#mbaku x rader

[eerythingisshaka]

Some Weeks Are Better Than Others Pt. 6

(”...Y’all want communication but here you go doing the exact opposite.”)

*Part 1* *Part 2* *Part 3* *Part 4* *Part 5*

M’Baku x Reader

Word Count: 4k

Plot:  You and M’Baku have to be apart for a business trip you are taking.  Leaving him sucks for you both, but career is important and he supports.  But the trip is a lot more than a test of your value to your job, but to your relationship as well.  

*Previously*

“You definitely need to let her chill until either tomorrow or when she gets back.  She won’t hear a damn thing from you when she can’t see you, eh?  She won’t listen for sincerity, so let her chill.”

M’Baku nods, “You’re probably right.  I just can’t believe all the shit I been through today.”

You start to walk, fast and hard.

“Wait, (Y/N)!  What did you say!  What are you talking about!” Niecy calls after you, jogging to keep up.

You push open the exit door to a vacant hallway and raise your hands above your head to keep yourself from fainting out of breath.  Niecy comes in after you.

“(Y/N) talk to me, what happened?”  Niecy comes behind you to tap your shoulder.

“No!  Niecy, please, I don’t want to do this right now!”  You exclaim, tears starting to fall.

“Oh honey, please.  I want to help you.  I can’t leave you looking like this.”  

You lean against the wall, sliding down the cold glossy paint, sitting on the floor.

Niecy takes the opposite wall in front of you to sit.   “I’ll stay here as long as you need to get your emotions out.”

You look down the hall away from Niecy, tears keep coming though you’re stone faced.  Your heartbeat feels weak as the call keeps playing over and over in your head.  He said he was doing something with her while you would be gone.  What excuse could he have for that?  

You swallow hard to clear your voice, trying to control the trembling.

“He….had another girl…”  you say.

“What do you mean?  How do you know?”  Niecy asks softly.

“....pick up the phone…” you say.

Niecy asks, “A girl answered?”  You nod.  “Ok, uh, you sure it wasn’t family?”

You chuckle at the question, “None of his family is that soft spoken.”

Niecy sighs, “Ok, did she say anything?”

“I think she apologized?  Playing dumb maybe?”  you say trying to remember.  Your phone rings as M’Baku’s name appears on your screen.  You swipe to decline it, picking it up to send him a cease and desist message.

“Is he calling back?”  You nod.  “You need to pick up!  Talk to him so you can get his story of what the hell is going on!”

You stop typing to think on this.  “There’s nothing to say right now, man.  I don’t need to be the bigger person here!  I’m away and he has bitches picking up his gotdamn phone!”  Your voice fills the hallway like it was God’s.  You catch emotion in your throat again as your eyes well over again.  Covering your mouth to choke back your sobs, your phone starts to ring again.   You feel nauseous at the thought of talking to him now, but you close your eyes, take a deep breath and answer the call.

“M’Baku?” You say.

“Yeah, hello love, you forget about me?” he sounds disgustingly chipper.

“Oh, no, who could?  Did you forget me?”  You say, wiping a stray tear away, voice quivering.

“No, never.  What’s wrong?”  he can tell you’re upset.  Anyone could tell at this point.

You clear your throat chuckling to sound light, “Nah, it’s all good.  You got company, I’ll talk to you later.”

“How did you know I had any company?”  He asks suspiciously.  There he goes questioning you instead of explaining himself.

You laugh at his question, anger builds up as you think about what secrets he is hiding, “Why didn’t you tell me your had any?!  But let me fall back, you showed me not to question who you drag up in our damn house, so let me think of YOUR feelings and not ask who the FUCK was the BITCH that picked up your FUCKING PHONE!”  The echo of the hallway gives your fury extra hellfire.

M’Baku starts on you, “Who are you screamin-”

“FUCK OFF!”  you bellow, tossing your phone to the side.  

Niecy looks at you wide eyed without  a word.

You feel an avalanche of grief come over you as you hug your knees, ugly crying it out.  Every time your phone rings you jump, feeling him near and wanting to be so far away.  You text him a message to leave you alone and the calls finally cease.  You calm yourself too as you feel your breakfast starting to work up and the heat in your face starts up some sweat to make for the epitome of a salty mix.

“Hun, did you see any of this coming before now?”  Niecy asks.

You speaky between gasps. “I told him...about training….instagram hoes….now look,”

“Ah, right, he is a personal trainer?  So does he play dumb with you or try to reason with you about who he trains?”

“He just tells me…..no one compares,” your puffy eyes well up again, “That it’s just business and he only loves me.”

“Oh come on, now.  It’s gonna be alright.  Don’t upset yourself more.”

You go on, upset, “He said he loved this fat ass, and now look at this shit!  I’m so fucking tired or lies and secrets and bullshit from him.”  

“Has he lied to you about things before?  Been unfaithful before?”

“I never suspected him.  I just watch people he interacts with.  His friends are all playboys, he works with a lotta models, he gets hit on incessantly and right in front of me!”  You say, feeling sicker by the moment.   He had so many damn opportunities.  “I just don’t know what I should do.”

Niecy nods, “Ok.  Now I don’t know him from Adam right?  So I won’t give a definitive ‘toot it or boot it’.  But I know you gushed about this guy earlier so much, I know he is a great catch.”

You sit playing with your nails.

Niecy continues, “And you talked to me about how you demand a lot of him to a fault.  You are quick to judge and bite, slow to communicate in a careful manner?  So, just remember the good he has, who he is and dissect the truth with that.  And mind you, you haven’t heard his full side of the story yet so, this space is probably the best time for something like this to pop up cuz you have time to cool off.”

You think over what Niecy had to say.  M’Baku has been one in a million to you.  He praises you for your looks, personality, and credits you for his drive and maturity.  Plus he never lets up on piping you down so you honestly couldn’t see him having the stamina to pass it around elsewhere.  You still couldn’t bring yourself to call him back due to timing and pride.  

You say with a drag, “Yeaaaah, I see you,  Niecy, I just can’t do this now though,  I’ll deal with it when I get back home.  I am spent emotionally and physically and I have nothing kind to think about saying right now.”

“And when you have nothing nice to say, don't say nothing at all!  Plus you could dig a deeper hole for yourselves,”  Niecy says.

You point at her, “Bingo!”  You get up swiping any dust off your behind.  “Thanks for listening.  God, you are the best thing to happen to me on this trip.”

Niecy smiles, “Oh girl, you puttin up with me is the blessing.  I’m just trash with a little professional leverage.  But you are a great person and friend.”

You all hug as a door opens to the hallway and a loud mouth person is talking on the phone.

“Uh-huh, no I got that cleared up at the clinic real quick so I’m telling you, that one ain’t one of the bad ones.”  

You and Niecy break from your hug and look up to see Shay, whose laugh fills the hall around you like Wicked Witch of the East.  

“Oh, I gotta call you back.  So y’all up in here huh?  Are y’all janitorial?  Cafeteria?  Cuz I'm getting you fired today.”

You step to Shay, “Fuck outta here.  The we are participants in the conference apparently just like your raggedy ass.”

Niecy grabs your arm, “Shay is it?  What region do you work in?”

“Eastern bitch.  Crackneck County to be exact and your Dexter’s Lab looking ass is the FIRST to be mine for fucking up my hair with that water you sprayed.”  Shay says venomously.

Shay smiles unphased, “Well what won’t go over well is if I, an HR exec, reports of an employee targeting another employee with homophobic epithets.”

Shay screws her face up, “W-what did you s-”

Niecy steps up to her.  What she lacked in stature, she made up for in attitude and power.  “I said what I said.  The disgusting language you used to describe me and my friend based on your prejudice assumptions were shameful and threatening.  So, it’s your word against mine and thank God I have truth on my side.  And if you want to keep harassing (Y/N)”  she says pointing back at you.  “....all she has to do is say a word and your ass is better count on a plan B for employment, understand?”

Shay looks down at Niecy, fuming but calming down for her own sake.  “Ok then.”  Shay looks at you and says with a neck roll,  “We good, then.”

You stomp towards her, Niecy promptly cutting you off.  “You take your ass on, you dirty ass, Maury guest lookin, cousin fucker ass bitch!”  

Shay’s mouth goes agape before she huffs and walks on out.

“Getchu some new dick in ya life witcho salty unsatisfied broken pussy havin hoe!”  you yell after her at the very to of your lungs.  Your heartbeat reaches your forehead as you are filled with anger.  

Niecy rubs your back, “Ok, ok.  I couldn’t protect you from an assault charge but you gave her a good tongue lashing.  That was good.”

You heave, breath heavy from the spew of insults you delve out.  The heaves turned into sobs once again as you cover your mouth to suffocate the feelings of rejection, pain, mistrust that fell heavy on your mind.  You didn’t know what M’Baku was into, but the way he made you feel at this moment was something you couldn’t take and the thought of seeing him for the first time ever filled you’re with dread.  

The rest of the conference day is a blur.  You got through it in a haze; your body on autopilot as your mind ran wild.  Mostly of him being in bed with another woman, you and his bed.  He smiles lovingly in the face of someone more beautiful, capable of appreciating all of him.  You did love him, so damn much.  But not all relationships last forever and maybe this was just a ‘lesson learned’ one.  

You go back to your room jaded and exhausted.  Kicking your shoes off you fall to our bed.  You feel thirsty, dehydrated from the lack of fluids replacing your tears but you found the suffering to be of comfort, succumbing to the gloom.  Your phone vibrates once: a text came in.  Your heartbeat picks up on cue.  Your state of sulking would not allow your heart to open up for apologies, explanations, or at worse: blame.  You don’t want to look at it, but the curiosity was too much to bear.  You didn’t want to spark a read receipt so you check who it is.  A wave of relief falls over you as you see Niecy’s name flash across the screen.

Hey girl.  I’m finished for the day, so I could use a drink and I think you could too.  Meet me at the hotel bar?

Drinking definitely fit your depressive state right now so you were eager.  Sure, just let me get a nap in and I’ll see you around 9.

You turn over closing your eyes, red and puffy from the days events.  You sigh deeply but your lungs feel congested.  You have an ache in your shoulders from hunching over.  You feel hollow more than human, taking on all of your sorrow inside with little relief inside.  That drink couldn’t come soon enough.

You wake up hours later.  Stretching makes your joints crack uncomfortably and your feel more exhausted than when you went down.  Every bit of you wanted to cancel on Niecy but you needed a drink and a good time to get your mind off of things.  You get up slowly and walk to the sink in the bathroom. Taking a paper cup, you fill it with water and drink it hastiy.  You feel it absorb into your tired body, energy picking up within you.  

Looking in the mirror, you spray a leave in to awaken your curls, clean your face to add a little makeup for a natural look.  Staring at yourself you look over your features, loving every blemish, crease, melanated hue that covers your face.  You grow defiant at how stupid someone could be to choose someone else over you, sneaking around on THIS for what?  Throwing away three years with this good good on demand for some second hand snatch?  No.  Digging through your clothes, you decide tonight you’re dressing to the nines.  You wanna nothing but a penile standing ovation when you walk into the room.  Putting your best assets on display, if M’Baku wasn’t going to enjoy this, someone will.

You make it to the lobby seeing Niecy sitting there chatting up the bartender as they were ld pals by now.  The bartender must’ve signaled your arrival as Niecy turned to see you, jaw dropping.

“Girl!  Did you visit the House of Heaux Couture before getting here??  Where did this dress come from?”  she says shooketh.

You sit down, looking unphased.  “I don’t even know why I packed this but I needed it now.”  You ask the bartender for a drink.

Niecy nods as she knocks back another sip of her drink. “Ahh, so this is the revenge dress.  Ok girl, I see you!  So does that mean you’re-”

You cut her off, “It means I am not worried about nothing but a good time tonight.”  The bartender slides your drink to you.  “Here’s to loving life, looking good, and bitches staying out of my damn way.”  You and Niecy clink glasses

A couple doubles in, you start slurring you appreciation to Niecy.  “Girl.  I have gotta say, you are the baddest bitch I ever met.  I hope you don’t mind me calling you a bitch.”

Niecy leans on her hand looking at you, “Mm-mm.  We reclaimed bitch, bitch.  Don’t even worry.”

You nod vigorously, “I have sooooo much respeck for ya.  I can’t wait to grow up and be you someday.”

Niecy caps a hand on your knee, “No, you can be so much better than me.”

“No I can’t.”  

Niecy shakes her head, “Nah, nah, none of that.  You have an ass load of potential in you.  I can see that drive, the gumption to get shit done.  You just have to make that energy into something you really care about.”

You look at your drink sullen faced.  “I used to care about a lot but then it goes and fucks an Instagram bitch.  And I mean bitch in the traditional way.”

Niecy points at you, “Ah yes, the female dog.  Attracting all the non-neutered dogs and shotgunning there kids in right and left.”

You face goes long, “Oh God, what if she’s pregnant?”

Niecy chokes, “What??”

“The girl he fucking around with.  What if he got her pregnant?  That’s why he comfortable having her in my house.  If he’s having her baby, he definitely through with me.”  You say as you take down your drink at the thought.  The once smooth drink, felt like shards going down.

“Ok, we’re done here.”  Niecy slaps some money on the bar.  “Smitty, my man!  Always a pleasure.”

“It’s Joseph, ma’am.”  The bartender says.

“Well give that tip to Smitty then, he was more fun.  But WE are going to the club to dance this out.  No more conspiracy theories, relationship talk, none of that.”  Niecy says, dragging your arm to pull you off your stool.

The club was hopping today as the playlist had some Megan thee Stallion on rotation.  Turned into exactly what you needed as the lyrics of taking niggas and fucking up bitches fit your current mindset of not giving a fuck.  Niecy hyped you up as you confidently dropped some impromptu choreography as you mouthed the words in your personal one woman show.  

As the song ends, some KOD by J. Cole begins to bump.  You start to feel it but before you can get into it, the crowd begins to move.  You and Niecy look around the people as you see why space is being made.  You feel the ground bump before you see them.  Some guys are stepping in the middle of the floor, using the dancefloor like its a probate.  They move their shoulders and hips with such fluidity before switching it up to some hard hitting stomps, jerking their bodies in coordination with strength and grace.  One of the men catch your eye as the gu you dance with the night before.  His locs flop on top of his head, gold flashing as he growls on cue with his brothers.  You point this out to Niecy who nods knowingly.  The song ends and the crowd erupts at their showmanship.  As the crowd congregates again, Niecy pulls you to her.

“So, you tryna go and talk to him or what?”

“Him?  Uhhh…”

Niecy waves, jumping and shouting to get his attention.  Your liquid courage drains as you sober up at the thought of him noticing you.  You make your way to the bar before she succeeds.  Requesting a drink from the bartender was hellish compared to the hotel bar.  So many people gone out there mind, crowding the bar with their nonsense.

“Whatchu drinkin?”  a voice asks.

You look and see the guy from earlier.  Dammit, Niecy.

“Hey, uh I would love to get a rum and coke but that’s not happening any time soon from the looks of things.”  You say patting the bar impatiently.

He looks down the bar, “Yeah, it looks that way.  You really want that drink?”

You look at him suspiciously, “I mean I want one, but I don’t need it that bad.”

He scratches his beard looking at you cooly, “I can get you something, but you just gotta trust me a little bit.”

You scoff at his suggestion.

He smiles licking his lips.  “If you can trust a complete stranger to get you a drink at a bar, I promise it’ll be good.”

You smile shaking your head.  What would you be getting into if you said yes.  

You shrug, “Aight.”

He raises his eyebrows, “For real?”

You nod, “Mhm.”

“Ok, when I put you on this bar, I need you to show out.”

You look at him skeptical, “What?”

“One, two, three.”  He grabs you up to sit you in the bar.  On cue you get up and strut across the bar.  Trina was playing and luckily you could act up to the song properly as Killin You Hoes blasted and the crowd cheered at your performance.  You gave the full gambit: pointing at the crowd, touching hands, dropping it low as you click clacked across the soaked wood.  The bartender was yelling at you to get down and you look for your guy.  He was a few feet ahead of you, waving for you to come down.  You go over to him reaching out as he lifts you down.

“Ok, come on!”  He takes your hand and leads you through the hoards of people and out the club.  

You trot behind him until y’all find a quiet corner with a bus stop bench.  You plop down to catch your breath and rest your feet.

“Oh my God.  What the fuck was that about?  I thought you were getting the drink.”

He reaches into his pants to pull out a half bottle of white rum.

“You stole?!”  You exclaim.

He chuckles,”Nah princess.  This here is reparations.”  He twists the top off and takes a swig, passing it off to you.

You take it, wiping the mouth off with the hem of your dress before drinking.  The liquid warms your gut as you fill it.

“Woo, girl.  Taking it to the head.  Here, give me that back.”  He takes it and sets it under the bench.  “So nobody pulls over questioning us.”

You nod feeling the cloudy drunkenness taking over.  “Ahh, you smart.”

He leans back with an arm over the bench.  “I know.  So what’s your story?”

You squint at him, “What you talkin bout, Willis?”   You pull your heels off, rubbing the soles of your feet, making you groan with relief.  He sees you do this and takes one foot on your lap.

“Hey hey!  Ask me before you do some shit like that.  Bout to display my whole crotch to the damn city.

He’s rubbing your foot unbothered.  “Well shiet, my bad.”  He smirks at you, “What’s a pretty thing like you up in the club doing bar dances for drinks for?  You got a day gig?”

You cover your face ugly laughing, “First of all, that was your damn idea.  Second, I do, but that’s none of your concern.”

“You got a man though, right?”  He asks.

You scoff, “Yeeup.”  

“You don’t sound happy bout it though.”  he says massaging your other foot.

You moan at the new sensation, fresh blood working through your feet.  “Yeah, well I ain’t been happy right now.  I think he cheated on me.”

“Oh shit!  You catch him or he tell you?”

“Caught him.  Not in an act but a girl picked up the phone.”  you say scratching your scalp.

“You sure it wasn’t a cousin or somethin?”

“No, I know it wasn’t.  He didn’t say who it was but that’s enough for me.”

“It is?” he asks.

You snatch your feet from him adjusting your dress down.  “Yeah, it is.  He shouldn’t have a girl in my house without explanation.”

He leans back nodding thoughtfully.  “I agree.  But you have no explanation from him yet?”

You shake your head.  “So he ain’t answering your calls?”

“I’m not answering his.”

He cocks his head to the side in thought, “Females always be like, ‘he never talk to me’ and shit.  Y’all want communication but here you go doing the opposite.”  he says smirking and pointing at you.

“Well your lesson for today is not all women are alike.  I don’t need to reach to him, he can do that.  He is wrong.”

He nods, “If he cheatin, I agree.  You are the baddest woman I’ve seen in a while and if you didn’t have a man, I’d be pulling out all the stops to get you.”

“Like the foot rubbing?”  you ask.

He guffaws, “Uh yeah, that’s a sure thing too.  Felt good right?”  He says pushing your shoulder gently.

You look at him intently.  “It really did.  This is probably the best interaction I’ve had all week, with a guy.  And looking as good as you? Nigga!”  You say throwing your hands up.

“Well you just tell me when you want me gone, and I’m out.  But you’re getting a happy ending tonight, no doubt.”

You giggle, “You’d like that huh?”

“He stares at you, leaning in, “I really would though.”

You feel something you haven’t felt in what seemed like an eternity.  Something reserved for M’Baku, only achieved by him.  But here you are, in heat with someone else.

“Pass me that bottle then.”  you say.

The next morning you wake up in a daze in your hotel room.  The sun's rays blind you as they seep in greeting you.  You sit up as the sheets wrap around your bare skin, cool and calming.  A note is on the pillow next to you.  You pick it up and read:

Thanks for the good time last night. A phone number followed.

Your heart dropped as you thought over last night.  Bar, club, and then that guy.  Oh shit, you thought as you looked at your nakedness underneath the covers.

Part 7

Other Works

King Kil’mawalls  

T’akia

N’Jadaka’s Helpful Hands

Song of Stevens

The Coffee Prince

Commencement Day

The Ragtag

@sweetpeachjones@hairhattedghooligan@scrumptiouslytenaciouscrusade@universalbri @mermaidchansons @groovybbyy @nyeebey @maliadestiny @babygirlofwakanda @3mnxnxt3r