KAREEM'S POV

"If I have to blow up one more balloon then be ready to clean up vomit from all over this floor."Sophia lamented struggling with tying off the balloons knot.

"Why don't you take a rest Soph? Get to working on the music you'll be playing later. Remember keep it pg please, this is a kids party."Diana suggested.

"Finally something I'm actually good at and of course I'll keep it pg, what do you take me for?"Sophia retorted tossing the balloon at her after finally managing to tie it off.

Diana laughed and grabbed it tying together with a string and attaching it to another balloon.

"You about to give up on me too?"Diana asked looking at me from across a table filled with a lot of deflated balloons.

"Not a chance, we're in this together."I replied winking at her.

"Good, it is you niece's birthday after all."Diana replied.

She was right, I didn't have it in me to flake out. Nuru was turning eight and she had been really looking forward to having a party. As her favorite uncle it was my job to make sure she had her hearts desire on her special day.

"Thank you guys again for agreeing to host the party here. You have no idea how hectic it is to find a party space for a kids party. The prices are also outrageous."Jamila said addressing Diana and Salome.

The two ladies had agreed to host the party at the book cafe pleasing both Nuru and Jamila greatly. I was happy too but I didn't make a huge fuss about it like they did.

"It's our pleasure, we adore Nuru, anything to make her day memorable."Salome replied and Diana nodded in agreement.

"I still think we'd have fit everyone in the apartment or the loft."I commented.

"Trust me you do not want twenty or so eight year olds screaming, playing and making a mess in your living space. Plus they will be accompanied by their parents, you couldn't have been able to accommodate such a crowd."Salome reasoned.

They were right in a way, the book cafe was the more practical space and the kids would love it. The theme was all things magic of course to honor Nuru's ultimate love.

"Who is coming to this party by the way?"I asked since I hadn't been included in most of the planning.

"It's less than fifty people Kareem so calm down, mostly Nuru's friends and their parents."Jamila replied.

"That is still a lot of people, do we have enough food? Is the space enough?"I asked sounding anything but myself.

"Look at you going all mama bear on us, don't worry pretty boy, we ladies have got this."Salome replied.

I looked at Diana my eyes narrowed in accusation when I heard what Salome called me.

"I can't believe you told her."I whisper yelled.

"What's wrong pretty boy? You look a little flushed?"Jamila teased and I became even more mortified.

"You told her too?"

Diana shrugged at me, putting a balloon on her mouth to blow it up just so she could get out of replying. Ever since Ashton had called me a pretty boy face when he had punched me two weeks ago, Diana had been calling me that on occasion to tease me. Looks like she had clued in my sister and Salome. I would never hear the end of it.

"Of course she did, we're her best friends, she tells us everything."Salome replied making me grunt in displeasure.

"She does? You do?!"I asked defensively directing that last question to Diana.

"Of course I do they are my best friends."Diana declared loudly enough for both ladies to hear.

She then looked at me and mouthed the word no shaking her head subtly so the other two ladies wouldn't see. I hid my smile behind a balloon proud of my girl. I didn't have issues with Diana having friends and sharing what she wanted with them but there were things that were too intimate and just for the both of us.

"I love you."I mouthed back making her smile.

"So how's living together working out for you two?"Salome asked.

"I thought she told you everything, you should already have that information."I retorted.

"Don't be a smart mouth Kareem and tell us how you two are fairing."Jamila scolded.

I looked at Diana giving her the go ahead to reply.

"It's been good, we're still learning a lot about each other. It's been a bit of an adjustment but we're making it work."Diana explained.

"Yeah plus the sex is awesome and unlimited."I commented.

All three ladies grunted and rolled their eyes at me simultaneously.

"Such a typical male response. So have you had any fights? Disagreed about something?"Salome asked.

Diana and I looked at each other trying to recall the past two weeks but nothing came to mind.

"No we haven't, life's great."I grinned happily that things were going so well.

"So you want to tell me that the both of you have been living together for two weeks and haven't disagreed about a single thing?"Jamila asked.

"No we haven't argued about anything."Diana insisted.

Jamila and Salome looked at each other sharing a weird look.

"Why are you two looking at each other like that?"I inquired.

"We just thought that you'd be over the honeymoon phase by now."Jamila answered.

"What honeymoon phase?"I asked.

"You know the one where you're both still putting your best foot forward even if you're now living together. I thought you guys moved in together to give your relationship a taste of the real experience of cohabitating but you still aren't there yet."Salome explained further.

"We're not skirting around each other. We do things that the doesn't exactly approve of."Diana commented and I nodded my head vigorously in support.

"Oh yeah like what. Name two things each that you do that the other doesn't like."Jamila demanded.

Diana and I looked at each other backed to a corner. We both tried hard to think about something and Diana was the first to speak.

"I don't like how Kareem sometimes forgets to put the toilet seat down after he's done."Diana commented randomly.

It was true, I forgot a lot but it wasn't my fault, I was still adjusting.

"Oh please all men do that. I've been with Ashton for years and he still does that no matter how many times I complain."Salome retorted.

"That was one, what about you Kareem? What does Diana do that you don't like?" Jamila asked.

"Nothing, I like everything she does."I mumbled out.

"She will still have sex with you tonight, be honest and tell us just one thing."Jamila insisted.

I looked at my sister unimpressed by her statement before turning to Diana who was smiling at me encouragingly.

"Okay fine, I don't like how she always forgets to put on house slippers no matter how many times I scold her. The floors are very cold and I don't want her to get sick."I replied.

Salome and Jamila both groaned out loud in exasperation.

"I'm sorry, what do you two want from from us?"I asked.

"You two are impossible. See what we're talking about, honeymoon phase."Salome insisted.

"Stop with the honeymoon phase bullshit please, my relationship with Diana is different from what you guys experienced. Let us be who we are, we'll grow at own own pace."I demanded not in the mood to entertain their meddling anymore.

Jamila and Salome looked down the weight of my words hitting them hard.

"You're right, we're sorry for meddling."Jamila apologized.

"Yeah sorry."Salome mumbled.

"Good apologies accepted, let's get back to work then. We have guests coming soon."I replied picking up another balloon.

Diana and I shared a look before getting back to blowing up balloons.

As much as I'd told off the two meddling ladies I couldn't help but think about their words. Diana and I had moved in together so that we could grow together as a couple, learn what made the other tick and get compresencefortable to be in each others without hiding anything. In as much as we had moved in together, were we learning anything new about each other or we were just bullshitting each other?

"Babe can you please help me out with something in the store, I think there are more decorations in there that we can use."Diana requested interrupting my train of thought.

"Yeah of course, let's go."I replied absentmindedly.

Diana got up and I did too following her to the storage room. When we got there she turned on the light and turned around to face me.

"You're thinking about it too aren't you?"I asked noticing the look on her face.

"Yeah how could I not, do you think they are right?"She asked wrapping her arms around herself.

"I don't know."I shrugged taking a seat on one of the tables in there.

The last time Diana and I had been in the store room she had agreed to come for the coast trip with me. That trip set the motion right for our relationship propelling us forward to the moment we were in.

"I mean we can't find anything wrong with each other and its been two weeks. We're either pretending or deserve perfect couple of the year award."Diana commented making me smile.

"Is there a part of you that you are hiding from me? Are there things you did in your own apartment that you don't do in ours because you're afraid I'll judge you, be honest please, it's just me."I asked Diana.

She looked at me before taking a seat on the chair in front of me.

"To be completely honest, yes."She admitted.

"Me too."I said being honest with her too.

"So those two were right, we're still playing perfect for each other to stay in the honeymoon phase."Diana pointed out.

"Yeah looks like it but they can never know or we'll never hear the end of it."I said.

Diana made a zipping gesture with her fingers against her lips before dramatically tossing the key away.

"Now that we've both admitted that we've been keeping our real selves from each other what do you propose we do?"Diana asked getting up so she was standing between my parted legs.

"No more bullshit, complete honesty. We have to be real with each other if this is gonna work."I replied.

"Real one hundred percent."Diana agreed looping her arms around my neck.

"I love you."I whispered leaning in so our lips were a breath away.

"I love you too."Diana replied cupping my face to bring my face closer to hers.

Just before our lips could meet I felt something crawling up my back. My back arched immediately and I sat straight up.

"Please tell me you've grown a third arm and its caressing my back right now."I said quietly my breath beginning to get harsh.

"No, maybe it's a spider, we've got quite a few of those in here. Let me...." I didn't hear the rest of Diana's statement because I was too busy pushing her away to run for my life.

I was vaguely aware of someone screaming but it wasn't Diana since she was begging me to stop skipping around so she could check for the spider. I was the one screaming so I stopped and quickly took off my t-shirt tossing it as far away from me as possible.

"Baby calm down."Diana demanded reaching for the t-shirt.

"Leave it alone."I whisper yelled scared for her.

"You need your t-shirt back, I'll be fine."She replied picking it up.

I stood as far away from her as I could plastered to the door, my hand on the knob ready to bolt. Diana turned the t-shirt inside out but there was nothing on it.

"You must have tossed it away when you jumped."She said handing it to me.

I just looked at it skeptically because in my eyes there were still spiders on it.

"I'm not wearing that again."I said taking it with the tips of my fingers and tossing it away.

"Okay we'll find something else for you to wear, for now, let's talk about what just happened."Diana requested.

Only after the t-shirt was away from me was I able to breath easier. I looked at Diana who was looking at me with amusement written all over her face.

"I might have a teansy weansy fear of spiders."I admitted.

"You call that tiny. Kareem you literally jumped three feet away from me, your fear is nothing but little."Diana contradicted.

I sighed defeated knowing there was no way out of it.

"You're right, I'm deathly scared of spiders, I have been ever since I was a child. I've never been able to overcome it."I confessed.

"Just spiders? Can you handle snakes or frogs?"Diana asked.

"Yeah just spiders."

"But they are so small and most of them are harmless."Diana reasoned.

"Believe me I've tried to tell myself that but I can never stop imagining them with their eight legs and three body parts crawling all over me, eating me alive."I explained.

"It's okay babe, we all have a fear, mine is chickens. Unless it's dead, cooked and on a plate then I just can't."Diana consoled.

I smiled feeling relieved.

"So you're not going to laugh at me?"I asked.

"Of course not, I mean you did scream like a little girl but I can't laugh when I know it's not something you can control."Diana said making me smile.

I walked towards her and pulled into my arms kissing the breath out of her.

"And that's why I want us to work out, I don't want to share my deepest fears with anyone else but you."I said against her lips when we pulled apart.

"I love you and every little bit of you, even your fears."Diana said making my love for her grow.

I kissed her forehead before stepping aside.

"Well since you won't wear your t-shirt, you can wear this. It's going to be a little tight on you but it'll do."Diana said grabbing a t-shirt from one of the many boxes in there.

She checked for spiders to be funny but I actually took it seriously. It was black t-shirt was the cafe's name and logo at the back.

"One of Salome's failed ideas."Diana explained.

I shrugged it on and just like Diana had warned me it was a little snug but it fit.

"Let's get back before they think we flaked. That looks good on you by the way, I can't wait to take it off you later."She said wriggling her eyebrows at me as she grabbed a box and left me behind gaping at her.

It took me a few seconds to come back to my senses and follow after her.

"You're dressed different and we heard screams. You're lucky none of the guests have arrived. Shame on both of you."Salome scolded as soon as we rejoined them.

I looked at her confused, wondering where all the hostility was coming from. When it registered in mind what she was accusing us of I opened my mouth to defend us but Diana was already on it.

"When mama wants papi provides so quit badgering us."Diana demanded.

She didn't out me to her best friends and that simple omission made me love her even more.

I kissed her softly before taking my seat and continuing with my work. Thankfully the conversation turned lighter after that.

We managed to decorate the bookcafe just in time before the guests started arriving. Nuru arrived with her bestfriend and her mom when the party was already in full swing. She loved her party, especially the Harry Potter black and gold themed cake Salome had baked for her.

"Happy birthday munchkin, you're a year older now. Will you still be my little girl?"I asked Nuru when we found some alone time.

"Of course uncle, until I'm ten though or when you and Diana have your own little ones."Nuru replied sounding older than her age.

"Well until that happens you'll always be my little girl and even if Diana and I have own kids you'll always be my number one munchkin."I replied kissing her cheek.

"You promise?"She asked.

"I promise."I assured her.

Nuru buried her face in my neck hugging me tight. I'd meant what I'd told her, even if Diana and I had our own kids I'd always consider Nuru my first born, she wasn't my daughter but was my blood and I had raised her as my own.

Nuru's friends called her so I put her down and let her join them.

"You'll be a great dad someday, you already are actually."Diana commented next to me.

I hadn't even realized that she had joined me.

"Is this you trying to tell me something?"I teased pulling closer to me.

"You wish Najib but you have to put a ring on it first."She replied smiling.

"I will, when the time is right. For now let me enjoy you a little bit longer without having to share you. And besides I like practicing baby making, it's fun."I said with wink earning me an elbow jab but she was blushing too.

"Come in you big oaf, let's go get some cake."Diana said pulling me with her.

I smiled and let her pull me along knowing I'd follow her to the ends of the world.

🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻

My Wattpad glitched yesterday and I was locked out of my account for a few hours. A few panic attacks later and I got it fixed. I can't imagine life without wattpad, interacting with my readers, reading your comments, updating for you guys. Wattpad is a vital part of my life and you guys are important to me.

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