☀️ʙᴀʙʏᴍᴀᴍᴀ✓

ƒσυятєєη

"mani, i laid some clothes out for you." i heard tendo say from outside of the bathroom. "thank you!" i yelled back. tendo wasn't lying, the haircare products were legit.

shea moisture.

mielle.

camille rose.

i mean it was in here.

my hair had gone back to its original state which was curly. i usually had it straighten because it was easier to work with especially since i had a three year old. i tried not to let most of my dead hair go down the drain, i didn't want to fuck up tendo's house and i just got here.

i turned the water off and got out of the shower before grabbing a towel. damn his towels were soft. i walked out of the bathroom and into tendo's room. it was also minimalistic in here. i tried to take a shower in the guest bedroom but tendo wasn't having that.

so i showered in his bathroom.

i saw the clothes he laid out and it was one of his t-shirts with some shorts. i wrapped my hair with my towel and got dressed. i felt so tired all of a sudden. "tendo, im done!" i yelled to him where ever he might be. i let my hair down and felt the water drip down my back on the clean shirt. i cringed and dried some of it with a towel. "i'm here. ready?" tendo asked and i nodded, water going everywhere. tendo smiled and sat down on the bed. "c'mere." he waved over and i sat on the floor between his legs, but not before he laid down a pillow under my butt.

"you know i''m tender headed so don't tug too hard." i reminded and tendo hummed. "i know." i started to feel his finger gently comb through my curls, pulling them apart slowly so he didn't tug too hard. i started to smell the comforting pomegranate and honey scent from the styling gel waft through my nose. "you're good at this." i mumbled, his hands slightly massaging my scalp. "i know." i could feel him smirking at me.

i could feel myself falling asleep as my head moved slowly to lay on his thigh. "you okay?" he asked and i shrugged. "Just so tired lately and stressed..." i started, his hands taking a comb to get the tangles out of the ends of my curls. "things have been hard without help and with trey being in jail-."

"trey?" tendo interrupted, pausing on my hair. my eyes popped open and i face palmed. "shit! i didn't mean to say all that." i jumped up and started to walk away. "hey! " tendo grabbed my arm and pulled me back so i didn't go far. "i wasn't judging, armani. i was just asking." he calmed me down and i nodded slowly. "I'm sorry, i was just...fuck." instead of placing me on the floor again, he simply placed me on his lap and wrapped his arms around me. "you're warm." i whispered as i shivered.

tendo's hands found a place on my waist, slightly running under my (his) shirt and his thumb just rubbed against my skin. "so...who is trey?" he whispered and i gulped, pursing my lips together. "he's aran's cousin...someone who i started dating while i was pregnant with akari." i explained. "uh huh, what else should i know?" he tilted his head, trying to gain my eye contact but i couldn't hold it. "he got caught doing illegal shit and now he's trynna get me to come see him."

"does he wanna see akari?"

i nodded, "i don't want him to though. i don't think he has the right to see her." i mumbled under my breath. tendo hummed, still rubbing my skin with his thumb under the shirt. "you got me now." he suggested and i shook my head. "i don't like relying on people for help. i like to do things myself." i answered.

"maniii, you gotta accept some of the help. im not gonna take no for an answer. she's my daughter too." he squeezed my sides and i laughed. "yeah okay, fine." i rolled my eyes. "amazing. now sit back down so i can finish your hair, you child." he teased and i flicked him on the forehead. "i don't like you."