5. "it's A New Day, Let's Go" | Riri Williams X Reader

5. "it's a new day, let's go" | Riri Williams x Reader

Summary: Can you build a future when your girlfriend is still looking back?

Rating: PG-13

Genre: Romance, angst, fluff

Word Count: 628

A/N: Here we are with Fictober Day 5. And I'm finally writing for Riri! Feedback always appreciated <3

Taglist: @lyfeofbilly @prettymrswright @onyxstones-world

You’d been free for a month now, trying your best to get your life together, but Riri had only been out for a few days, and already, it was like she couldn’t sit still.

The apartment wasn’t much, but it was something—a place to start over. You’d spent the past few weeks getting it set up, making it cozy. Sure, it wasn’t glamorous, but after everything, you were grateful just to have a space that was yours. That you worked for. Riri, though? She had other ideas.

She was pacing around again, her energy bouncing off the walls. The little living room, the one you had taken so much pride in decorating, felt like it couldn’t contain her.

“Ay, we gotta make sumn shake.” Riri muttered, barely loud enough for you to hear, but you caught it.

You sighed, glancing at her. “Riri, what is it now?”

She turned to you, eyes wide, like she was ready to spring into action. “We can’t live like this. You think this is it? I can’t sit here and play house while we broke. I ain’t built for it.”

Your stomach dropped. You’d been waiting for this. You knew it was coming, but that didn’t make it any easier. “We ain’t broke, Riri. I got this place. I got a job lined up. We gon’ be alright.”

Riri scoffed, shaking her head. “A job? What, they paying you pennies an hour to clean up after other people? We could be getting plenty bread if we made one move. Just one. You know that.”

You stood up, crossing your arms, trying to keep calm. “Riri, we just got out. You really wanna go back to all that? We got a chance here. We can do this the right way.”

Riri’s face twisted in frustration. “I was locked up for eight months, listening to folks who ain’t never had shit talk about what was finna happen when they got out. They don’t know what the fuck going on. But we know what’s good, baby. Don’t act like you ain’t miss it.”

“I don’t,” you shot back, firmer this time. “I don’t miss any of it. What, you wanna always be looking over your shoulder? Waiting to get caught again?”

Riri stepped closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. “You know I ain’t scared of that. We were good at it. I just hate seeing you in here, tryin' to make it work on scraps. You deserve better.”

You looked around the small apartment, feeling a pang of frustration yourself. It wasn’t perfect, but it was a start. “I got better. I got us this apartment. We ain’t livin’ fancy, but we free. Ain’t that enough?”

Riri’s eyes softened a little, but she was still restless, like she was fighting a battle inside. “I don’t wanna see you struggling, Mama. I wanna give you more than this. You know I could.”

You reached out and took her hand, pulling her closer to you. “We don’t need more. We need this. A real shot. I worked hard for this place, Riri. I ain’t finna throw it all away just ‘cause we miss the money. We gotta be smart now.”

She stared at you, the tension in her shoulders easing a little, but she still looked torn. “But what if it ain’t enough?”

You held her hand tighter, locking eyes with her. “It’s enough for now. It’s a new day, let’s go. We got each other, and that’s what matters. We’ll make it, but we gotta stay straight.”

For a moment, Riri was quiet, then she let out a long breath, her whole body relaxing. “Aight,” she mumbled, though there was still a flicker of doubt in her voice. “We’ll do it your way. For now.”

May Cash Gabby bring you all the blessings you deserve this year.

7. "follow me if you want to live." | Janelle Monáe x Reader

Summary: A cozy night in with your lady <3.

Rating: PG

Genre: Romance, fluff

Word Count: 243

A/N: Wow, we've already made it through a full week of October. I think it has felt nice prioritizing this little hobby of mine these days. The past few months have been particularly stressful for me, and this community has been a perfect escape. I hope you all are enjoying reading these stories as much as I enjoy writing them.

Taglist: @lyfeofbilly @prettymrswright @onyxstones-world

You were stretched out on the couch, your legs tangled with Janelle’s as the soft glow of the TV flickered in the dark room. She was next to you, completely locked in on Detroit: Become Human, her fingers gliding over the controller like she’d done it a million times. You were trying to keep up, but honestly, it felt like she was always two steps ahead.

“Princess,” she said suddenly, her voice low but playful. She didn’t even look away from the screen. “You’re gonna have to follow me if you want to live.”

You laughed, fumbling with the controller as your character rushed after hers. “I’m trying! You’re too fast.”

Janelle grinned, her warm brown eyes still fixed on the game. “You panic under pressure. It’s cute.”

“Cute?” you shot back, bumping your shoulder into hers, though your heart was racing a little faster now. “I’m trying to save us.”

Her laugh filled the room, and for a second, it didn’t even matter that the game was getting intense. You glanced over at her, the way she was so calm and in control, the mischievous smile tugging at her lips. It was impossible not to get caught up in how effortlessly she made everything fun.

And for a moment, as the game continued to flash across the screen, all you could focus on was her—the way her laughter wrapped around you, making everything feel like it was exactly where it should be.

Writers should NOT feel guilty about:

Skipping a day of writing.

Not having a perfect first draft.

Partaking in sinister, arcane rituals for inspiration.

Working at their own pace.

Enlisting demons and/or helpful spirits to aid them with editing.

6. "I'm not giving up" | Riri Williams x Reader

Summary: Can you build a future when your girlfriend is still looking back?

Rating: Mature (due to language)

Genre: Romance, angst

Word Count: 533

A/N: So we have made it to Day 6 of Fictober! Everyone seemed to want the drabble from yesterday to continue, which I agree is a good idea. I'll keep the word count low so I can continuously update this alongside the other stories I'm working on. Feedback always appreciated <3

Taglist: @lyfeofbilly @prettymrswright @onyxstones-world @pvnks0ul

You stood at the sink, scrubbing the dishes from another long day, but your mind wasn’t on the soap suds or the dull hum of the kitchen lights. No, you were replaying the conversation with Riri over and over. You'd told her it was enough for now, but in truth, things weren’t fine.

The pay from the dental office was short again—second time this month. You could barely cover rent, let alone the bills that kept stacking up. Going to your evening dental assistant program was the only thing that gave you a sense of hope, but even that was wearing you down.

Riri walked into the kitchen, leaning against the counter, watching you with that sharp, calculating gaze of hers. "You ain't told me how work was today."

You shook your head, gripping the sponge tighter. "Same as always. Pay was short again."

Riri scoffed. "The fuck? We supposed to keep living like this? You finna let them keep punking you out your money like that, Ma?"

"Riri, I don't have time for another job right now. I'm going to school every night—"

"Yeah, for that certificate shit," Riri interrupted, folding her arms. "Look, I get it. You got dreams. That's cute, real cute, but at this rate, you finna be working these bullshit jobs for the next ten years just to pay off the student loans. And where that leave us? Still scraping by."

You put the plate down, wiping your hands on a rag as you turned to face her. “I’m not giving up. You think scrubbing toilets and mopping floors is easy? I’m doing everything I can.”

Riri sighed, running a hand over her face. "I ain't saying you not, but you gotta see reality, baby. If things don’t start looking up soon, I might have no choice but to go back to my old ways."

Your chest tightened. “What you tryna say?"

"I'm saying, I can hold us down," she said softly, but there was a hardness in her voice. "But I ain’t about to sit here and watch you kill yourself over chump change. We got options. I’m not letting us starve just 'cause you wanna play by the rules."

You took a deep breath, trying to steady the frustration bubbling up. “Riri, I’m not about to throw away everything I’m working for just ‘cause things are rough right now. I know it’s hard, but we can’t go back. Not now.”

Riri stepped closer, her voice lowering. "And what if you don’t make it through that program? What if they keep shorting your checks? You ever think about that?"

You swallowed, feeling the weight of her words, but you held your ground. "I’m making it through. One day. I’mma even get a degree. I’ll get there, Riri. I just need time."

She studied you for a moment, then nodded, but you could still see the tension in her brown eyes. "Aight, I hear you. But if things don’t change soon, we gon’ need a different plan. I love you, but I can't sit still forever."

You watched her walk out of the kitchen, her words lingering in the air like a storm cloud that hadn't quite passed.