••••
Today was a Wednesday and Sincere couldn't wait to be off of work, as for the past week and a half Cassidy's vibe had drastically changed. He didn't know rather it was because her husband had told her to only fuçk with him for work related things, she found out that Kennedy was pregnant or that her father had showed up to the office the other day. He didn't know much about her father but he knew that he shook her to her core and he looked forward to getting off of work every day so he wouldn't have to deal with her.
Hearing a knock at the door, he told the person to come in. He immediately stood to his feet and went to hug Kennedy who had hugged him tightly, "Hi bunny," he kissed her face.
"Hi Sinny," She smiled brightly at him.
Although they had now been back texting and talking on the phone daily, they hadn't seen eachother since he'd drop the pregnancy tests off two weeks ago. "I had to come see you while my dad had to come see my mom," she explained.
Sincere rolled his eyes hearing that Shakur was just down the hall, "How have you been?"
Kennedy frowned, "You should go over there and talk to him while my mom is in her meeting." She suggested.
"I'm good, I may play about a lot of things but taking you away from me would never be one."
"I know but—"
"Why can't I just be happy to see you Ken? I'm really over your dad. I don't even understand what happened, or why he would play with me like he did,"
She could see the hurt on his face and decided to drop it, as bad as she shipped them she couldn't force her dad to admit that he liked men. Knowing Sincere's current relationship she knew that her dad was only a reminder of Xavier for him, she only knew her dad had some type of liking to Sincere because of how he acted around him all the time. The stares she was used to him giving her mom easily became the same way he looked at Sincere when they first met him almost three years ago. No matter how hard he fought it, Kennedy knew. That's why she tried her hardest over the years to push the two, she thought this would be the year being how her dad was softening a little but it was clear that she was wrong.
"I'm sorry he hurt you. I never wanted that for you,"
"Who don't hurt me?" He joked, Kennedy however missed the joke.
Shaking her head she just hugged him, "I don't like that but I've been good. How are you bookie?"
"Better, now that I've seen you." He told her honestly. "Where's Joshua?"
Hearing his name Kennedy smiled, "Football practice, he has a game later. You wanna come? That's my reasoning coming in here." She laughed, "I think that pregnancy brain stuff is real."
"I really can't believe my baby is having a baby," he teared up, making her tear up too.
"All I've been doing is crying, please don't make me." She frowned as a tear fell from her eyes, "I didn't know I'd become so emotional. Everything just weird being pregnant,"
"Because you shouldn't be!" He grilled her. "I don't know how that slipped passed me,"
Kennedy laughed and kissed his cheek, "So, can you come? I want you to properly meet him."
"Is dummy and bigger dummy gone be there?"
"I'll assume my mom is the bigger dummy," she chuckled, "you know she's not as always. My dad told him he'd try to make it though. But, I asked you to come. I really want you and Joshua to meet."
Sincere groaned, "Alright, but if he start with me I'm not taking that shît. Not today,"
Kennedy squealed happily, "I'll see you tonight."
Saying their goodbyes Sincere stood at his office door watching her walk down to her mothers office, Shakur stood in the hallway. The two made eye contact before Sincere rolled his eyes and broke the intense stare, as badly as he wanted to confront him he decided against it. He didn't have time for his shît on top of Xavier's bullshit, he was starting to be done with men at this point. Maybe a woman wouldn't be so damn stressful, it was as if he only attracted the same type of man. Was he the problem?
Leaving work he successfully avoided Cassidy for the remainder of his shift, arriving home he sighed seeing Xavier's car in the driveway. It wasn't that the two was into it or anything, he was just tired of him mentally. He had been checked out but since Xavier was doing better he didn't want to hurt his feelings, he was doing things right now but he'd done wrong so long that his efforts now didn't impress Sincere. Actually, they were draining him.
Stepping into the home Sincere sat his briefcase at the door before taking his shoes off, "Wassup baby?"
"Hey," Sincere replied dryly, "Where you going?"
"Out with a few of the guys," he responded looking him up and down. "You good?"
"Yeah, I'll be with Kennedy at her highschool football game tonight. Just letting you know now,"
Xavier chuckled, "You going for Kennedy or that nigga?" He frowned.
It was no secret that the night of the dinner Xavier had peeped how Shakur was eyeing Sincere, but mugging him. He'd questioned sincere about it but he told him that it was nothing like that, Shakur was just mean to everyone when he knew that in reality Shakur asked of him to make Xavier leave the restaurant. Trying to trust Sincere and being serious about doing better he took his word for it, choosing not to lash out. However, he wasn't letting it go. Everytime Sincere mentioned Cassidy or Kennedy, Xavier had to bring up Shakur.
"I ain't even about to piss myself off, aight Sincere."
With that Xavier kissed his lips and then exited the home, Sincere shook his head before going to shower and then cook him something to eat before the game. He was excited to spend time with Kennedy and meet the little boy who got his baby pregnant.
••••
Sincere laughed as he watched Kennedy play with her ears nervously seeing that Joshua had just walked into the field, her nerves were bad being that this was one of the first games she ever attended since being his girlfriend, and instead of him being shy about her he was making it known that she was his and before the game started he placed a kiss to her lips making their class stare at the two. So, now she was panicking.
"What you so nervous about?"
"I've never had a boyfriend, or a babydaddy. I don't know if I like the attention," she mumbled.
"Aww boo, it's okay. Just talk to him, maybe his love language is affection. Yours may not be, publicly."
She sighed while nodding, "Isn't it rude though? Aren't I supposed to want to be loved publicly?"
"Are you ashamed of him?"
"Not at all," she answered quickly.
"Then it's not rude, you just have to use your voice if you don't like something. He's a good kid, I'm sure he'd understand."
Which was true, he'd officially met him before the game started and he approved. He was a well mannered young boy, you could tell that he loved Kennedy. He could see the way he made sure she had enough snacks, water and kisses before he went to the field just how much she and his baby meant to him. It was refreshing to see with him being the popular football star, most teens weren't like him. He loved Kennedy outloud, that's what mattered the most to Sincere. The young couple would be great parents. He loved that for her.
"I wouldn't know what to do without you," she hugged him and smiled.
As the game went on it was tied, however all Joshua's team had to do was make the last touchdown and they'd win. Shakur had made it halfway through and sat on the opposite side of Kennedy being sure to ignore Sincere's entire presence, as sincere did the same.
Kennedy stood nervous like all the other highschoolers while they watched Joshua run the football down the field. Her hands flew to her mouth seeing the opposing team tackle him, the field went silent.
"TOUCHDOWN!" The coach yelled seeing as Joshua had crossed the line before being tackled.
Kennedy jumped up and down wiping her eyes, she hadn't noticed she was so nervous she had shed some tears. "I was going to beat him," she laughed talking about the player who had tackled him.
She stood and rushed down the steps seeing Joshua wave her down, Shakur smiled seeing him lift her over the railing and into the field where he hugged her and kissed her on the cheek. He didn't want his child dating until she atleast reached eighteen but it was clear that it was too late, and he couldn't be so hard on her when he nor her mother waited as long as she did. He didn't want her to follow in their footsteps but he wouldn't shame her for her current situation or force her to not be happy just because he was disappointed. He felt he could've been a better father, and Cassidy could've been a better mother.
He learned that Joshua had been the only one to have her in that way, and he was happy she wasn't just sleeping with anyone trying to fill the void of her parents failing her.
"What the fuçk you looking at?" Shakur snapped at Sincere who had been staring at him since Kennedy left. "The fuçk are you doing here anyway?"
"Don't start that bullshît Shakur, I haven't said anything to you so don't say nothing to me." Sincere snapped back, shocking himself. "I'm here because Kennedy wanted me here,"
Shakur stood and started to walk away, Sincere had become pissed. Before he knew it he was on his feet behind him, calling out his name Shakur ignored him up until he made it to his car. "You don't get to lead me on and walk away from me," Sincere slammed his door shut and stood in front of it, preventing him from getting in.
"Move," Shakur told him, his jaw clenching.
"No, because what the fuçk did I do?" Sincere asked. "I just don't understand,"
Sincere wasn't a confrontational person but Shakur just got to him, one minute they were cool and flirting and the next he hated him. It was confusing him, and once he put Kennedy into it that had hurt him. For once in his life he wasn't about to let a man walk all over him, maybe it was because he really liked shakur, he was fed up with niggas or he was just mentally drained either way Shakur wasn't walking away nor was he backing down today.
"Hello? You always have so much to say but you can't speak now?" Sincere's leg shook. Shakur was pissing him off.
"What the fuçk you want me to say?"
"I want an explanation of what the fuçk this," he motioned between the two, "is, and why put Kennedy in it?"
Shakur rubbed his hands down his face trying his hardest to remain calm, "Bro, just watch out. Aight?"
"Bro??" Sincere chuckled, "Know what, fuçk you Shakur. I don't know what nigga fucked you over in the past or ain't fuçk you right—-"
Feeling his airway being blocked Sincere gasped as his eyes widened. Shakur stared down at him with a look he'd never seen before, he applied pressure making Sincere grab at his hand while tears poured from his eyes. He couldn't breathe, flashbacks of Xavier quickly flooded his mind as he panicked.
"Watch what the fuçk you say to me, I'll kill you!" Shakur gritted.
"Dad!" Kennedy eyes widened at the sight, people were now making their way into the parking area. "Let him go! Let him go!" She cried pushing at him seeing Sincere start to change a lighter shade.
Hearing the panic in his child's voice, he let him go.
Sincere fell to the ground from the lack of air, Kennedy squatted by him while he coughed violently trying to catch his breath. More tears fell from his eyes, "Are you okay?" She hugged him and helped him to his feet.
"Fuçk you Shakur! You don't got to worry about me ever again." He held his neck.
"I wasn't worried about you in the first fuçking place my nigga, learn to watch that smart ass mouth of yours. I don't give a fuçk if I never see yo punk ass again." He snapped, "I see why that nigga beat yo gay ass,"
Kennedy's mouth dropped, "Stop it dad!" She yelled at him, he was going too far now. "Just go home," she watched Sincere's eyes water once more before he turned to head to his car. "What was that to even say?"
Shakur looked to her and behind her Joshua stood with a look of hurt in his eyes too. He knew first hand how it felt to be abused and for the man he now looked up too to say that to someone rubbed him the wrong way, "I— I'm going to check on him." Joshua shook his head and quickly walked after Sincere.
"Kennedy I'm—-"
"I can't believe you dad. He really liked you," she shook her head. "If you didn't like men you shouldn't have acted as if you did. I don't understand."
When she turned to follow after Sincere as well he got into his car and slammed the door.
Once sincere brought up a man hurting him—- the pastor and all the sick shit he endured as kid hit him full force, and he snapped. It had been so long since Shakur took a liking to the same sex that when he met Sincere all of his trauma resurfaced and that's why he was so wishy washy with him. He had fought it for a long time so when he wanted to explore it his past stopped that, and hearing Sincere saying something like he did only reminded him of why he didn't need to be feeling nothing for a man.
••••
Arriving home, Sincere felt as if he had just lost his puppy. He knew he shouldn't of pushed Shakur how he did but he never expected him to nearly kill him, his feelings were more hurt about what he said to him than anything though. He never confided in him about Xavier so he knew that Cassidy had to have told him knowing Kennedy would never, as bad as he wanted him to be different than Xavier he wasn't. He even laid hands on him how Xavier would do when he was mad, he hated to compare the two but it was hard no too seeing the side of Shakur he'd seen tonight.
Walking into the home, Xavier sat in the dark waiting on Sincere. After dropping Kennedy and Joshua off he had went to the bar for a while, to drink and let the swelling of his neck go down some. Although Shakur's hand print was very much visible.
The time now read 2:45 AM, and Xavier had been blowing him up all day. "Where the fuçk you was at?" He hit the lights.
"Not now," he mumbled, sniffling.
He felt like he'd just lost the love of his life, he didn't have the energy to deal with Xavier.
"Actually, get your stuff and leave. I can't do this no more, I'm just not Inlove with you anymore." Sincere stumbled a little while taking his shoes off.
Xavier walked up to him, "What the fuck you say to me?"
"Just leave, Shakur."
Xavier paused for a moment, as did Sincere. Shakur had been clouding his mind and it was a honest slip up but feeling his body being shoved into the wall he knew that all of the shit Xavier said about changing had went out the window. "I knew you was fucking that nigga," he yelled, punching him in the face.
Sincere held his nose, and sent a powerful punch back to Xavier.
He didn't expect that so it made him stumble back, Sincere took that as the opportunity to keep throwing blows. He was sick and tired of everybody's shît, and if he'd lost his life tonight he wouldn't do so without fighting back. He was sure if Xavier got the upper hand he'd kill him, and it was bound to happen being that Sincere had been drinking all night.
Xavier picked Sincere up and slammed him, making him hit the back of his head on the corner of the glass table causing it to shatter. Xavier then stood over him with his left hand he gripped Sincere's shirt and the right hand he punched him in the face repeatedly.
Soon enough Sincere felt nothing. He also seen nothing, being he had went unconscious.
••••
Just leave y'all thoughts? 🚶🏽♀️