Fwb

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The morning sunlight crept through the blinds like it was exposing something sacred.

Korina lay on her side, sheets tangled around her thighs, hair a mess, staring at the ceiling like it held answers. Eazy was still beside her, one arm slung across his stomach, his chest rising and falling in slow, even breaths.

She blinked. I really just did that... with Eazy.

She sat up slowly, careful not to wake him, but the bed creaked and he stirred.

His voice came low and groggy. "You leavin' already?"

She glanced over her shoulder. "Didn't mean to wake you."

He rubbed his face and looked at her, softer than usual, like he knew what she was thinking. "You good?"

Korina paused. "I don't know. I think I should be. But..."

Eazy leaned on his elbow. "But you're not."

She sighed, twisting her fingers in her lap. "I wasn't exactly... not seeing someone. It's not official, but still."

He blinked, caught off guard. "Wait-so you got a dude?"

"I wouldn't call him that. We were in that... talking stage. You know?"

Eazy looked at the ceiling for a second. "Damn."

"I didn't mean for this to happen," she added quickly. "I was just... confused. Vulnerable. It wasn't planned."

He looked over at her again. "It didn't feel like a mistake though."

That made her go quiet.

Then he chuckled lightly, a little hurt behind it. "Guess I still got it. Even when I ain't supposed to."

Korina rolled her eyes, but it was half-hearted. "Don't flatter yourself."

He leaned in slightly, brushing a strand of her hair behind her ear. "Look, I ain't gon' lie and act like I regret it... but I get it. We complicated."

"Very," she mumbled.

They sat in silence for a few seconds before he said it:

"Then maybe we don't gotta call it anything. We don't date. We don't pretend. Just... when we need each other... we there."

She looked at him, surprised. "You're saying friends with benefits?"

He nodded once, casual. "Unless you think you'll catch feelings."

She scoffed. "Please. I'm not the one that was all soft in bed last night."

His grin spread across his face. "You wasn't complainin' either."

Korina laughed, shaking her head. "Okay... fine. FWB."

"But nobody knows," he said quickly. "Not the crew, not Navira, nobody."

"Obviously," she said. "You ain't that much of a flex."

He threw a pillow at her. She threw it right back.

Later That Day - Ruthless Studios

It was like nothing happened.

They both entered Ruthless at different times, kept their distance, didn't exchange a glance.

But Navira noticed everything. She sat on the arm of the studio couch, sipping orange soda and eyeing the way Korina walked past Eazy like she hadn't had his name caught between her lips less than twelve hours ago.

Yella cracked jokes in the corner. Dre was already flipping through samples. The crew was alive, electric, like the '80s never left.

"I had this idea," Navira said suddenly, voice cutting through the energy.

Everyone turned.

"What if we dropped another album?" she continued. "A real one. Something bold. Something that feels like the streets again."

"Like what?" Dre asked.

She looked right at Eazy and said it, confidently: "Straight Outta Compton."

Yella choked on his drink. "What? Girl, that name got its own museum."

"I ain't say remake it," she explained. "I'm saying take the same rawness, the same power, and do it again. Like a second chapter. New voices. Same energy."

Ren leaned back. "You serious?"

"Serious enough to write the intro already," she said with a grin, tossing her notebook on the table.

Eazy picked it up, flipping through it. "This ain't half bad."

Navira raised her eyebrow. "Half?"

Eazy laughed. "Alright, alright. You got vision."

Dre clapped his hands. "Let's cook then."

Everyone moved into action. Yella hit the pads. Ren started freestyling with Navira. Korina was quiet, chilling on the couch, but Eazy kept stealing glances - the kind of glances that lasted a half-second too long.

Yella noticed first.

"Yo," he said, "why y'all keep vanishing at the same time?"

Eazy raised his brow. "What you talkin' about?"

Yella pointed between him and Korina. "You. Her. Gone for ten minutes. Then fifteen. Then thirty. This studio not that big, dawg."

Korina played it cool. "Maybe you just bored watching everyone else get action."

Everyone laughed.

But Yella wasn't convinced.

Later - Ren and Eazy on the Balcony

Ren leaned against the railing, same red solo cup in hand. Eazy joined him, lighting a cigarette.

"You good, man?" Ren asked.

"Yeah," Eazy said. "Studio flowin'. What's not to love?"

Ren took a sip. "I'm talkin' about her."

Eazy didn't answer.

"You been weird since this morning," Ren said. "You don't ever miss the studio intro like that. Now you all quiet."

Eazy exhaled smoke slowly. "Nothin' to say."

Ren tilted his head. "So it's true."

"What?"

"You and Korina."

Eazy didn't flinch. "Ain't nothin' official."

"Didn't say it was."

Ren gave him a look, half serious, half amused. "Just know... if you mess it up, that girl got options. And now Navira in the circle? That studio about to get messy."

Eazy chuckled. "Man, we too grown for mess."

Ren snorted. "Right. That's why you out here hiding from it."

Inside, the beats continued. Navira was spitting something raw while Dre nodded along. Korina tapped her foot, scribbling lyrics, pretending not to feel Eazy's gaze every time she looked up.

The fire was silent. But it was burning.