◍ ⊱ 90's Imagines. [ ON HOLD. ]

❝007. ─His Brother's Keeper. ; Act 3.

"You ready, Princess? You know you can never go back after this. You're married, for life. Until you die." I could feel my breath shortening every time my father emphasized the permanence of getting married. It became harder to take each breathe and it felt like I was gonna pass out any moment. I don't even think he realized that I didn't respond to him, he kept his head straight forward as 'Ribbon In The Sky' by Stevie Wonder started to play on the piano. Those keys were being skillfully mastered by my lover, and with my forbidden nectar still on his fingers. "Alright, that's our cue." My dad said with a huge smile on his face. This nigga didn't realize I was having an entire panic attack next to him. The fuck did I have to do? Scream for help?

We linked arms and he escorted me out into the church sanctuary, both sides of families were standing up to embrace me. I was hoping somebody saw the fear in my eyes, but shit, they were too clouded by their own tears to notice. The stretch to the alter felt like it was a mile long, I even let out a loud sigh when I made it. I looked up at the wedding party, my girls were there, beaming like they were the ones about to give up on all the good dick in the world and adjacent was Dalvin and his groomsmen. His brother had gotten up from his previous post of the piano bench and assumed the spot next to him.

This was some baby back bullshit.

"Who gives this woman away?" The pastor, who so happened to be both my boyfriends' father, asked, my dad, with all the excitement and pride in his voice announced that he did. Thanks a lot, old man. I took Dalvin's hand and he lead me right in front of the Mr. Degrate before he leaned in to speak in my ear. "You look beautiful." He whispered. So I had been told earlier. "Thank you." I mouthed back as my eyes journeyed back to their father in front of us, I caught De's hazel orbs. Prying my eyes away from him, I focused all of my attention back to the ceremony.

It was like I went deaf in the middle of the ceremony. Somewhere between the sanctity of marriage and how God has to be in the middle of everything? "If anybody has any reasons that these two shouldn't be wedded, speak now or forever hold your peace." The silence was staggering. Part of me hoped DeVante's obnoxious ass would speak up to put all of us out of our misery, but his lips stayed sealed. The one time he needed to open his mouth, he's mute? He was never getting pussy from me again. Ever.

"Okay, will you, Nia have Dalvin to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold? From this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health? Until death do you part?" What was up with everybody and death? The room immediately started to spin as everybody was staring at me waiting for my answer. My stomach became queasy and my knees grew weak as I choked out a 'No'. My answer incited gasps and inappropriate chatter from the wedding guests. "I can't, I'm sorry Dal. I love DeVante. I don't wanna be with you. I want him!" I yelled out dramatically as I dropped the bouquet and ran into DeVante's opened arms, greeting him with a passionate lip lock, much to everyone else's disapproval.

┈

I gasped loudly as I popped up straight in the bed. My breathing was uneven and I was soaked in sweat. I looked over at the sleeping figure next to me, Dalvin. Bringing my left hand up to my hand, the diamond band shined brightly even in the dark room. Every night I had the same dream, and every time I had to remind myself that I had really gotten married. Pulling back the silk sheets on the bed, I threw my legs over the side and slid my feet in my slippers, leaving out the room and going downstairs. My guilty conscience had been eating at me the entire month I had been married. I hadn't even seen my brother-in-law since the wedding. After having the same damn dream every night, I had created a routine. I would pour a glass of wine and listen to music. It was the only way to relax my nerves.

I stood in the middle of my living room floor, facing my stereo as I looked through a selection of different albums. I immediately stopped at Purple Rain. It was one of De's favorites, and I laughed as I thought about how he always attributed the album to being the reason he went to Paisley Park on a whim. I opened the CD case and I removed the disk, placing it in the CD player and pressing the play button. I skipped through the first two songs out of habit. The Beautiful Ones was not only my favorite song on the album. My lover had dedicated it to me on a random night. I could even hear him singing the first verse. "Baby, baby, baby. What's it gonna be? Baby, baby, baby. Is it him or is it me?"

No, I could actually hear him singing it. My face flushed a bright red color, draining every ounce of melanin. As his smooth, baritone voice danced against my ear drums. Was he really standing behind me, or was my dramatic ass having a dream within a dream?

"Baby, baby, baby. Can't you stay with me tonight? Baby, baby, baby. Don't my kisses please you, right? You are so hard to find, the beautiful ones, they hurt you every time." He sang softly, his voice intertwining perfectly with the original singer's. I turned around to face him. The smirk on his face was one I knew all too well as he approached me, his tall frame over mine once again. "You know what pisses me off the most about this song?" He asked, I simply shook my head. "I didn't write it about your ass."

"Do you want him! Or do you want me? Cause I want you!" Prince belted out through the speakers into the dark room. What the hell was Prince Rogers Nelson all in my business for? Shit. "De what are you doing here?" I asked through a shaky breath before I felt his hand on my waist. His fingers brushing up against the exposed part of my skin. That touch. It was definitely reality. I closed my eyes tightly to avoid eye contact. His touch, his voice and those eyes were a deadly combination. "I was drunk. Your house was closer. I know you ain't think my brother would let me drive like that." He replied with a dark chuckle before he finished his statement. "Plus, I ain't seen you in a minute."

Having him standing over me was like holding heroin over a recovering addict like mistletoe. I wanted nothing more to inject him into my veins and experience the rush that only he could give me. Just the thought of him taking me to higher realms made my nipples harden in and my toes curl, a soft, shaky moan escaped my lips at the mere notion. My eyes lazily opened, only to see his amber colored irises dead set on mine. He was aware of the intoxicating power he had over me, and he also knew it wouldn't take much to get me to fold underneath his pressure. They said pressure makes diamonds, well I'm a cubic zirconia at best.

"We're not playing this game tonight." I whispered, loud enough so he could hear it over the stereo before I looked over my shoulder in a paranoid fashion. It was no secret that Donald had a thing for fucking me while Dal was somewhere in the vicinity. It brought him satisfaction knowing he was taking something from his brother, right under his nose. It was mind-boggling to me, but I'm not in any position to judge anybody at this point.

"We gon' play whatever game I wanna play. You don't run shit." He let out a hearty chuckle, I pressed the back of my hand to his shoulder and pushed him to the side so I could walk passed him, only to have him grab my arm and yank me back to my originally spot aggressively. How I was gonna explain a dislocated shoulder to my man was beyond me. He leaned down and pressed his lips to my ear before growling out. "Don't walk away from me." His soft lips slowly trailed kisses behind my ear, knowing how sensitive the spot was for me. Snaking his arm around my waist, his large hand palmed my round ass, gripping it tightly. I could've turned into a puddle on my living room floor. "Stay quiet for daddy and he won't know."

He won't know. The same exact three words that got me in this mess in the first place.