Black Boys Bloom Thorns First: Volume 1 (A Black Panther FanFic)

Black Boys Bloom Thorns First Chapter 25

Giving up
Is hard to do
When you really
Love someone
Giving up
So hard to do
When you still depend upon
Her warm and tender touch
Her kiss and her caress
Ooh, they used to
Mean so much
And bring you happiness...

Donny Hathaway – "Giving Up"

N'Jobu sat on a kitchen chair holding an icepack made from a plastic sandwich bag filled with ice on the left side of his forehead. He was able to get the bleeding from the small tear in his skin to stop some time ago. Califia walked into the kitchen carrying a bottle of ibuprofen. She shook out four tabs and handed them to him and poured him a glass of water. He gulped down the medicine and took the glass from her.

"Let me see," she said, pulling back his hand that held the icepack.

She touched the butterfly bandage she had put on him.

"Swelling's not too bad now," she said pushing his hand back with the ice pack. She placed the ibuprofen on the counter and held up three fingers in front of his face.

"How many do you see?"

"Three," he said.

She switched up to seven fingers.

"Seven," he said.

"You should probably stay up for a few hours, just to see if your vision gets blurry or anything."

She walked out of the kitchen and he followed her.

She picked up the duffle bag she had dropped on the floor and grabbed her motorcycle jacket from the back of the front door.

"Don't leave. Please. I don't want you to leave," he said moving close behind her. He took the ice pack from his forehead.

"Let's talk," he said sitting on the couch and watching her.

"Now you want to talk? We nearly tore up this apartment, and now your ass wants to talk. Fuck outta here-"

"I was angry and I lashed out, and I'm sorry—"

"You basically called me a slut! You made me feel cheap and small..."

Her bottom lip quivered.

"You told me to get my shit and leave—"

"I was wrong...I was hurt...upset...I didn't mean any of that—"

"Yes, you did! I saw it in your eyes—"

"I was wrong...I was wrong...sit down, Califia...please..."

She dropped the duffle bag again and sat on the far side of the couch away from him. Her eyes were welling up. His own throat was closing up.

"I am sorry that I made you feel less than what you really are. I saw that video and I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I was excited to come back here and be with you again, and then...I received the video in Atlanta...my head just filled up with so much...I was livid. Confused. Mainly I was hurt. To see the woman that I love, who I have been separated from for a month...to see you in an embrace like that. What was I to think? What if you saw me in a compromising position like that? With Bridgette? Or Andrea? How would you react?"