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noirsfantasy · 6 months

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On the fourth day of Christmas...

𝔄 𝔇𝔢𝔠𝔢𝔪𝔟𝔢𝔯 𝔗𝔬 ℜ𝔢𝔪𝔢𝔪𝔟𝔢𝔯 𝔭𝔱. 𝟐

𝔭𝔞𝔦𝔯𝔦𝔫𝔤 ➛ Actor!Michael B Jordan x OC!Naomi Samuels

𝔯𝔞𝔱𝔦𝔫𝔤 ➛ Fluff

𝔴𝔬𝔯𝔡 𝔠𝔬𝔲𝔫𝔱 ➛ 6.2K

𝔰𝔶𝔫𝔬𝔭𝔰𝔦𝔰 ➛ Naomi decides to go to the Christmas market with Michael, Dan, Ashanti, Teresa, and her husband James. Grandmother gives them an activity to do while they're out. A Christmas scavenger hunt. They decide to split into teams and Naomi ends up on a team with Michael... and Ashanti. It's looking like it will be an eventful day.

𝔞/𝔫 ➛ Y'all, why are there actually no Christmas movies with Michael B Jordan in them??? This man was made for the holidays! all I can say is that I'm wishing for him to be under my tree come Christmas day. But in all seriousness, this story is so fun to write and I just have so many ideas. Please let me know your thoughts and enjoy!

12 Days of Christmas Masterlist

Part 1 Here

Part 3 Here

The morning sun spills its golden hues into my room. I groan as the light reaches my eyes, causing me to squint. I sit up in my bed, grateful that my scarf stayed on the entire night. Glancing at my calendar, I note that it's only six days until Christmas. I try not to focus on the fact that I'll be spending those six days with Michael B Jordan, the idea is still unbelievable to me. It's a bit chilly, so I make sure I have a warm pair of socks on before heading downstairs.

As I step into the kitchen, the enticing aroma of breakfast greets me. The lively chatter of family members already fills the air as they prepare for the day. I notice my grandmother sitting at the table, sipping her coffee. She's always been an early riser.

"Good morning, Mimi," she greets me with a warm smile. "Did you sleep well?"

"Morning, Grandmother. I slept like a baby. It's a bit cold in here, though." I reply, giving a small shiver and rubbing my hands together as I return her smile. "Can we turn the heat up?" Grandmother gives me a knowing grin.

"Oh no, darling. We not running up my electric bill. It is fine where it's at." She shakes her head and I sigh softly, rubbing my arms to heat them up. I turn to walk away, but she starts to speak again.

"Why don't you go find that young man and ask him to light the fireplace for you? I know he's somewhere around here." She suggests, her grin growing. "You know, since you're so cold," she chuckles, sipping from her mug again. I smile and roll my eyes as I get up and head to go look for him.

I make my way through the corridors of my childhood home, the wooden floor creaking slightly as I walk along the boards. It's still early, but most of the house is already awake and alive with the energy of this holiday season. After a brief detour through the kitchen, where my aunts mingle as usual, I head towards the den. There, sitting on the couch, I find Michael, deep in conversation with my younger twin cousins, Matthew and Mason.

"Hey, guys. What y'all talkin' 'bout?" I ask as I shuffle over to stand in front of them. The twins look up with wide eyes, clearly still starstruck by the presence of the famous actor. Michael flashes them a friendly smile, instantly putting the young boys at ease.

"We were just telling Michael about our favorite superhero movies!" Mason exclaims, his excitement palpable as he holds onto his Incredible Hulk toy.

"Who's your favorite superhero, Michael?" Matthew chimes in, listening eagerly. Michael leans back onto the couch, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"Is it Killmonger?" Mason questions.

"Killmonger in some ways, could be seen as a hero with a lot of depth and character. But he's technically a villain." He explains. "I'd have to say that Spider-Man is my favorite superhero, but I did enjoy playing Killmonger." Matthew and Mason giggle at Michael's reply and I smirk, finding it endearing.

"But the real question is, which Spider-Man?" I ask in a teasing tone. Michael raises his eyebrows at me.

His expression immediately lights up as he recognizes my attempt at taunting him. He gives me a small smile and laughs.

"Oh come on now, Mimi, you know that doesn't even have to be a question. It's obviously Tom Holland."

"No!" both boys reply in unison, laughing and shaking their heads.

"It's obviously gotta be Toby! He's the original!" Mason shouts and Matthew nods enthusiastically.

"Well, personally, I think Andrew Garfield was the best," I add. The boys go silent and stare at me with disappointed looks.

"No offense, Mimi, but you've let us down," Matthew says, shaking his head slowly. I look at them shocked as they look back at me awkwardly.

"What? Why can't I have my own opinion on this?" I question with a laugh.

"You're just not cool like Michael is." Mason shrugs his shoulders and Michael raises his eyebrows in surprise.

"Wowwww," I cross my arms in fake offense. "You know what? You boys haven't brushed your teeth this morning, have you?" I purse my lips at them and they drop their shoulders.

"No..." They both say as they slowly get up from the couch, groaning in protest.

"Uh uh, I don't wanna hear it. You got so much to say but you ain't even got clean teeth. Shameful." I taunt, causing Michael to laugh. "Make sure that Jessie girl brushes as well!" I call after them. Their mopey mood is replaced by a competitive one as they begin to challenge each other to who can get to their sister the fastest. Michael and I watch in amusement as they leave.

"Did you brush your teeth, Naomi?" He asks, raising an eyebrow. I narrow my eyes at him.

"Let's not go there, right now," I give him a sarcastic smile and he laughs a bit. "I need your help with something," I say, shuffling my feet.

"Sure, what do you need?" He responds, standing up from his seat.

"Well, it's absolutely freezing downstairs. Do you mind lighting the fire for me?" I ask, grinning sheepishly. Michael snickers at the request.

"Fireplace duty, huh? I think I can handle that." He follows me down to the living room and kneels next to the fireplace.

"Thank you," I say as I sit down on the floor in front of the fireplace and lean my back against the couch, watching as he adds the logs and lights a match. As soon as the fire starts to crackle, Michael steps back and glances at me. I realize that, even though it's early in the morning, he's dressed and ready for the day. The only thing he doesn't have on is shoes, but I still feel a bit embarrassed at my appearance. I haven't done anything to my hair and I am in my pjs still.

"You look pretty cozy over there, Naomi." He teases. I side-eye him slightly, turning to look at him as I hold my hands out to feel the heat and wiggle my toes while I let the fire warm my feet.

"I'm just trying not to freeze to death. I hate the cold." I retort, rubbing my hands together. Michael chuckles and sits down next to me, offering me his warmth. He leans his arm on the couch, letting it fall slightly so that his hand hangs over to the side of the couch where I'm sitting.

"Didn't you grow up here in the cold?" He asks, raising an eyebrow as he looks down at me. I smile slightly, letting out a soft sigh.

"I didn't like it then and I don't like it now. It makes me glad I moved to New York. It's at least a little warmer there." I shrug, pulling my knees to my chest so I can be warmer.

"I understand it. I grew up in New Jersey, so I've had my experiences with the cold." He admits. Michael looks over at me, seeing me shiver. "You know, you don't gotta put on this act of being freezing cold." He says and he puts his arm around my shoulder, pulling me to his side. "If you wanted to get close to me, you could've just said so."

I try to contain my shock, blushing at his boldness. My heart is racing and I'm hoping that he doesn't notice.

"It's not like that at all," I mutter, trying to keep my voice steady. He chuckles at my reaction.

"Oh yeah? Then what's it like?" He questions, noticing that I'm completely at a loss for words. I clear my throat and shrug.

"I just feel comfortable with you." I finally say, looking at him from the corner of my eye. I laugh, leaning into his shoulder.

"Better?" He questions as he rubs my arm to warm me.

"Much better. Thanks for the invitation." We both let out a light laugh, leaning back against the couch.

"I've got a question," Michael says after a moment.

"What's up?" I look up at him, realizing just how close to me he is.

"Why do they call you Mimi?" As he asks this, I stifle my laughter.

"Oh, God. That nickname haunts me everywhere I go!" I cover my face with my hands and Michael laughs at my reaction.

"What's wrong with it? I think it's cute." He winks at me playfully.

"It's little girl cute. Other names have cool nicknames like you have Mike and Daniel has Dan. But I just have this lil cutesy nickname, Mimi. Makes me sound like a kid." I rant adorably. Michael continues laughing until he composes himself.

"If it bothers you then why don't you choose a new nickname?" He suggests and I raise my eyebrow at him in confusion.

"Like what?" I question, doubting there's anything better for me. He thinks for a moment and then smiles when he's got it.

"Nao." He says waving his hand as if the name is supposed to appear out of thin air. I look deadpan at him and he starts laughing once more, a genuine smile on his face.

"Nao?" I raise my eyebrow even higher.

"You know, like Ne-yo, but cooler. Nao..." He does the thing with his hand again and I shake my head, giggling.

He continues to laugh as I mutter, "You're so corny." I roll my eyes at him and he gives me a playful shove.

"Well, you love it." He teases and I cross my arms. "So are you gonna consider the nickname or not?" He questions and I pause. My eyes shift to the side and a slow smile spreads across my face.

"I guess anything is better than Mimi," I concede with a sigh.

"Nao it is then." As Michael and I laugh with each other, we hear a loud bell from the kitchen. Michael looks at me with confusion.

"It's the breakfast bell. Means the food's ready. I should probably go get dressed." I mention. Michael removes his arm from around me and stands up offering his hand to help me up as well. I take it graciously. He pulls me to my feet, smiling warmly at me. Our hands linger for an extra second, our eyes locked onto each other.

"Alright, let me go see if I can help set the table." He says after a moment, letting go of my hand. He heads towards the kitchen, but not before calling back, "Don't forget to brush your teeth!" I smile to myself as I go back up the stairs.

As I walk through the common area to get to my room, I'm stopped by a voice behind me.

"You don't really think he'll go for you, do you?" I look over and see Ashanti in the doorway of the bathroom. I raise an eyebrow in confusion.

"What are you talking about?" I ask, already knowing I'm about to deal with some bullshit.

"Michael is a man who is way out of your league, don't you think?" She questions, crossing her arms.

"Ashanti, I'd love to get into whatever this is, but I need to get dressed," I say, turning away.

"I'm saying he should be with someone more on his level. Someone like me." She has a smug look on her face and I turn back towards her.

"Don't you already have a boyfriend?" I narrow my eyes at her.

"He's more of... a friend with benefits." She lies and I roll my eyes.

"You literally share an apartment with him." I retort.

"Don't try to deflect, Naomi. You need to back off of Michael, so I can show who he really should be with. A refined and classy woman with my social standing is the perfect match for a perfect man like him." I side-eye her as she spews these delusions.

"Whatever, Shanti. Have him, I don't care." I walk away before she can respond and shut my door. I should have known she'd come at me like that. It's always like this with her. She's jealous of me and wants Michael for herself. I won't try and stop her from going after him, but if he wants me, there's not much I can do about that. That being said, there's no telling if he likes either one of us. For one, we just met him yesterday, and two, we don't even know where his head is at right now.

I shake that conversation off and get ready for the day. I make it back to my bedroom, deciding to take a quick shower and change into something more decent to eat breakfast in. I'm feeling pretty good about myself until I remember the moment this morning with Michael and I suddenly get butterflies in my stomach. I take a few deep breaths and take my time to apply lotion and perfume.

After I feel I'm presentable, I slip on some jeans and a brown sweater to stay warm. I quickly brush my hair, checking myself in the mirror one last time before heading down to eat.

As I get down the stairs, everyone is already eating. I notice Ashanti sitting very close to Michael as she talks his ear off while he eats. Michael smiles politely, but it's obvious he's not into it. I head into the kitchen and grab some breakfast before sitting at the kitchen table, next to my mother.

"Good morning, Mimi." She greets me, smiling warmly at me.

"Morning, Mom. What are the plans for today? We doing anything?" I ask as I take a bite of food. My mother glances around the table, her eyes lingering for a bit on Michael and Ashanti.

"Well, I was thinking." She starts, "Why don't you older children take a trip to the nearby Christmas market? I'm sure there will be some great activities there."

"Sounds good," I reply. I steal a quick glance at Michael, who seems to be searching for an escape from Ashanti's chatter. Our eyes meet for a moment, and he offers a small smile. "Are we bringing the kids, too?" I ask, looking back at my mother. She shakes her head.

"Your uncles are taking the boys and Jessie to go sledding." She tells me and I smile at that.

"They'll love that," I say as I finish my food, putting my utensils on the plate. "Give me a call if you need me."

"Don't worry, baby, you just go have fun. Oh and..." She leans in to whisper to me. "Make sure to put the works on Michael. I need a son-in-law." She teases. I cover my face in embarrassment and sigh.

"I'll see you later, Mom." I laugh as I walk away, putting my dishes in the sink. After everyone is finished, I grab my brother, Teresa, James, Michael, and Ashanti and tell them what we're about to do.

"Hey guys, Mom suggested that we go to the Christmas market for the day. It's just a short walk down the street, y'all down?" I ask them.

"Oh my God! We used to love going to the Christmas market when we were younger, remember?" Teresa asks, beaming at the memories. I nod, smiling in response. James gazes admirably at Teresa as she brightens up. He always likes to see her happy.

"That sounds like a good plan. I've been dying for that food all year!" Daniel says excitedly. Michael laughs and shrugs his shoulders.

"I'm down to go. I've been wanting to see more of this place." He replies, looking a bit excited as well.

"Well, you already know if T is going, J will be there also," James smirks, leaning against the wall. Ashanti gives him a look of disappointment.

"Please, never refer to yourselves as 'T and J'. It sounds stupid." She tells them. James and Teresa both laugh and Ashanti rolls her eyes. "Oh, we're going to have so much fun!" She squeals, wrapping her arm around Michael's and leaning into him. He winces as she lets out a loud gasp, "Let me go get changed! There might be paparazzi there!" She giggles excitedly as she leaves the room to get ready. Michael gives Dan a surprised look.

"Is she always like that?" He asks, chuckling nervously. We all slowly nod our heads.

"I'm afraid so..." I reply.

"And, unfortunately, she's a professional at missing hints." Dan jokes and we all share a laugh. Grandmother makes her way over to us slowly, carrying six sheets of paper and six mini Polaroid cameras. Teresa's eyes light up once more.

"Are those what I think they are?" She inquires and Grandmother gives her a warm smile. Teresa reads her list carefully, eyes growing wide as she realizes what Grandmother has set up for us.

"Yes, it is, baby." We each are given a piece of paper and a camera. Upon closer inspection of the paper, we realize that it's a checklist.

"What is it?" Michael asks, a bit confused. I grin excitedly as I realize as well.

"It's a Christmas hunt!" I blurt out. Daniel looks excited as well and turns to Michael to explain.

"So, when we were younger, every year we'd visit the Christmas market and we'd do a holiday-themed scavenger hunt." He starts.

"Grandmother always made the list and we had to take pictures with each item on this list. We'd spend all day checking things off of it." Teresa chimes in.

"And, if we finish everything off of the list, we got to have Grandmother's famous Snickerdoodle Cookies! And a bunch of cute photos to put on the mantle." I add with enthusiasm. Michael looks at us all with amusement and nods his head.

"Okay, I'm in!" He tucks his list into his jacket and Teresa and I look at each other eagerly. Eventually, Ashanti returns from her room, dressed in a pink sweater and matching pink leggings.

"What? A scavenger hunt? You should've told me! I would have dressed accordingly." She whines. We all laugh and roll our eyes and head out the door, James and Daniel each pulling a wagon behind us.

The Christmas market bustles with activity as we pass the booths, and festive music all around. The colors and lights take me back to when I was just a little girl. The air carries a sweet scent of roasted chestnuts and the lively hum of joyous conversations.

"Wow, it seems like forever since I've been here," I say, my eyes lighting up as I look around.

"It hasn't changed a bit." Dan smiles, enjoying the nostalgia he gets from the place. I'm walking between Michael and Daniel and Ashanti clings to Michael's other side. Instead of letting her get the satisfaction of walking on Michael's arm, he links his arm with mine as well and I do the same with Dan so that we are all walking together. This seems to annoy her a bit, but we continue on. Teresa and James are walking hand in hand ahead of us and stop at the entrance of the market so we can make a game plan.

"Okay," I start, pulling out my list. "So it looks like we've got enough of things on here to keep us out here for a while." Everyone gathers around with their lists out.

"I've got an idea. How about we split up into teams? Three vs three?" James suggests.

"I like that. So who's on who's team?" Daniel questions. Teresa puts her arm on James' shoulder, smiling.

"It doesn't matter to me. Just as long as I have my boo with me. Otherwise, I'm lost." She says, causing me to giggle at her cuteness.

"Aww." He grins back at her. "I'll make sure to take good care of you then."

"You better. Or I'll come after you." She replies, punching his arm playfully. He laughs and puts his arm around her shoulder. Ashanti rolls her eyes once more at them.

"You two can do what you want, but I'm gonna stick with Michael." She says in a condescending tone. Michael raises an eyebrow at her, but he doesn't bother to argue. I shrug, already knowing she'd choose to team with him.

"Dan? Which team are you going to?" I ask and he gives me a mischievous smirk that seems to only have been seen by me.

"You know, I gotta team with my boy James and Cousin Tt." He shrugs his shoulders. "Sorry, I'm in it to win it." Dan and James dap each other up and I shake my head while laughing.

"Sigh, I guess I'm stuck with Ashanti and Michael," I say in mock annoyance, putting my hand on my forehead dramatically.

"Oh poor Naomi. Forced to walk around with the two hottest people here." Ashanti pretends to wipe a tear.

"Shut up." I roll my eyes.

"I'm just saying, we just look so good together." She wraps her arm around Michael's again and he looks off to the side. I feel the annoyance building but I push it back down.

"Don't be mad, girl, you know you're up there, too," Teresa assures me, nudging my shoulder.

"And besides, I wouldn't consider you being on my team a bad thing..." Michael replies, winking at me. A small smile comes across my face, but I quickly remove it.

"Perfect," Ashanti says under her breath, but I ignore her.

"Alright, teams. It's currently 1:00. We'll do as many items on our list as we can and meet back up here at 4. How does that sound?" James looks around at all of us and we nod in agreement.

"And the first one to find all of the items wins the cookies!" Teresa announces excitedly. We all chuckle a bit and nod again.

"You're on," I say competitively.

"Alright, see you back here in 3 hours." He says, handing his wagon to Michael and walking away with Teresa and Daniel.

"This'll be fun..." Daniel replies, nodding. Our teams split off to do their own thing and find the items on the list. Ashanti sticks to Michael the entire time, sticking to his side as though they were on a date. I have a feeling this is going to be a painful day.

"Okay, let's get started," I say with a determined smile. As we make our way through the market, we start looking at our list.

"Let's see, it looks like the first thing on the list is to take a picture with the most festive-looking person in the market," I say and Ashanti grabs her camera, handing it to me.

"Oh, that's easy." She does a little twirl and puts her hands under her chin. "It's obviously me." Michael and I glance at each other and start laughing.

"I'm not so sure that pink sequins and fur coats exactly scream 'festive'," I giggle and she shoots me a glare.

"Well, what would you know?" She turns her nose up.

"How about her?" Michael says, pointing towards a woman walking in the snow with a beautiful umbrella. She's wearing a cozy red dress and has Christmas trees stitched to the fabric. She has a green fur shawl on and lights braided into her hair.

"Now THAT'S festive," I grab my camera and we all start heading to her, Ashanti groaning under her breath. "Excuse me, miss!" I catch her attention and she turns around, smiling as we approach her.

"Hi, I'm Naomi, this is my cousin Ashanti and our friend Michael." I introduce. She holds her gloved hand out and shakes mine.

"Hello, I'm Helen." She does a small curtsy. After exchanging pleasantries, Michael asks her if she'll take a photo with us. Helen says yes and holds her umbrella out as we get someone to hold the camera for us. We gather around her and smile. With a flash of the camera, the small Polaroid photo ejects out the top and starts to develop. We thank the kind gentleman who took the picture and thank Helen. She walks away and we happily check the first item off the list.

"Alright, that's one off the list." Michael pumps his fist in the air and gives us both a playful high-five.

"Okay, next thing," I say, tucking the photo into my pocket. We set off to check more things off of the list. "We need to take a photo with a street performer or musician. That shouldn't be too hard; the market is filled with them."

As we continue through the lively market, we encounter various street performers showcasing their talents. From musicians playing cheerful tunes to magicians captivating the crowd, the festive spirit is in full swing. We finally settle on a group of carolers dressed in Victorian-era attire, harmonizing beautifully.

"Perfect," Michael declares, "Let's ask them for a quick photo!" As we approach, the carolers welcome us warmly, and we pose in front of the Polaroid.

"Ooh, let me choose the next one!" Ashanti says, pulling out her list. "How about the handmade ornaments?" She suggests.

"Now you're talking," I reply with a smile and we head towards the market's craft section. There are many booths with cute wooden trinkets, nutcrackers, and toys. After a bit of searching, we finally settled on a booth.

"Oh my gosh! This one would go perfectly on the tree! Don't you think?" Ashanti picks up an ornament that is covered in pink sparkles and shimmers. Michael and I grin at her, nodding in agreement.

"It really screams Ashanti," I comment and she takes it to the vendor to buy. I look around for a bit, wondering what I should get.

Michael picks out a small carved wooden reindeer from the section and I settle on a mini clay Santa Claus. I look back over at Ashanti and see her holding a star ornament made out of gold wires and encrusted with gems. I raise an eyebrow at her.

"I thought you wanted the other ornament?" I ask with a snicker. She simply smirks.

"I know, but this one is just speaking to me right now. I have to get it."

"Well, I gotta admit, it does look pretty festive," Michael adds, nodding his head. Ashanti smiles proudly.

"See, Michael likes it." She playfully sticks her tongue at me and I laugh.

"Don't worry, I like it as well." I look at my Santa Claus ornament and head over to buy it from the vendor. We take our pictures with the ornaments and place them in our wagon.

"Alright, that's three down, we're making good progress," Michael says as we start to walk again. He looks at the list and smiles. "I like this next one." Ashanti and I both look at his sheet to see what he's pointing to. It says "Find a mistletoe and take a group photo underneath it." Ashanti immediately lights up.

"Oh! I remember where they sell those!" She says, grabbing Michael's hand enthusiastically and pulling him in the direction of the booth. I sigh, shaking my head as I grab the wagon and follow behind them.

When I finally catch up, I see them standing in front of a charming mistletoe display near a Christmas tree vendor.

"Naomi, you hold the mistletoe, and Michael and I will kiss, okay?" She suggests and I raise my eyebrows at her. She's being bold today. Michael chuckles nervously and takes the mistletoe from Ashanti.

"How about you both hold the mistletoe and you both kiss one of my cheeks while I take the photo? That'll be a good picture for sure." He holding the mistletoe out to us. I exchange a playful glance with Ashanti, who seems to be more interested in being near Michael than holiday fun. Nevertheless, we gather beneath the mistletoe and we lean in to kiss his cheeks. Michael makes a silly face and snaps the photo. The result is a cute selfie that really captures the fun that we are having.

Over the next hour, we get pictures with a holiday elf, a gingerbread house, and even a guy with an ugly Christmas sweater. Ashanti keeps trying to cling to Michael, but he always seems uninterested in her. Instead, he makes sure to include me in the fun and we all have a good time hunting for the items off of the list.

"Dang, it's already 3:00," Michael tells us, checking his watch.

"And we've only got 9 things marked off the list." I sigh and Ashanti groans loudly.

"Ugh, this is taking forever!" She whines, dropping her shoulders.

"Well, this next one should be great, then. We need to take a pic drinking some hot chocolate. We can rest a bit there." I suggest. Michael smiles at the idea.

"Sounds good to me." He says and Ashanti nods as well.

"Oh, yes! It'll be the perfect pic to post on my story." She says, completely forgetting about the scavenger hunt and walking ahead of us. Michael walks beside me, breathing a sigh of relief.

"What, do you miss your little girlfriend?" I ask, teasingly. Michael rolls his eyes playfully and shakes his head.

"Don't even get me started on her." He replies, shaking his head as he laughs. "She's very determined, I'll give her that. But can I breathe?" He shudders and I laugh.

"Well, I guess that's the price of being a famous actor, Mr. Jordan," I smirk at him and he raises his eyebrows.

"So, it's like that then?" He questions, faking a look of hurt.

"Oh yeah, especially after today," I reply with a nod. Michael smiles mischievously at me and puts his arm around my shoulders.

"Aw, are you upset because Shanti keeps stealing me away from you, Ms. Samuels?" His voice is low as he leans into my ear and I find myself blushing again. I ignore the feeling of butterflies as I wrap my arm around his waist, looking up at him.

"Oh yeah, I'm so jealous, right now. I just want you all to myself." Sarcasm drips off my voice as our back-and-forth banter causes us both to burst out laughing.

"If I'm honest, I feel less pressured when I'm around you," Michael admits. "Most people treat me like I'm royalty or something, or they just see me as a celebrity. But I don't feel that with you. I feel like I'm just some regular guy and like you actually genuinely like me."

"Well, I do genuinely like you. You're more than just an actor and I think you deserve to be treated like a human being." I smile at him, leaning my head on his shoulder. Michael gently rubs my arm and gives me a reassuring smile.

"Thanks. I'd be lying if I didn't say that I genuinely like you, too," He whispers, playfully nudging me as we continue to walk. We catch up to Ashanti at the booth, where she's sitting on a stool posing for selfies with her mug. I sit next to her and Michael sits beside me, causing her to glance over at us.

"It's about time you two came over. Here, Naomi. Take some pics for me." She shoves her phone into my hand and I sigh, holding it up for her as she does various poses. Michael chuckles and starts ordering drinks from the vendor. When Ashanti finishes, she snatches her phone back to look at the results.

"You're welcome," I mutter under my breath. Michael slides a mug of hot chocolate towards me and I accept it graciously. "Thanks, Michael," I say, appreciating the gesture.

"Of course, here." He says, taking his Polaroid and standing it up against one of the menu stands. He sets the timer on the camera and leans close to me, flashing a smile and holding his mug up. I do the same and the camera flashes, printing out the photo. We clink our mugs together as the photo develops and begin to sip the hot chocolate.

Ashanti, noticing us clink our drinks together, seems upset again and pouts, glancing over at me before turning back towards Michael. We make eye contact and I give her a smile because I'm in a good mood and not about to be a killjoy. She ignores my attempt to be kind, though, as expected.

After finishing our hot chocolate, Michael stands up and picks up his camera. "All right, it's about time we get out of here. We're halfway through our list. Team, what items do we still have left?" I pull out my list and scan over it.

"Next one says to find a gift for someone in the family and have it gift-wrapped," I reply, before looking up and seeing the others. Teresa, James, and Dan stroll over all grinning at us.

"Well, well, well. Look who it is." Daniel gives us a smug smirk as they walk over.

"What's the smug look for?" I step up to him and cross my arms and he does the same.

"Oh, nothing, just worried you might go hungry when we eat all those cookies in your faces." He responds and we both glare at each other jokingly before breaking out into laughter.

"You two are something else." Teresa shakes her head.

"Don't act like you're not just as competitive, Teresa. I still have back pain from playing musical chairs with you." Dan retorts, rubbing his lower back. Michael leans over to whisper in my ear.

"Remind me never to play musical chairs with her." He says and I nudge his shoulder playfully.

"Have y'all gotten to the snowman one yet?" James asks and we all shake our heads. "Perfect, how about a contest, then?"

"A snowman-building contest?" Ashanti gives him a look of confusion.

"Yeah, each team makes the best snowman they can think of," Teresa adds.

"What does the winning team get?" Michael inquires.

"Nothing, it's just for fun."

"Oh, no, I don't do these types of things for 'fun'. There's gotta be something at stake." Ashanti says, tapping her foot.

"How about the loser has to knock down their snowman and take their photo with the remains," I suggest with a mischievous smile on my face.

"I like the sound of that." Dan nods.

"Let's do it!" Teresa shouts and we all head over to a wide patch of snow. The teams huddle to discuss our strategies and then take a couple minutes to gather any items we need.

"How about we make a fashion icon snowman?" Ashanti suggests.

"No, it's got to be something outside of the box. Something no one would think of." Michael replies, tapping his chin as he thinks. I smile once an idea comes to me.

"What about an upside-down snowman?" I look at their faces to see their reaction. "Who is also a fashion icon," I add and they both slowly smile.

"I've gotta admit, that is pretty outside the box. Let's go get the stuff!" Ashanti says and we hurry to find supplies. The snowman building begins and we enthusiastically make a snowman with its head buried in the snow, making sure that the other team doesn't see what we're doing. Michael, Ashanti, and I work together to create the perfect snowman, laughing as we give it quirky accessories and make it stand out.

Daniel's team reveals their snowman to be a gentleman with a top hat and a scarf, seemingly scrolling on a phone that happens to belong to James. We all get a kick out of it, but I know that ours is the one that's really gonna blow them away. We bring them over to our snowman and they immediately start laughing, enjoying how we put boots on top of the snowman for its feet.

"Wow! Okay, I think it's obvious that's the winner right there." James says in surprise.

"What can I say? We've just got that creative touch." I say, putting my elbow on the snowman. Unfortunately, it wasn't packed together sturdy enough and my added weight caused it to crumble and me to fall on top of it.

"Naomi!" Ashanti shouts, annoyed that I ruined the snowman. Michael rushes over to help me up as Dan, Teresa, and James all laugh at the sight. Michael is laughing a bit too, but he makes sure I'm okay and pulls me to my feet. I brush snow off my bottom and chuckle at my clumsiness.

"Oh shit, I didn't mean for that to happen." I rub my neck sheepishly and look over at Ashanti, who looks livid. "You okay, Ashanti?"

To Be Continued...

#fluff #christmas #noirsfantasy #12 days of christmas #black reader #michael b jordan #black actors #black men #black romance #black writers #black fem reader #black oc #michael b jordan x reader

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ljones41 · 3 years

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"WITHOUT REMORSE" (2021) Review

"WITHOUT REMORSE" (2021) Review Three years ago, Amazon Prime premiered a series about the adventures of C.I.A. analyst, Jack Ryan. After two seasons, the series has yet to adapt any particular novel by the character's creator, Tom Clancy; it pretty much set up Ryan's origin story. Recently, Amazon Prime released "WITHOUT REMORSE", an origin tale about another one of Clancy's characters - namely "John Clark".

Anyone familiar with Clancy's Jack Ryan novels would know that "John Clark" is former U.S. Navy SEAL operative John Kelly, who became a black ops agent for the C.I.A. The character has appeared in two Clancy film adaptations - 1994's "CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER" and "THE SUM OF ALL FEARS". However, "WITHOUT REMORSE" marked the first time in which Kelly/Clark served as the main protagonist in an adaptation of a Clancy novel. This should not be surprising since the movie is based upon Clancy's 1993 novel of the same title. "WITHOUT REMORSE" begins in Aleppo, where Senior Chief John Kelly and a team of other Navy SEALs led by Lieutenant-Commander Karen Greer rescue a CIA operative taken hostage by a suspected pro-Assad paramilitary group. The situation escalates when the SEALs discover that the operative's captors happened to be Russian military. The latter apparently retaliates against the SEALs for the mission by sending Russian FSB operatives to kill several members of the SEALs. They managed to kill two members of the team. When they break into Kelly's home to kill him, they accidentally kill his pregnant wife Pam, not realizing that Kelly was in the basement. He manages to kill all of the FSB operatives inside his home and badly wound the last survivor, who manages to escape, before enduring near-fatal wounds himself. With the help of Lieutenant-Commander Greer and reluctantly, the C.I.A., a vengeful Kelly decides to go after the surviving FSB agent and discover the truth behind the attacks on his SEAL team. I have never read Clancy's 1993 novel, but I have read a detailed synopsis of its plot. Needless to say, screenwriters Taylor Sheridan and Will Staples made some major changes in the 2021 adaptation. Unlike the novel, the death of Kelly's wife played a role in the conspiracy that loomed over the Aleppo mission. In fact, the literary Pam was a drug mule/prostitue whom Kelly had befriended and whose death he wanted to kill after she was raped and murdered by her drug-dealer/pimp. The Aleppo mission was basically a replay of a mission involving Vietnam War P.O.W.s and a K.G.B. mole. To be perfectly honest, I found Clancy's novel rather convoluted. Kelly's narrative arc seemed to be torn between the plot line involving Pam and the drug-dealer/pimp and the situation regarding the P.O.W.s, with no real connection between the two. Sheridan and Staples made a wise decision to combine aspects of Clancy's two narrative arcs into one plot line for the movie. Another aspect about "WITHOUT REMORSE" I find interesting is that Amazon Prime had decided to produce a movie about the John Kelly/Clark character. The fact that the company started with an adaptation of a novel about the character's origin only makes me wonder if it has plans for the Kelly/Clark character to make his appearance in a future episode or season of "JACK RYAN". Or . . . if Amazon Prime has plans for Ryan to appear in another production with Kelly/Clark as the lead. Both Ryan and Kelly/Clark are known as the two biggest characters in Clancy's literary "Ryanverse" franchise. And the pair became close friends and colleagues as well. Not only did "WITHOUT REMORSE" prove to be an improvement on the 1993 novel's plot, it also featured some first-rate action sequences. Actually there were two action scenes that really impressed me, thanks to Stefano Sollima's direction. One of those sequences featured the SEAL team's efforts to rescue the C.I.A. operative in the film's opening scene. I thought it was well handled. But I was especially impressed by Sollima's handling of the movie's last action sequence that featured Kelly and the others' efforts to find the fourth FSB operative in Murmansk. I believe this sequence was enhanced by the cast's performances and Sollima's efforts to convey a sense of impeding doom for the SEAL team. Most of the performances featured in "WITHOUT REMORSE" struck me as solid, but not particularly mind-blowing. These solid performances came from the likes of Brett Gelman, Lauren London, Lucy Russell, Luke Mitchell and surprisingly Colman Domingo and Guy Pearce. I say "surprisingly" in regard to Domingo and Pearce, considering that both actors are usually known for delivering outstanding performances - even in supporting roles. I thought both actors did not seem to be putting much effort in their performances. However, I enjoyed the performances of Jodie Turner-Smith, who portrayed Kelly/Clark's commander Karen Greer and Jamie Bell (lead Michael B. Jordan's former co-star from 2015's "FANTASTIC FOUR"), who portrayed C.I.A. officer Robert Ritter. I thought Turner-Smith did an excellent job in conveying both the warmth and commanding presence of Greer. And Bell was excellent as the ambiguous and at times, manipulative Ritter. I certainly had no problems with Michael B. Jordan's portrayal of the vengeful Kelly. I thought he did an excellent job of conveying his character's emotional journey from a man satisfied with his life, grief, revenge and finally willingness to start a new path. If I had to choose two scenes that I really enjoyed, they were Kelly finally facing his grief over his wife's death and his confrontation with the movie's main villain. As much as I enjoyed "WITHOUT REMORSE", I must admit that I had two problems with Sheridan and Staples' screenplay. Both were featured in the film's finale. Kelly, Greer, her SEAL team and C.I.A. officer Robert Ritter went to Murmansk in order to find the last FSB operative who had survived the attack on Kelly's home. After Kelly, Greer and her SEAL team managed to survive what proved to be a trap, the movie focused on Kelly discovering who was truly behind the Aleppo mission, the attacks on Kelly, his wife and two other SEAL operatives; and the Murmansk mission. Needless to say, this hunt for the "Big Bad" felt like a rush job. I truly wish they had taken the trouble to convey how Kelly learned who was responsible for the conspiracy behind the Aleppo and Murmansk missions, along with the murders of the two SEAL operatives and Pam Kelly. Also, the main villain's motives behind the conspiracy struck me as unoriginal. I have seen this scenario used in so many political thrillers over the years that it seemed a pity that Sheridan and Staples' screenplay could not be more original. Yes, "WITHOUT REMORSE" had its flaws. But flawed or not, I still believe that it was an improvement over Tom Clancy's original 1993 novel. I have to give credit to Stefano Sollima's energetic direction, a solid screenplay by Taylor Sheridan and Will Staples; along with a first-rate cast led by the always excellent Michael B. Jordan. I do not know if this movie will be considered part of Amazon Prime's "Ryanverse", but a part of me hope so. It would be a waste if it was not.

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