~Love, Voices & Chocolate~

Home.

Okay, that's a collage of the gorgeous people that'll be appearing in this final chapter. Here's the lowdown:

Jazzmyne Robbins (top left) as Lolonyo
Meg Otanwa (top right) as Kukua
Hunter Schafer (bottom left) as Grace
Tom Hardy (bottom right) as Eddie Brock Snr.

MJ bit the inside of her lip, amused as her South African friend, Lolonyo, sent her puppy dog eyes. It had been a quiet ride from the apartment to the airport; a strange change because Lolonyo was never the quiet type. MJ's actual roommate was a Ghanaian and had hugged her goodbye. Now, she was the quiet type. It had been the greatest pleasure, something like her last good act in the wonderful country to formally introduce Kukua and Lolonyo before she left forever.

South Africa was the best country on the African continent to go to if you were a member of the lgbtq+ community. Sure, there was still some discrimination but Kukua had chosen to study there because of her hidden orientation; one Lolonyo wore proudly in random rainbow-related items in every outfit she wore.

MJ was guilty of shipping them hard but they had never really spoken, thanks to Kukua's lack of interest in Lo and her loudness. Still, now that MJ told Lolonyo she needed her to watch over the girl, she had a feeling sparks were destined to fly. She hoped she would tell her all about it someday so she could brag about how it was her doing.

"Oh... No, no, no, no!" MJ spun around, sure her friend had dropped something. The bigger woman ran her hand over her lowcut, dyed red hair and teasingly licked her nose ring when MJ glanced at her bizarrely. Yep, Kukua would definitely thank her, she couldn't help but hope. There was something there. She could feel it.

And then, as it tended to, her mind flitted off to a boy she hadn't seen in four long years. What the hell was the idiot doing still popping up in her mind? The cute, sweet, strong idiot who was making her weak at the knees through thought alone? You would have thought the distance and time would push him out but he still showed up as he pleased in her head, filling her with a broken-hearted longing that brought her mood down every time.

"Bra, you can't leave me, now! You can't! It isn't fair. You're so settled here... I know you have your degree now and all but why not just stay, hmm?" Lolonyo rushed to catch up to her as she stalked shakily into the airport, as brave as she tried to make herself seem. She didn't turn around or hear a thing being said until Lolonyo put her hand in hers, gazing at her cautiously while her large hoop earrings swayed from side to side. "So eager to leave me already... But I think I know why."

"My dad-"

"Nee, nee, nee, nee! No! Shut up, MJ, you're thinking about that boy, aren't you?" MJ forced the most real smile she could muster, giving in when Lolonyo stretched out her arms. She sobbed softly, letting a few tears fall and pulled away, shaking herself to get back into the right headspace.

"I just... I should be over it, you know? Sure, it was love but it's been years. I've seen other people, I bet he has, as well..." she wanted to imagine their reunion would be something straight out of a fairytale. He would pick her up, spin her around as she let out surprised giggles and whisper in her ears how much he loved her, how much he wanted to fly all the way there and be with her, how he would never ever let her go. But she had been the one who let him go. She had no right to still want him when she was supposed to be hoping he was happier now than he ever was with her. Instead, her stomach twisted painfully at that thought.

A watery smile came upon her face as more tears spilt out and she wiped them, sighing. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I don't... I shouldn't be crying. Or thinking about him. He is in the past and I'm about to leave you and I don't want to think about it..."