breath to steady her shaking voice, and masked her pain with a calm exterior.

across the line, ddot's intuition were sharp, he detected the traces of sadness in her voice right away, and it hurt himself to know she was hurting.

ddot's eyes fell upon her slightly swollen, reddened eyes — evidence of her earlier despairs. "you been cryin?" he asked with a voice softened by concern.

the softness in his voice, full of genuine care, was so disarming that it melted away the remnants of zoey's earlier thoughts , replacing it with a sense of comfort and warmth.

zoey met his concern with a gentle smile as she found ddot's hands, her fingers sliding between, interlocking them. "i'm okay now," she whispered.

discussing her deeper feelings, especially those that had to do with sadness, wasn't something she was comfortable with. she'd much rather maintain an aura of happiness than have others fret over her, despite often being the one to extend her concern to them.

she had acknowledged her own tendency to care for everyone else, she couldn't bear the thought of reversing the roles, even if only to share her own worries.

ddot responded with a kiss of his teeth,"i didn't ask if you're okay; i asked if you've been crying," he pressed further.

for ddot, providing comfort wasn't something he was good at, but the memories of how often zoey had been there for him every time—despite his often harsh exterior and moments of frustration where he might have pushed her away with his words—was the only reason he was trying to break through his unease.

ddot's gaze lingered on zoey for a moment, and zoey who under the weight of his tense gaze, blossomed into a smile that brought her cute dimples out and made the metallic bands of her braces catch the faint light of the room.

the seriousness of his stare was no match for the warmth of her grin, and the air between them shifted, lighter somehow with her laughter.

ddot broke the moment suddenly,in a quick second that caught zoey by surprise, he swept her up. her feet left the ground, and she found herself inverted over his shoulder, her world upended as she became a giggling captive in his firm grasp.

her breath caught—a startled, fleeting hitch—before she surrendered to the absurdity of the moment, laughter rolling from her in bright, uncontrollable bursts.

transitioning the stairs to his bedroom, he securely locked the door behind them and as easily as he had lifted her, ddot placed zoey onto the softness of the bed, like she wished like a feather.

and she really did, but he didn't think about it during the moment, it was just something he quickly realized like, 'oh, she's light as fuck."

zoey's smile remained as she was gently dropped onto the bed. she lays there, the energy of the moment still crackling around her, eyes bright just genuine.

ghe transformation in their relationship was just so crazy to her, almost surreal in its depth—ddot, once a storm of irritation at her tireless spirit and boundless cheer, now stood before her as a bastion of affection. his feelings were no longer curtained by annoyance or covered in half-hearted tolerance.

love—a term rarely used and heavily guarded in his vocabulary—now defined the very essence of how he regarded her, nothing felt real.

"wassup witchu? talk to me, you know you can talk to me." he urged, softly but with a firm intention, he guided her by the arms to sit beside him on his bed, gently tugging her by the arms to sit down on the plush comfort of his bed, positioning her carefully on his lap.

leaning back against the bed frame, his head tilted back as he gazed up at her with expectant eyes.

zoey, however, beamed back at him—her smile a mixture of adoration and distraction. as she settled against him, her eyes traced the contours of his face – the features she'd come to know so well, yet which struck her now with a fresh sense of wonder. the way the spark lit up in his eyes, the sculpted line of his eyebrows, every angle and aspect of him seemed to capture her more than she remembered – she was so mesmerized, that she momentarily lost the thread of their conversation.

was it the softness in his gaze, or the gentle command in his voice that had her so complete? each detail of his face, so familiar, so pretty, felt newly discovered as she lost herself in the landscape of his just, his face.

her was not just attractive; it was more profound than that. each renewed observation of him left her heart a little softer, her worries a little lighter.

observing her silence and the spellbound gaze, ddot's own features shifted into a slight pout. "baby watchu lookin atttt? you supposed to talk to me, not look at me." he murmured.

he guided her chin toward him, drawing her gaze to meet his, trying to tunnel through her daydreaming and talk to her with the thoughts she held behind her smitten smile.

oh, but he had every ounce of her attention, though not quite in the way he wanted. it was simply fixated on the enchanting canvas of his face, "beautiful ass face," as she so fondly cataloged it her mind.

zoey was caught up in conversation, though it was one of silent admiration, her heart whispering sweet things to every inch of his handsome features.

"sorry, your just so pretty likeeeee, why?" zoey voiced her thoughts aloud in a soft tone, her smile stretching so bright that a dull ache began to build in her jaw.

but the pain wasn't even bothering her, if it was the cost for the happiness that sparked her expression, she would rather her jaw hurting than her heart, any day.

ddot regarded her with a barely-there smile, preferring subtlety over the expanse of his feelings. he gently took hold of her face in his hands, his thumbs affectionately elevating her already high cheeks—squeezing her cheeks together.

"look how hard ya ass cheesin. you jus sooo in love wit me." he said, his words carrying a light jab wrapped in the velvet of fondness.

his observation was the purest form of truth, echoing through zoey's heart.

any time ddot prepared to speak, anticipation painted her expression with heart eyes and a smile curled at the edges of her lips—she was captivated, starstruck by his voice before he even parted lips to speak.

his sweet nothings were like poetry, leaving her heart to tumble and flip through blissful somersaults. zoey thinks they deserves this, they had navigated through one of the darkest parts of their life together.

they definitely deserved this.

the nicknames he would casually drop in conversation wrapped around her like the warmest embrace, she felt herself melt—each one causing her to fold so quickly, like a fucking taco.

"i am, likeeeee, a lot." zoey whispered back, pressing her lips to his—as if he had a magnet towards her. as their lips met and moved in a way that was familiar to the both both of them.

fireworks.

fireworks burst into both of their chests, echoing the vibrant display of their first kiss. the sensation, intense and sweet, was a timeless one, etching into their memories with the permanence of the classic song.

just like always, zoey smiled into the kiss—she felt ddot grabbing her by the neck, using his hand as a necklace like she was gonna run away from him or something.

zoey's response was classic, a soft smile mingling with the texture of their kiss, a silent message of her overflowing joy and amusement. ddot's response came through touch, as his hand found the nape of her neck. his grip was both assertive and protective, and honestly, she was in love with that.

maybe to others it might seem insignificant, but to her, it felt special. she couldn't be sure if it was just her imagination casting everything in a rosy hue, but ddot's small gestures of physical contact—like resting his head against her hand—sent waves of joy through her.

whenever he did something like that, her smile was unstoppable, stretching wide across her face.

when ddot accidentally nibbled on her lip, zoey retreated with a quick movement, bursts of laughter spilling from her, irrepressible and bright.

ddot looked on, a hint of embarrassment coloring his expression at the mistake. yet zoey, who was undisturbed, just carried on laughing, as if this tiny incident were the height of comedy.

"you not funny."

⁀➷
; 𝑡𝑤𝑜 ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠 𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 .

"NIGGA, GET FUCKIN active! what's wrong witchu??" ddot's voice cut through the silence, jolting zoey from her slumber. his exclamation resonated loudly in the quiet room, and it was enough to rouse zoey, who was known for her light sleeping habits.

stifling a yawn, zoey stretched as she gradually propped herself to a sitting position, shaking off the remnants of sleep. she must've made it loud enough from him to hear because ddot shifted his headphone to rest around his neck.

"baby you awake?" his tone was gentle this time, it was the kind of voice that could lull zoey back to a sweet daydream, making her heart flutter as if she had a secret crush.

nothing felt real.

a couple hours ago, the two were simply listening the music and delving deeply into conversation about their dreams, desires, and the path forward together. ddot had even expressed his deep intent to spend his life with her – a confession that both thrilled and overwhelmed zoey.

the idea spun her thoughts and she was even more puzzled by his lack of hesitation.

yet, as the world quietly righted itself around her, zoey began to embrace the vision of their future life, she one-thousand percent wanted him in her future.

"i'm awake," she confirmed, shrugging away the warmth of her blankets and rising from the bed. catching sight of her movement, ddot quickly glanced away, although his face betrayed a
pleased smile due to her appearance in his slides.

"where you going??" he asked, noting her intentions to exit the room. zoey, feeling a twist of nausea yet reluctant to betray any weakness or cause for concern, kept her discomfort hidden.

mental note made: never smoke on an empty stomach again.

observing her, ddot's eyebrows arched, he followed his silent gesture with a toothless grin. "gimme a kiss tho." he requested, but in a way that he was telling her to do it.

with a playful roll of her eyes, zoey approached his gaming setup and he looked up at her with anticipation, tilting his face toward hers as if he was waiting for her to kiss him first,
which she did. she cradled his cheeks in her hands and pressed her lips to his in a soft, fleeting kiss.

she intended to pull away, to maintain a playful distance, but ddot had another scenario in mind. his hands found their way to her waist, and he gently pulled her closer, initiating a more intense kiss.

the kiss deepened, his lips insistent against hers, acting like he hasn't kissed her in what seemed like forever—but their last kiss was only a couple hours ago. they remained locked in this embrace for what seemed like half a minute, ddot's embrace suggesting he wanted her even closer.

zoey felt the strength in his arms as he expertly maneuvered, coaxing her body towards his with a clear intention to draw her onto his lap. realization sparked in her eyes as she parsed his intentions, and a soft laugh bubbled from her throat, breaking their kiss.

"your so freaky, darrian," she breathed out, trying to catch her own breath when it felt like ddot was literally eating her mouth alive.

zoey then placed her index finger upon his lips—a silent but effective barrier to his playful seductions—her touch a temporary boundary he was tempted but willing not to cross, for the moment.

as she moved away, ddot couldn't help but bite his bottom lip lip, murmuring a rhetorical "can you blame me?" to himself, before turning his attention back to the game. he clicked his mic off mute.

"yes i'm still here nigga." he called out, not quite yelling but firmly enough to let his presence be known amidst his friends.

from the other end, a burst of mock insults flooded the channel from notti and dd, who had taken full advantage of ddot's momentary distraction to score some cheap kills in the game.

"fuck you bitch, you pussy!" dd's voice escalated through the microphone, chiding him with an edge of competitive taunting, which only made notti's laughter ring out louder.

the screen was a collage of virtual chaos, and as ddot's character met yet another untimely end, his temperature seemed to rise, one thing he hated was when he lost, especially when he wasn't even paying attention.

"nah i'm onnat wit y'all now, bitch ass niggas." he retorted with a mix of mock anger and genuine amusement, clicking on his keyboard quickly, moving his mouth so fast thay his wrist would've fallen off.

zoey, now distancing herself from the escalating loud banter, reached the quieter side of the house, the bathroom. the lively echoes of ddot's screams faded gradually into a muffled hum behind her.

she turned the lock behind her, just in case.

zoey questioned her own choices, acknowledging her body's inability to cope with smoking. her relationship with food, too, was fragile—despite her age suggesting a healthier appetite, she struggled with feeling as though any amount was excessive.

it was a cruel twist of her brain, it seemed to drain the joy from her during her most elated times. whenever she was most happy.

the very idea of a meal triggered a physical response, and she found herself gagging violently, relieved yet dismayed that her sickness was contained within the toilet bowl. the thought of staining ddot's belongings with her vomit made her even more relieved that she had aimed well.

even as her body convulsed with another involuntary gag, pangs of guilt washed over her. realization started to settle in, considering she had previously denied ddot's offer of nourishment post-smoking, despite it being exactly what she needed.

she felt trapped between fault and innocence. but it wasn't her fault, even if it was at the same time.

zoey's self battles were relentless, her mind a always whispering predictions about her body image. it spun a narrative so convincingly grim that she believed ingesting even the smallest amount of food would send her directly into obesity—a concept she seemingly met with indifference on the surface.

but of course, her inner dialogue was a of dark thoughts, echoing like echoes in a cave, thoughts that were so negative that they were above to the ones whispered from the recesses of nightmares—thoughts no one would ever choose to face in the light of day.

this was the mental landscape zoey went through daily.

whenever the topic or the thought of food fluttered into her consciousness, it was as though her brain had become hardwired to associate it with the instinct of sleeping.

ewting wasn't a source of happiness for her. it was instead a trigger, a signal for her body to switch off, to slumber, as if somehow, sleep could create a temporary escape from the anxiety that thoughts of food aroused.

and it wasn't just food that was the battleground for her mental strife; her physical health, too, was in the balance. her heart had grown weary over time, its rhythm disrupted by a persistently low blood pressure, a condition that had been a stark reality for nearly a year since her diagnosis.

the doctors' words were still etched in her memory, a grim painting of taking caution and necessity, but the fear of what her condition entailed overshadowed their advice.

the decree they imposed—regular check-ups, routine monitoring, a commitment to take the prescribed medication—felt overwhelming, leading to an unspoken vow within zoey; that the cold environment of the doctor's office was to be avoided at all costs.

the judgment she felt directed at her during those appointments had left invisible scars. she could still picture the furrowed brows and the downturned mouths when she had hesitantly admitted to not taking any of her medication or pills.

she was exposed, vulnerable under their clinical gaze, people that were suppsoed to help you with medical protocols, met with silent eyes on her.

it was a moment of judgment that replayed in her mind, reinforcing her resolve to distance herself from their scrutiny and to shoulder her ailment in isolation.

the medication weakened her, stirring an edge of nervousness she wasn't accustomed to, leading her to abandon the prescription altogether.

on the surface, zoey maintained an image of calm, but underneath that she was struggling.

badly.

recognizing she probably should seek assistance, she steadfastly refused, preferring to face her challenges alone rather than inviting others into her turmoil.

her reluctance to cause concern for others was ingrained. what harm was there in not wanting to worry people she cared about?

after composing herself, zoey blotted her face with a paper towel before flushing the evidence of her vomit. she took an extra towel to wipe any residual sickness from the seat, erasing traces of the incident. finally, she made sure to wash her hands and splash water on her face, ensuring that no signs of her recent ordeal remained visible.

the last person she would ever wanna worry was ddot—knowing if he was worried about her her wanna fake her to the doctor and she wasn't gonna try to do go back, there.

she pulled her braids in front and smiled to the mirror—she looked pretty normal. the only difference was how pale her skin looked but other than that—she looked normal.

once zoey confirmed her appearance was somewhat decent, she returned to ddot's room, where he was deeply engrossed on the game, his brows knit together in concentration. she was secretly relieved to slip in unnoticed, avoiding ddot's immediate attention which might have given away her pallid complexion.

moving quietly behind him, zoey noticed a water bottle on his nightstand, still sealed, suggesting it was fairly fresh. she guessed it hadn't been there long and gratefully took it.

zoey then settled herself back onto the bed with minimal noise, retrieving her phone to lose herself in the endless scroll of youtube, a reliable distraction. she had an affinity for video essays, their detailed videos that always managed to capture her curiosity.

choosing a documentary about a missing girl, she pulled ddot's plush covers around her once more, seeking both comfort and a respite from her own persistent inner turmoil.

yet, no matter how much she tried to immerse herself in the story unfolding on her screen, the thoughts of her own physicality refused to be silenced, stubbornly clawing their way back to the forefront of her mind.

it didn't take long for ddot to pick up on zoey's unusual silence once he removed his headphones and glanced her way. she remained gaze fixed ahead, seemingly oblivious to her surroundings, appearing utterly detached.

he could sense that something was wrong—he just couldn't put this finger on it.

irritation flickered across ddot's features when he heard fr's laughter, reminding him  of a spray bottle, an annoyance in this particular moment. "yo, i'm gettin off, my hearts." he announced.

"aii, tell zoey i said hi," dd casually threw in, prompting a scrunched up expression from ddot. "how you know she hea?"

dd chuckled with a mischievous undertone. ""nigga, i heard y'all makin out in the mic—shit was funny as fuck. you a real life feeennnn." he laughed again, possibly hitting his table in his amusement, while ddot stared daggers at his screen, clearly not sharing in the humor.

"aii, hollon—zo, c'mere." ddot gestured her over. at the sound of her nickname, zoey lifted her head; she was feeling bored anyway, so she ambled towards him. she stood somewhat awkwardly while ddot conversed with dd & notti, but soon he beckoned her closer, encircling her waist with his arms and drawing her down onto his lap.

dangling feet and all, she rested her head against his chest, her smile spreading at his familiar scent.

she actually loved every little thing about him.

"dd and notti wanna say hi. you good wit that?" ddot shifted his attention down to zoey. "sure," she replied, reaching out for the headset that he then handed over to her.

"hey guys," zoey greeted in a soft tone, prompting dd to audibly catch his breath—a reaction zoey could envision without seeing it, knowing him well.

"wassup lil z, how you doin? ddot treatin you right??" notti replied first, warmth evident in his voice. "yeah, he's really nice to me." zoey responded giddily, fidgeting with one of her nails.

ddot furrowed his eyebrows at her statement since he didn't know what was asked beforehand, but doesn't question it.

"zozoooooo, my hearttt! how you doin zo? we dead miss you. i haven't seen ya ass since.. shii ion know. we gonna link up since ddot been hogging you for like a two weeks, gangsta." dd said enthusiastically.

zoey's grin widened, "yeah i miss y'all too. yeah we can hang out like tomorrow, i don't have anything to do over the break anyway."

back on the other end, excitement surged through the two brothers upon hearing zoey's cheerful voice. they genuinely cared for her, happy to hear that she and ddot were on good terms after what felt like years.

as notti began to speak, "yeah we gotchu my heart—" he was abruptly cut off by dd. "oh and respond to my tiktoks, i been spammin your inbox and you don't even read them." he complained, his disappointment clear.

laughing softly, zoey nodded before realizing the gesture was unseen, "yess, im gonna reply to them, dd."

"aii, love you my heart, stay safe aii??" dd told the her, voicing both of him and his brothers thoughts, promoting a soft smile from zoey, warmed by the term 'love.'

love, love, love.

she's missed this feeling.

"yesss! love y'all too, mwahhhh." she made a kiss sound effect with her lips which cause ddot to take off the headphones quickly, "aii y'all gonna steal my girlfriend. bye dick suckin niggas," ddot said into the mic and before the two could even curse him out he disconnected the call.

zoey furrows her eyebrows, "girlfriend?"

ddot felt himself freezing up. on new years he was planning on taking her to see the fireworks then giving her a promise ring—asking her to be his girlfriend so they could go into the new years together, and he could be hers—and she could be his.

"imma make you mine, i promise you that." he whispered to her, kissing her cheek. zoey smiled, "i love you."

"you know i love you more.

"WHERE THE HELL is it?" zoey murmured under her breath, her hands shuffling through the contents of her drawers in a frenzied search for her medication. it baffled her why she had left this critical task to the eleventh hour, especially given it marked her return to a regimen she had long deserted.

her hopes of overcoming her ailments without the pills had proven nothing; she was far from the recovery she had imagined.

desperation tore through her bathroom as she hunted for the elusive medicine; logic assured her she hadn't discarded it—she's not that stupid.

ddot had indented her on staring over, a kind insistence she skirted by soft promises of a facetime call once home—claiming the necessity of a shower and the proximity of her own clothing as cause for leaving.

even when ddot suggested she could borrow his clothes, she made a quick lie about her father coming to pick her up—a pretext which became reality, aligning with her scrambled plans.

ddot, caught in a whirlwind of thinking that he might have caused zoey uncomfortableness, crafted a lengthy message filled with apologies for any unintended missteps.

but zoey quickly eased his worry with a voice note assuring him that all was well and promised she'd facetime him later.

forty-five minutes thereafter, zoey found herself in a dire search for her medication, the onset of dizziness indicating she might soon faint, her appetite non-existent despite her father's thoughtful gesture of leaving chipotle for her.

it was as though her mind was betraying her, setting her up to wrestle with her innermost self.

her heart began to thud alarmingly against her ribcage—a sign she was all too familiar with. such rapid palpitations signified only two possibilities in zoey's experience: a panic attack or a passing out.

it was a simple, stark reality—no more, no less.

she didn't think there could be more atleast, that's all she knew.

the simple act of dialing ddot's number seemed jsut a small gesture but zoey battled the nagging suspicion that she would just be a pest to him.

but she said she was gonna call him afterwards anyways?

you're annoying him.

her thoughts waged war on her, unleashing chaos at once. you're overeating. he doesn't care for you. "fuck." she cursed softly again, attempting to rise but collapsing—a silent plea to herself questioning whether if she even had the power to overcome this.

zoey's insides twisted and turned as she fought to keep the nausea at bay. shaking her head defiantly, she knew what she needed to do—reach out to ddot. he had become her lifeline at this point.

her heart hammered wildly, her breaths seemingly trapped as her world narrowed—panic seizing her, or perhaps something graver. she was at a loss.

chaos unfolded around her with dizzying speed, slipping through her fingers like sand—unmanageable, inexorable.

once her body seemed to ease, zoey exhaled a long, weary breath, her hand fumbling for her phone before her eyelids grew heavy and closed.

with another labored breath, she resolved to let slumber take over, to shake off the tumultuous ordeal.

'just a night's rest and in the morning, everything will reset.' she convinced herself.

yet, what she perceived as the onset of sleep was, in truth, her body reaching its limits, surrendering to sheer exhaustion.

she believed she was simply dozing off, unaware that what claimed her was not restful slumber.

zoey wasn't asleep, she was unconscious.

F SPEAKS ⭐️.

NOTE — can somebody call the damn fuckin ambulance?? jesus christ. BROO y'all don't understand how much i've cried during this chapter like i dead have a voice recording of my dumbass cryin over this with fine line playin in the background 😂😂😂. ts depressign bro. witting fun until it gets so serious n shit 💔💔. um, can y'all promise not to get mad at me next chap tho? y'all lucky i broke this up in two chapters cs y'all asses would've been alr mad at me. HAVING A SAD PLAYLIST WHILE WRITTING THIS IS NOTT FOR THE WEAK. aii i'm dead jus talkin , i love talkin to y'all doeee 😣🩷. anyways. fia loves uu 💞💞.