#∘⡊ ☾ ˚ ‣ 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 : kiara carrera

[storminmyveins-archived]

"please don't be in love with someone else." Kie to Rafe

He remembers the first time he met Kiara ; that weekend that Sarah was insistent on having her over. Rose told her 'no' a few times, but all she had to do was beg to Ward and suddenly they were having company that day. Being the odd one out in more ways than one he kept from the girls and let them do what they were going to do but from the moment his eyes fell on her he knew.

Her hair with lose curls that fell around her face no matter how hard she tried to tame them with the hair tie she wore against her wrist with the number of leather and beaded bracelets. Her shirt , one of those souvenir airbrushed shirts with her name and 'save the turtles' underneath a cartoony looking turtle with large eyes and a doofy smile. The colors were faded, which told Rafe that must have been her favorite shirt along with the hole in the collar. Her turquoise pants that hung loose from her legs with large pockets that she and Sarah shoved a number of sea shells into from along the shore line. He remembers how they'd annoyingly clank against each other when they ran by. Rafe also remembers the ugly flip flops she wore that she kept losing off of her feet until she finally decided she'd run around barefoot instead.

He remembers how they would laugh, and Kie's would stand out over Sarah's. It was louder, happier, somehow more genuine and when she said 'hi' to him it was friendly on it's own merit. Not simply because he's Sarah's brother.

He also remembers the very moment he looked at this girl and thought that he could love her if he was ever given the chance. Something he never thought would happen because why would it? Sure, he's Rafe Cameron but that holds different meaning to different people and he wasn't sure which side of the fence she sat on.

Not until now when he sits with his head in her lap, looking up at her as she speaks those words to him.

" Unlikely. " Rafe smiles. " Kie, there is no way I could ever be in love with anyone else. You are one of a kind and I'd be a fucking fool if I let you go for someone else. "

[inbeautifulruins]

He emphasizes how she fucked him over -- and that's fair. She did. She did so in one of the worst ways when he only tried to help her. That's on her and she knows it. But at least he is aware of why Topper won't work, the last thing she needs is to babysit his ass while trying to rescue her friends.

And he's also right about that, she wants to punch him but she keeps herself calm, cool, collected in the moment as she takes a heavy breath and slowly lets it out. He says it's going to take more than the nugget and she raises her brow. ❝ Are you aware of how much that little nugget is worth ? ❞ she asks him. ❝ To the right seller, you'd be set for a long time. ❞ but what more could he possibly want...?

She'd rather not ask.

❝ ... I admit, I was hoping you'd have a way to get there - if not, we'll figure it out. ❞

He's not taking it, he's looking, examining. . . It looks real, but he'd have to have it tested. If these pogues have fucked him over once, they'd do it again in a heartbeat he's pretty damn sure. "Do I have to remind you that you're the one that fucked me over multiple times? 𝓨𝓸𝓾, Kie." Her friends weren't smart enough, but she played the part so damn well.

The cops, right. These idiots here on Kildare? They can't even catch a simple thief, let alone some psychopath who kidnapped three fairly grown dudes. "Yeah, Topper doesn't have the balls or the mind for it." Top isn't stupid, he's easily squeamish though. Not good in high intensity situations. . .

"I can see, you're about having an aneurysm trying not to punch me in the face at the moment." He can tell. An eyebrow quirks at her next statement and then that smirk of his grows. "Mmm, alright, fine. It's gonna take more than this little piece of shit nugget, though." Rafe informs her. "You got a way to get back to El Dorado or are you counting on me having the transportation?"

[storminmyveins-archived]

Feelings for JJ started ... well, truth is she can't remember when. She just knows they've been there. And what they have is unlike anything else she's ever felt before. While the whole gang had been ride or die with one another and at one point she had feelings for each of them nothing could compare to the feelings she has for JJ. Nothing.

So when he says that he knows he should leave she shakes her head, grabs his hand and pulls him close to her. " More of a reason for you to stay, don't you think ?" she asks, her head slightly tilted. " Don't leave. Just stay. "

"I know I should leave, but I can't stay away from you." ( jj to kiara! ) @clairelilcorner

[storminmyveins-archived]

Their history had jagged pieces, none of which fit the puzzle anymore. It's safe to say that it'd be easy to inflict a cut or two with the remnants of what they once had. It isn't to say that it once wasn't special as it always is at the start.

But now ? The 'what ifs' are tainted with a darkness with no cracks of light in it.

Whatever it was that closed that chapter for them closed it tight. Yet as he watches her from the other side of the room he can't help but feel a familiar feeling. That flicker of happiness he had with her that seems to slowly be fading out the longer time goes on. It's not the same and he knows it -- and chances are it'll never be the same again. So he pushes through and forces a smile ; cocky as it is.

" Still playing pretend, Kiara ? " he asks. " I don't get it, you have the whole world at your fingertips and you choose..." He glances toward her new group of friends. " - them."

our muses are exes on bad terms (for Kie and Rafe??) @fullpcgue

[storminmyveins-archived]

It's not the first time he's heard the first part of that statement. The second part is what takes him by surprise. " Yeah ? " He asks, a side smirk on his lips before blowing smoke from his half finished cigarettes. " That's a new one. " He lets her know with a quick flick of his brows upward. " The fun part, not the making shit difficult." He flicks ashes away.

" That first part, that's attached to the Gallagher name."

"You have a tendency to make things more difficult...yet more fun." (from Kie for Lip) @fullpcgue

[storminmyveins-archived]

There was this feeling in his gut that was just a sudden onset. Was it out of nowhere, or was there a build up to that moment in which he finds himself at John B's house looking at Kiara with JJ. Arms wrapped around each other, lips on each other and he's left standing there watching this display feeling like a fucking idiot.

The idiot everyone claims he is ; she just proved that to be right didn't she? Even as she says it's not what it looks like Rafe's blue eyes go wide with disbelief. " Really ? " He laughs, but it's so disheartening, hollow.

" Not what it looks like ; well then explain to me, Kiara what it is because I don't see what else this could possibly be." The hurt is there in his words, in his eyes as he looks at her the way he does. He's hurt people it's true and people have hurt him. But he truly thought she would be the last person to ever do that. And yet she's just inflicted a pain worse than anything he's ever felt. He can feel it in his chest and in his lungs. As though they're tightening unable to function correctly.

This is when he would move quick and launch his fist into JJ's face but he doesn't move. There was too much effort into getting better, getting his shit in order and with her help he managed to keep it going. But this display in front of him he can feel the cracks in the foundation starting to grow wider and yet he still doesn't act. Go back to that place? Oh, it's tempting even as he sees JJ's smug face sitting on that couch.

Then she asks him -- that's classic -- ask him what he means about her having a type. He shakes his head and forces a laugh even if it hurts to do so. " Yeah, you have a type." He motions to JJ. " And it's not me. "

Tongue to teeth he shakes his head as he steps back, his hands up in defeat. " It's whatever, Kie. " but it wasn't just whatever. There is a love for her there ; one he got brave enough to express to her and now he can feel it breaking off piece by piece and it's sharp edges leaving cuts as they fall away.

@unitcd continued from here. ;)

[storminmyveins-archived]

She can take her guess on which it is, JJ doesn't confirm or deny either one of those things when she states them. ❝ Or - ❞ He grins. ❝ - I just don't feel like driving. " but the grin seems hollow as he gets himself into the passenger seat. He knows that Kie knows him, so stating something as such isn't going to be swept under the rug even though he may be wishing for such right now.

❝ Let's just go.❞ He pulls his hat down over his face, not to block out the sun but to block out any look she might be giving him due to the itty bitty fib he may have said about why he has refused to be the one in the driver's seat.

❝ Can't believe you'd suggest I'm old. ❞

@clairelilcorner continued from here , ft. Kie

[storminmyveins-archived]

" Pretty much. " He says as he looks back at her. " It's not to say you don't deserve shit like that Kie. You deserve whatever you want. If it's flowers it should be flowers but I can't. " he shakes his head. But he does reach over and carefully poke at the necklace around her neck with a faint smile. " I can do that though." And then he carefully takes her chin in his hand and turns her face toward his, kissing her softly against her lips. " And that. "

Maybe one day he could come to her door with flowers and it mean something. Not an apology or a cop out but something just to make her smile if she ever needed it. But right now it's still something else to work through, and for him to keep washing Ward out of his personality.

When he begins to speak again, Kiara listens. "So, flowers are just a cop out." She concludes. Maybe in that family they are, so that's fair. She won't hold it against him, especially not after what he tells her next.

"She told her friends how ugly they were?" Rose had always been a bitch, but that's just over the line when a twelve year old is trying to do something NICE when they don't have to. "Okay, so I won't be expecting any flowers from you and John B is going to get a piece of my mind, don't worry about that either." She shakes her head. They were beautiful, though, she wonders where he got them from.

[storminmyveins-archived]

" Then what ? We just pretend for...?" He asks. " As long as you want to keep this under wraps? I get it, Kie, I get it. But they're going to find out sooner or later. "

"Okay, so I'm lying. What's your point?" She asks. "I can't just go out there and tell people that I suddenly don't hate your guts anymore."

[storminmyveins-archived]

" Have I ever steered you wrong before, Kie? " He hopes she doesn't actually answer that because he already knows the answer to it. He knows he has, but his ideas are not always that bad. They're just not always that good. " We won't die. At least I'm 76 percent sure we won't."

A plan. A plan. JJ was not the best at plans, it was notoriously terrible when he came up with a plan. "Something stupid? How STUPID are we talking? It's not going to get us killed is it?"

[inbeautifulruins]

She can't blame him for the distrust, but at the same time she's here and she's on the verge of begging -- something Kiara would never do especially for the help of Rafe Cameron. But here she is.

He asks that question and she wants to snatch the gold back out of his hands and tell him to forget it, but while there are a list of negative things she could say he is there are things he is as well. Resourceful, cunning...Does she have to say that to him though?

❝ Why would I try to use fake gold to get you to help us? ❞ The frustration is there on her tongue and on her face.

❝ I can't go to the cops because we know this is beyond their paygrade , and as far as I know a guy like that probably has his thumb on them anyway. ❞ she huffs. ❝ I'm not going to ask Topper because...Do I really need to spell that one out for you ? ❞ she asks. Fuck, as she said there is no strong enough word so that will have to do.

❝ It pains me to ask you for help but I'm willing to swallow my pride here. You're the only one I know who...❞ just swallow it all down like a bitter pill, Kie. ❝ Because you're actually smarter than I give you credit for. ❞

She 𝓴𝓷𝓸𝔀𝓼 he won't? Cute. . . She doesn't know him. . . Fingers tap along the glass before he sets it down on a coaster on the table next to the container. "And how do I know this is real?" He asks her, a frown to accompany his shrug of distrust.

"Okay?" He still doesn't understand how this involves him. "He kidnapped the stooges?" Rafe can't help but laugh. "That does not surprise me." Honestly, it doesn't. "And how do you figure that I'm the only one that can get them back?" Is it because he has the means or the funds? Casually picking up the container with said gold in it, he peers into it and then looks back at Kie.

[inbeautifulruins]

❝ Because I know you won't.❞ At his words she's tempted to reach over and snatch it back, but she wants to show that there's some trust there even if her hands are itching to just grab it back and put it back in her pocket, far from him. But if she's going to ask this of him - there has to be something of trust there. Even if it's hard, and it's hard. What does Sarah think about all of this?

She didn't even tell her she'd be coming here. She was sure Sarah would give her fifty reasons not too and she wants to start listing all of them off in her own mind. But she doesn't.

❝ There's this guy, hellbent on us taking him back to El Dorado. So much so he took the guys -- no matter what we say he won't listen. And if anyone can help us get them back -- it's you. ❞

She says she knows that he's not their friend, yet here she is standing in his house spewing some bullshit about how she needs his help to save 𝓱𝓮𝓻 friends. . . "You are right." And even then, he might not help. What incentive is really going to be large enough, important enough, to get Rafe on board?

Stormy blue eyes fall upon the container and he scratches his cheek. "Hmmm. And if I just take it?" He asks. "What are you going to do, Kie?" Rafe questions, fingers itching to grab the container. . . He can definitely use that gold for his own good, and the good of his family. What little he has left, at least. "What do you want from me?"

[inbeautifulruins]

Trust this is the last thing she wants to do, but what choice does she have with the shit they managed to get into now. And she knows -- oh she knows that he isn't going to just help with the kindness of his heart. Because how much kindness is there, really?

Kie sighs knowing he'd react that way. Asking her what part she thought would work out and, truly, none of it. But she has something in her pocket. Literally.

❝I know you're not our friend, and I know you won't help without an incentive. ❞ She knows damn well the boys are going to kill her for this but she's going to do it anyway.

Out of her pocket she pulls out a container and sets it on the table in front of Rafe. What's in it? Their last bit of gold.

❝Help me, and it's yours.❞

Okay, this waiting is getting annoying. Sitting up, he looks up at Kie. He's about to tell her to spit it out when she does and there's a second or two where he thinks that she's joking . . . She's gotta be joking with this shit.

A heavy sigh is exhaled before he gets out of his chair and goes to pour himself some more bourbon. "And what 𝓮𝔁𝓪𝓬𝓽𝓵𝔂 makes you think that I give a shit about what happened to the three stooges?" He shrugs and turns around, fingers tapping against his glass. "You really came here, to my home, to ask me to help you save your idiot friends? What part about this did you think would work out, Kie? I'm not their friend, I'm not your friend." What did she take him for? A 𝓬𝓱𝓪𝓻𝓲𝓽𝔂?

[inbeautifulruins]

𝐅𝐮𝐜𝐤. 𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬. She hates this to the very core of herself having to ask him of all people to help her. He's smirking, she's nearly scowling as she looks at him.

He then asks what she wants his help for. No, she doesn't want it, she sadly needs it.

And she knows that he isn't about to give the help out of the kindness of his heart. He'll want something out of it. And she knows when she tells him the price will be high.

❝ It involves the guys : John B, JJ, Pope...❞ and she knows, oh she knows he will not be so willing to assist, but Kie -- she's desperate.

Enjoying is a gross 𝓾𝓷𝓭𝓮𝓻𝓼𝓽𝓪𝓽𝓮𝓶𝓮𝓷𝓽. Rafe is 𝓽𝓱𝓻𝓲𝓵𝓵𝓮𝓭 to have Kiara Carerra here asking for his help. The last person he'd ever think that would stoop to that level. The amusement is clear on his features as he watches her.

"𝓞𝓱." He nods. "Yeah, I got that the first time." A smirk plays upon the right corner of his lips over the rim of the glass. The look on Kie's face is hilarious, he's loving every second of this.

"Oh, I 𝓪𝓶." He informs her. "What do you want my help for?" And what is he getting out of it? It's not like Rafe is about to help Kie, and surely, the pogues out of the goodness of his heart.

[storminmyveins-archived]

How does he tell her he doesn't want to give her flowers ; that he doesn't do flowers. How does he tell her why he doesn't think that flowers are a gift to give. If he can't tell Kie , then what do they have? He's already been open with her about everything else.

" Ward gets Rose flowers when he fucks up. Big things, little things, he gets her flowers. She says she loves them, puts them in a vase and she leaves them to die. Each time, they just die. He fucks up, he does it again. " he moves his hand to motion a cycle that seems to just go on.

" Even one time I got her flowers, mother's day. But they were from me. She smiled, said thank you, then told one of her friends how ugly and stupid they were. I was twelve. So flowers...they're not my thing."

Okay, so John B was just as much of a dumbass for sending the flowers, but he proved a point. "Are you? - - - You almost just had a tantrum over thinking someone sent me FLOWERS."

There's a pause, waiting for him to say something else before she does. "Is it because you don't think about it or because you don't want to? There's a difference." Kie crosses her arms over her chest and she flares her nostrils.

[storminmyveins-archived]

He should have known that John B would pull some shit -- he was not okay with how close he and Kie had gotten. He drags his hand down his face and looks at Kiara , shaking his head. " I'm sorry. " but asking if he's that jealous he goes silent for a moment and then shrugs.

" Yeah, okay? I'm jealous. I'm jealous that I know you can do so much better and I know I'm not the guy who is going to give you flowers and shit. So yeah, I'm jealous. "

"What the Hell, Rafe?" She pushes him back from her. "The flowers are from John B." Kie shakes her head. "Are you really that DENSE? He did it just to piss you off and it looks like it worked. Are you really that jealous?"