Through The Storm (Eminem Fan Fiction)

Kiss Kiss

Val POV

Moving my car as Marshall watched me was nerve wracking! I was hoping I wouldn't accidentally pull forward and hit Marshall's escalade or back up all the way into the fence. He ran down the driveway towards me and instructed me to just back it around because he decided not to leave yet.

Marshall and I walked back inside Kim's house together, then parted ways for him to go downstairs where both of our daughters were while I stayed in the kitchen to help Kim with the food. I locked eyes with him once more for a moment before he opened a door and started for the basement.

"Oh, he's still here." Kim looked up from slicing veggies, then lowered her voice, "So, is he being fucking respectful?"

"He's fine." I answered quietly.

"Yeah. Marshall definitely likes you, just so you know." She smiled and nodded her head in approval.

Kim finished cutting up the food and moved around the kitchen to grab elegant dinner plates and a fancy serving dish for her guests. Her kitchen was immense, and I felt small in it. You could probably fit our entire apartment in just her dining area. Huge light fixtures hung from the ceiling and shined bright onto the island. Kim had every sort of kitchen utensil and gadget you could imagine. At my home, none of my dishes matched and I had bought my toaster at a yard sale for five bucks.

And the fresh, crisp feeling of the carpet in her living room, the exquisite bold curtains framing her windows. Kim's family pictures were all in fancy wooden frames. I watched her move around her kitchen and must have had a gloomy look on my face as I was feeling that I was failing my children in some ways.

Kim snapped me back into the moment when she said, "If you don't like him back, just tell him to fuck off. He can take it."

"I do though," I spoke slowly and quietly, "kinda like him."

Kim gave me a knowing smile.

I pushed myself off the stool I was sitting on at the island, "I'm gonna go check on my girls."

Marshall POV

Val joined us downstairs as I had been watching Laney and Whitney playing hide and seek with Val's little daughters, and it was the cutest thing I had seen in a long time. They were like little versions of Val herself, with curly dark hair and eyes that shined.

"Mommy!" The older one who I learned was named Cassaundra, jumped excitedly into her mother's arms as she hugged her tight and laughed.

It made me feel good all over.

Laney smiled, "Hey Val, I was just taking these little ladies upstairs to get them something to eat."

"Thank you so much for watching them Laney, I'll be there in a minute. We're probably going to be leaving shortly. I need to be at work early tomorrow."

Laney took the two little girls upstairs holding the baby (Bella) in one arm and Cassaundra's hand in the other. I watched Val walk past me over to the huge sectional couch in Kim's family room to daintily take a seat and cross her legs. I took the hint that she had come down here to do more than just check on her kids, so I went over and sat down next to her.

I didn't know what else to say to spark conversation, so I pointed at her cup to inquire about what kind of alcoholic concoction Kim had given her.

"Watcha drinking there?"

"Oh, just soda." Val gave a big, bright smile. "Anything with sugar and caffeine."

I loved that smile. I just wanted her to press her lips against mine so I could run my tongue over them.

"So, how do you know Kim?" I asked even though I already knew the answer to it.

Val hesitated for a moment, "I kept running into her at the women's center I'm involved with since she's doing her community service there. They've helped me out with a lot of issues I'm going through right now since I'm a... newly single mother." She finished shyly.

"A single mother?" My voice was soft, and I reached over to stroke her leg, "You have no idea how much I respect that."

I leaned in to finally make our lips touch. I couldn't help myself. It wasn't much. It was a small, tender kiss, but it was amazing all the same. Val's eyes got big as saucers and a little smile crept over her face before she turned her head.

"I'm glad you decided to come tonight." I told her as I drew away. "You look young though. Do you mind if I ask how old you are?"

"I'm thirty-two."

"Thirty-two? You wear it well girl." I flirted with her to hear her giggle and vibrations rippled all over my body.

"I usually don't wear this much makeup." Val ran her hands over her soft face. "With the job I have it's not really appropriate."

"What do you do?" I could feel her loosening up to me.

"I'm an assistant at a daycare center." She pursed her plump lips, making me want to kiss them some more. "It's just for now. It's a great help because I can take the girls with me in the morning. Cassaundra gets the bus right from there and Bella can stay with me all day."

"Sounds like you're holdin shit down."

"Yeah, I try. We're doing ok." Val tried to hide another shy smile.

Speaking of Bella, we heard the baby crying from upstairs. Bella wasn't a little baby. She was more like a toddler, maybe a year and a half. She was still learning to walk and was probably getting cranky because it was past her bedtime.

"I gotta get going Marshall." Valentina rose from the couch. "We still have our whole nighttime routine to do, and I get up at 5AM every day."

I didn't want Val to leave, but I to catch a plane in an hour. I got up from the couch too and pulled her into a hug so that she could hopefully sense the same excitement I felt from meeting her that night and could carry that with her later when she pulled the covers up around her.

"Let me get your number before you go." I said low against her hair.

Val did just that, then I helped her and her daughters to their car, strapped the little girls in, and hugged Val one last time so I could take in the sweet scent of her hair once more for the road.