Legacy.
With one of Lucious' unreleased tracks booming out of the speakers, Cookie bobbed her head up and down as she hot pressed Carol's hair for her date with Durrell. Cookie wasn't too keen on her sister's boyfriend. He gave her bad vibes that she just couldn't shake, no matter how politely he would greet her and compliment her pregnancy glow. There was a feeling in the pit of her stomach that she was unable to shake that told her that he wasn't to be trusted.
"Ow! Damn, Cookie!" Carol exclaimed, loudly, snapping her back into reality. "My ear!" she snapped as she pulled away and patted her ear. Cookie quickly withdrew the hot comb with an apologetic smile. She had been so caught up in her thoughts that she'd forgotten about Carol, seated between her thighs and round pregnancy belly. "I knew I shouldn't have asked you with that damn baby brain of yours."
Cookie sucked her teeth and popped her sister in the head with the rattail comb. "Shut up." she demanded before she beckoned her eldest son to come over when she began to choke on the clouded air from the sizzling comb and hair products. "Andre, baby, open the window for your Mama." Andre rose from the floor from where he and Jamal were playing with their trucks and pushed away the curtain drapes to crack open a window to let the room breathe. An eager Jamal jumped to his feet and came to sit beside his Mother. Cookie smiled as she stroked the top of her son's head. "Yes?"
"Can I help you do Aunt Carol's hair?" he questioned, optimistically, with wide brown eyes peering up at her brightly.
Cooke hesitated, knowing how Lucious felt about Jamal entertaining 'feminine' activities. Cookie didn't see the harm, but she really didn't feel like getting into an argument with her husband over his homophobic tendencies. Cookie debated for a few moments as Jamal leaned his head on her shoulder and rubbed her belly, occasionally giggling when his unborn sibling would kick against his hand.
"Where's your Daddy?" she eventually asked with pursed lips.
"In the garage," Jamal answered which meant Lucious was occupied making music. "So, can I, Mama?" he asked once more.
Reluctantly, Cookie bowed her head. "Sure, baby," she agreed as she slowly rose to her feet. "You help Aunt Carol and I'll help your Daddy with his music," she told her son with a smile. When she stood up, she rested her hand on Carol's shoulder and sighed, heavily. Cookie was so pregnant that merely standing to her feet took the energy out of her.
She peered down at her belly with disbelief. She still couldn't believe she was baking her and Lucious' third baby. Another damn kid. Like it wasn't hard enough to put food down on the table for four bellies already. However, when Lucious had found out about his new cub, it was fair to say that financial worries were far from his mind.
"Lucious!" Cookie had shouted from the toilet, where she held the positive pregnancy stick in one hand whilst the other pressed against her forehead in despair. "Get yo' black ass in here!"
Lucious came barrelling into the bathroom, looking fine as hell in a black tank top and basketball shorts further angering Cookie as she saw the reason why they were in this situation again. Her husband leaned against the doorframe and eyed Cookie as he stroked the top of his head adorned with a durag.
"Is that-"
Cookie glanced from her husband to the test before nodding. "You've done it again."
Lucious laughed at her remark before he strolled toward her. "Me? This is a two-way effort, baby," he chuckled as he crouched down in front of her and took the stick from her hands. Cookie pursed her lips. "Another baby huh?"
"How are we even going to afford it, Lucious? I mean, we're barely making enough as it is, and I don't want you back on them streets more than you need to be unless it's for the music-"
"Baby, baby, honey," Lucious swiftly interrupted her tangent, gently taking her hands in his. "We got this." He affirmed, firmly. Cookie took a deep breath and squeezed his hands. "Stop stressin'," he murmured as he pressed his forehead against hers and murmured words of comfort.
"It's my job to stress," she joked, but she was serious. Lucious breezed through life without the worry of repercussions. If Cookie didn't worry for him and their family, no one else would. "Just one more wouldn't hurt, I guess." She mumbled, reluctantly. "This is the last one, though." Lucious hummed with disagreement as a grin sat smugly on his face. "I'm being serious! No more babies after this one, Lucious."
"We'll see about that," he joked before pecking her lips, sweetly. "Betta pray this one's a baby girl or else we gon' have to try again."
The corners of Cookie's lips rose up into a smile. "You not slick. Trying to sweeten me into having more babies." Lucious chuckled as he laid his head in her lap. "Pushing out your two big head ass having sons was torture." she reminded as she stroked his cheek.
"Our kids are legends in the making, baby. The pain is worth it."
Cookie scoffed. "Says the man."
Cookie followed the sound of her husband's melody into the garage to see him with tense shoulders playing the Casio. As she got closer, she could immediately hear that the beat was missing something. With a soft smile on her face when she heard him growl, loudly, with frustration, Cookie strolled toward Lucious and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Like magic, he instantly relaxed in her embrace. Cookie kissed his cheek as he stretched his hand out to stroke her belly.
She felt his smile as she rested her head against his. "What's it missing, baby?" he questioned, exasperatedly, as he pushed out his seat to give her room to situate herself on his lap.
"Play it again." She told him with narrowed eyes of concentration. Lucious grunted but began to play the beat again. "You've gotta increase the tempo, man. Chase the beat because right now the beat is chasing you." Taking her wise words into consideration, Lucious worked his fingers on the keyboard faster and just like that, a smile grew on his face. "There you go."
"What would I do without you, woman?" he asked, incredulously. Cookie laughed as she wrapped her arms around his neck and stroked the nape of his neck. "I wanna show you something," he announced, tapping her thigh in gesture for her to stand up. With an exhausted sigh, Cookie rose to her feet long enough to let Lucious stand before dropping back down into the chair. "Little man's really knocking the energy outta you, isn't he, baby?"
With a nod, Cookie rubbed her stomach. "I can't wait to get him out," she confessed. Lucious smiled and came to rest his hand on top of hers and rubbed circles around her belly. "He's gonna be a handful. I can just tell." Her eyes narrowed playfully at her husband. "Just like his Daddy." Lucious peered down at her with a mischievous gleam in his hazel eyes. "But, what you gotta show me? Hurry up before I needa go pee."
Lucious laughed before rummaging through a storage box to present Cookie with his tattered art book. "Look, honey," he flipped the page open and tapped his fingertip on a drawing of a gold record. "You're always telling me to manifest the future, right?" Cookie nodded. "Well, here I am, manifesting all those gold plaques we're gon' have in the future."
Cookie smiled, proudly, at her husband. "It looks amazing, Lucious."
"And, whatchu think about this being our company logo? Empire," he breathed out. Cookie nodded, vigorously.
"I think...I married a genius."
Lucious cupped her face and kissed her lips, deeply. "We gon' take this music industry by storm."
Cookie hummed in agreement. "Me and you gonna change the world, and leave one hell of a legacy behind for our boys."
He kissed her again. "Man, I love you."
Cookie caressed his cheek. "If you love me, can you carry me to the bathroom because I'm about to piss myself."
Lucious threw his head back with laughter before scooping Cookie into his arms like she weighed nothing, and strode to the bathroom.
"Oh, and Lucious?" He hummed. "I love you, too."
-
Do you want more 'back in the day' one shots?
