#HE ACTIVELY LISTENS TO PEOPLE ARGUE ABOUT HIM

[robin-evry]

𝐓𝐖𝐒𝐓 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐌𝐀𝐕𝐔𝐈𝐊𝐀 𝐘𝐔𝐔 🔥🏍️

Natlan's Archon and leader, the everlasting flame of hope for all living beings, and the cleansing flame that incinerates all evil.

The big sibling of all savanaclaw dorm, they admired and adored mavuika!yuu more than Leona himself which make him grubby and one sided rivalry with them.

Mavuika!yuu never backs down from a challenge, standing firm in their beliefs. Their conviction is unshakable. So during lunch Leona and them enter an arm wrestling competition unfortunately it was cut short due to the staff, both of them received detention in the end.

They despise restrictions and oppression, always pushing boundaries. Rules? They’ll follow them… if they make sense, causing a disagreement with riddle who blindly listen to them whenever or not how ridiculous it sounds.

Has a laugh like rolling thunder—deep, full of life, and capable of shaking a room. When they find something truly funny, they throw their head back and cackle.

Knows how to make a grand entrance, every time when they arrive at school with a motorcycle making a grand entrance with grim in the front looking smug as always, and when they're running late mavuika!yuu fly towards the class using their motorcycle with grim screams echoing throughout the halls.

Despite showing to be reckless, they care about people and would make a calculation before moving always deciding which action is better. As well willingly sacrifice themselves for the greater good even leaving them hurt in the end.

At sunrise they would ride their motorcycle or workout to get a head start or admire the sun for awhile before getting ready for the day.

They hate Uniforms, they always alter their NRC uniform—rolling up sleeves, leaving buttons undone, or wearing accessories with flame motifs, wearing it loose.

Mavuika!yuu metabolism is insane, and they always eat huge portions. Trey and Jamil are horrified at how much they can devour. Always wins a eating contest, the first years would encourage them whenever they're competiting.

Theoretical lessons? Boring. Show them a challenge, and they’ll learn on instinct. Loves gym class but hates magic history they would always find ways to not get caught sleeping.

Epel and many other students would look for mavuika!yuu needing their expertise over physical strength, mavuika!yuu is insanely strong able to lift a clay more with one hand without any issues when epel saw them wielding it he immediately starstruck and asked them to train him, As would also love to try to ride their motorcycle their biggest idol by far mavuika!yuu due to them being respected by vil and strong, strong and beautiful.

Nobody wants to spar with them because they always go too hard and make things explode. An absolute beast with overblot battles, would immediately throw hands without hesitation punch an overblot riddle thru multiple bush ending the fight instantly. As well during combat their hair would light up like fire as well growing hotter similar towards the sun.

Constantly challenging professors. They argue with Trein just to see if they can win. They negotiate with Crowley like a warlord dealing with an incompetent king.

Would love to go shopping with the pomifiore trio, vil respect their ways of fashion and as well discussing outfits with them.

No sense of personal space. They lean on people, throw arms around someones their shoulders, or grab their hands without hesitation. As well very energetic idia is afraid of them curious where they did find the energy to be this active everyday....

Likes collecting small trinkets. Their room is full of random keepsakes from battles, pranks, and adventures.

Sneaks into places they shouldn’t be. The rooftop, the botanical gardens, or even Diasomnia’s dorm—nowhere is off-limits. And this is how they manage to meet malleus, he calls them a blazing star due to their personality never stop shining.

[cerucerus-main]

hes so funny

I’m tired of people acting like Zhongli is a serious and chill guy who would never cause problems on purpose as if he isn’t one of the biggest menaces out of the Seven. He used to throw mountains at Venti for annoying him. He, the god of history, starts fights among historians for shits and giggles. He tried to gaslight the Traveler into thinking he was totally not at the Chasm guys really Aether/Lumine you must be seeing things maybe you should go see Baizhu. When Qiqi wanted “Cocogoat” milk he was like “Oh yeah sure totally let’s go look for it” knowing damn well it was a wild goose chase. He made the Traveler sing to a flower and then was like “Oh would you look at that” when a Whooperflower jumped out to maul them. I love him. He’s like a cat pushing things off the counter to see how people react. I would pay to see him interact directly with Neuvillette because I know for a fact he’d get on that man’s nerves and argue about water tasting just to feel something. Furina used freedom from godhood to take a nap and Zhongli used it to give psychic damage to anyone who talks to him longer than 5 minutes. Iconic.

[fulloflambing]

࣪ . ִֶָ๋ CAPITANO: husband headcanons ♡

pairing: capitano x afab!reader/you warnings: reader is addressed as 'wife', canon and modern!au cho's note: the kinich one did rlly good, so now lets try it with our big boi hehe. happy reads everyone! lmk if u guys want an nsfw ver. of either/both characters ;3

this man is the definition of YEARNING.

he wasnt comfortable with the label of him being your boyfriend. with all his eternal affection and love for you? to just be a mere boyfriend? absolutely not. he just HAD to be your husband. proposed the moment he realized he loved you.

definitely proposed with a big stone :p

wears his ring 24/7 and kisses it whenever your not around and he misses you dearly.

he abuses the power of his mask and never misses the chance to stare and just admire your beauty. underneath his mask his eyes are full of love and admiration for you.

discreetly clingy. if your going out somewhere he wants to go with you 'to keep you safe' or he 'needed to pass by that area later anyway'.

hates taking off his helmet, but never stops you from sliding it off of his head to shower him with praise.

his nicknames for you are my love, dear, darling, prince/princess

his love language for you is physical touch, and words of affirmation

his favorite spots to kiss you on is your forehead, lips, the palm of your hands and your knuckles.

engraved your initials into his sword, and because of that he makes sure he takes good care of it always.

his kisses are always slow and intimate.

he is a quick-kisses or pecks HATER. he has to kiss you for atleast 10 seconds. he doesn't care if hes late, if theres someone right infront of you— he kisses you like its the last time, everytime.

more of a listener than a speaker

he likes to go on dates or do activities with you where you both have to talk to eachother a lot. like fine dining dates, late night walks or driving!

very touchy in private. he likes to snake his arm around your waist, pull your hair to the side and kiss the back of your neck.. hes just addicted to praising and carressing your body.

ever since he married you, he absolutely despises overtime. he gets bossier and meaner to his subordinates when he realizes he might have to stay a little later to supervise them. sometimes he even leaves his job or his expeditions early just to get home to you.

frequently brings you gifts. a bouquet of rare flowers, a jewelry set with special ore customized just for you, lavish wine.. you name it.

never wants to argue with you. the second you tell him he's wrong, he just immediately agrees with you, spewing "yes ma'am." "your absolutely right. i didn't think of it properly.. apologies my love."

ever since he married you, he likes to subtly flex he has you as his wife.

"Sorry, i must end this conversation early. My wife is waiting on my presence." and you can just HEAR how cocky he is to say that.

writes you longgggg letters when he has to get away from business for awhile.

regarding his letters, he made you scribble/draw a design which he got custom made to become his wax seal for said letters :) a very keen man

got you a coat matching his own!

when your crying, he likes to hug you in silence, just letting you soak him in your tears. when you've calmed down, he tells you hes there to listen if you want to talk about your feelings, and theres no problem of yours hes not willing to help you solve. in his mind, your pain is his own, and he'll always be there to support you through any troubles.

very possessive. he wants people to know your his, and hes yours.

princess treatment on TOP. carries you easily when your tired of walking, idly massages your hands or feet when your both lounging together, regularly brings you flowers

during misunderstandings, he likes to take a minute of silence to compose himself and his thoughts to make sure he doesnt say anything he doesnt mean

likes to properly sit down with you to talk out problems between the both of you, and keeps an open mind. he doesnt rush you or cut you off when your talking about your feelings, and lets you know hes present and he cares about how you feel

takes extra time and effort after an argument to remind you he loves you.

overall, capitano is a very romantic lover despite his cold resolve, and honors your wishes with his life.

[kirbmey]

　 ྀི︶˚̣̣̣⠀⠀⠀vacations w bigbrother!caleb⠀⠀⠀˚̣̣̣︶ ྀི

synopsis: you’re having a summer dinner with your family and friends, but caleb gets angry at an old gossipy lady ( ｡ •` ⤙´• ｡)

tw: reader is implied to be smaller than caleb, reader is very feminine, dumbification, slurs like ‘whore’, possessive!caleb, stepcest, manipulation, dark romance, usage of ‘gege’ and ‘big brother’, slightly inspired by the movie ‘call me by your name’, caleb is kinda aggressive not towards reader tho, etc.

there was this tradition running in your family where you would move to your summer villa for the whole summer season, inviting some of your parents' friends over as well; needless to say, your step brother was also included in the plan.

you were always excited about these, being able to wear your a little too short summer dresses in front of your big brother without question to every dinner, adoring giving yourself a cute look for caleb to see, only wanting to be pretty for your big brother ૮ ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶ ა

this night was nothing different, you wore this pale pink sundress that left little to the imagination along with some other pink accessories, wearing the necklace he gifted you; you never took it off.

every night your housemaid would set up the long and old wooden table in the patio with refreshing food, all the people in the villa gathering to spend time together after their tiring activities in the beach. you sat in front of caleb as usual, feeling his warm palm rest in the fat of your thigh and caressing it with his thumb in circular motions.

he loved to stare at your angelic-like features while talking about whatever thing you were talking about with your aunt, sometimes forgetting that the rest of your family was there and that he had to keep appearances to any curious eyes.

“so, caleb?” he turns his head way too fast at his name being called, getting out of the trance he got caught on by staring at your red plump lips. “how are you doing with your studies?” a friend from your parents asks, he didn’t even know her name.

“mmh, well, all good. gotta study more than expected but she helps me with that, I have a hard time focusing, you know…” he answers with a boyish smile and tender voice, pinching your skin when pronouncing your name.

“yeah! gege is working really hard for this career, and i try to help him as much as i can” you voice an answer in a sweet tone, him knowing the reality of this said help.

“i see, you two seem really close, if i didn’t know you i’d think you ar—”, “well, that cuts it for tonight i’m afraid” your mother intervenes, knowing how annoying her friend gets regarding this topic. they even argued several times about how your relationship should be checked on since it looked very inappropriate from the outside, but she refused to listen, being a blind believer on your innocent sister-brother interactions, thinking caleb it’s just very clingy and protective about you.

a fierce blush creeps onto your cherub cheeks, feeling embarrassed at anyone questioning your relationship with your gege.

wasn’t it normal, having your big brother hold you for way too long, getting kissed on the lips before going to sleep or even helping you with the strange ache between your thighs when he rubbed himself against you to keep you warm at night?

he made sure to keep you away from anything or anyone vulgar, wanting to cherish your pure mind and thoughts for himself to slowly corrupt, carefully making you believe that good girls don’t go out with boys, don’t kiss anyone but their big brothers and reaching him to ask for help regarding any small issue a normal person could take care of themselves, but not you. you were too stupid ૮꒰◞ ˕ ◟ ྀི꒱ა

and just like that, he made you his little doll for him and him alone, emptying your silly head from anyone but him. you depended on him for anything.

your nipples got hard in the winter? don’t worry, he will slowly rub them while you sat on his lap with his cock buried deep inside you, just to keep you warm. whispering sweet nothings to you while leaving wet kisses along your neck, smiling to himself when listening to your adorable whimpers. he had to use every single trace of self control to not break your puffy pussy in two right there.

he actually never properly fucked you, just played with you like adults do (..◜ᴗ◝..) nothing wrong with that, right?

you wanted to help him focus on his homework? you knew how easily distracted your gege could get and you just wanted to help! (•ᴖ•｡) so he told you to get on your knees, making sure it was on top of some soft cushion, and commanded you to start pampering small kisses on his bulge. just like the ones you gave him all over the face when you were happy to see him ⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝♡

so you kept your hands on your lap like the good girl you were to approach his big bulge hiding under his grey sweatpants, leaving sweet little smoochies all over his prince's parts (as he called yours your princess’s parts), and leaving light traces of saliva on the way.

just a few minutes like that, completely focused on the task your gege gave you to please him as you always wanted, and he came undone fully clothed. you looked up at him trough your long lashes, surprised to see that creamy liquid stain his pants, the same one he made you lick from his fingers sometimes before (⁠ᗒ⩊ᗕ ྀི)

he can’t help but laugh fondly at your expression, caressing your cheek before slipping his thumb into your mouth, feeling how you wrapped your warm tongue against the pad of his finger.

now you were both heading to your shared bedroom, the inside of the villa specially silent since everybody else stayed outside, smoking and updating on the latest gossips while drinking the leftover wine.

caleb was mad, how dare that bitch even think about questioning you two? he knew what was best for you, he was your shiny armor knight, your big brother who would always protect you. what was wrong with that?

your tiny heels clicked trough the long and empty halls, chasing after caleb as your short legs could; he was stomping, and he was truly angry.

you never saw him so mad ever since he caught you watching some filthy porn a friend of yours sent you when you told her that you didn’t do that kind of thing since your brother told you to not to. needless to say, he made sure to beat her up real good so she wouldn’t get any close to you, ever. but you didn’t need to know what he did, he’s just protecting you! (づ_ど)

once you catch up with him inside said bedroom you pout, playing with the lacy hem of your dress as you close the door behind you. he sits down on the edge of the bed, holding his head between his hands as he takes deep breaths. he had to take care of that whore later, noted.

“gege? what’s wrong? did i do something bad?” you inquisitively ask, taking careful steps to stand before him, still playing around with your clothes in a nervous manner.

no answer from him, just a deep breath and a big pair of hands holding the back of your thighs to bring you closer, burying his face in the plush of your belly while featherly kissing it.

“no, doll, you did nothing wrong.” he blurs out against the soft fabric of your dress. “it’s just mom’s friend, she made me angry.” you feel his hands creep closer to your ass, holding yourself onto his broad shoulders.

you knew caleb didn’t like the questioning of your relationship, he liked to keep things private, a secret only for you two. your silly head couldn’t find an answer, what were you supposed to say when his skilled fingers removed your cottony panties down and he kept his pinkish gaze on you like that?

“you’re mine, pips, you know everything i do is for your own good.” you knew it, that old lady’s words meant nothing to you. “what would you do without me, hmm?”

you heard the side zipper of the dress and before you know it, you’re fully naked in front of him. it’s not the first time, but you can’t help feeling a little ashamed. he’s so perfect, tall and fit, and you don’t match his toned body.

you cross your arms in front of your breasts, hiding your blushing face underneath your hair, feeling his hand once again come up to your chin to lift it up while the other one holds your wrists a little bit too hard.

“don’t dare hiding from me, princess, you know i love the sight.” he confesses in a breath, restarting the trail of kisses from your soft belly down to your pubes, rubbing the tip of his nose against the little hairs.

you can’t help but whine, readjusting your hands on top of his head, caressing his soft dark locks trough your slim fingers. “gege, don’t do that, you know it feels achy.” you complain in a peachy voice.

he falls on blind ears, paying all of his attention to your princess’s parts, making you separate your legs by holding your inner thighs before lowering his head to clit level, smothering the growing bud with open-mouthed kisses.

he slowly toyed with your dripping entrance, circling the ring muscle with his index finger while paying attention to your pearl, lost in the sweet and sour flavor of yours. “fuck, doll, what do i have to do to make everyone understand that you’re my good girl, hmm?”

you don’t even listen to him, too caught up in the sensation of said finger caressing your velvety walls, throwing your head back while you pushed your hips closer to his face, letting out an adorable moan when feeling a second one peeking in.

“i see, you’re too stupid to answer that.” he said in a condescending way, fucking you with his long fingers slow but deep, even biting your clit at times. “don’t you see you need me to do everything for you?” one harsh thrust, reaching that gummy spot. “to tie your shoes, to wash your hair, even to dress you up in the morning?”

you were a moaning mess, your hair falling like a cascade at your back and sticking to your sweaty forehead, your toes curling at the way his skilled fingers toyed with your weak spot, feeling how he curved them inside you, that strange sensation knotting in your belly. “gege, i feel weird again, stop, stop” the tears in the corner of your eyes fall away to your neck.

“let go f’me, angel, you know your big brother likes it.” and he loved it, the taste of your juices, sweet enough to be addictive. before you realize you were creaming his fingers, feeling a strong arm wrap around your waist to keep you from falling. “good girl, you did so good for me”.

his murmurs fall quiet when he laps at your pussy to take every single drop of you in his mouth, moaning at the taste. your head falls on top of his, trying to catch your breath while he wraps you with both arms and lifts you up, heading to the bathroom to clean you up.

he first washed your sweaty body and clothed you with one of his huge t shirts, you falling asleep mid-bath and him taking you to bed carefully, making sure you were comfortable before taking care of his hard dick and rubbing himself against your discarded panties, staining them with cum not many minutes later (˶˃ ᵕ ˂˶)

he threw them inside one of his designated drawers and hugged your smaller frame into his naked chest, drifting to sleep.

your big brother loved you so so much!

a/n: let me know if you liked it, i want feedback! also, idk if this was too long, i got carried away hehe (˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶)

— masterlist.

[yukioos]

"Probably write a part 3????" BABY I NEED A WHOLE SERIES! This is SO good and I can't wait to see where you take it xx

BETTER IN THE DARK

SUMMARY: hwang in-ho x wife reader // after voting, the majority decides the players will stay in the game for at least one more round. after you’re served dinner, two men come up to you and flirt with you. when you don’t answer, they try to pick a fight with you. once it gets too intense, in-ho steps in and saves you. he brings you back to the group and gives you a kiss goodnight.

AUTHORS NOTE: hi! i’m probably gonna turn this into a series bc i like writing about this. hope u guys r okay with that! there are 1.8k words in this. here are the links to part 1 part 2 ALSO THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR 600 FOLLOWERS I LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH

WARNINGS: not proofread, violence, cussing, thanos and nam-gyu are dicks

TAGS: @annasnape7 @watasinekoru @namelesslosers @sxmmerchxldblog @lisaannwalterlover @gracesworks @vkeyy

after the majority vote was to stay in the games, dinner was served to the players. you stood in line behind your husband, who tried not to glance at you once he walked away. a circle guard held out a metal container for you.

you gently grabbed the cold container, smiling and mumbling out a “thank you.” before stepping out of line to your bed. you opened the container to see rice, a fried egg, beans, anchovies, kimchi, and some sort of sausage. you sat on the stairs for a couple of minutes as you ate, before a crowd began to swarm gi-hun and a man next to him.

when you looked closer, you realized in-ho was leading the group. the ‘o’ group was asking about the next game, and the former player replied, explaining how dalgona was to be the next game, and the shapes to choose. however, gi-hun couldn’t have been more wrong.

his friend asked, “so, of those, which was the easiest one to do?” and leaned in close, the ‘o’ group copying him, listening intently to gi-hun’s next words.

he replied, “the triangle.”

player 390 then asked, “and which was the hardest one?”

gi-hun answered with one word, not caring to say anymore, “umbrella.”

in-ho scoffed, “umbrella?” he rolled his eyes, laughing, “what— players actually picked umbrella?” he stood up, “they had no idea what the game was so i bet they were totally screwed, right?” the crowd agreed, nodding their heads and murmuring to one another. player 456 stared at your husband, eyebrows pointed upwards, ashamedly.

you paused your chewing and giggled to yourself, knowing in-ho loved to get on people’s nerves, and he did so successfully. player 100 suggested no one should tell anyone else to pick the triangle for the next game, as he wanted more prize money to be added. gi-hun immediately refused, explaining he wanted everyone to survive. the crowd walked away, but your husband stayed, probably trying to interrogate the former player.

your husband sat down next to player 390, and began to ask why gi-hun came back to the game, opposing every answer he gained. once they’d argued long enough about players voting ‘x’ and players voting ‘o,’ the former player’s friend intervened, and began to talk about how they needed to win the next game. the conversation began to get boring, so you returned to slowly eating your food, missing all the activities back at home.

after almost finishing half of your meal, a boy with black shoulder-length hair came to your bed and leaned against it. he stared at you for a few seconds before leaning his arm against the metal pole. you stared back with intensity, attempting to appear unapproachable and rude. he asked, “what’s a pretty lady like you doing in a shitty place like this?” and gave you an uncanny smile, causing your stomach to twist uncomfortably. the words would’ve been better if they were from your husband.

you continued to stare at him, not yet answering him. a sinking feeling fled into your chest, you might’ve needed to eventually fight him if he continued giving you trouble. player 124 continued, “come on, why aren’t you talkin’? i’m not gonna do any harm.”

footsteps began to approach your bed, almost caging you in. a man with purple hair and painted nails, player 230, placed his hands above a metal beam. he inquired, “hey, why aren’t you answering him? you scared? he’s a good guy, promise.” you still kept your legs crossed, and looked down at your white sheets, wishing they would go away. deep down, you knew they wouldn’t.

in your peripheral vision, you saw the two of them give each other a knowing glance, causing your stomach to churn. you quickly swallowed your food, anticipating something odd to happen. a hand suddenly grabbed your jacket and threw you to the ground. as your knees hit the hard floor, you sighed, knowing this was to happen.

as you slowly pushed yourself onto your hands, your hair dangled in front of your face, making it difficult to see anything. a fist collided with your face, causing your head to bang to the ground. people all around the room gasped at the scene, which unfortunately, included you. before you could get up, player 230 grabbed you by the neck and put his face close to yours, “why the fuck didn’t you answer him, huh? he was tryin’ to be nice, and you ignored him.” he chuckled, “now this is what you get—“

before he could continue, you balled your fist up and punched him square in the jaw. as in-ho watched the scene unravel, he knew eventually, the two would team up on you and overpower you somehow. his breathing became erratic, his eyes were as sharp as knives. he clenched his fists and ignored a question of worry from player 388.

maybe acting weaker would be better. or would acting stronger be better? you knew you could easily win these games against everyone in this room, including the creator himself, but you didn’t know how to show yourself to others. how the hell were you supposed to appear as? timid? confident? polite? intimidating? rude? god, you didn’t know, but you began to occasionally fight the men back, wanting to appear as someone who isn’t one side of anything, but the middle. swing a punch or kick every so often, but enough to let them get a couple hits.

fuck, that was not a healthy mindset. in-ho would never let you take shit from anyone.

player 001 stood up and strode over with confidence and anger. he asked, “hey kids, what makes you think you can hit anyone like that? it’s disrespectful to her, and everyone surrounding you. it’s bad manners, “not to mention, it’s two against one.” he hoped your body would be feeling well enough to play the games properly.

as the men started to walk away from your body, which was laying on the ground, the two of you felt a wave of relief. you knew in-ho would be able to take them down easily, he was specially trained to fight like hell with little effort. the purple-haired man ran his mouth, causing your husband to grab him by the neck, immediately feeling a tugging hand around his wrist. player 124 walked over, attempting to stop in-ho, “hey, get your fucking—“ he was immediately kicked in the shin a numerous amount of times before he fell to the ground, weakly holding his knee.

all the pain in your body disappeared as you stared in awe at your husband. you couldn’t believe he was yours, but you were so proud. he barely broke a sweat as he fought those men to protect you.

the group groaned, some even covered their mouths in shock. your husband let go of his neck, almost throwing him multiple feet away. the rapper mumbled and attempted to make a swing at the older man, only getting hit in the stomach as a response he hunched over in pain and gasped, “wait— wait a minute—” but was treated with no mercy. in-ho grabbed the man’s outstretched hand and twisted it, making you wince once you heard bones cracking.

he fell to the ground and groaned as he was kicked in the chest and face multiple times, trying to pathetically back away. he mumbled, “i’m sorry, sir—“ as in-ho held his hand tight against his neck. he let go, still fuming and warm. the purple-haired man coughed, and the players erupted with cheer and compliments to your husband. he awkwardly glanced around and fixed his hair, not used to all the attention. he remembered the reason why he was fighting in the first place, because of you. he quickly turned around, wide eyes darting everywhere until they landed on your body, sitting on the ground. you nervously glanced up at him, and he placed his hand in front of you, wanting you to take it.

you stood up with his help and bowed, “thank you, sir, i don’t know what i would’ve done if you didn’t step in and save me.”

he replied, “please don’t thank me, miss. it’s the least i could’ve done for you.” you shyly smiled and averted your gaze, causing him to teasingly tilt his head in the way you were looking. he wanted your eyes on his again.

he loved feeling your soft hands against his. in-ho was in deep, as he was feeling uneasy without you even after an hour of not talking to you. in-ho stated, “how about i walk you over to a group? one of the players has participated in these games, so we’ll have a high chance of winning if we stick together.” you nodded and he guided you, asking you questions about yourself as if he didn’t know you like the back of his hand. once the two of you sat down and he introduced you to the other players, he sat down close to you, but not close enough to be knee-to-knee or shoulder-to-shoulder. he asked, “do you feel okay? you took a lot of hits back there.”

you nodded, and he and his group continued to fill you in with what player 456 knows about the game. you had to admit, it was difficult playing as someone you weren’t. it was even harder to act like you didn’t know your favorite person, your husband.

hours passed, and before you knew it, it was around time to sleep. as you were about to leave to walk to your bed, a hand stopped you, gently grabbing your arm. in-ho suggested, “how about you sleep here? player 456 recommended we stay close together, so we’ll be safer.”

he pulled that lie out of his ass. gi-hun didn’t say anything about staying together at night.

you thought for a moment and grinned, “sure, why not,” and laid down on a mattress, pulling the sheets over your body. you laid on your side and mumbled, “night, young-il,” as in-ho ordered you to call him, as it was an alias. he turned his head to you and smiled, muttering a soft ‘good night,’ when you heard those words, you immediately passed out.

in-ho took a moment to himself and glanced around, making sure no one was looking before he walked to your bed. he kneeled down and gently placed his rough hand on your cheek, rubbing it as he whispered praises into your hair. he kissed your forehead, as he always did after you fell asleep.

he was so glad that you were okay.

[prettealolilol]

i like to think about the duality of the kids about people shipping Bruce with anyone, because the guy has been elected as the most handsome man in the country for years, has this whole playboy Brucie persona and is often seen with someone at his arms (men and women)

on one side, they'll be like "ew god no, i do not want to imagine dad like-" and "oh my god some people actually ship Bantman and Joker wtf ??" and they'll do their best to filter every social media to avoid any thirsty or shipping content about Bruce

when the press ask them about it, they be like:

Tim : "Would you like it if I asked about your thoughts on your dad cheating on your mom with his secretary ? No ? Then mind your own business." when the dad was in fact cheating with his secretary and now everybody knew because Tim was live when he answered

Jason, pulling out a gun : "i swear to god i'll shoot the next person who asks me this and then i'll shoot myself. Ugh, do i look like i fucking care about the old man's sex life ?"

Dick, smiling uncomfortably : "i don't really live at the manor anymore and i barely see him with my job so you know..." when it has been in fact a week he's been sleeping at the manor after patrolling with Batman

Damian, frowning as usual, looking at the guy who asked him as if he did not have a brain : "Father is careful in not mixing his carnal activities with the family life so i do not have any hindsight on his sex life. i do not wish to know regardless." the journalist is taken aback by the explicit answer of this ten year old, while his brothers are trying not to laugh behind him (Jason was not hiding his snickering)

on the other side, you cannot tell me those guys are not the biggest shippers in the world

like Jason would want Batman to date Wonder Woman just so she could be his step mom. i strongly believe the guy has a ao3 and tumblr account and is very much active on both. he definitely reads batman x green lantern fics just to annoy Bruce (even though his dad has no idea, but still gets shivers when Jason is reading one)

Dick and Duke both ship SuperBat although for different reasons. for Dick, that's his uncle there, he was there when they met and saw them as they slowly became best friends. he strongly believes they are made for each other. Duke just think it would be super cool (no pun intended) if the Superman and the Batman were dating.

Stephanie just likes to roll with it, some days she feels like shipping superbat, others she'll be more into batcat, or batlantern. she's pretty volatile and doesn't really have a favourite, but when she gets into one she's all in. she'll be arguing and insulting people online who disagrees, sharing crazy theories...

Cass doesn't really care, she'll listen to any of her siblings ranting about their thoughts (especially Steph) and juts find it adorable (and funny how much they care)

Tim probably ships superbat because they are completely opposed, and he finds the parallels really interesting. he definitely writes fics (Jay reads his fics and they exchange about it without knowing it's each other)

Damian doesn't really see the point. but he has drawn of few fanart (Jason tried to bribe him with money once and Damian had to remind him of his inheritance) when Bruce benched Tim and him and he ended up drawing some batlantern that Tim printed and plastered all over the manor. Bruce had to restrain the access to the printer (Tim hacked into it the next day)

Barbara, although she doesn't really ship, is the one you go to if you search some content, she'll find you the most heart wrenching, 200 thousand words, slow brun, angst/comfort fics you'll ever read (the type of fic that changes you deep into your soul). she still likes debating with the batkid

Regardless, if there's one things they all agree on, it is Bruceman (love those fics were the batkids just go along with it). like it's hilarious but the fans make some pretty good points and they are in fact impressed. it's also the safest ship as it would not happen in any situations so they don't have to worry about their dad being stolen

[ew-selfish-art]

Dpxdc AU: consultant groups can be used to outsource problems for companies so why not monarchies?

Danny is listening to the various eyeballs and ghosts chatter on about all the issues that he now has to oversee and advise and make so many freaking decisions on. It’s annoying that it all has to come down to his call because he was a dumb 14 year old who didn’t want his town to permanently live in the ghost zone.

Now 17, King of the Infinite, and a bit wiser to the world, Danny is doing his best to balance his teenage ambitions to not give a shit and his protective obsession to very much give a shit.

Sams parents are making her learn the family business and Tucker is trying to make this internship he’s got with a fancy tech company out of New Jersey into a career without college… so while they’re commiserating with Danny the idea comes up.

Earth has a shit ton of heroes. Like, ever since the Justice League *poofed* the GIW out of existence with the Meta human acts- more and more caped crusaders seemed to be coming out of the wood work. More villains too but still, more people who seemed wise to their abilities and morals. Danny has literally never taken an ethics class.

But rn, Eye-mothy and Eye-Bert are arguing over how Danny as King Phantom is supposed to tackle the problem of some fucking pool acting as a weird trade route with a cult and… ugh it’s just so boring but like also such a fucking problem. But… maybe it can be someone else’s issue.

Opening a portal, Danny escapes into space and gets to work finding the base of operations- Tucker had told him there was a new satellite after all and there’s no way it wasn’t connected to the hero orgs- and boom he flies into the Watchtower.

“Hey- are any of you guys willing to consult on some weird pools of ectoplasm in Pakistan? Green and glowing little lakes of bullshit and magic?” Danny asks into the meeting room of the JL regardless of their startled and alarmed exclamations.

“… I could consult on that.” A voice comes from the corner, and Danny recognizes him as one of the bat people. Or bird? The guy is in a lot of red and clearly wasn’t supposed to be in this meeting based on the way he’s propped in the corner. The room erupts in protest but Danny barely hears them through his excitement and focus on the dude.

“Great! I’ll have him back before the end of the day! Lets go Bird boy!” And with that, Danny grabbed the Bird, chucked them both through a portal back into his thrown room and begins to explain the way these eyeballs are totally trying to trap him into doing more work than he needs to do.

“What do I call you by the way? I’m Danny but you’ll probably hear them call me King Phantom.”

“I go by Red Robin, and honestly, I’ve been trying to get this shit taken care of for years.”

From there Tim becomes a regular consultant for King Phantom- the Bat Family is losing their minds with him constantly going to the land of the dead but also Constantine said not to piss off the king at all costs.

Danny is just thrilled that this dude has a shit ton of insight as well as business sense- like he could legit run the monarchy way better than him despite the fact that they’re the same age.

They end up working together for years, and even when there’s not an active issue at hand, Danny will meet up with the bird just to talk.

Sam and Tucker think they’re hilarious each time they ask if Danny’s proposed yet.

Tim has already planned their wedding but all of that information is in a folder more secured than the nuclear codes- Danny needs to ask him on a date first.

[senseandaccountability]

"I'm me again"

Yes well this is me getting a little sappy - again - about the spirits/demon thing as a metaphor for the human experience, must be Friday. 

(Yes, this is about Solas.)

Last night my Ingellvar was tending to the graves with Emmrich and she said “demons” and immediately corrected herself, because of course she meant spirits but people outside Nevarra so easily call them demons and Emmrich, one of the kindest and most insightful people in the entire DA verse, would of course never do that. Because he sees them all as spirits. Some of them may be twisted, embittered, furious and cruel but to him they are still, at heart, the same being as their more positive virtues. You are always you, as Solas tells Cole. 

Which is also what Solas argues for all of DAI.

Which is also what Solas personal quest actively shows us in DAI.

His friend, broken and twisted by the mages' bindings, dies a spirit of Wisdom, thanking him and telling him not to be sad. “I’m me again.”

Which is also a very strong theme in Solas entire arc. 

But it’s really not just Solas, or the elves. The eternal struggle of spirits is a reflection of the human soul and what it means to be human. What parts of you does the world let you cultivate, what parts are hidden and twisted in the dark, what virtues would you be remembered for if you died tomorrow? What sort of person have you become? What person could you be? DA is crammed with these themes.

Since the spirit reveal/confirmation, I’ve seen a lot of very detailed and very cool discussions about the specifics of spirit virtues and demon characteristics and that’s some good shit right there, but you can also be lazy like me and very much just read it as various aspects of human nature interacting with each other. We’re all so many things over our lifetime, to different people, in different contexts. We all carry such endless capacity for goodness and gentleness and we’re all so very capable of hurting each other.

In the codex entries we see Solas try over and over and over again to appeal to the better nature of the Evanuris. He is described as brilliant and wise, he is pulled out of the Fade specifically for his wisdom and he tries to get them to reflect that, to listen to his concerns, to use their powers differently. Why don’t you make creatures that can protect the People, he asks Ghilan’nain. Why do you need to push your power further, he asks Elgar’nan, the people are already submitting to your rule, why must you shackle them? War may have twisted him up already but there’s nothing he says that isn’t extremely valid and wise about the Evanuris’ approach to ruling.

But as we learn from the Spirit of Command in Crestwood in DAI, wisdom is considered a soft virtue in a world of war and hierarchy and his reasoning falls flat or gets interpreted as fear or insubordination. Unheard and undervalued, his wisdom grows sour and prideful. He isn’t wrong, he knows he isn't, and he will show them. You are not gods, I will make you see that you are not gods. I will humble you until you understand that I am right. 

This is a profoundly human experience.

The ancient elven empire ultimately falls to its own greed and hierarchies and lack of boundaries - all of which Solas pointed out, all of which he and his rebels opposed. But the Evanuris didn’t listen, they were caught in a power scheme where only individual power matters and everyone else becomes pawns. How ironic then that their empire falls to its own foolish pride and boundless cruelty against the Titans, the first children of the earth. They hurt themselves by hurting them. They wound the fabric that binds them all together. 

Solas as a character is an open, ongoing conflict between "spirit" and "demon" aspects, between light and dark, between identifying as a solitary creature or part of the whole. It’s never more visible than during the final act of DAV where he is at once Solas, standing with the Shadow Dragons against the blight. And also Fen’Harel, scheming to get there in the first place, treating people in his way like dehumanized pawns to reach his final destination, a goal that can be argued to be entirely tainted with pride at this point, a way to soothe his conscience and need to be right more than it’s a way to save the world. And he’s the Dread Wolf, physically embodying the struggle against the corrupt powers since he, unlike the Evanuris, doesn’t believe in binding creatures to fight his battles. It’s significant that while he fights alone, he cannot do it without help from Rook. Elgar’nan directs all of the blight at the Dread Wolf and it takes a sacrifice from the team to free him from its grasp. It’s a battle orchestrated by a god. 

And Solas, powerful as he may be, is not a god. 

That is why it’s so lovely to me that the ending isn’t just a matter between Solas and his conscience or between Solas and Rook or Solas and Lavellan. Because we are not single entities. We are not islands. That’s why we need each other, because we respond to each other, we affect each other, we abuse and love each other and we cannot really understand in which ways until we connect. We use each other to remind us of who we are, or who we could be. Every Benevolence needs a Wisdom, every Command needs a Compassion, every one of us needs someone else in some way, shape or form. We are not meant to be solitary. We all share Solas' deepest fear of dying alone. We all share Solas’ ongoing conflict with the better and worse parts of our nature. We all reflect each other. The ending brings in the past, the present and the person that knows Solas not as a god but as a person.

We are shattered fragments of a greater whole and it was, as Morrigan points out, Solas’s love for and loyalty to his people that set him on this course long ago. And he broke the world. He broke his people. He couldn’t save them, all the horrible things that he has done and he still couldn’t save them. Ultimately and emotionally to him, this isn’t about wisdom or pride or good or evil or any such dichotomy, this is about grief and regret and broken humanity.

That is why it’s so powerful to me that a romanced or friendly Lavellan is so kind to him in DAV. They approach him carefully, they kneel down beside him to make a connection, they are understanding and compassionate and it may not be what he deserves on some grand justice scale of things, but it is without question what he needs. Pride and regret and grief need compassion, hope and benevolence much more than it needs to be proven wrong or challenged, kindness breaks the cycle.

They reach out to him not the way one would reach out to a god, but to a person. Because that’s what Solas needs to be reminded of - his humanity. That’s what their love and friendship has always reminded him of, that's what the Inquisition taught him - that the world is worth caring about because broken as it may be, it is also full of people. 

And people matter. They might not matter to the Dread Wolf, but they have always mattered to Solas.

That's what the good ending represents.

"I'm me again." 

[fumifooms]

People have speculated a lot about Chilchuck’s nightmare, my own reading’s changed a lot about it over time too. Anyone is afraid losing the people they love, but what does this say about this character’s specific fears, experiences and priorities? What’s implied to have went down exactly, here?

My own take about Chil’s nightmare is that at the center of it, what it represents is the fear that Chilchuck couldn’t protect them.

A big part of Chil’s character is his worrying for others, mainly for their safety, and taking responsibility for keeping them safe. He puts the weight on himself to make sure things go right and if they don’t he’ll worry about if he could have done anything differently. It’s also part of why he has this defense mechanism of giving up on interpersonal matters easily, because while it’s his duty to make sure his coworkers and daughters are safe for example, he thinks that when it comes to relationships and others that things are out of his hands and no matter what he says people won’t care. So he has to lie and trick his party members to go back to the surface, because surely they wouldn’t listen to his opinion or request to go back. So he’ll play chaperone to make sure no one says something incriminating. So all day he has to keep himself on his toes to hear and see the traps hidden away, has to keep himself starved to make sure he won’t trigger said traps, has the party’s lives on his shoulders and one moment of distraction could be the end.

This safety he worries about is both physical, fights and traps, and legal & socio-economical: laws, reputation and financial & job stability.

Here Chilchuck has blood on him, he seems to be looking at his hands. The corpses of his daughters are huddled laying around him but he’s not touching them. This has a sense of purposeful framing, they’re laying at his feet pointing up to him bloody and he has bloody hands, which is why people including myself have speculated that his nightmare could be about him murdering his family. Whatever happened, he blames himself, it’s his fault, is what the composition seems to evoke. But the intent of that sentiment shifts as effortlessly and easily as going from "he’s horrified at what he did" to "he’s horrified at what he didn’t do".

The axe in the wall, which some argue would be too heavy for a half-foot, then hints at something more like home invasion. Home invasion is a valid fear a lot of ethnic minorities and lower class people have had to face, wether it be because of overpolicing and law enforcement forces being dangerous and fickle, being the target of hate crimes or the general unfortunate environment and circumstances making their place of residence an unsafe spot. We don’t know why Chilchuck moved from his hometown to Kahka Brud, one of the bigger cities with half-foot populations reputed for its booming economy and job opportunities, but moving from a small town to a big city has its own pros and cons on that end as well. Chilchuck of course is very aware of the discrimination half-foots face, not only being dismissed and infantilized but also seen as expandable, as bait, little lives of little importance, and he’s deep into activism for half-foots especially with the union he leads. He strivess to protect his peers as well. He’s been scared for his life before, hiding and fleeing from humans, his party at the time. He’s had to hide and fear and flee humans before. The theory that he’s scared of specifically home invasion as a hate crime is very founded, on top of Chil being very worried about getting into trouble with the law in general and also again being implied to be/have lived in empoverished areas, just the whole bingo card of potential trauma to go off of.

He has blood splattered on his hands and cheek. Was he there when the rampage happened? Was he effortlessly pushed aside as his family was slaughtered, or did he stand aside frozen, unable to do anything in either scenario? If there’s another way to have gotten those blood splatters, it can also play on him being absent from his home. Maybe not unlike his wife, the fear of returning home to see things have been taken from you without even knowing or being able to do a thing. The fear of coming home and the place having been ransacked and everyone in it killed. Home, your haven, destroyed, your family, killed. It cannot be fixed, which in itself can be a nod to his tendency to be pessimistic and to think hoping for better is useless, like with being able to reach out and reconcile with his wife.

"The nightmares that the clam monsters give people tend to be specific, and based on deeply rooted emotional wounds, so I think it’s possible that Chilchuck isn’t just afraid of his home being attacked randomly, he is afraid of his daughters being targeted for their race and their gender specifically, perhaps because that is something that happens commonly to half-foots in the Dungeon Meshi world, and something Chilchuck feels powerless to protect them from." — @Room-Surprise , essay (source, go read it) It’s definitely in line with the lore. This whole thing reinforces how for example trusting his party with his daughter’s life, telling them to hire Meijack if he were to die, was a huge deal and testament of trust for Chilchuck.

So yes in my interpretation home invasion is especially relevant, but I still think the protection aspect is at the core of the scenario’s horror otherwise too, not having protected his family from himself if he was the one to kill them (which could be stretched to include the notion that his family’s closeness crumbled because of his attitude, or a manifestation of his low view of himself, maybe worried about his own alcoholism and anger issues) or having prevented whatever tragedy happened. The aftermath is what Kui chose to show after all, whatever happened the end result is the same and that’s what was deemed important. In the end it’s up to interpretation, whatever the intent was, but yes there’s much to be dug at here. It’s a bit like a chimera of all his biggest worries, fears and insecurities, all wrapped into one vision. If you want more discussion about it, there’s tons in the engagement of this post.

[starcrossed-lov3rz]

The Vow Spoken Through Time - Part 8

Daemon x Rhaenyra x Wife!Reader

Series: Series Masterlist

Warnings: MDNI, canon-typical violence, threats, yelling, plot

Tags: marriage, poly relationship, Daemon being hopelessly in love with his wives, Queen!Rhaenyra

Words: 1.8K

Description: Y/N is having a rough morning. She's fired. She's hungover. She's in a stranger's bed. She's waking up in a new world? She's married?!

Rhaenyra and Daemon's day started normal. Waking up next to their darling wife before tending to their duties. The difference? Their wife is speaking in riddles and has no memories of them.

Check out more works in my Masterlist!

“Feet together, shoulders back, strong core, and breathe.” Your eyes are closed, finding a moment of peace as you lead your sons through your morning yoga routine.

“This is supposed to be a challenge?”

“That doesn’t sound like breathing Luke,” you laugh, opening your eyes to see the bored look on Luke and Joffrey’s faces. Jace, to his credit, was trying to concentrate. “Inhale as you reach to the sky,” you say as you bring your arms up, “and exhale as you go down.” Exhaling, you fold your body down, hands touching the floor. You lead them through a sun salutation before indulging them in some more complicated poses and sequences.

“Our next pose is Crow, just remember to breathe and find your center.” You demonstrate before walking them through the steps. Yoga was one of the few things about your old life that you refused to give up. Even if you weren’t the most active person before waking up here, yoga and meditation were a huge part of your daily routine. Within a week of being here, you found yourself slipping out of bed early to find a quiet balcony.

The boys had stumbled across your morning flow today, and insisted on giving it a try. It was rare that you shared pieces of your past life with anyone, but their enthusiasm was infectious.

“Ah-” Joffrey lost his balance, falling to the ground in a fit of giggles. 

“So close sweet boy,” you laugh. “Try it again, you almost had it-”

“Mom look, I’m doing it!” 

You gasp, “Luke, that’s it! Hold it, and bre-”

“Breathe! I know!” Luke’s arms are shaking with the effort to keep the position, but you’re impressed he managed to get it on the first try.

Jace leans over and nudges Luke. Luke topples over with a yelp. “Mom, Jace pushed me!”

You struggle to keep from laughing at the petty squabble. It felt so normal and domestic to see them arguing like siblings back home. “Jace, apologize to your brother.” 

Jace grins, “Sorry Luke. Maybe next time if you breathe better you might not fall.”

Joffrey stumbles over to drop into your lap. You stand, propping him on your hip. “On that note my loves, I will be taking Joffrey to the nursery.” You kiss Jace and Luke on the forehead. “You two go freshen up, I will see you both for breakfast.”

They both give you a hug before disappearing. You turn to leave the balcony and nearly run into someone. “That was quite the sight, issa jorrāelagon,” Rhaenyra says, holding out her hands to steady you and Joffrey. [my love]

“Issa Dāria,” you greet her with a kiss. “Were you spying on us?” [My Queen]

“Me, a spy? Never.” Nyra laughs. “I have people for that.” She ruffles Joffrey’s hair before offering her your arm. You slide your free hand into the crook of her elbow, careful to make sure you had a good grip on Joffrey. “Daemon and I are both aware of your little morning ritual.”

“Oh?”

“How do you think no servants disturb you?” Rhaenyra teases. “Daemon and I take turns watching from the stairwell and keeping the staff away.”

Your cheeks heat up in embarrassment. “How long have you both known?”

“Since the first time.” 

“Maybe next time you can join,” you say, bumping your shoulder into Nyra’s gently.

“And forfeit the opportunity to watch your as-”

“Child present!” you hiss, interrupting your wife. Nyra laughs, shaking her head. You both walk the rest of the way to the nursery in silence, listening to Joffrey recount his brave efforts to master the Crow Pose. You drop him at the nursery, asking the maids to help him freshen up while you and Rhaenyra check in on little Aegon and Viserys.

“My queen,” you both stand up as a knight rushes into the room with a bow. “My queen, there is something that requires your immediate attention.”

“Whatever is the matter that it cannot wait until the small council meeting?” Rhaenyra asked. 

“There is a woman demanding an audience.”

“I am holding court later today, she can seek an audience then.”

“She claims knowledge of Lady Y/N’s illness.” 

Your gaze snaps to Rhaenyra and you lock eyes. There is a silent understanding before Nyra answers. “Bring her to the small council chambers and send for Daemon.”

You ask the maids to inform the boys of your absence at breakfast and follow Nyra to the small council chambers. “Do you think she really has an answer?”

“I do not wish to raise any of our hopes,” Rhaenyra sighed. 

Nyra stands by the windows, arms crossed as she waits. You pace the chambers. This was highly unusual. Maesters had come from all corners of the realm to offer their ‘wisdom’ and ‘cures’ for your ailment. This was certainly the first time that someone had showed up to demand an audience with the queen herself. The smallfolk and nobles were not privy to your condition. The maesters were summoned under vague direction and sworn to secrecy.

“Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen, First of Her Name, Queen of the Andals, the Rhoynar and the First Men, Lady of the Seven Kingdoms, and Protector of the Realm.” 

Rhaenyra’s kingsguard stand at attention as the doors open to reveal a woman dressed in white, led by Nyra’s knights. You furrow your brows, unable to get a good glimpse of the woman through her cloak. The woman bows deeply to Rhaenyra, then to you. “Your highness. Lady Y/n.”

“And who might you be?” Rhaenyra asks, suspicion lacing her voice.

The woman nods, pulling back the hood of her cloak to reveal a curtain of white hair and cloudy white eyes. She looked young, but there was something about her that felt ancient. “I am no one.” She responds. “I carry a message from the gods.”

Rhaenyra scoffs, “you must be joking. You enter my keep, demand an audience, refuse to identify yourself, and claim to be a messenger of the gods?”

“You need not my name, only hear my words.”

“Which gods bade you come here?”

“The same gods you swore your marital oaths before.” Despite her cloudy eyes, the woman seemed to stare into Nyra. 

“What message do you bring? What do you know of my illness?” You ask, desperate for an answer.

“The worlds-walker speaks?” she grins. 

“Y/n,” Nyra warns. 

“Just tell me your message.”

“Your answers lie in the godswood.” The woman reaches into her pocket, and the knights immediately reach for their swords. Rhaenyra raises her hand, silently ordering them to hold. The woman pulls a necklace from her pocket. 

“Where did you get that?” you ask, voice shaking. “That’s the necklace my gra-”

“Your grandmother gave you on your fifteenth name day,” the woman finishes. She steps forward, placing the chain in your hand, clasping her hands over yours. “You must return to your world, worlds-walker.”

“Watch your words witch,” Nyra says coldly, stepping between you and the woman.

“How do you know of my world?” You ignore Rhaenyra, stepping away to face the woman.

“We are all pieces of ourselves.”

“What does that even mean?” 

“Words alone will not satisfy you. Go to the godswood, worlds-walker.” 

The doors to the small council chambers fling open as Daemon storms in. The woman in white grins. “The dragons circle today.”

“They will do more than circle if you do not explain yourself,” Rhaenyra growls. “Stop speaking in riddles and tell us what awaits us in the godswood.”

“Answers.”

“Daemon.” Rhaenyra doesn’t have to say more than his name before Daemon holds a sword to the woman in white’s throat. “What is in the godswood.”

“Wait!” you put your hand over Daemon’s, trying to pull the sword from the woman’s throat. “What are you doing, she knows what happened to me.”

“The witch speaks in riddles and lies,” Rhaenyra hisses. “Worlds-walkers are a story for children.”

“And dragons are no more than a fairy tale in my world.” You plead. “Please, how did I get here? What is a worlds-walker?”

“Go to the godswood.” The woman in white closes her eyes and pulls her hood up. Everyone in the room gasps as the cloak hits the ground, empty. The woman in white had disappeared, leaving only her cloak behind.

Rhaenyra sighs, “first maesters, and now we are so desperate as to listen to the words of witches?”

“Search the castle for the witch,” Daemon orders the knights.

“My love, I am so sorry for giving you false hope,” Rhaenyra apologizes, pulling you into a side hug. 

You shrug off her hug. “Where is the godswood?”

Rhaenyra and Daemon exchange a glance. “You are not seriously listening to the ramblings of a mad witch?”

“Either take me to the godswood, or I will find it myself.” You clench your necklace tightly. “You still do not believe me? Rhaenyra, she knew who I was, who I really am.”

“You are not a worlds-walker, Y/n!” You flinch slightly as Rhaenyra raises her voice. Her eyes are wide, “My love, I-” Rhaenyra reaches out to grab your hand, but you pull away. She sighs, rubbing her temples. “If it will help us forget this morning, we will visit the godswood.”

“Lead the way.”

Daemon and Rhaenyra walk in front of you in utter silence. Two kingsguard follow the three of you from a distance. Daemon leads the way as you walk through unfamiliar corridors to a garden. The trees sway lightly in the wind, their red leaves dancing.

“This is it?” you ask. “This is the godswood?”

Rhaenyra nods, “we will take you to the heart tree and back. If you do not find your answers here, we will never speak of this again.”

You follow them into the trees. It is eerily quiet in the godswood. The wind makes no noise as it moves through the leaves and branches. No noise of birds chirping or singing. You shiver, hugging your arms to your body to chase away the chill. “Daemon, can I have your cloak?” You look up to see that Daemon and Nyra are gone.

“Daemon?!” You yell. “Rhaenyra?!” There is no response. You turn behind you. The kingsguard are gone as well. “This isn’t funny!”

The hair on your neck stands up, and you whip around to see the woman in white.

“Welcome worlds-walker.”

NOTE: Hey gang! Guess who is finally getting some plot (ya'll). Sorry for the late chapter, I had a Pride parade on Sunday. Please enjoy the SHAMELESS fluff and slice of life before I give you all a very stereotypical vague witch to facilitate the plot. Also, there are some ppl who I can’t tag, so if you’re listed on the tag list and not receiving notifications, please check that your settings are on “allow this blog to appear in search results” or message me if I messed up the spelling! ~ Lacie <3

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[mixingandmelting]

hi hii <3 take as long as you need to get to this request or even ignore it if you want to <3

i was wondering what thoughts you have on the batboys dating a reader with a story like jason’s? like they died, maybe they worked for some group of assassins as a kid and died one mission. they get revived and obviously find that weird - also, they’re an adult? - and go back to the hometown of gotham and try to settle down. they actively go out as a ‘civilian’ undercover at night and save a few people from getting mugged maybe but they no longer kill. probably meets the boys because of this and then? i dunno i’m not a writer sorry 😭

A/n: did three of the five since Duke and Damian aren't adults yet 😔

Dick: Gradually Dating

If he had a nickel every time someone close to him was dead then revived using the Lazarus Pit, he’d have four nickels. Which isn’t a lot but it’s weird that it happened four times: Jason, Cass, Damian, and, now, you. It took a while for him to get closer to you, initially because he was impressed by your skills when taking those muggers only for him to be hook, line, and sinker for you. You’re everything he needed including all the ways he didn’t know he needed. He would be yapping and you would be listening to everything he says and keep it in mind. He could be in the foulest or darkest mood and somehow you’d be able to pull him out of it where he gets flustered when realizing he’s getting spoiled by you. 

He is very much pleased to say he, successfully, got together with you and is the happiest man in all of space and time. It’s a habit for him to pester you constantly with the goal being you cringing at the puns and word play he does. His hands are always on you, no matter the place, time, occasion. In your hands, on your shoulders, around your waist- 24/7 unless he’s on a long-distance mission. He’ll simply bombard you with texts on how much he misses you and asks if you miss him. All because he loves you and you’re cute but that talk is for another day.The only problem he has developed recently is not liking how Jason’s rubbing off on you ever since you met him. Blue will always be better than red and his discowing costume is a masterpiece what do you mean :( 

Jason: Buddies to Dating

The two of you hit things off right from the start when he first met you. Sure, trying to chat with you as you beat up a group of muggers wasn’t the greatest way to begin a relationship but hey. By the end of the night, you both bonded over having similar pasts and became trauma buddies. Having a person who understands what it's like to go through a crappy past like his made you become his go-to person whenever he’s in the dump and going through an episode. You laugh along and share his dark humor. You know the best ways to comfort him. You accept all of him including his flaws with no bias or judgement. Add all that to him thinking you’re stronger than him where you choose not to resent but rather overcome your past- his admiration developed into adoration for you. 

Nothing has changed once the two of you became official, other than him enjoying how he gets to physically hold you more to his heart's content. Really, he’s never been into showing affection but here he is, being the physical affectionate one out of the two of you because he likes making you flush from the simplest things like kissing you on cheek, rubbing circles on the back of your hand when holding hands . Especially in public, which he teases you about all the time. He’s definitely more tamed than Dick though, where he’s not constantly all over you 24/7, though at home, cuddling is a must. So is making sure everyone knows he’s yours and you’re the best person alive. Anyone who argues you’re not can suck it and talk to his fist. 

Tim: Denial to Acceptance

It was from investigating why the rate of mugging during the night dropped that led him to meeting you, after doing a background check on you prior. But color him surprised when you don’t like a certain group of people he knows that’s dipped in the Lazarus Pit. He thought it was out of curiosity and making sure you weren’t planning to become an underground crime-lord that he followed you around and chatted with you whenever he got caught (which was 90% of the time). It seemed like you were struggling and with how nice and kind you were towards everyone and him, he was only trying to help by leaving things you need after he leaves. Then you smiled and- oh shit, he actually likes you. 

It’s still a work in progress in terms of being more expressive in public where recently the two of you successfully hold hands comfortably without either of you getting too self-conscious. Same with the occasional hugs and pecks on the cheek. At home is a different story. He’s completely clingy. Working in your lap or you in his arms always wrapped around you as he follows you around the house, of course helping you out as he does. Displays every form of affection and the fact you reciprocate it makes everything even better. Not that he’s good at hiding it from others at the beginning when he’s always on his phone, texting you, and getting flustered when someone mentions you or you’re with him.

[vampiriito]

Pillow talk and the fifth amendment (2)

(JJ Maybank x pogue! reader x Rafe Cameron ) ..in which you found yourself torn between two worlds when your best friend, JJ Maybank, who you've been in love with since forever starts dating Kiara. In a jealousy haze you start hooking up with Rafe Cameron, the infamous kook prince. Do you manage to keep everything casual and under control? No, is it fun? Also kind of no, given you hate yourself each time you managed to orgasm. And especially since Rafe's favorite activity is to pick on you and your friends outside the bedroom..

"Casual"

variants or less commonly friends with benefits or fuck buddies

chiefly US

"A relationship without any strings attached, no need for feelings or emotions just something to do when you're bored. No loyalties so can be with multiple people if would like to. Rather than having a relationship that focuses on the emotional needs, this type of relationship is based only on sexual needs. In between boyfriends? Feeling restless? Horny? Lonely? Jealous of your best friend dating someone else? It's at this time when you call up your your "friend" and fullfill the "obligations" of a casual relationship. During this, you are fullfulling your sexual needs. "

Smoking weed has always been your favorite past time. Especially with JJ. It made things more intense. You always felt like you and JJ had more tension than usual when you were high, more prone to kissing. That was until he started dating Kie 3 months ago. It was never the same. It became a way to get yourself to feel more paranoid and jumpy, more irritated. Especially when in front of you JJ was sitting cuddled up with Kiara, whispering shit in her ear and then disappearing to makeout or do other stuff. It was hell truly.

Still, here you were. Smoking weed with the pogues on the HMS pogue out in the water on a awfully hot day. The blunt was passed around on the boat, John B and Pope arguing about something while Sarah next to her boyfriend chiming in from time to time. It was worse for you. Kiara and JJ were sitting next to each other giggling like dumbasses and sharing a bottle of beer while high out of their minds, while you sat next to Sarah, only half listening to the playful banter. Mainly cause of the talk JJ had with you 3 days ago at the party, about wanting to kiss you and such. It felt like a cheap drunk set-up and you felt used. Although you didn't bring it up to him. You had no right and it would make it weird. Weirder than it already was.

JJ was high and buzzed, both the alcohol and weed mixing together in his system. He was feeling good and giggly, and his mind was occupied half the time on what his friends were talking about, and the other half the time completely focused on Kiara who was sitting next to him, pressed up against his side with her arm wrapped around his waist. As they whispered to eachother, and shared little giggles about random inside jokes they had and secret comments, JJ couldn't help but glance over at you and Sarah every now and then from the corner of his eyes.

He continued to glance in your direction here and there, noticing the slightly bitter look on your face as you smoked the joint with Pope and John B. He couldn't tell if you were just in a bad mood, or if there was also something else bothering you, but he didn't want to assume anything. His attention was soon grabbed back to Kiara, as she whispered something in his ear and her fingertips played with the waistband of his shorts.

He let out a low chuckle in response to whatever Kiara had whispered, his eyes flickering back to you for just a moment.

"You're a menace, you know that," he replied, looking down at her with a smirk. He let his gaze wander around the boat, taking in the relaxed atmosphere and the bickering between John B and Pope about some nonsense as they passed the joint around. His eyes landed on you once more, seeming to linger there for a few seconds longer this time.

He couldn't stop himself from thinking about what had happened between the two of you a few days back at the party, and wondered what you were thinking about. Did you regret doing that? Did you hate his guts for talking to you the following day like normal and being all drunk and stupid at the party? His thoughts were interrupted when Kiara spoke up to him again, her voice bringing him back to the present and the little pocket of reality on the boat.

"Hey, earth to JJ.." She gently elbowed him in the side, her voice filled with playful annoyance. "I was saying that we should find a secluded spot for a little while."

He glanced back at her and smirked, his mind already going to what she was suggesting.

He chuckled and nodded, turning his head towards her. "Oh yeah? And what exactly are you planning on doing once we find this secluded spot, hm?"

He spoke with a grin, his voice lowering as they continued to speak just to each other, ignoring the others around them in their own little world again.

She smirked back at him, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Oh, you know... Just a little bit of... Exploration."

She let her fingers wander back up to the waistband of his shorts, playing with the fabric and tracing her fingertips against his skin.

He shivered at the touch of her fingers as they played with the waistband of his shorts, igniting a spark of desire within him. He leaned in a little closer, his eyes flickering down to her lips before meeting her gaze again.

"Yeah? I'm always down for some...exploration."

She leaned in closer as well, her eyes flickering down to his lips and then back up at his eyes.

"Good," she whispered, her voice low and sultry. She inched even closer, making sure their bodies were pressed together. "Then let's get off this boat and go find somewhere private."

You tried to keep your gaze on Pope who was talking about something while Sarah snuggled into JB's side, occasionally laughing at his jokes but it was futile. So when the blunt was passed back to you, you made sure to take the longest drag up until now, exhaling the smoke slowly while simultaneously laughing at Pope. Which resulted in you coughing while laughing. "And you're telling me you-.. said that to her?" you asked Pope, who was telling you about his attempt at picking up a girl at the party 3 days ago. Which was funnier while high.

John B chuckled as he heard the end of Pope's story, his hand idly rubbing Sarah's shoulder while she snuggled into his side, half-listening to the conversation.

"Yeah he did." He chimed in, looking at Pope and shaking his head. "And she just walked away right after. Didn't stick around to hear the rest of his pitch."

"Are you kidding me?" you pouted slightly, looking at Pope, "I'll teach you some pick up lines.." you said teasingly, feigning disappointment.

Pope rolled his eyes playfully, a smirk on his lips as he responded. "Yeah, yeah, like you can do any better."

John B chuckled, his arm casually wrapping around Sarah's shoulder as he nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I'd like to see you do better."

"Hey i got laid 2 times at the party.. I'd say my charm worked.." you shrugged pointing to a fading mark on your neck and another one on your shoulder proudly.

All three of the boys looked at you in surprise when you mentioned that, their eyes quickly going to the marks on your neck and shoulder. John B and Pope exchanged a glance with each other as they realized what they were looking at, while JJ visibly tensed for a second before masking it with a smirk.

"Damn, looks like someone's been busy." JJ tried to keep his voice casual but still couldn't hide the hint of curiosity in his tone.

"It was the same guy both times.." you told JB, Pope and Sarah after casting a silent glance in JJ's direction, studying him and Kiara without saying a word.

JB and Pope's eyebrows raised in surprise at your admission, sharing another quick glance between them. John B was the first to speak up, looking at you with slight disbelief.

"The same guy? Twice? Damn.." He chuckled, shaking his head. "Lucky bastard."

"Well.. he's good at what he does.. lemme tell you that." you smirked, taking a drag from the blunt when it was passed to you, adjusting your glasses.

All three boys chuckled at your comment, clearly impressed and slightly jealous. They hadn't expected you to actually answer so openly and casually about the subject.

"I bet he's good, given that he scored twice." JJ spoke up before he could stop himself, the words slipping out as he continued to glance at you from time to time.

"Oh not just twice." you stated simply, glancing at JJ, a silent smugness in your gaze before grinning lazily to the others.

The boys' eyes widened at your words, their jaws practically dropped as they tried to keep their expressions somewhat neutral.

Pope couldn't help but blurt out a response, his voice filled with disbelief. "Wait, what do you mean 'not just twice'?"

That's why you hated smoking. It made you more bold. Especially since you were slightly bitter from all the flirting JJ was doing with his girlfriend in front of you. Still maybe you shouldn't have brought up the subject. "We've been hooking up for weeks." you shrugged casually.

The boys were completely stunned at your candid revelation, their mouths opening and closing a few times as they tried to process what you had just said.

John B's eyebrows were raised so high they were almost lost in his hairline, while Pope just stared at you with a mixture of surprise and disbelief. JJ's expression was the most neutral, but his eyes were fixated on you as he absorbed the information.

"Wait, 'weeks'?" Finally, Pope managed to utter a coherent response, his voice filled with shock as his eyes widened in surprise.

"3 Months.. roughly." you hummed, fidgeting with your glasses almost lost in thought.

John B and Pope were flabbergasted at your response, their jaws dropping open once more as they tried to wrap their minds around the revelation that you had been hooking up with someone for months.

JJ, however, remained silent for a moment, his expression still neutral though his eyes told a different story. He tried to play it cool, but there was a slight hint of disbelief and something else - perhaps jealousy? - mixed in with his emotions.

He cleared his throat, trying to force a casual tone into his voice. "And this guy, you see each other... regularly?"

"Here and there... it's mainly me doing the requests of hooking up.." you shrugged, adjusting your glasses almost smugly.

The boys exchanged glances, each of them still trying to process the information you had just dropped on them.

John B let out a low whistle, his gaze wandering over to JJ who had gone unusually quiet. "Sounds like you're making some guy very, very happy."

Pope looked at you with a mix of awe and disbelief, shaking his head slightly.

"Damn, three months. That's a long time. The guy must be having the time of his life."

"We don't really get along outside of sleeping together... it's just... beneficial i guess.." you sighed, the weed suddenly intensifying the guilt washing over you. That was the thing with weed, it made you more bold, which wasn't good, because you were sleeping with Rafe Cameron. One of the few people who was a total ass to your friends. And also Sarah's older brother.

The boys exchanged glances again, their eyes widening as they digested your confession.

John B chuckled dryly, shaking his head slightly. "That's, uh... That's definitely a... beneficial arrangement, all right."

JJ was still silent, his eyes fixed on you as his mind reeled. He couldn't believe what he was hearing and he didn't know how to feel about it.

Pope was still trying to wrap his head around the situation. "Wow, it's like... enemies with benefits."

"Yeah... exactly like that." you grinned pointing to Pope.

Pope returned the grin, a smirk spreading across his face. "Enemies with benefits. That's a new one."

John B snickered and shook his head again, his voice still filled with disbelief. "I'm guessing this whole thing is pretty secret then?"

"Yep.. he's older. So y'know.." you nodded sheepishly, "his friends almost walked in on me giving him head at the party 3 days ago.. so i think they know."

The boys' eyebrows shot up at your revelation. John B's eyes widened in surprise while Pope let out a low whistle.

JJ's jaw clenched slightly, his expression still deceptively neutral as he forced himself to speak. "He's... older? How much older?"

"I think he's 21.. or 20. Not sure.." you mumbled, trying to count the age gap in your mind.

The boys exchanged another glance, their eyebrows practically meeting their hairlines as they absorbed this new piece of information.

Pope whistled lowly again. "21 or 20? Damn girl, you really going for the experienced ones, aren't you?"

"Trust me. He knows what he's doing.." you looked between all 5 pogues, your mind flashing back at all the times you hooked up with Rafe. The guilt was still there, given you were doing something like that behind their backs, knowing that they'd probably hate you if they knew it was Rafe. But you still kept talking. Because word vomit did not stop once it came out. Maybe you could finesse this.

The boys listened in silence, their eyes glued to you as you spoke.

John B shifted slightly, his arm still wrapped around Sarah who had been quietly listening to the conversation. "Is there... something more to this than just hooking up, or...?"

"No. We're not a couple by any means. Just fuckbuddies i guess." you replied. You were obviously leaving out the part that you were doing it cause you were in love with JJ. Who was with Kiara.

The boys nodded thoughtfully, their expressions showing a mix of surprise and mild interest at your explanation. JJ looked at you intently, a subtle frown briefly flickering across his face and a slight tension in his jaw.

Pope couldn't help but ask another question. "So... this 'beneficial arrangement' of yours, how'd it... start?"

The question you dreaded most was finally asked. You couldn't tell them that the day JJ and Kiara got together you got blackout drunk and hooked up with Rafe Cameron out of heartbreak and bitterness. That'd be insane. So you just stuck with a vague answer. "Drunk mistake. And then... i dunno, sober mistakes.."

John B nodded, his eyebrows raised slightly.

"Drunk mistakes, huh? Sounds like my kind of story." He chuckled softly, glancing at Sarah who still snuggled into his side. Pope smirked as well, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

JJ, on the other hand, remained silent, his expression unreadable. His mind was racing, filled with questions and suspicions about the mysterious guy you were hooking up with.

Pope was the first to speak again, his voice holding a mixture of curiosity and envy. "So, uh... what's this guy like? Aside from the whole being 21 or 20 thing."

"Kinky." You stated simply, looking around the boat before reaching for the blunt discarded on the ashtray, lighting it and taking a slow drag.

Pope chuckled at your simple but direct response, while John B raised his eyebrows and smirked a little.

JJ, on the other hand, tensed up again. The blunt had clearly been doing wonders for your confidence and his mind couldn't help but wonder if you would say more. But he still said nothing, listening intently as the others kept asking questions.

John B gestured for you to pass the blunt to him, which you did, while Pope leaned forwards, a sly smile on his face.

His voice was sly and curious as he spoke, his eyes locked on yours. "So, how... kinky exactly are we talking about here? I'm just curious."

"He let me spit in his mouth." you chuckled lazily, giving Pope one example of many. Because if Rafe was anything, he was kinky all through and through.

John B almost choked on the smoke he was exhaling, coughing as he looked at you in surprise.

Pope's eyes widened in disbelief, a mix of shock and fascination on his face.

But JJ's reaction was more subtle. His eyes darkened slightly, a muscle in his jaw twitching as he tried to keep his expression neutral.

John B finally managed to recover, wiping his watering eyes before speaking up again. "He let you spit in his mouth? Like... literally?"

"Yes. Literally. I was like... riding him or whatever.. and i go 'you want me to spit in your mouth?' and he goes 'yes give it to me.'" you snorted, recalling the moment, your cheeks flushing slightly.

The Pogues were completely floored by your answer.

John B's eyebrows shot up, Pope whistled lowly, and JJ's knuckles clenched involuntarily.

For a moment, no one spoke, the awkward silence broken only when Sarah let out a low chuckle.

John B glanced at her, a look of surprise on his face.

He'd kinda forgotten she was even there, given the conversation had been so.... interesting. "What's so funny, Goldilocks?"

Sarah chuckled again, a small smirk playing on her lips. "Nothing. You guys are just so... shocked. It's adorable."

John B chuckled incredulously, shaking his head in disbelief. "Adorable is not the word I'd use for this."

Pope smirked as well, his voice still tinged with disbelief. "Yeah, none of us were expecting to hear something like that, were we, JJ?" He looked over at JJ, who had been unusually quiet through this whole conversation.

JJ looked up slowly, his eyes meeting yours for a brief moment before moving away again. He gave a careless shrug, his expression carefully controlled. "I don't know. I don't really go for the kinky stuff."

"Seems like you and Kie have it boring then huh?" you snorted teasingly, looking between him and Kiara, his arm still drapped across her shoulder Which was meant as a joke. Because you knew from countless talks you had with JJ while high that he definitely went for the kinky stuff.

For some reason, that comment rubbed JJ the wrong way. Maybe it was because he could sense the hint of bitterness behind your tone, or maybe it was something else. Either way, he couldn't help but respond.

"Boring ain't a word I'd use, darling," he said, his voice low and slightly colder than usual.

Kiara raised an eyebrow at him, noticing the change in his tone. She shot him a look, a slight frown on her face. "Why are you being so bitchy about it, JJ?"

JJ shrugged carelessly, taking a swig of his beer before replying. "I'm not being bitchy. I just don't think it's any of your business what me and Kie do together, all right?"

"Oh yeah... sure." you replied, nodding with a small awkward smile. The weed was tempting you to just bring up the fact that he was drunkenly begging you to hook up with him 3 days ago, after he admitted he wasn't faithful entirely to his girlfriend. But you didn't wanna be a bitch and ruin the hang out. So you just gave him a small knowing look before taking a drag of the blunt when it was passed back to you.

The others continued chatting and passing the blunts around, but JJ's mind was stuck on your earlier comment. He couldn't stop thinking about the hint of bitterness he had heard in your voice. Was it a hint of... jealousy? No, that didn't make sense. You were hooking up with someone else, you weren't in a position to be jealous of him and Kiara.

He glanced sideways at you, his thoughts racing. Your little knowing look and the way you smirked at him was making his brain work overtime.

The conversation had mostly moved on from your earlier revelation, the Pogues talking about different topics and sipping their beers. JJ, however, couldn't shake the strange feeling that had settled in the pit of his stomach. He kept stealing glances at you, his mind still spinning.

He didn't understand why he was feeling so... irritated. Why was he letting your comments get to him? And why was he suddenly so interested in this mystery guy you were seeing?

His eyes followed you as you moved, taking another drag of your blunt, your lips wrapped around the tip in a way that sent a shiver down his spine. He quickly looked away, taking a gulp of beer to distract himself. This was crazy. He was supposed to be happy with Kiara, not staring at you like some creepy weirdo.

JJ found himself watching you more closely, his eyes following your every move. He noticed the way your fingers fidgeted, the way you held the blunt, the way you laughed, the way you smirked. Every little detail suddenly seemed so much more important to him. He took another swig of his beer, his mind still swirling with conflicting thoughts.

You noticed JJ's gaze on you. It was kinda hard not to, to be honest. You glanced at him, your smirk faltering for a split second and coming back almost instantly. You were pleased with the fact that he was bitter for some reason, despite being with Kiara. It was a sick and twisted kind of feeling. It made you wonder, how will he react knowing the mystery man was Rafe, the person he hated most. You glanced back at Pope, snorting in amusement at something he said, adjusting your glasses.

JJ's eyes darkened as he watched you laugh and interact with the others, a mix of irritation and fascination coursing through his veins. He gritted his teeth, the sound of your laugh fueling his irritation further. He could feel a tightness in his chest, a strange feeling of possessiveness that he had never felt before. It was infuriating and he couldn't understand why you were affecting him this way.

After another moment, he looked away, his gaze drifting over to Kiara who was still snuggled into his side.

Kiara glanced up at him, noticing the look on his face. She frowned a little, tilting her head. "You okay, baby?" She asked, her voice soft and filled with concern.

JJ forced a smile, nodding quickly. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just..." He looked over at you again, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Just... distracted, I guess."

"See Pope.. the thing about me is that i will actually do it." You declared proudly, standing up on your feet on the deck of the boat. You took your glasses off, your shorts and vans following, leaving you only in your light blue bathing suit. You grinned, an obvious high grin on your face before back flipping into the water below. Mainly to cool yourself off from the scorching heat and weed. And JJ's heated gaze on the side of your head.

Pope laughed in response, watching you leap off the boat with a mix of admiration and amusement. John B and Sarah chuckled too, while Kiara giggled into JJ's shoulder.

JJ, however, was completely frozen. The sight of you in that bathing suit had rendered him speechless. His eyes stayed glued to the spot where you had been standing, his thoughts racing once more.

He had seen you in bathing suits countless times before. It wasn't a new sight by any means. But something about this time was different. The way the water glistened on your tanned skin, the way the swimsuit clung to your curves, the way your hair became even messier as it got wet. It was all intoxicating to him and it was driving him crazy.

You emerged under the water, pointing to the pogues on the deck on the HMS pogue with a small holler. You suddenly felt lighter, cooled down as you looked up and grinned excitedly, your wet locks sticking to your face and dripping from you as you floated above the surface. Your hands swatted the wet hair from your face, sputtering some water from your mouth.

The Pogues on the deck laughed and cheered, calling out to you and teasing you about your dramatic dive into the water. John B was chuckling, Sarah and Kiara were giggling, and Pope was shaking his head in amusement.

JJ, on the other hand, was still speechless. His eyes drank in every detail of your wet body, his mind going into overdrive. He could feel his heart rate increasing.

He forced his gaze away, tearing his eyes away from you as you splashed around in the water. He took another gulp of his beer, trying to calm the strange feeling raging in his chest. Was this normal? Surely it was just the alcohol and weed messing with his brain, messing with his emotions. It had to be.

He glanced down at Kiara, who was still watching you in the water, her head resting on his shoulder.

"Did anyone bring a towel?" You asked, giggling like a dumbass while you waved your hands above your head and in the water, splashing around while you emerged and submerged from the water from time to time.

John B chuckled, shaking his head. "Nope, sorry sis. You're gonna have to air dry."

Pope and Sarah were laughing, amused by your antics. Kiara chimed in from beside JJ, calling out to you. "You'll just have to drip dry."

You flipped them all off, narrowing your eyes as you looked up at them on the boat, the sun blinding you slightly, "i think my heels touched the back of my head..." you snorted, causing you sputter some more water from your mouth.

The Pogues snickered at that, exchanging amused looks with each other. They could tell you had been feeling the weed and alcohol a little more, with your exaggerated and hilarious reactions.

JJ couldn't help but chuckle too, his eyes shifting to you in the water again. He tried to keep his expression neutral, but the sight of you, wet and smiling, was making it harder and harder to control his thoughts.

He took another gulp of his beer, his mind still swirling with contradictions. Part of him wanted to jump into the water with you, join in the laughter, and forget about the strange feelings he was experiencing.

But another part of him, a part he didn't understand, wanted to just look at you, take in every bit of your wet body, commit it to memory. It was driving him insane.

He clenched his jaw, trying to push the intrusive thoughts away. He was in a relationship dammit, he had no right to think these things about you. He was just being influenced by the alcohol, the weed, the atmosphere. That was it. Nothing more.

But as he watched you sputtering and laughing in the water, the way the sunlight shone on your skin, making it gleam and shine... his resolve was slowly starting to crack.

You continued splash around, giggling while swimming around the boat, "I'm so high guys... i can barely feel my legs.." you spoke, hollering once again and whooping the water gently.

The Pogues all laughed, some of them hollering and whooping back. They were all enjoying the high a little too much, the whole scene taking a light and carefree atmosphere.

JJ couldn't help but smirk at your antics, your laughter and whooing making his mind spin even more. The sight of you, carefree and high, was both enchanting and infuriating.

He took another swig of his beer, his mind going into overdrive. What was this feeling? Why was he getting so worked up over you just enjoying yourself? He had seen you in a bathing suit countless times before, he knew what you looked like wet and laughing.

But this time… this time was different. The alcohol and weed were making it harder for him to control his thoughts. Harder for him to ignore the possessive and territorial feelings bubbling underneath the surface.

His eyes followed your every move, watching as you continued to swim and splash around. He wanted to look away, to stop himself from staring, but he couldn’t. It was like your high and carefree attitude had him hypnotized, making it impossible for him to look anywhere else.

As he stared, taking in every detail of your wet body, the sound of Kiara’s voice suddenly jolted him out of his trance.

"Hey," Kiara said softly, her voice a sharp contrast to the laughter and whooping around you. She looked up at JJ with a small frown, her eyes narrowing.

JJ blinked, breaking out of his trance. He turned to look at Kiara, his expression shifting back to its neutral state from before. "Yeah?"

"You're watching her a lot..." Kiara noted, a hint of annoyance in her tone. JJ tensed up, realizing he had been caught.

He tried to play it off, shrugging casually. "Am I? I didn't even notice."

Kiara's frown deepened, her eyes narrowing further. She obviously wasn't convinced by his attempt to play it off. She tilted her head, studying him intently.

"You sure you didn't notice? Cuz I swear, your eyes haven't left her body for the past five minutes."

JJ blinked again, mentally cursing himself. He could feel the heat rising in his cheeks as Kiara called him out. He tried to keep his voice steady.

"I was just... keeping an eye on her, ya know. Making sure she's alright, since she's high as a kite and all."

Kiara raised an eyebrow, skepticism written all over her face. "Really? Is that why you're ogling her like you've never seen a girl in a bathing suit before? Gimme a break."

"Guys... there's a boat comin'.." you called out, facing away from the pogues, putting an unknowing stop to JJ's and Kiara's small argument. And it was true, there was a boat approaching. And by the looks of it, it looked like one full of kooks, hollering and laughing.

John B and the rest of the Pogues were immediately on high alert. They all sat up straight, the carefree mood instantly being shattered by the sight of the approaching boat.

John B squinted, trying to make out the details of the oncoming boat. "Shit. Kooks."

As they approached though, you could faintly make out the people on the boat, due to the lack of glasses and water in your eyes. And you felt a slight panic rise in your chest. Rafe Cameron. With other kooks, laughing and hollering loudly, music playing from somewhere on the big yacht. The boat came to a stop, a feet good feet beside you, Rafe peering down at your form in the water smirking.

The Pogues tensed up as the boat came into view, their eyes going wide as they recognized Rafe and his crew. JJ in particular bristled, his jaw clenching tightly as he saw Rafe's smirk.

As the boat rocked onto the water beside the Pogue, Rafe's eyes landed on you, a predatory grin spreading on his face. He leaned over the side of the boat, his gaze wandering over your body in the water.

"Well, well, well. Look who we've got here." Rafe drawled, his tone dripping with faux politeness. His eyes roamed over your form, his grin becoming more wolfish as he took in your appearance.

You were desperately praying he wouldn't say anything to give out the nature of your relationship, especially when you had just told the pogues about your secret hook up buddy just a little bit ago. "In flesh and bones.." you smirked sardonically, eyeing him with a gaze that silently said 'behave yourself.'

Rafe laughed, leaning even further over the edge of the boat. His eyes were still roving over your body, taking in every inch of you. The other kooks behind him were snickering and giggling, clearly amused by the scene.

"Well if it isn't good ol' party princess. Enjoying the afternoon?" he said, his voice dripping with mock innocence.

"Very much so.." you nodded in mock curtness, glancing back at the pogues on the HMS pogue behind you, eyeing the exchange with a hint of worry and concern.

Rafe chuckled again, his eyes flickering to the Pogues for a moment before returning to you. He could sense their worry, their unease. It seemed to amuse him even more.

"Looks like you've been having some fun out here, huh? Getting all wet and wild, like usual." he taunted, his tone suggestive and cocky.

"You sound like a lame villain from a kids' cartoon.." you called back, deadpanning and trying to communicate silently that he was gonna owe you for this interaction later when you saw each other.

Rafe chuckled at that, slightly taken aback by your blunt response. He wasn't used to you being so sarcastic and unimpressed in public. But he also knew you were just playing it cool, for the sake of the Pogues behind you. It amused him.

"Oh, you've got yourself a comedian here, guys.." he mock-yelled to his friends behind him, who snickered and hooted in response.

He turned back to you, his smirk widening into a sly grin. "We're throwing a party tonight on The Wreck. You should come by. It's gonna be a real rager."

"Yeah... uh, I'll pass.. Thanks for the invite though.." you denied feigning politeness as you fixed him with a irritated look.

Rafe's smirk turned into a scowl at your refusal. He didn't like being turned down, especially in front of his friends.

"Oh, come on. Don't be a buzzkill. It'll be fun. I'm sure your little friends will love it too." He gestured over to the Pogues behind you, his tone becoming more derisive.

JJ's face darkened as Rafe gestured to the Pogues. He knew exactly what Rafe was trying to do, and it wasn't going to fly.

"We're not interested in your snob party, Rafe." he shot back, glaring up at Rafe with open hostility.

Rafe's eyes narrowed as he met JJ's glare. He was clearly not used to being defied like this, especially by a Pogue.

"Oh, relax, Maybank. You're just pissed because you can't afford the champagne we're serving." he sneered.

"You know i don't get drunk off of champagne Rafe... I'm more of a hard liquor girl.." you mumbled, stepping in with a cold irritated comeback. You knew Rafe disliked JJ more since you both have started secretly hooking up, mainly cause you were in love with the blonde boy. It made him more hostile and condescending towards JJ, for some weird reason.

Rafe clenched his jaw, his irritation flaring further as you stepped in to defend JJ. It was one thing being defied by JJ, but being defied by you… it was infuriating.

"Yeah, we all know you're a bit of a lush, princess." he retorted, his tone dripping with condescension. "But I doubt you and your Pogue friends can handle the quality of alcohol we'll be serving at The Wreck."

JJ's eyes darkened further at Rafe's insult. He was getting more and more angry by the minute, his fists clenching at his sides.

"Watch your mouth, man. You don't get to talk to her like that." he snapped, his voice low and dangerous.

Rafe chuckled, his smirk returning to his face. He was enjoying getting a rise out of JJ. It was entertaining.

"Oh my bad. I forgot I was talking to the local Pogue hero. Gotta defend your little princess, right?" he said, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

"Can you not be a dick?" you snapped, your expression hardening at his subtle jab.

Rafe's smirk faltered for a moment at your sudden snap. He wasn't expecting you to jump in so suddenly.

"What, you're mad at me now too?" he retorted, his voice cocky once again.

You knew what he was trying to do, and it wasn't gonna work. Not when in private he was begging you to get him to finish or come over to fuck. The jab, although directed at JJ was more for you, given he knew how in love with JJ you were and how JJ wasn't reciprocating those feelings. Hence the whole secret hook up buddy thing with him. "You're not entertaining anyone but yourself, Cameron.." you stated coldly, running a hand through your wet hair.

Rafe's expression turned to a scowl as you called him out on his bullshit, his eyes narrowing at your bluntness. He hated how well you knew him, how you saw right through his attempts to get under JJ's skin. It was infuriating, especially because he couldn't let on in front of the Pogues that he had anything going on with you. "Oh yeah? Well I'm entertained, and that's all that matters, princess".

"I'm sure.." you trailed off vaguely, fixing him with an intense look, one that said 'back down, you're just making it worse.'

Rafe grumbled under his breath, his scowl only deepening as he got the message behind your intense look. He knew he was pushing his luck, and he didn't want to risk revealing anything in front of the Pogues.

He let out a frustrated huff, his gaze flickering to the Pogues behind you for a moment before returning to you.

"Fine. But you're seriously missing out."

"More booze for you right?" you smiled sardonically, shrugging while trying to keep yourself afloat at the same time.

Rafe chuckled slightly at your comment, his temper cooling a little.

"Yeah, I guess. More high-quality booze for me and the kooks. We'll be drinking till dawn."

"Mhm.. holding my breath by the phone.." you muttered. To others it may have seemed weird and cryptic but Rafe knew what it meant. You were both aware he was gonna drunk text you later tonight and you loved poking at the fact subtly without anyone noticing.

Rafe's expression softened faintly as you muttered your subtle tease. He knew no one else would understand the hidden message, and he found it almost endearing.

He shot you a small, secret smirk, silently acknowledging your play. He couldn't wait to text you later, when he was a bit more inebriated and less in control of his thoughts.

JJ observed the entire interaction between you and Rafe with a mix of irritation and discomfort. He watched the way you both spoke to each other, the subtle hints and glances that only the two of you seemed to understand.

He couldn't figure out why he was so bothered by it. Maybe it was the fact that Rafe was being a total dick, or maybe it was the fact that you were responding.

He tried to push down the unease growing in his chest, telling himself that it was just Rafe being a jerk as usual. But the way you responded so snarkily to him, almost familiarly, was making him feel weird.

He couldn't help but wonder what was going on between you two, what secrets you were keeping from all of the Pogues.

He watched as you and Rafe continued to banter, your words laced with hidden meanings and inside jokes that only the two of you seemed to understand. JJ felt a tightness in his chest as he observed the interaction.

He could feel the unease growing within him, a mixture of irritation and confusion. He couldn't understand why Rafe was being such a dick to you, or why you were responding in such a familiar and snarky way, especially since he didn't really see you talk to Rafe before. The whole exchange was making him uncomfortable and suspicious.

"Ok Rafe piss off to your side of the island now.." you spoke after a few more moments of bantering, still floating around in the water around the HMS pogue.

Rafe chuckled at your command, reluctantly amused by your boldness. He had forgotten how feisty you could be, and he secretly loved it.

"Alright, alright." he said, raising his hands in mock surrender. "Jeez, you don't have to be so harsh."

He turned to his friends on the boat behind him, all of whom were watching the interaction with slight amusement. "You heard the lady, boys. Let's go."

The kooks behind him snickered and chuckled, a few of them throwing you sarcastic farewells and salutes. Rafe shot you a wink before turning away, his boat's engine flaring to life as they began to pull away.

JJ watched as Rafe and his friends pulled away, his jaw set tight and his fists clenched at his sides. He knew something weird was going on between you and Rafe, he just wasn't sure what.

After the kooks' boat flared away you turned to glance up at the pogues on the boat, narrowing your eyes and letting a small giggle, "i think i just peed myself a little.." you snorted in amusement, still obviously high.

The Pogues on board the HMS Pogue looked down at you with a mixture of relief and amusement.

JJ's expression softened slightly as he saw your amused giggle, the tension in his body lessening a bit.

Pope and John B chuckled at your confession, while Sarah and Kiara shared amused looks.

Kiara leaned down to peer over the edge of the boat, a small smirk on her face.

"Did you really pee yourself, or are you just high as hell?" she teased, her tone lighthearted.

"Dunno... but i was scared the whole kook situation with Rafe will escalate.." you continued to giggle, shielding your eyes with your hand from the sun.

Pope chuckled and leaned down next to Kiara, a sly smirk on his face. "Yeah, we could see that. Didn't think you had it in you to stand up to Rafe like that."

John B chuckled as he too leaned down, a look of amusement on his face."You had him backing down real quick. We were impressed."

Sarah, who had been silently watching the interaction, spoke up with a small, somewhat knowing smirk on her face.

"You handled him pretty well, I have to say. Even JJ was surprised, aren't you, JJ?" she teased, glancing over at JJ.

JJ's attention was immediately drawn to Sarah's comment. He had been partially lost in thought, still feeling uneasy and suspicious about what he had just witnessed between you and Rafe.

He quickly composed himself, plastering on a light smirk and trying to play it cool.

"Yeah, sure. She handled him well enough." he responded with a shrug, his voice casual but not entirely convincing.

"Rafe can't handle me.. he had to back down.. Didn't know your brother was such a wimp Sarah.." you teased Sarah, smirking up at her.

Sarah chuckled at your playful jab, her smirk widening. "Trust me, I know my brother better than anyone. He's a dick." Kiara let out a snort of laughter, clearly enjoying the banter.

Pope and John B both chuckled, while JJ simply nodded in agreement. They all knew firsthand what a dick Rafe Cameron was.

The banter continued, the Pogues sharing inside jokes and jabs, the mood on the boat light and easy. JJ, however, remained slightly distant. His thoughts still preoccupied by the strange interaction he had witnessed between you and Rafe.

He continued to listen to the banter, his body relaxed but his mind still racing with curiosity and unease. He kept sneaking glances at you, watching your laughing face and the way you continued to float in the water.

He couldn't shake the feeling that there was something going on between you and Rafe, something that you were keeping secret from the rest of the Pogues. He was tempted to ask you about it, to confront you and demand an explanation. But he couldn't bring himself to do it. Not here, not in front of the others.

Soon enough the hangout moved back to the chateau, the pogues scattered in the backyard of John B's house. As the afternoon faded into an early evening, JJ with Pope and JB were lighting a small bonfire, while you, Kie and Sarah sat sprawled in lawn chairs around the small fire, giggling and chatting away.

JJ lit the bonfire with a flick of his lighter, the flames slowly growing larger and illuminating the small gathering of Pogues around the fire.

Pope and John B gathered sticks and firewood, tossing them into the fire to keep it going. The three of them chatted idly as they worked, their voices blending in with the crackling of the fire.

Every now and then, JJ would glance over at you and the girls, your laughter piercing through the night air.

He tried to focus on the fire, on the conversation with Pope and John B, but he couldn't help but be drawn to you. He wondered what you were talking about with Kiara and Sarah, and why he couldn't seem to get the image of you and Rafe out of his head.

You were still feeling the high, your hand raking through your now dry hair casually while you laughed with Sarah and Kie about something. Your hair was more curlier from the salt water, your t-shirt and shorts still slightly damp from your bathing suit underneath. You adjusted your glasses, throwing your head back a little as you giggled at Sarah's joke, nodding in agreement after.

Kiara and Sarah both chuckled at your reaction to the joke, their eyes sparkling with amusement. They continued to chat and giggle, their conversation bouncing from one topic to another. Sarah, with a mischievous glint in her eye, started to make a comment. "You know, Y/n, there's something I've been meaning to ask-"

As Sarah started to speak, JJ’s ear perked up, his attention immediately drawn to the girls’ conversation. He tried to hide his interest, continuing to stack wood on the bonfire as if he weren’t listening in.

"What?" you drawled, your eyes now fixed on Sarah, completely focused on her incoming question.

Sarah smirked, her tone slightly suggestive as she spoke. "Well, I've been meaning to ask... Is there something going on between you and Rafe?" She glanced pointedly at you, her gaze flickering towards where JJ and the other boys were messing with the bonfire.

"What makes you ask that?" you straightened in your chair slightly. You were taken aback by her question, especially since you told the pogues you were hooking up with someone right before Rafe disrupted the peace earlier that day on the water.

Kiara, who was sitting next to you, leaned forward, her expression a mix of curiosity and mild amusement. "Yeah, we were all kind of wondering that too. I mean, you said you were hooking up with someone before Rafe showed up, then there was the whole thing with you guys on the water..." Sarah nodded in agreement, still watching you intently.

"What thing..? we were just talking y'know? Rafe was just being a dick as per usual." you shrugged, letting out a small nervous chuckle, glancing between Kiara and Sarah.

Sarah raised a skeptical eyebrow, not entirely convinced. "Just talking? Really? It looked like a bit more than just talking to me..."

Kiara nodded in agreement, a small frown on her face. "Yeah, it seemed like there was a little bit more going on. You two just had this weird vibe..."

They both continued to stare at you, waiting for a response. You could feel their gazes on you, scrutinizing and prying. JJ, who was silently listening to the conversation by the bonfire, also waited for your response, his hands frozen on the firewood he was stacking.

"Pfft.. you're funny.. why would there be something going on between me and Rafe?" you waved your hand dismissively, scoffing and chuckling in mock disbelief.

Sarah raised her eyebrows, her skepticism growing slightly. "Oh come on, Y/n. We saw the way you two were interacting out there. And you’ve been quiet about who this mystery guy you’re hooking up with is. What are we supposed to think?"

"So you guys think it's him?" 'well you would be spot on' you thought, your mind clouding with anxiety. You widened your eyes slightly, adjusting your glasses, "no way in hell.."

Both Sarah and Kiara seemed unconvinced, their eyes narrowing in suspicion. "Come on, you can't blame us for thinking it's him. You're being really secretive about who this mystery man is, and now y'all are acting weird after that whole thing on the water."

"Yeah, it's pretty suspicious. And Rafe has a thing for you, he's always ogling at you." added Sarah to Kie's comment.

"Rafe has a thing for me? when did you come to that conclusion?" you raised your brows, peering at Sarah.

Sarah chuckled, as if your reaction confirmed something. "Are you kidding me? It's obvious. The way he oggles you every time you walk by, or how he always tries to be near you at parties. He's totally into you."

"That's your older, asshole of a brother we're talking about here Sarah.. that would be.. illegal." you deadpanned, shaking your head although what she was saying was true. And you hoped the pogues didn't notice,

Sarah rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "Illegal? That hasn't stopped him before. I know my brother, and he doesn't give a damn about age. Especially if he really wants something or someone."

Kiara nodded in agreement, her arms crossed over her chest. "You gotta admit dude, it's a little sus."

"I dunno.. maybe it's cause i bought weed from him a couple of times in the past. But it's just that. He used to be my plug, nothing more.." you shrugged, adjusting your glasses once again.

Sarah and Kiara exchanged skeptical glances. "Maybe you’re right about the weed thing, but it still doesn't explain the way you were acting with him on the water. And now you won’t tell us who this mystery guy is. Feels like there's something more going on." hummed Sarah as she regarded you with a crtical eye.

"The dude I'm hookin' up with goes to college in Charleston... His name is Riley.. you guys wouldn't know him.." you shrugged once again. You were feeling proud for cooking up such a smooth lie on the spot, especially since you were still a little out of it from the weed.

Sarah and Kiara seemed a little taken aback, their eyes widening slightly at your unexpected revelation. "Huh. College student in Charleston, huh? That's unexpected. Why didn't you tell us about him before?"

Kiara chimed in, her expression somewhat surprised. "Yeah, and why keep him a secret? If he's just some random college boy, what's the big deal?"

"I told you.. he's like 20. He doesn't want people to know he's hooking up with a 17 year old.." you rolled your eyes. You were relieved that the conversation switched from Rafe and you to this made-up guy in college in Charleston. You were so close to just admitting that you were boning Sarah's older brother.

Sarah and Kiara exchanged looks of surprise and slight amusement. "20, huh? And he doesn't want people to know about you? That's kind of sketchy, don't you think?"

Kiara added, a note of skepticism in her voice. "Why would he keep you a secret? Sounds like he's not serious about you."

"Cause he's not." you stated simply, chuckling in disbelief, leaning back in your chair, "It's just casual sex, we're not a couple by any means..." you waved your hand again, shaking your head.

Sarah and Kiara's mouths dropped open slightly, their eyes widened further in shock at your blunt admission. They hadn't expected you to be so straightforward and nonchalant about the nature of your relationship with this mystery college boy.

Sarah's eyes flickered over to JJ, who was still near the bonfire but was unmistakably listening in on the conversation. He tried but failed to feign nonchalance, pretending to be engrossed in stacking the firewood.

Kiara shifted in her chair, a mix of surprise and concern on her face. She glanced at JJ and then back to you, her eyes narrowing. "Just casual... doesn't that make you feel used or something? What if he's messing around with other girls too?"

"I hope he is. If his only option is a 17 year old then he's a major loser. And no it doesn't make me feel used.." you trailed off, you were the one using Rafe in this scenario. But it probably would've been a different round of reactions if they actually knew that Riley the Charleston college guy was Sarah's older brother. And that you were sleeping with him to get over JJ who was dating Kiara. Thinking about it, it sounded complicated and messy, given JJ hated Rafe, and so did your other best friends.

Sarah and Kiara glanced at each other once again, trying to process your cavalier attitude about the whole situation. They were both concerned for you, but the fact that you seemed so nonchalant about being a secret, casual fling for some college guy didn't sit right with them. It was almost like you had some sort of self-respect issues.

Which you did. Any hint of self respect was thrown out the window once the guy you were in love with got with one of your of your best friends. The first few weeks of JJ's and Kie's relationship was a total hell for you. With time it got a little bit better, but you still felt sick to your stomach whenever they kissed or mentioned teasingly to the group about sleeping together. It was even worse when you were all at the Chateau and you could hear them. At times, you felt entitled to the tens of minutes of feeling wanted when you were sleeping with Rafe. Till you were overcame by self hatred and disgust after you came. And you were back in square 1. Still madly in love with JJ, the one person in this life who couldn't reciprocate your feelings.

Your gaze flicked between Kie and Sarah, your expression melting into one of uncomfortableness, the laid back attitude slipping away once you could feel their gazes bore into you, including JJ's from where he was standing by the fire. It left you wondering how would you feel when they found out you were sleeping with Rafe behind their backs. What would happen if you just had gotten it over with and told them..

Sarah leaned forward slightly, her tone growing more concerned. There was a hint of sisterly protectiveness in her voice. "Are you sure you're okay with this, Y/n? It sounds like you're downplaying how much this casual thing is affecting you. This mystery guy, Riley, doesn't really care about you, does he?"

Kiara chimed in, her expression worried as well. "Yeah...it's not healthy to settle for a guy who doesn't treat you like a priority."

You suddenly felt like a black sheep next to them. Sarah was in a happy relationship with John B and so was Kie with JJ. Your JJ. And here you were, hooking up with the town's local asshole and drug dealer as a way to squish down your feelings as much as you could when you weren't getting black out drunk. But to them it seemed like you wanted to have an exclusive relationship with the guy you were hooking up on the low. It didn't help that you were lying about his identity and just lying in general. You suddenly felt lost, the carefree and fun atmosphere seeming to shift around you as you felt your best friends' eyes on you. The fact that you were still half high didn't help either.

You grimaced slightly without realizing, digging your beat up vans into the dirt underneath them mindlessly, "I don't treat him like a priority either.. i don't care about the guy.." you chuckled dryly, swallowing a small lump forming in your throat.

Sarah and Kiara exchanged worried glances once again. "Even so, it doesn't change the fact that he's messing with your feelings, whether you like it or not. You deserve better than that. Not some random college dude only using you."

Kiara sighed softly, her expression softening further. "We just don't want to see you get hurt, especially over some guy who's probably playing you."

You knew what you deserved. What you deserved stood a few feet in front of you messing with the bonfire and listening in to the conversation fixing you with his blue eyes. But the universe was an asshole and he was dating someone else, so you were stuck in a muddy situation. "You guys don't get it.. if anything, I'm playing him. And he knows it. We're both okay with the idea of using each other.." you trailed off, your gaze still fixed on your beat up and worn down sneakers, your fingers reaching up to adjust your glasses.

Sarah exchanged a look with Kiara, her eyebrows raised slightly at your words. But before either of them could respond, a low, rough scoff cut through the air.

"You're playin' him? Bullshit." JJ's voice cut through the air from where he was standing. He'd been listening in on the whole conversation, unable to keep his mouth shut any longer.

When JJ spoke up your head snapped up, your eyes locking as your brows raised in something that looked like surprise and discomfort, The main reason of your turmoil and messy relationship was now speaking up and scoffing at your choices like he had any right. "Yeah.. something like that" you stated, your brows furrowing ever so slightly. Your tone was a little bitter but you tried to keep it casual mostly.

JJ's expression was one of disbelief, skepticism practically radiating off him. He stepped closer to the group, his gaze still fixed on you. "Seriously, you really expect us to believe that crap?" He crossed his arms, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "You, of all people, playin' someone? That's rich."

"That's just how the situation is... i wouldn't call it 'playing him'. But we're both being casual about the whole thing.." you shrugged, adjusting your glasses as you looked up at him, still sat in your lawn chair.

"Casual. That's bullshit and you know it. It's not casual when your little secret relationship is affecting you this much." JJ's expression was stoney and stern, not believing you for a second. He leaned back against the tree beside him, his arms still crossed.

"Do you seriously think we can't tell something's up?" Sarah murmured, watching the interaction with concern. Kie nodded softly in agreement.

You suddenly felt put on the spot again. Your gaze flitted between Sarah, JJ and Kie. They were thinking you were catching feelings for the person you were casually hooking up. What a joke. It wasn't an outstretched idea, it made sense. But what they didn't know was that you were doing the whole thing to push down your feelings for JJ.

You let out a small amused giggle, covering your mouth with your hand "Guys... no. I'm not catching feelings for this guy.." you grimaced slightly at the thought of catching feelings for Rafe. "He's the last person I'd wanna fall in love with."

Sarah and Kiara seemed to relax slightly at your assurances that you weren't developing feelings, their faces a little more placated.

JJ, however, seemed unconvinced. He raised a skeptical eyebrow, eyeing you up and down as if he could see right through your words. He had an intuitive knack for sensing when you were bullshitting, and the way you were giggling softly like you were hiding something made his suspicions go up even more.

The fire continued to crackle in the background as JJ kept his eyes fixed on you, his expression turning into a frown once again as he crossed his arms once more. "So if you're not into him, then why are you seeing him? What's the point of even being with the guy?" He looked genuinely bewildered.

"Fun.." you shrugged, stretching out your legs in front of you, your fingers reaching to adjust your glasses again.

JJ shook his head slightly, looking incredulous. "Seriously? Fun, that's your reason?" He chuckled, a sardonic edge to his voice. "There are tons of other ways to have fun that don't involve casual hook-upin' with a college dude."

You looked between your best friends, even Pope and John B who were standing by the fire looking interested in the conversation. You still felt put on the spot. You knew you sounded dumb, your reasoning sounding shallow and hollow inside. But you couldn't tell them that the main reason of this casual fun were your feelings for JJ. "Why is everyone looking so concerned.. i told y'all about this cause i thought It'd be... i dunno, fun? It's not that deep.."

The others all exchanged glances, and you could tell there was a hint of concern on their faces. John B piped up from where he was standing, his voice softer than JJ's. "We're just worried because casual hookups often end up messy, especially when feelings get mixed up."

"That's the thing. You guys don't understand that no feelings can get mixed up." you tried to explain, sitting up straight in your chair. You wanted to let them know you weren't gonna catch feelings and that your focus wasn't on the casual hookup and rather the reasoning behind it. Of course without revealing it out right.

JJ's expression was still skeptical, his arms still crossed as he listened to you speak. His gaze never wavered. "How do you know for sure that your feelings won't get mixed up? People can't help their feelings, and this college dude could end up having feelings for you. Or you could have feelings for him and not even realize it."

"That's his problem. If he ended up falling in love- which would be absolutely bonkers, -I'm not responsible for it." you spoke, an edge of desperation in your voice. You wanted the topic to be dismissed. Especially when Kie and JJ were staring at you so intently. It was like a sucker punch. The main reason asking you for the reason of your bad decisions. It felt like an unfunny comedy stunt.

"Not responsible? You're the one hooking up and spending time with the guy. How is it his problem? It's your action that's making it happen, not his." grimaced JJ.

Kiara spoke up now, her voice gentle yet slightly concerned, her gaze fixed on you, studying your expression. "And what happens if you end up catching feelings for him too?”

"God! I'm in love with someone else!" you spoke, sighing loudly. "He knows that. He's okay with being the rebound. That's why it's casual and i'm sure it won't end up in flames. He's getting sex and i'm getting a distraction.." You spoke, rubbing your face after perching your glasses atop of your head.

There was a collective silence that settled over the group at your outburst, the fire crackled faintly in the background. The others exchange glances as they register your words, while JJ's jaw went slack at your confession. "You're... in love with someone?" Sarah murmured, raising an eyebrow.

"And you're using this college dude as a distraction? Why not just focus on the guy you love?" asked Kiara, which you found ironic, if not funny.

"Cause Kie.. not everything is sunshine and rainbows, okay?" you turned to her, grimacing in discomfort, "Not everyone is as lucky as you and Sarah." you raised your brows as you spoke, adjusting your glasses back on your face. This was getting too suffocating. And you could feel the bitterness swirl up in your stomach again. Sarah had John B and Kie had JJ. But that wasn't her fault. Not really anyway.

Kie opened her mouth to respond, but you didn't let her speak. You could feel the bitterness rising in your throat, and the words came out in a defensive rush.

“And not everybody has the guy they love fall in love with them, okay?” You glanced down, fidgeting with your fingers and scowling at your lap. “Sometimes, you just don’t get happy endings.”

“Sometimes, you have to look for love and comfort in different places.”

The mood amongst the group soured at your words, and there was an uncomfortable tension in the air. JJ remained uncharacteristically silent, his expression a mixture of confusion and concern. Kie and Sarah exchanged sad glances while John B looked troubled, his brow furrowed in thought. "I..." She started, her voice gentle. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to rub it in your face..."

"No, yeah.. i just don't wanna talk about it." You mumbled shaking your head. "You guys don't need to look at me with pity, okay?" you glanced between your best friends, your hands stuttering to fish a cigarette pack out of the pocket of your shorts. You took out one, placing it between your lips and lighting it, taking a long drag to calm down the feeling of being put in the spot light and the small adrenaline rush from the outburst.

The others remained quiet, watching as you lit a cigarette, the smoke adding a hazy veil in the air. JJ couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt as he watched you, knowing how your feelings had been weighing on you. Silence surrounded the group, the only sound was the occasional crackle of the fire and the sound of you inhaling and exhaling smoke.

The fire crackled softly, the wood burning and releasing a soft, smoky aroma into the air. The sound of the marsh in the background and the distant chirping of crickets was the only thing that broke the silence. Everyone was still, watching as you took another drag from your cigarette, the end of it glowing bright orange. You were contempt with the silence. You hated having to lie to the pogues. Especially about the identity of the person you were hooking up with. You knew they'd despise you if they found out you were sleeping with Rafe Cameron and not some made up dude who was in college in Charleston. And you knew that telling them that the person you were pining for, was JJ would make things awkward, given he was dating Kie. You knew you were getting yourself more and more tangled in your own mess. And sometimes it felt like you were just waiting for everything to just blow up to smithereens.

JJ glanced around at the pogues, his gaze lingering on you for a moment before he let out a sigh, breaking the silence. "I need a drink, man."

With that, he got up and headed towards the case of beer sitting on a nearby table, pulling out a cold one for himself.

He popped the cap off and took a good chug, the cool beer going down his throat. The rest of the pogues followed JJ's lead, grabbing cans of beer for themselves. But you stayed seated, continuing to smoke your cigarette, the bitter taste of the nicotine lingering on your tongue.

As the night progressed and more beers were passed around, the pogues became more and more intoxicated. Laughter echoed around the marsh as they reminisced over old memories and shared funny anecdotes. John B's face went red, a tell-tale sign that he was well and truly tipsy. Kiara and Sarah were giggling and stumbling over themselves, clinging to each other for support. However, JJ was still coherent, drinking moderately to keep his buzz going, his eyes darting towards you every so often.

The conversation turned more lively and lighthearted, the Pogues becoming drunker by the minute. John B began slurring his words as he tried to recount a funny fish story to the group. Kie and Sarah were laughing loudly beside him, their heads close together as they whispered something. JJ continued to glance in your direction, noticing the cigarette packet in your lap and how your expression hadn't changed since your small outburst.

Unable to resist his curiosity, JJ moved away from the group and took a seat on the lawn chair next to you, the fire casting a warm glow on his face. he glanced down at your packet, and then back up at you from the corner of his eye. "You always chain smoke when you're drunk, huh?" He tried for a light tone, a hint of concern hidden behind his words.

" 'M not drunk.." you mumbled, putting out your cigarette in the dirt beneath your shoes, shrugging.

JJ chuckled softly, the sound quiet and not entirely humorous. He looked over at you, his head slightly lolled over to the side as he studied your expression. The fire's light illuminated the sharp edges of your face, the shadows dancing across your features.

"You sure about that, darlin'?" He teased softly.

"Yes.. y'know i don't like beers." you raised your brows, your eyes dancing over his features, your fingers reaching up to adjust your glasses.

JJ snickered softly at your words, his gaze following the movement of your hand as you adjusted your glasses.

"Oh, yeah, I forgot that you're more of a hard alcohol kinda girl. Whiskey, was it?" He smirked, recalling a memory from some party, where you drank straight from a whiskey bottle without flinching.

"Vodka, tequila.. anything hard." you nodded, leaning back in your chair, your gaze fixed on the small fire in front of you.

JJ chuckled, a small, knowing smile playing on his lips. He remembered the nights he'd seen you, downing shots of vodka and tequila like it was water, your face barely even betraying a slight flush under the influence.

"You're just using it to distract yourself," He teased, his tone laced with affection.

His words caught you off guard but you didn't let it show, your eyes flickering over the fire mindlessly. It was true, especially since he started dating Kie, alcohol had helped you with numbing how you felt, aside from sleeping with Rafe. "Don't get emotional on me blondie.." you teased although there wasn't any hint of a smile or smirk on your face.

JJ chuckled dryly at your response, a bitter smirk on his face. "Can't blame a guy for noticing, can you?"

He glanced at you from the corner of his eye. The alcohol was starting to settle in, making his movements more relaxed and his words more loose. He bit his bottom lip, contemplating for a moment before he spoke.

"I know you have a thing for numbing yourself. I've known it for a long time, actually..."

Your mind wandered back to your outburst earlier that night, a small shiver of second hand embarrassment rattling you. Your hands were fiddling with the almost empty cigarette pack in your lap. You glanced around at the pogues, your eyes falling onto Kiara for a beat too long before looking back at the fire, "Well.. it's not like my life is perfect by any means.." you mumbled, chuckling bitterly.

JJ noticed the brief flickering of your gaze over to Kiara, and the way you chuckled bitterly, your eyes downcast. He leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees as he studied your expression, his blue eyes serious and thoughtful.

"That's an understatement, sugar." He mumbled. "Your life has been hell for a long time."

The sound of the others talking amongst each other filled the air – John B and Sarah were singing along to some old country song while Kie and Pope laughed loudly, too drunk to function. But JJ was paying no attention to them, his focus entirely on you, his eyes flicking over the curve of your jawline, the furrow of your brow. He knew that there was something you were bottling up, something you were keeping from everyone, and it gnawed at him that you weren't talking to him about it.

The silence between you two was heavy, the weight of all the unspoken words hanging in the air. JJ couldn't bear it, the way you clammed up on him, the way he could see you shutting him out. Without thinking, he reached out and placed a hand on your knee, his touch gentle but firm. He swallowed thickly, his tone serious. "You can talk to me, you know that right..?"

Your eyes flitted onto his hand that was placed on your knee, and for a second you wanted to place your hand on top of his, before you decided against it. You looked up at him, studying him silently for a few seconds before speaking, "yeah.. i know."

JJ met your gaze, his fingers curling a little tighter on your knee, as if to anchor you and keep you from shutting him out completely. There was something about the way you said those words – 'yeah.. i know.' – that made his stomach clench.

"Then why won't you?" He asked quietly, his blue eyes dark and piercing as he searched your face, desperate to find some hint of what was going on in your head.

"I dunno.. I'm not someone who talks about stuff." you shrugged, your eyes falling back onto his hand resting on your knee, feeling a little awkward from the fact that such a small friendly touch affected you so much.

JJ's fingers gripped your knee tighter instinctively at the casual shrug, like it was his way of making sure you didn't shrink further away from him. He didn't take his eyes off you, his gaze unwavering and serious.

"You used to be my someone who did talk about stuff." He muttered, his voice quiet and laced with accusation. "You used to talk to me."

The quiet accusation in his voice made your heart sink. He was right. You had always felt comfortable opening up to JJ about everything. From your father’s alcohol problems, to your dreams and hopes for the future. But ever since he fell in love with Kie and you started sleeping with Rafe, you had slowly become more secretive, building up a wall between you and your best friend. And JJ had noticed. Albeit he didn't know about the Rafe thing or that you were in love with him, he still knew something was up. Because he was your JJ and he always knew.

You prodded the back of his hand with your nail gently, not to signal him to take it off but just to calm down the urge to touch him back in a way, "Well yeah.. but i can't burden you with my problems now that we're older.." you wanted to tell him that the reason you weren't talking was because he was in a relationship, but you knew better than to say something so bitter sounding.

JJ's brows furrowed at your words, his heart clenching at the thought that you felt you couldn't confide in him anymore.

"You wouldn't be burdening me, darlin'." he said, his voice soft, a hint of pleading and urgency in his tone. He knew you better than anyone, and he saw right through the casual words. He knew there was something more to it, something that you weren't saying.

"I'm still your best friend, aren't I?"

In a way he wasn't anymore. And you regretted having fell in love with him and ruining that for yourself. Because if JJ was anything, he was a good friend and an even better best friend. Maybe that was the main reason you fell in love with him in the first place. You looked up at him, your eyes boring into his intensely as you nodded vaguely, "of course you're still my best friend.." you chuckled, although there was no hint of humor behind it, your brain still focused on the feeling of his hand on your knee.

JJ's heart felt heavy in his chest. The way you said 'of course you're still my best friend' felt like a thinly veiled lie. He could practically hear the 'but' at the end of that sentence, and it stung. He wanted to press, to pry and prod until you told him the truth, the real reason why you've become so closed off.. but he didn't have the right to ask about those kinds of details anymore.

He swallowed thickly, his expression tight. His grip on your knee loosened, although he didn't pull his hand back.

He glanced down at the fire, but his mind was spinning. The silence between them was thick and uncomfortable. The others were too wrapped up in their own conversations to notice the tension, but JJ was hyper aware of your every move and reaction.

”Come on.. say something,” he silently pleaded, his gaze flicking back up to your face, trying to figure out what was going on in your mind like he usually did.

"You are still my best friend." you stated, finally placing your hand on top of his. You thought it wouldn't be weird now that you called him your best friend. You knew he didn't believe you when you said it the first time.

JJ's heart fluttered at the feeling of your hand on top of his, a wave of comfort washing over him. It was such a small, casual gesture.. but the significance of finally touching each other made butterflies erupt in his stomach once more. He swallowed hard, his fingers twitching against your knee instinctively.

"Yeah.. I am..." he mumbled, his eyes fixed on where your hand touched his, a mixture of relief and uncertainty in his voice.

A small silence fell over you both, save from the sounds from the fire or the pogues having fun on the porch of the house a few good feet away. You were counting the seconds in your mind of how long you should keep your hand on top of his, studying his face like a creep while he looked away. You were a lost case truly.

JJ could feel your gaze on him even though he was looking away. He tried very hard not to look back at you and meet your eyes. He didn't know if he could handle it right now. He felt strangely vulnerable, but also safe in a way. Like he was a teenage boy with a crush all over again, sitting there with their knees touching.

After several moments, he swallowed hard and finally looked back at you, his heart doing a weird flip when his eyes landed on you. His cheeks flushed a little, betraying his attempt to remain indifferent

He took a deep breath and spoke without thinking, his voice low and slightly hoarse, "You.. you know you can talk to me, right? I'm still the same person, y'know."

He knew he was probably overstepping a boundary. JJ was rarely ever gentle or soft, at least not out loud. But he was trying... he was so damn tired of this distance between the two of you. He missed being your friend, being someone you could talk to. Especially with you sitting here, your hand over his..

"Yeah.. but i think i revealed about everything earlier with that outburst.." you chuckled, squeezing his hand mindlessly, your other hand reaching up to adjust your glasses.

JJ's heart skipped a beat when you squeezed his hand. You're killing me, he thought. Every time your skin touched his, he felt this weird electricity running throughout his body. It was familiar, and it hurt.

"Yeah, but... I meant in general, too." he said, his voice coming out a little hoarse and breathless as he spoke. "You used to talk to me about everything, about your fears, about the future, all of that stuff... we used to share everything with each other..."

"I dunno.. my step-dad's still an asshole.." you mumbled, trying to divert the conversation into another direction. Although talking about your mom's boyfriend Allan wasn't a better upgrade.

JJ's expression darkened at the mention of Allan, his jaw clenching automatically. He knew Allan was one of the main reasons why you hated going home, and why you always sought refuge in the Chateau whenever things got really bad. Just like him.

"Is he still being... y'know. Physical..?" he asked, his tone dropping, the look in his eyes hardening.

"Well.. no. I'm mostly not home. Even so, i try to just-.. not be a smartass." you chuckled dryly, squeezing his hand again as you kept your gaze on him.

The mention of him being physical made JJ's blood boil, but it was a little reassuring that it wasn't as often as it used to be. He felt relieved, but the tension in his chest still didn't ease up.

The fact that you were avoiding going home a lot and staying with the pogues, especially at the Chateau, and the way you just bluntly admitted that you weren't home much to avoid the risk of him being violent... it left a bitter taste in his mouth.

He swallowed thickly, his grip on your knee tightening in response to your hand on his, as if to keep you close. To keep you safe. His expression softened as he looked at you, a look of concern and sadness in his eyes.

"Why do you even stay at home, darlin'? You can crash at the Chateau all the time if you want.. hell, i'll even crash on the floor so you can have my room if you want."

"You mean the sofa in the living room?" you spoke, a hint of amusement in your gaze, a small smile tugging at your lips.

JJ rolled his eyes playfully, scoffing at your small smirk, a hint of a grin on his own lips. He knew you were deflecting, but it was a little endearing, especially when you smiled at him.

"Yeah, well, the sofa in the living room would be a hell of a lot more comfortable than staying at home with your old man. And the company would be a lot better, too."

"Dunno if i wanna hear you and Kie going at it all night.." you grinned, although you didn't like the sentence in the slightest. It made you kinda sick to your stomach to think about him and Kie like that.

JJ chuckled and playfully smacked your shoulder, grinning back at your cheeky grin, his expression lighting up for a moment. The casual banter came so naturally to the two of you, and for a moment, it almost felt like old times. Almost.

"You wouldn't have to hear anything, I'd be too damn much of a gentleman to make noise in front of you."

His voice took on a teasing, almost mocking tone, as if he was making fun of himself. But there was a hint of seriousness behind his words. He didn't like the idea of you hearing him being intimate with Kiara. It felt wrong, almost disrespectful to you. Even though you had no idea about his feelings for you.

He didn't know exactly why he felt that way. But he did. Maybe it was because he didn't want you to think any less of him

For some reason, the idea of you hearing him and Kie together was deeply uncomfortable for JJ. He didn't understand quite why. Maybe it was because he didn't want you to think less of him, to hear him in such an intimate state. Or maybe it was because he didn't want you to think he was unfaithful to your friendship. It was confusing and irritating, and he didn't know what to think about it himself.

He shook his head, pushing those thoughts aside. Focusing back on you. God, he had missed talking to you like this.

"You'd have to put up with my snoring, though."

"Yeah, then I'm sticking to being homeless for the time being.." you teased. Your mind wandered to the nights you spent with Rafe after hooking up with him when things were worse than usual, another wave of guilt hitting but you masked it with a grin.

As you joked about being homeless, JJ rolled his eyes and chuckled again, his smile softening. Then suddenly, he noticed a flicker of hesitation on your faces before you masked it with a grin. His expression sobered.

He couldn't quite explain what it was, but something was off about the way you said that, almost as if you were masking something beneath the joke. A nagging feeling tugged at the back of his mind, but he couldn't quite place it.

He studied your face intently for a moment, taking in every small detail, trying to read the emotions hiding behind your smile. Was it guilt? sadness? loneliness?

Then, all of a sudden, an unwelcome thought crossed his mind, like a dark cloud overshadowing the easy banter between the two of you. Was there someone else? Someone that you were crashing with at night when you stayed away from home? Maybe the college guy?

The thought made him feel sick to his stomach, for some reason, but he quickly pushed it away, not wanting to even consider it. It was none of his business, after all. He was your friend — your best friend. That was all.

"Oh come on, it can't be that bad. You'll have the pleasure of waking up to the sight of my gorgeous face every morning. That's got to count for something, right?"

A weird feeling passed through you at his words. The thought of waking up to JJ's face every morning sounded like a dream, and even thinking about something so intimate made your entire being flutter. But it wasn't like that was your place. "Yeah.." you chuckled, glancing back down at his hand still resting on your knee and squeezing it before lifting your own hand from atop of his to adjust your glasses.

JJ didn't miss the flicker of emotion that passed over your face as he spoke, the way your eyes flickered down to the hand that was resting on your knee. He couldn't quite interpret what that look meant.

As you squeezed his hand and then adjusted your glasses, he couldn't help but feel a pang of longing. He wished he could know what was going on inside your mind, what you were really thinking and feeling. He knew you better than anyone, but there were moments when he wondered if he really knew you at all.

He opened his mouth to speak, planning to say something lighthearted and teasing to break the strange tension that had fallen between the two of you. But then he looked into your eyes, his gaze locking with yours, and his words died on his lips. He just stared at you for a moment, studying your expression.

You held his gaze, a small smile on your face as you stared at each other silently, save from the other pogues still having fun nearby. Your hands were now folded in your lap, fidgeting with the cigarette pack there mindlessly, trying to think of something to say.

For a moment, the world seemed to disappear, it was just the two of you, in your own little bubble. His gaze flickered over your face, taking in every detail. Your pretty eyes, the small dimple on the side of your lips that appeared when you smiled, the way your hair framed your face. You were so beautiful, and he could feel his heart thudding in his chest.

He swallowed, his throat suddenly feeling dry. He wanted to say something, anything to break the silence between you, but he was at a loss for words. The realization hit him like a ton of bricks. He was in love with you. Completely, deeply, madly in love with you. And it scared him shitless.

He had never felt this way before. Not with Kie or any other girl he had ever met. It was different with you. You were his best friend, his partner in crime, the person who knew him better than anyone. The person he could rely on no matter what. And now he had gone and fallen in love with you?

He shook his head, trying to push away the thought. It was impossible. You would never feel the same way about him, and even if you did, you were both too messed up to be anything resembling a functional couple. Besides, he was still with Kiara.

He needed to get out of here, needed to clear his head and figure out what he was gonna do about the mess he'd gotten himself into.

He pulled his hand from your knee, scratching the back of his neck and looking away.

"I, uh, gotta take a leak. Be right back."

He got up hastily, shoving his hands in the pockets of his shorts and walking away without looking back, hoping you didn't notice the turmoil of emotions he was going through.

You hummed in response, watching him walk away hastily and feeling awkward all of a sudden. You pulled out another cigarette, lighting it and glancing at the 4 pogues on the porch, still singing along to some song and laughing. Sarah was slow dancing with John B, albeit in a clumsy way due to the alcohol, Pope and Kie watching and making drunk comments. Which caused you to smile to yourself, exhaling the smoke from your cigarette gently.

JJ walked a little farther away from the house, trying to put as much distance between himself and the other pogues as possible. His hands were shaking slightly as he leaned against a tree, running a hand through his hair in frustration. Why did he have to fall in love with you now, of all times?

He let out a sigh, closing his eyes and trying to steady his breaths. He couldn't let you see through him, couldn't let you know how he felt. It would ruin everything.

He let out a frustrated sigh, scrubbing his face with his hand. He knew he should end things with Kiara, knew it wasn’t fair to her. But the thought of losing her made his stomach plummet.

And what about you? Did you feel the same way about him? Or was he just making a fool of himself, getting all hung up on his best friend without any chance of reciprocation. It was all so damn confusing.

He took another drag from his cigarette, trying to calm his racing thoughts. He needed to talk to someone, but who? John B? Pope? No way. They'd never let him hear the end of it. Besides, he was supposed to have his emotions under control. He was the strong one, the fearless one in the group. The one who never let his feelings get the better of him.

He glanced back towards the porch, his gaze settling on you once more. You were now talking to Pope and Kie, but you were far enough that he couldn't hear what you were saying. You were smoking and laughing, and you looked so damn beautiful. A part of him wanted to go back and join the conversation, but the other part wanted to keep avoiding you, to try to get his emotions under control before he ruined everything.

He exhaled a cloud of smoke, feeling more conflicted than ever. He was in love with you, and he didn’t know what to do about it. He was loyal to Kie, and he didn’t want to break her heart. And he had no idea if you even reciprocated his feelings. He was stuck in a mess of his own making, and he had no idea how to get out.

He pushed himself off the wall, stomping his cigarette under his shoe with a heavy sigh. He couldn’t hide out here forever, eventually he would have to go back and face the music. He steeled himself and started to make his way back to the group, his expression neutral and his thoughts still racing a million miles a minute.

He reached the porch, joining the others with what he hoped looked like an easy-going smile on his face.

"What’d I miss?"

He leaned against the railing, looking around at his friends. They were all blissfully unaware of the tornado of emotions going on inside his head, blissfully unaware of the fact that everything in his life was currently falling apart thanks to you, the girl he was hopelessly in love with, sitting across from him.

Kie walked over to JJ a bright, drunk smile plastered on her lips as she swung her arms around his neck lazily, "me hopefully.." she chuckled.

He chuckled, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her against his chest.

"You know I could never ditch you." He gave her a reassuring smile, though he was inwardly cringing at his own words. He didn't like lying to Kie, but he didn't know how else to act.

You tried your best to spare a casual glance towards the interaction before going back to teasing Pope about something. Although the talk with JJ before he went to pee helped the feeling of longing and sadness was back, even as you laughed with John B and Sarah at the drunken antics of Pope.

JJ glanced back at you as he laughed with the others, his eyes lingering on your face for a moment longer than necessary. He couldn’t help it. You were right there, sitting across from him, looking so damn beautiful and so frustratingly unattainable.

He felt a pang of guilt in his chest, knowing he was supposed to be focused on Kie right now. But he couldn’t take his eyes off you, no matter how hard he tried.

He tried to focus on Kie, on the sound of her laughing and the light feel of her body pressed against his. But his mind kept drifting back to you, and he couldn’t help himself from stealing glances at you throughout the conversation. He tried to join in on the jokes, to act like he was having a good time, but it felt like he was stuck in some sort of painful limbo, torn between the girl he was supposed to be with and the girl he was secretly in love with.

As the night wore on, he found himself getting more and more frustrated with himself. He was supposed to be committed to Kie, dedicated to this relationship they had. But here he was, pining after you like some sort of love-sick idiot, wishing things were different. Yet he couldn’t bring himself to end things with Kie. Not yet, anyway.

As the conversation lulled for a moment, he found himself staring at you again. You were laughing at something Sarah said, your head thrown back in a carefree, unrestrained way, and he felt his heart skip a beat. He wanted nothing more than to cross the small distance between you and kiss you senseless.

"Yeah you used to be a bitch... If it wasn't for John B you probably wouldn't even be right here.." you teased Sarah, who was snuggled into John B's side. You tried to hold in another giggle, adjusting your glasses.

Sarah mock-gasped and clutched at her chest."I beg your pardon!" She laughed, giving you a pretend-offended look.

JJ chuckled at the exchange, stealing another glance at you. Your carefree demeanor and easy banter with the others only made his feelings for you more intense. He found himself envying how easily you could laugh and chat while he was struggling internally.

"And now here she is.. our own personal kook princess.." you snorted, gesturing to her in a mock way of people announcing royalty, shaking your head.

Sarah rolled her eyes, but a laugh escaped her lips. She gave you a playful shove. "Hey, I'm no one's princess."

John B snickered, wrapping his arm around Sarah's waist. "You're my princess."

You made fake gagging noises, Pope following along as you both pretended to be sick about the display in a very dramatic manner.

Sarah scowled at the two of you, her feigned offense turning into mock anger. "Oh go to hell, both of you." She flipped you off, sticking her tongue out childishly.

JJ chuckled, thoroughly entertained by the exchange. He looked from you to Sarah and back again, his thoughts swirling. Despite the amused look on his face, his heart was aching. It was like some cruel twist of fate, having you so close yet hopelessly out of reach. He couldn’t help but think about how he’d much rather be sitting next to you, teasing and bantering with you, holding you in his arms.

But as he watched you joke and laugh with the others, he reminded himself that he was taken. He was with Kie, and that’s where he was supposed to be. He couldn’t act on his feelings for you. Not now, at least. So he forced himself to look away from you, forcing himself to focus on Kie and the conversation at hand. But his eyes kept drifting back to you, drawn to your presence like a magnet.

As the night progressed and the alcohol flowed, JJ found himself growing more and more restless. His eyes kept drifting back to you, and he had to fight the urge to go over and talk to you. He tried to engage Kie in conversation, to focus on his relationship, but everything just felt so damn strained and forced.

He felt like he was drowning, caught between his feelings for you and his loyalty to Kie. He just wanted to be with you, but he didn’t want to hurt Kie. It was a catch-22 that was driving him insane, and he didn’t know how much longer he could keep up the act.

The bass thumped through the beach house, vibrating beneath your feet. Laughter, shouting, and music blurred together as bodies pressed close, drinks spilled, and the air grew thick with salt and smoke. Another party, another night. Ditching the pogues didn't seem like such a good idea anymore as you scanned the pulsating crowd inside the massive beach house, no familiar face sticking out. Here these people were, dressed in designer clothes and wearing perfumes that cost more than your shitty trailer, trashing the beautiful beach house for a party. Which in retrospect wasn't your usual field of activity. Your old crop top, cut-out shorts and beat up sneakers probably stood out like a sore thumb against the pastel colors of polo shirts and expensive flowy summer dresses.

But it was a house party. Everyone was allowed to show up, and if you stood out of the Kooks' ways you'd manage to get drunk on good liquor to forget everything. The fights, the slaps, the hurtful words from your mom. The lingering looks of her boyfriend of the week which made your skin crawl and your door to remain locked throughout the night whenever you slept at home. And you had a feeling you'd do it more often.

JJ and Kiara didn't really need to make a show of announcing their relationship officially. Before today they were disappearing during parties together, spent time alone from the group. And your lovesick mind put it past the fact that they were just getting closer. Tried to lie to your self that JJ didn't like Kiara that way, that it was just... a fleeting crush. But it wasn't. Kiara pulled you and Sarah away from the boys in the kitchen of the chateau and whispered excitedly that her and JJ had finally "made it official." Which meant the two had been hooking up from some time casually.

You drowned out the excited squeals from Sarah and looked away when she hugged Kie as if she won some great prize. A prize that should've been yours. Still you patted Kiara's back with as much excitement as you could before excusing your self to the bathroom. The heartbreak and the anxiety which was weighing down on you from the weeks prior caused you to wretch violently into the toilet, puking out the small amount of food you had that day.

Now here you were, your swaying feet carrying you to the makeshift bar, glassy eyes scanning the drink options from behind your glasses. Vodka. You needed more vodka, more weed, more of everything that the kooks had to offer. Maybe even coke if you were lucky.

As you stood by the bar, you felt someone's eyes on you. You turned around to see none other than Rafe Cameron staring at you.

He was leaning against the wall, a smirk playing on his lips as he watched you from across the room. His brown hair was disheveled, and he was holding a beer in one hand.

Rafe Cameron. The older brother of one of your best friends. Handsome in a very manic way and suffering from an acute case of bad attitude and entitlement. Maybe even bipolar disorder if you were to get professional. You caught his blue eyes from across the room and discarded the interaction as soon as it happened, eyes dropping to your red solo cup. You poured too much vodka and too little orange juice, but you were already tipsy so you didn't really feel it.

Rafe came up to you, his lean frame towering over your smaller self. He took a sip of his beer, eyes still fixed on you. "Hey."

He spoke in his raspy, deep voice, a smirk still on his face. You could practically feel the smugness radiate off of him from this close.

His gaze made you feel naked, like an exposed nerve. Or like a girl at a party full of strangers, who's posture and movements screamed 'easy to take advantage of.' Which you were. But you didn't need to feel like it. You didn't need to feel anything, so that's why you brought the cup to your lips taking a big gulp, grimacing only slightly at the burning sensation.

A long pause stretched between you two, in which you assessed the older boy with a critical eye, as critical as you could while you were on your way to get even more tipsy. "Are you talking to me?" you asked, pointing to yourself, pretending to be unaware that he greeted you.

Rafe chuckled in amusement, leaning against the bar. He crossed his arms over his chest, his gaze never leaving yours. "Yeah, I'm talking to you."

He leaned in a little closer, his voice dropping slightly. "You look different tonight." There was curiosity in his eyes, a glint of something darker and more intense.

Your gaze roamed over his features, which inched closer, maybe to hear each other over the music better, or to intimidate you. You weren't sure which. You could never know with the Cameron boy. And although you'd interacted before, it was never good. He was a handful when your paths crossed at the country-club, where you worked as a bartender. Seriously, he was very entitled. Thought his customer experience and satisfaction was the only one deserving of special attention. And when you weren't encountering each other at the country-club he was out and about with Topper and Kelce trying to piss of your best friends.

So him approaching you was weird but not out of the question. "I'm not wearing the apron and the stupid gloves, country-club.." you replied sardonically, "you want me to mix you up a drink or what?"

Rafe chuckled, a smirk on his face, and leaned in even closer. "I could use another drink, bartender." He spoke in a low tone, his eyes flicking down to your lips for a split second before meeting your gaze again.

His hand came up to grip your hip, the action both possessive and familiar, as though he had done it before. "I came over to get a better look at you.. You're a lot prettier than I remember."

"Yeah you could, you seem awfully thirsty..." you nodded, eyes glancing down at his hand resting casually on your hip. His last comment didn't really phase you, if he wasn't doing something unhinged he was flirting with girls at parties. At least that's what you were hoping was happening here.

Rafe chuckled again, his thumb gently tracing a small circle on your hip as he moved even closer, his chest nearly touching yours now. "Thirsty is one way to put it.." he spoke in a low, rough voice. His gaze traveled over your face, lingering on your eyes before flicking down to your lips again. "You're a lot more than just pretty, though.. You've got this whole 'dark and mysterious' thing going for you."

Despite yourself, you found your lips stretching into a small grin. You raised your hand, dragging your index finger over his chest, feigning interest in him. "You do know I'm 17 right?" you asked in sweet tone, the look in your eyes betraying it. Your hand pushed him back a little, your actions gentle and less harsh.

Rafe let your push him back, his smirk widening. He took another step towards you, his body still close, but not as close as before. His gaze held yours, amusement flickering in his eyes.

"Yes ma'am, I do know that. I'm 21.. But I don't really think the age difference really matters, does it?" he replied, his tone both playful and serious. His hand moved from your hip to your chin, tilting your face upwards. "I think you're a lot older than your age."

You turned your head from his grip, letting out a small snort of amusement, leaning against the table for support, "Are you trying to hit on me, country-club?" you asked, raising your eyes to lock with his blue ones.

Rafe chuckled, his hand still clutching your chin. He leaned in closer again, his face inches from yours, his smirk turning cocky.

"Maybe I am, little bartender.. Or maybe I'm just bored and drunk."

He paused, his gaze fixed on your lips before he continued, his voice dropping to a low, almost playful tone. "Though I have a feeling you're not as innocent as you look.."

"You just told me i have this 'mysterious and dark' thing going on for me.." you narrowed your eyes playfully at him, reaching up to adjust your glasses.

Rafe's smirk widened as you spoke, his gaze still locked on yours.

"True, you do have that whole 'Mysterious and dark' thing going on. But maybe that's what makes you so intriguing.." He replied, his hand still on your chin, gently tilting your face up to keep your eyes locked on his.

"Care to show me just how mysterious and dark you can get, little bartender? I'm curious to see."

Your smirk widened as if he had just fallen into the most funniest trap ever, shifting away from his grip to dig through your shorts' pocket. You pulled out a small switchblade, your initials carved on the wood of it. You flicked the blade open, grinning proudly as you showed it off, the blade glinting under the light.

Rafe quirked an eyebrow, his gaze flickering to the switchblade in your hand, a mix of surprise and interest on his face. He took a step closer, his head tilting to the side as he examined the initials engraved on the wood.

"Wow, bartender.. You know how to keep a guy on edge. That's not a bad quality.." He said, his smirk matching your own.

He reached out, grabbing your wrist gently, his gaze moving from the knife to your eyes. "Looks like you're not so innocent after all."

You didn't waste time tilting the blade right back at his face, still grinning, "And you don't seem to be scared of pogue girls carrying switchblades around and partying with your kook friends.."

Rafe's smirk didn't falter. If anything, he seemed more amused than ever. "Scared? Of you? Please.. I'm not afraid of some pogue girl with a switchblade."

He took a small step closer, leaning closer to the blade, his gaze still locked on yours, almost challenging. "And to be honest, I think it's kind of hot."

You glanced around the party for a few moments, noticing that some kooks were shooting questioning glances in your direction for holding a blade to Rafe's face. But that didn't deter you, in fact the alcohol in your system and the desire for a distraction was winning over your shame. Rafe released your wrist as you trailed the tip of the blade down to his chin and chest, stopping just shy of his belt. "So you're into knife play then.."

Rafe's eyes followed the blade as you dragged it over his face and chest, a smirk still on his lips. The kooks around them whispered and shot questioning glances, but he didn't seem bothered. If anything, he was enjoying the public attention.

He chuckled at your last comment, leaning closer, his eyes glinting with a dark, primal need.

"Maybe I am.. You want to find out, bartender..?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. His gaze flicked between the blade and your eyes, his body leaning in

You trailed it even lower, sinking the tip of the blade a little in the leather of his belt, smirk growing even more. "I think i can already tell for myself.." you murmured teasingly.

Rafe's smirk grew into a cocky, confident grin. He could feel his body reacting to your teasing, a wave of desire washing over him. He didn't care that there were people around them, watching their every move. All he cared about was you and that damn smirk on your face.

"You're being awfully cocky for a pogue with a small knife.." he leaned even closer, his face now right in front of yours. The blade was dangerously close to the crotch of his jeans, but he didn't seem fazed at all.

In retrospect flirting with Rafe Cameron at a kook party, while your friends blew up your phone probably looking for you, was a bad idea. But you liked bad ideas. You were full of them. And Rafe wasn't by any means ugly, he was charming and he knew how to handle whatever weird, drunk flirting you were throwing him. "I'm just cocky usually. Is there anything small about you? Aside from your IQ, of course.." you trailed off, dragging the blade above the belt now and slipping under his shirt a little. The tip of the blade now grazing the small happy trail above the belt, under his shirt.

Rafe's gaze darkened with desire, a low, rough chuckle escaping his lips. "Small IQ? That's a cheap shot, bartender."

He leaned closer, his body now pressed against yours, his breath hot on your face. "But no.. There's nothing small about me. And I'm more than happy to prove it to you.." he murmured, the hint of a challenge in his voice.

He watched as you dragged the tip of the blade down his happy trail, his body tingling with excitement. He could feel his control slowly slipping away, but he'd enjoy the thrill of it all

You couldn't help but feel the smirk grow wider across your face at his words, your ego inflating, your alcohol-laced confidence bubbling over. You were enjoying this a little too much, but you were too drunk to care. The adrenaline mixed with the feeling of power you held above him was making you feel like you were floating.

"Is that so? You talk big for someone who's so easily charmed by me pressing a sharp blade to his happy trail country-club.."

He chuckled at that, the smirk on his face matching yours. He was enjoying this little power struggle, the knife to his stomach only heightening his excitement. The adrenaline rushing through his veins made him feel alive, almost feral. He leaned closer, his lips near your ear.

"You think you have the upper hand just because you're holding a knife to my abdomen, bartender? You might be cocky, but I'm not afraid of a little blade. In fact, I think it makes you even hotter..."

You let out a chuckle, shaking your head at his words and retreating the blade, flicking it away from Rafe's eyes and stashing it in your pocket. "Don't tell me you got a hard-on from me pressing a knife to your stomach.." you teased, leaning back against the table with drinks, taking a sip from your forgotten red solo cup.

Rafe smirked, his gaze roaming over your body, taking in the sight of you leaning back against the table, cocky and seductive. He took a step closer, his body now towering over you, his gaze dark with desire.

"And what if I do? Are you gonna make fun of me for it.. Little bartender?"

He reached out, his hand gripping your hip and pulling you closer to him until your bodies were flush against each other. His fingers traced over the skin where your shorts ended, teasing the sensitive area just above it.

You nodded knowingly, "Degradation kink, too?" you asked coyly, not minding the distance shrinking between the two of you.

Rafe's smirk widened at your comment, his grip on your hip tightening as he pressed you harder against the table. He leaned in even closer, his face now inches away from yours, his voice low and gruff.

"Maybe.. And I bet you're just the kind of girl who'd get off on humiliating me, aren't you, bartender?..."

You tilted your head back a little, to properly look into his eyes, your smirk turning into something less cocky and more arousal filled, "Oh, country-club I'd humiliate you in ways you've never been before. While riding your brains out.." you leaned in slightly, as if you were telling a secret, before leaning back.

Rafe's pupils dilated, his grip on you now almost painful. He let out a low growl, the sound sending a shiver down your spine. His free hand rested on the side of your neck, his thumb brushing over your pulse point. He pushed you against the table, his hips pressing into yours as he ground against you.

"You're filthy, you know that.. a sick little thing who gets off on making men like me feel small.. but I bet you'd love it if I put you in your place..."

"Do you feel small?" you asked, feigning curiosity and casualness while his big hand rested against the side of your neck.

Rafe chuckled, his grip on your neck growing a little bit tighter. His gaze darkened with desire, his expression turning a little menacing.

"No. But having you boss me around and push me around like I'm some kind of puppy does make me feel a little.. Humbled."

You nodded at that, the smirk returning to your face. You took a step away from him, your expression shifting from cocky to playful as you eyed him up and down.

"Aww, big country-club boy feeling a little threatened by a small town bartender..." you cooed, your hand moving up to pat the side of his face patronizingly.

Rafe's jaw clenched, his expression hardening at your patronizing tone. He was used to people treating him with respect and fear, not patronization. But he had to admit, there was something a little bit exciting about being belittled by you.

"I'm not feeling threatened by you, bartender. But I am feeling a little bit... intrigued. You think you can just boss me around and I'll do whatever you say?" he scoffed, leaning in closer to you again, his gaze intense.

"I'll give you a prize if you do.." you grinned, cooing softly under your breath as you dropped your gaze on his lips.

Rafe's lips curled into a smirk, his gaze following yours down to your lips.

"And what kind of prize do I get if I'm a good boy and do what the bartender says?" he asked, his voice low and gruff. He took a step closer, his body now pressing against yours. His hand crept up to grip your hip again, his fingers digging into the skin through the fabric of your shorts.

"Me, country-club. Duh.." you chuckled, shaking your head.

Rafe's smirk widened, his grip on you growing a little bit tighter. He leaned in a bit closer, his lips hovering just above yours.

"You're gonna give me you as a prize?" he asked, his tone a little bit teasing. His gaze flicked down to your lips, then back up to your eyes. His fingers slid down to grip the bare skin of your thigh, his touch possessive and sure.

Rafe chuckled, his touch on your thigh growing bolder as he leaned in even closer. His lips grazed yours, his breath hot and ragged as he spoke.

"And what's the bartender gonna do if the country-club boy doesn't behave..?" he growled, his hand creeping up your thigh to grip your hip, pulling you even closer to his body. There was a dangerous glint in his eyes, a challenge.

All your cocky demeanor melted into something more lustful and needy. He was driving you insane. You hated it. You hated that he got under your skin like this. This was Rafe Cameron, not just some guy you should flirt at a party with. "Maybe I'll use the blade on you.."

Rafe's smirk widened, his hand gripping your hip even harder. He was getting a kick out of this. He liked that he could make you so flustered, make you want him like this. And he was more than willing to take advantage of it.

"Oh yeah? You gonna stab me, bartender?" he asked, his voice a low rumble. His body was now pressed tightly against yours, his hand moving from your hip to slide up your side.

"Yep." you nodded popping the 'P' "Just like how they do on The Cut.." you raised your hand to pat the side of his face patronizingly once again.

Rafe's jaw clenched at your patronizing touch, his gaze hardening. But there was something in his expression that was almost.. aroused by it. He was used to being feared, respected, not belittled like this. But it was stirring up something inside him, something he didn't quite understand.

"You really enjoy bossing me around, don't you bartender?" he asked, his voice a little shaky, betraying his arousal. He leaned in closer, his lips hovering just above yours, his breath ragged and hot.

You found yourself nodding once again, smirking slightly as you looked down at his lips hovered above yours, "and you're aroused by it, so i assume I'm doing something right."

Rafe couldn't deny it, but he'd be a proud little bastard all night long.

"Maybe a little..." he rasped out, his voice low and gruff. His hand was still on your hip, his fingers digging into your skin as he pulled you even closer to him, his body now flush against yours. His lips were still hovering just above yours, close enough to feel each others breath but not touching.

Rafe's self control was slipping. He could feel the heat radiating off of you, your body pressed up against his in all the right places. He wanted you more than he wanted anything in the world right now, and he was getting impatient. He could feel his own breathing growing ragged, his chest rising and falling with the effort of containing himself. But he knew better than to let his lust get the best of him.

"Bartender... I don't think you understand how much self restraint I'm exercising at the moment. You're really testing me here."

You let out a breathless chuckle, adjusting your glasses and bringing the cup to your lips to take another sip of your vodka orange. You were aware just how wrong this was. This was Rafe Cameron, the kook prince and the person who despised your friends the most. Still, you were drunk and heartbroken and Rafe looked so good tonight. You were just a girl after all, "So what do you want me to do?" you asked him teasingly, locking eyes with him once again.

Rafe's gaze darkened with desire as he looked at you. He was struggling to control himself, but you were pushing him to the edge. He leaned in even closer to you, his lips now just a breath away from yours. His hand gripped your hip tighter, holding you in place.

"You know exactly what I want." he growled, his voice low and rough. He was past caring about the wrongness of it, past caring that you were supposed to hate each other. All he cared about in that moment was you.

"No, i don't actually. Clue me in.." you teased, still smirking at him.

Rafe's patience was running thin. He was done with the teasing, done with the back and forth. He wanted you, and he wanted you now.

"You wanna play this game, huh bartender? Fine." he growled, his hand sliding from your hip to your waist, his grip tight and determined. He pulled you even closer to him, his body now pressing against yours as he leaned in to speak into your ear.

"How about this? You tell me what you want, and I'll give it to you."

You hummed thoughtfully, pretending to consider his words. You raised your hand, running it through the hair at the back of his head lazily, "Honestly, i just wanted a distraction when i came here.." you mumbled.

Rafe's breath hitched as you ran your hand through his hair. The way you touched him was both soothing and arousing, and it was driving him insane. He closed his eyes for a moment, savoring the feeling of your fingers on his scalp.

"Is that so?" he asked, his voice low and rough. He pulled away just a bit so he could look down at you, his gaze intense and serious. "And what kind of distraction were you looking for, exactly?"

"I was gonna get blackout drunk and high.." you smiled up at him, eyes drifting down to his lips for a few seconds.

Rafe's lips curled into a small smirk as he noticed you looking at his lips. He lifted your chin with his finger, tilting your head back so that your eyes were locked with his. There was something mischievous in his gaze, a sly glint that made it clear he was up to something.

"And you think I can help with that, huh?" he asked, his tone slightly mocking. He ran his fingers through your hair, feeling the softness of it against his skin. "I can get you drunk and high, no problem." he leaned in a little closer, his voice still teasing.

You nodded, feeling your cheeks redden a bit under his gaze. You were starting to feel the effects of the alcohol and the weed, your head spinning just a bit. You leaned into him, your body seeking the comfort of his presence. You were both drunk and high, and there was something about Rafe in this state that made him even more attractive to you.

You were vaguely aware of the music around you, the sound of people partying, but it all felt distant and unimportant. The only thing that mattered was Rafe and the heat that was building between the two of you. "And what after?" you asked.

Rafe chuckled softly, noticing the way you leaned into him. He could see the effects of the alcohol and the weed taking hold, and it made him feel a sense of power over you. He liked having this effect on you.

"After?" he repeated, his voice low and silky. He ran his hand down your arm, his fingers tracing a lazy pattern on your skin, his touch leaving a trail of heat in its wake. "After we're both wasted, I'll take you back to my place." he told you bluntly.

"And what if your sister sees me?" you chuckled lowly, wrapping your arms around his neck lazily.

Rafe's expression darkened briefly when you mentioned his sister, but he quickly shook it off and focused on you once again. He pulled you closer to him, his arm wrapping around your waist as he spoke.

"Sarah? She's always out with her damn boyfriend." he replied, his tone a mix of annoyance and nonchalance. "And even if she was there, she wouldn't care. She's got her own vices to worry about."

"Yeah, her boyfriend being one of my best friends... You know my friends hate you right?" you narrowed your eyes, smirking drunkenly up at him, carding your fingers through his hair.

Rafe grunted, his expression hardening at the mention of your friends. He didn't like being reminded of how much they disliked him, but he was too distracted by your touch to care too much.

"Yeah, I'm aware." he scoffed, his tone bitter. "Your little Pogue club has made it abundantly clear how much they hate me."

"I wonder why..." you giggled, tugging his hair lightly.

Rafe let out a low hiss of pain as you tugged his hair, but the hint of anger quickly melted away at the sound of your giggles. He leaned in closer to you, his breath hot on your neck as he spoke.

"I know why." he said darkly. "They're just a group of jealous little shits, too blinded by their own self-righteousness to see things for how they really are."

"What about me? you think I'm the same?" you asked, tilting your head to the side questioningly.

Rafe studied you for a moment, his gaze roaming over your face. There was something different about you, something that set you apart from your friends. Maybe it was the way you didn't hesitate to touch him or the way you didn't immediately shut down his advances.

"No." he said finally, his voice soft. He ran his hand down your cheek, brushing a strand of hair out of your face. "I don't think you're like them. You're different."

Your smile widened at his words despite them coming from the person you were supposed to despise. "How so?" you wondered out loud, shivering slightly as he ran his knuckles against your cheek.

Rafe let out a dry chuckle, his hand still cupping your cheek. There was a hint of arrogance in his voice as he spoke, as though he knew something you didn't.

"You're not so caught up in your own bullshit like the rest of your group." he said bluntly. "You're a little more open-minded, a little more willing to entertain the idea that maybe I'm not the worst person in the world.”

"Oh no, you are. I just wanna feel like i have control over who I'm going home with.. I don't plan on making a habit on sleeping with you." you mirrored the arrogance in his voice, smiling a little condescendingly.

Rafe's expression darkened, his jaw clenching at your condescending tone. He wasn't used to being talked to like this, especially from someone he considered beneath him. His grip on your waist tightened, but he tried to keep his voice steady.

"Is that so?" he said evenly. "You think you have control in this situation? You're in my world now, sweetheart. And I make the rules here."

Your expression remained neutral as you looked back at him, your tone becoming more challenging. You knew Rafe was used to being the one in charge, but you weren't going to make it easy for him.

"Funny." you said, tilting your head to the side. "I didn't realize this was your world. Last time I checked, it looked an awful lot like the same world I live in."

Rafe's grip on your waist tightened even more, his eyes narrowing at your defiant tone. He was growing irritated at your unwillingness to submit, but he also found it strangely intriguing. No one had ever dared to challenge him like this before.

"Oh, sweetheart." he said darkly. "You don't know a damn thing about my world. My world is filled with power, money, and influence. You..you're just a little Pogue from the wrong side of the tracks."

"Come on, country-club.. Is that how you charm girls usually? By insulting their social status?" you asked, shaking your head in mock disappointment.

Rafe grunted, his irritation growing at your mocking tone. He had a million things he wanted to say to you, but he also didn't want to give you the satisfaction of getting under his skin.

"I don't need to charm anyone, sweetheart." he said through clenched teeth. "Girls flock to me like bees to honey. I have my pick of the litter."

"Yet, you're still trying to get into my pants.." you continued to card your fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck, looking around for the said girls flocking to him.

Rafe's cheeks reddened at your bluntness, and he tried to hide his embarrassment by scoffing and rolling his eyes. But deep down, he knew you had a point. He was usually surrounded by girls vying for his attention, but here he was, focused solely on you. "Yeah, well." he muttered. "Maybe I just felt like slummin' it a little tonight."

This only earned him another condescending laugh from you. You found it amusing how he was trying to act like he was doing you a favor by giving you attention, like he was the one making some selfless sacrifice. "Yeah, sure. You're doing me a real favor here." you said sarcastically. "I'm sure you're having just as much fun slumming it up with me as I am with you."

Rafe's irritation boiled over at your mocking tone. He wasn't used to being made fun of, especially not by someone he viewed as beneath him. He pulled you closer to him, his grip on your waist so tight it was almost bruising.

"Watch it." he growled, his eyes narrowing. "I'm doing you a goddamn favor by even giving you the time of day. You're nothing but a little Pogue trash. You should be grateful I'm even talking to you."

You placed your hand over your heart pretending to be hurt by his words. "That's not nice, now is it? And here i thought you were gonna take me home.." you shook your head, leaning in teasingly.

Rafe's jaw clenched as you taunted him. He wasn't sure if he wanted to shut you up by kissing you or by throttling you. The way you leaned into him, your face so close he could feel the heat radiating off your skin, was driving him crazy.

"Don't test me." he warned, his voice low and dangerous. "I can make your night either hell or heaven."

Your expression hardened, looking down almost thoughtfully as your mind drifted towards the night you had. The fight with your mom, JJ and Kiara, the bitterness. Your night was already hell, "I don't think you can make it worse, to be honest.." you mumbled, unwrapping your arms from around his neck to adjust your glasses and take a final gulp of your drink.

Rafe softened a little at your words, sensing that something was bothering you. He loosened his grip on your waist, his hand now resting lightly on the curve of your hip.

"Rough night, huh?" he asked, his tone gentler than before. He couldn't quite place it, but there was something about you that made him feel oddly protective

"Very.." you nodded, letting out a bitter chuckle as you scanned the partying crowd lazily.

Rafe let out a small sigh, his thumb tracing absentminded circles on your hip. He was still irritated at you, but he also couldn't help but feel the urge to comfort you. It was like he could see the pain and anger bubbling beneath your surface, and he felt a strange compulsion to help you find comfort, even if it was just temporary.

"Wanna get out of here?" he asked, his gaze locked on yours.

You poked the inside of your cheek with the tip of your tongue. You knew sleeping with a random guy, much less sleeping with Rafe Cameron would help. But you didn't wanna go home tonight nor did you wanna crash at the Chateau. You studied his face, his flushed cheeks and messy hair and you found yourself smiling wearily, "You gonna let me use the blade on you?" you asked teasingly, leaning in once again.

Rafe chuckled at your question, his irritation melting away as you leaned in closer. His gaze was fixated on your lips as he watched them curl into a tired smirk. There was something about you that drove him crazy, and he couldn't deny his own desire for you. He rolled his eyes dramatically, "Only if you promise not to draw blood." he replied, his tone playful and teasing.

"I promise.." you murmured lowly, grazing your finger over his chest playfully.

Rafe's breath hitched at the feel of your touch on his chest, his eyes darkening with lust. The way you were looking at him, so confident and yet so vulnerable, was driving him insane. He couldn't help but smirk, his gaze flicking down to your lips before returning to your eyes.

"Care to find a quieter place?" he said, his voice thick with desire.

You looked around, the music thumping into your ears and making your lungs vibrate from the bass. You turned back to him, letting your glassy eyes roam over his face, "Upstairs or you wanna just go to your place?" you found yourself asking even though a small part of your mind was screaming at you not to go through with it.

Rafe's smirk widened at your question, his eyes glinting with desire and excitement.

"My place." he said firmly, his grip on your hip tightening as he spoke. "It's closer, and we won't be interrupted."

He leaned in closer, his breath hot against your ear, "I've got a bottle of Jack waiting for us, and a bottle of Jack is a friend of mine."

You smiled at the thought of getting even more wasted, and finishing the night off in a way that would make your mind drift away from your problems, even just for a few hours. The drive to the Cameron house was blurry, hurried and full of tension despite knowing how utterly wrong it was to let Rafe take you home.

He lead you up the grand staircase, his grip on your hand sure and determined. You were swaying slightly, definitely feeling the effects of the vodka and other alcohol you had that night, small quiet giggles escaping your lips as he dragged through the dark hallway at the top of the stairs. You weren't really used to seeing the house bathed in so much darkness, eyes drifting over the multiple tall, white doors, on every side of you.

Rafe chuckled at your giggles, his own movements a little unsteady as he guided you down the hallway. The alcohol was starting to get to him too, but he was determined to ignore the dizziness and keep his attention focused on you.

"Third door on the left." he said, his voice gruff with both desire and intoxication.

He opened the door, and quickly pulled you inside. The room was elegant and spotless, with a large bed taking up most of the space in the middle.

You looked around the room bathed only in the silvery moonlight before wrapping your arms around his neck to pull him in for a hurried kiss, lips moving with a sense of urgency.

Rafe returned the kiss just as eagerly, his hands coming up to cup your cheeks instinctively. He pushed you against the door, his body pressing close to yours as the kiss deepened. His fingers tangled in your hair, and he swallowed your little whimpers and gasps, feeling a wave of desire wash over him. With a sharp tug, he pulled away slightly, his breath ragged and his gaze dark with lust.

"Bed. Now." he growled, his voice thick with need.

"What about-.." you panted softly, adjusting your glasses, "You said something about a bottle of Jack.."

Rafe's smirk returned at your words, his eyes gleaming with amusement and excitement.

"You're right." he said, his voice dropping down to a low, taunting murmur.

He reluctantly pulled himself away from your body and walked over to the mini bar in the corner of the room. He reached down and retrieved an already open bottle of Jack Daniel's.

"You want a glass? Or should we just drink straight from the bottle?" he asked, holding up the bottle suggestively.

You grinned at the sight of the opened bottle of whiskey, walking over to him and grabbing the bottle from his hand, unscrewing the cap and taking a slow swig. You stepped closer, wrapping your free arm around his shoulder for support, leaning in for a fleeting kiss, "I don't like glasses.." you murmured when you pulled away, still grinning up at him.

Rafe watched as you took a long pull from the bottle, his eyes fixed on your lips and throat. The sight of you drinking straight from the bottle was oddly erotic, and he couldn't help but smirk at your words.

"You're trouble." he teased, his voice low and his arms wrapping around your waist.

He took the bottle from your hand and took a mouthful, his gaze locked onto your face as he swallowed with a satisfied hiss.

He set the bottle down on the nearby dresser, his hands roaming over your waist and pulling you closer to him. His body was pressed against yours, and he could feel the heat radiating off of you. He leaned in, his lips grazing the sensitive skin of your neck as he spoke, his voice a low, gravelly whisper. "You taste like booze.."

"So do you.." you leaned in, chasing his lips in the dim light for another slow kiss, enjoying the sounds he made as he kissed you. Your head was spinning a little and you no longer cared about the consequences of your actions, the desire and arousal overpowering every feeling.

Rafe deepened the kiss, his tongue flicking against yours briefly, before he pulled away to press hot, open-mouthed kisses along your jawline and neck. His breathing was heavy as he began to trail a path of kisses and nips down your neck, his hands sliding down your body until they reached the hem of your shirt.

"Lift up your arms, baby.." he whispered, his voice low and husky with arousal.

You took off your glasses setting them down on the bar behind you before lifting your arms in a languid motion so he discarded your old crop top somewhere in the dimly lit room. You were left in your shorts and your black lacy bra, smirking up at him.

Rafe's eyes roamed over your body, appreciating every inch of your exposed skin. He swallowed hard, his gaze darkening as he took in the sight of you in just your shorts and bra. He let out a low, appreciative whistle, before grasping your hips and pulling you closer, so that your bodies were pressed against each other once more.

He lifted a hand, gently brushing his thumb over the lace of your bra, his touch light and teasing.

He leaned in, his hot breath tickling your ear as he began to kiss and bite down your neck. His hands traveled up your waist, his fingers softly tracing the outline of your bra as he sucked and nipped at your skin. He was losing himself in the desire, his movements becoming rougher, more desperate.

"Fuck, you're so beautiful..." he murmured, his hands trailing down to your shorts, his fingers playing with the waistband.

You chuckled lightly as he bit and mouthed at your neck, a stark contrast from the cocky guy who approached you at the party. You raised your hands, tangling them in his light-brown hair, messing it up as he continued to nip at your soft flesh, pulling small gasps and sighs from you.

Rafe groaned softly at the feeling of your fingers in his hair, the sound low and feral in his throat. His hands were all over your body, as if he couldn't get enough of your touch, your skin against his. His fingers ghosted up your bare sides, causing you to shiver slightly, his lips never leaving your neck as he sucked and kissed and bit his way across the sensitive skin.

He was quickly starting to come undone before your very eyes, the cocky exterior melting away to raw desire and need.

He lifted you up suddenly, your legs wrapping around his waist instinctively as he walked forward and pressed you against the nearby wall. His hips were grinding against yours, the friction of his jeans against your shorts nearly maddening, his body burning hot against yours. Rafe's kisses grew more fierce as his hands roamed your body, his fingers leaving a trail of fire against your skin with every touch.

You cupped his face almost hastily, pulling him for a hurried kiss, muffling the small sounds spilling from your lips from the grinding of his hips. You wrapped your legs around his waist more tightly, arching into his chest as you deepened the kiss, mirroring his desperation.

Rafe was consumed by his desire for you, his body pressing against you as if he couldn't get close enough. He eagerly reciprocated the kiss, his tongue exploring your mouth with a growing need, his hands gripping your thighs as he practically pinned you to the wall.

He rocked his hips forward, grinding against you, a deep moan of pleasure escaping him between kisses. His head was spinning, his thoughts a hazy mess of need and want. All he knew was that he couldn't get enough of you, that he needed to be as close to you as possible.

He broke the kiss, his lips leaving yours to trail slowly down your neck, leaving hot kisses along your collarbone, biting and nipping at the sensitive skin. His hot breath panted against your ear, his lips whispering filthy words in a low tone.

He knew he was losing control, but he didn't care. He wanted you, needed you, more than he'd ever needed anything in his life. His hands were roaming your body, pulling you closer, even as you were already pressed against the wall.

You closed your eyes, your fingers tightening in his hair, your body arching into his touch and his words. You were completely lost in him, drunk on his touch and his scent, your skin feeling like it was on fire wherever he touched you. You couldn't think straight, your thoughts a hazy cloud of desire. All you could do was cling to him, your chest heaving with uneven breaths and needy moans. You knew it should be wrong, but right now, it felt so right.

Rafe was consumed by the same fierce desire that was coursing through you. He was on fire, his every touch and movement, driven by a primal need to have you, to be close to you. He lifted his head from your neck, his eyes locking onto yours, their gaze dark and intense. He was drunk on you, intoxicated by the sounds you made, the way your body reacted to his touch. His voice was a low, ragged whisper against your ear.

"I need you... I need you right now."

You locked eyes with him in the semi-darkness nodding with a drunk and aroused grin, "Get on the bed then.." you murmured, still carding your fingers through his hair almost soothingly as you tried to catch your breath.

Rafe's eyes darkened with raw desire at the sound of your voice, his body responding immediately to your command. He didn't need to be told twice. He lifted you up in his arms effortlessly, his fingers digging into your skin, holding you tightly. He carried you across the room, his steps quick and confident, as he made his way to the nearby bed.

He laid you down gently, his body following suit, hovering over you. His breaths were coming in short, ragged puffs as he took in the sight of you, his eyes roaming over your form hungrily.

You let out a satisfied chuckle, your palms roaming over his shoulders before one of your hand reached down to pluck the small switchblade from the pocket of your shorts, "Wanna have some fun, country-club?"

His eyes darted down to the switchblade, a mix of surprise and excitement flickering across his face. A smirk formed on his lips as he nodded, his eyes locked onto yours, his expression a wicked mix of curiosity and desire.

He lowered himself down until the weight of his body was pressed against yours. He leaned in closer, his breath hot against your skin as he whispered, "Show me what you can do with that blade..."

You flipped him over, straddling his hips in a swift motion. You flipped the blade out trailing it down his chest teasingly before stopping above his belt. You smirked up at him, digging the tip of the blade into the leather once again, "You like this belt?" you asked lowly.

He raised his eyebrow at your quick movement, a surprised gasp escaping his lips as you straddled him. His heart was hammering in his chest, a mix of excitement and anticipation coursing through him as the blade danced across his chest.

He swallowed, his eyes never leaving yours as he answered your question. His voice was husky and low, filled with a mix of arousal and curiosity. "Yeah... It's my favorite.."

You pretended to pout, hooking one finger under the belt raising it slightly, placing the blade under it. In another swift motion you cut through the leather without undoing the buckle, pulling the belt from the beltloops and discarding it somewhere on the floor.

Rafe's eyes widened, a mixture of surprise and arousal flashing across his face as you expertly sliced through the belt without bothering to undo it. He swallowed again, his chest rising and falling a little quicker than before as he watched you toss the belt aside.

His gaze flicked back to your face, a slow, cocky smirk replacing the somewhat shocked expression on his face. He inhaled sharply, "That was hot.." he murmured, his eyes roaming over your form, taking you in as he lay underneath you.

His hands found their way to your thighs, his fingers slowly trailing up your legs, leaving a trail of heat wherever they went. His touch was light, teasing, as if he was mapping out every inch of your skin. He looked up at you from where you were straddling him, his eyes still dark with desire, his smirk never leaving his lips.

He moved his hands to your hips, his fingers digging into your skin, pulling you closer against him. He leaned up just enough to murmur against your ear, his voice low and gravelly, "I hope you have more tricks up your sleeve.."

You chuckled, leaning back slightly. You hooked another finger under one of your bra straps, grinning down at him as you sliced through it too, watching his reaction intently. "We're even now.." you murmured, chuckling as you cut through the other strap, placing the blade in your mouth to reach behind you and undo the clasp, pulling the scrap of lace away from your chest.

Rafe's smirk transformed into a devilish grin as he watched you effortlessly slice through the straps of your bra, his eyes glued to the motion. He chuckled along with you, his hands roaming over your thighs, almost kneading like a cat, when you leaned back again, discarding your bra somewhere on the floor. His nostrils flared, his breaths coming out in short, ragged spurts, as he took in the sight of your bare chest.

He shifted under you, his body moving as he tried to find a more comfortable position against the bed.

His eyes were still locked on yours, his gaze hungry and intense. His hands slid up your thighs, his touch firm and possessive, as he pulled you towards him again. He wanted you closer, he needed to be closer. His words were a low growl that rumbled in his chest.

"You're so damn hot... And so goddamn good with knives.. Where did you learn this at..?" He asked as he reached your hips, gripping you and forcing you even closer to him.

You hummed pretending to think about his question before smirking "The Cut is a very dangerous place.." you cooed. "Take off your shirt.." you commanded softly.

Rafe chuckled, amused by your snarky response. His hands obeyed your command without a second thought, leaving your hips and quickly moving to the hem of his shirt. In one swift motion, he pulled it off, revealing the tan, smooth skin and hard muscles beneath. He dropped the shirt to the side, raising an eyebrow at you, the smirk still playing on his lips.

Your gaze roamed over his bare chest, your eyes roving over every dip and contour of his body. You leaned forward, your hands sliding over his skin after placing the blade aside, tracing over the ridges and valley of his muscles. You felt him shiver under you, his breathing growing more labored as your fingertips danced across his flesh. "Not bad..."

Rafe's skin pebbled with goosebumps, his entire body tensing as your fingers traced over his chest, drawing out a low, guttural moan from his throat. His eyes fluttered shut for a moment, his head tilting back into the bed as he relished in the sensation of your touch. He was a strong, powerful man, but in this moment, he felt vulnerable and exposed, completely surrendering himself to your every touch.

"You like what you see..?" He murmured, his voice thick with desire.

"I do.." you cooed softly, leaning in to press small chaste kisses over his jaw, hands sliding down to pop the button of his jeans open, "Can i ride you, Rafe?" you asked lowly, breath ghosting over the shell of his ear.

Rafe groaned, the sound deep and guttural, as your lips left a trail of kisses down his jaw. His breath hitched when your fingers popped the button of his jeans open, the touch igniting a fire in him he didn't know he had. The sound of your voice, low and seductive, sent a shiver down his spine, and he could feel himself growing harder at the thought of you riding him.

He managed to open his eyes, meeting your gaze, his voice thick with lust as he nodded, his words a strangled moan

"God yes.. please.."

You leaned back, climbing off his lap momentarily to slide down your shorts, throwing them on the floor too, leaving you in your black underwear. You straddled him once again as you zipped down his pants, pulling them down his thighs, not bothering to take them off fully. Your movements were hurried and full of arousal, pulling him out of his boxers and hovering just above him. You slid your underwear to the side, hovering just a few moments more before letting yourself sink down on him, a sweet low moan escaping your lips.

Rafe groaned deeply as you straddled him, his head falling back against the bed as his hips bucked involuntarily, searching for that sweet pressure that he knew he'd soon feel. His eyes fluttered shut, his fingers gripping the sheets as hard as he could as he felt your fingers teasing him, hovering just above him, the anticipation driving him crazy.

And then you finally filled yourself with Rafe, and he could no longer form a complete sentence, he let out a strangled moan, his breath coming out in quick little pants. His eyes shot open, meeting your gaze, the lust and desire written all over his face as he leaned up to kiss your neck, his lips grazing the sensitive skin there.

"God damn... how the hell are you so good at this.." He muttered against your skin, his hands roaming over your back, searching for something to hold onto, something to ground himself.

"Practice, i guess.." you mumbled, hands coming up to rest on his shoulders for support, throwing your head back as you waited fully to adjust to all the feelings coursing through you, to the size of him.

Rafe chuckled weakly, the sound coming out more like a moan than anything as he felt you adjust to him. His hands held tightly to your hips, his grip firm and desperate. He leaned up as much as he could to press sloppy kisses across your collarbone, his mouth trailing a hot, wet path along your skin.

"I'm gonna.." he groaned, his breath hitching as you shifted slightly above him "I'm gonna need you to move soon"

You chuckled softly, lifting your head back up to look at him, your tongue running across your bottom lip in playful tease."Impatient, are we?"

Your tone was playful as you spoke, though you could feel the growing tension in your own body, your own desire for him building up with every second that passed. Slowly, you began to move, your thighs flexing as you lifted yourself up, the sensations rippling through your body like electricity, leaving you wanting more as you slammed down, eyes fixed down on where you were connected.

Rafe felt like he was in heaven, the sensations you were giving him were heavenly. His head fell back on the pillow, a loud moan leaving his lips as you moved once more, each time bringing him closer and closer to the edge.

"Yes..” he whispered, his voice hoarse and needy as he looked up at you "Please.. I need to.. oh god" Another moan left his lips, as he tried to force himself to speak his mind

You began moving in earnest now, setting a fast and hard pace, relishing in the way Rafe's body responded to you, the way his hands gripped your hips tightly. You could see beads of sweat starting to form on his forehead as he tried to keep himself together, his breathing becoming erratic. Your moans mingled with his as you chased your own pleasure, face twisted in pleasure. "So big.. so good.." you cooed between harsh breaths.

The words you spoke were like music to his ears, sending him over the edge with each one, making him lose himself completely in the pleasure you were giving him. He reached up to bury one hand in your hair, tugging it roughly, his other hand roaming across your side, his fingers leaving marks on your skin as he gripped you tightly, as if he was afraid you were going to vanish.

"You're so.. tight.. so perfect" He groaned out, his mouth open as he tried to gasp for air, his own breathing ragged and harsh. You could see the strain to keep control on Rafe's face, the way his eyebrows furrowed, his bottom lip caught between his teeth as if to hold back a sound. You felt it in the way his fingers dug into your hip, the way his breath hitched, and the way his body moved underneath you.

His hand in your hair was gripping it tightly, tilting your head back as he thrust into you, matching your rhythm and guiding your hips with his other hand. Your nails dug in the flesh of his shoulder, your moans catching in your throat as the tip of him kissed your cervix with every movement.

He let out a guttural moan at the feeling of your nails digging into him, his hand in your hair pulling harder, making your head tilt back even more, giving him the perfect angle to kiss your neck. His tongue traced a hot, wet path up to your ear, his breath hot and uneven.

"Ride me.. ride me like you mean it" he commanded you roughly, his voice holding a hint of desperation.

The way his words made you feel, the sound of them deep and gravelly, left you reeling. The tone of his voice, the command behind them, it made you want to submit to him, to give him whatever he wanted, and when you did, he showed you in all the right ways how grateful he was. Your body moved faster and harder above him, as you rode him like he was asking, as you were craving. A series of moans and whimpers and gasps leaving your lips

You looked down at where he was buried inside of you, face twisting in pleasure and ecstasy, relishing in the feeling of his big hand in your hair and the other one guiding your hips sloppily. Your heart was pounding in your chest, your breath coming out in erratic gasps as you felt your body respond to his words, your hips picking up the pace, riding him like he had asked, as best you could, given his death grip on them. It was as if a switch had been flipped and all you could think about was him, the pleasure he was giving you, the way he felt inside of you.

He watched you with hunger in his eyes, his breath coming out in ragged gasps as he felt you move over him, obeying his command. The wet, flithy sounds filling the room were the only thing that could be heard, as well as both of your ragged breaths. His body was trembling, his thighs shaking under you from the effort he was making to keep himself from coming, his moans and the filth escaping him, the obscene words that he spoke in your ear, words he would deny ever saying once he came. But he couldn't help the effect you had on him, the words he couldn't stop himself from saying when you were riding him like the good girl he knew you could be, when he had the perfect hold on your head and hip, when he could guide you in the ways that pleased him the most. He couldn't control it, and he didn't want to, at least for the moment.

You arched into his chest even more, digging your nails into his shoulders almost hard enough to pain him, "Rafe.. 'm close.." you mumbled breathlessly, keeping the pace of your hips fast, your movements growing more frantic and sloppy.

"Come for me, angel." He breathed out, the words dripping with need and lust. His hand in your hair pulled again, tilting your head to the side, his mouth immediately going to your neck, his teeth sinking into the soft flesh there, his lips sucking at the sensitive skin, leaving a possessive mark, one you'd have to hide from your friends later.

Your whole world was Rafe Cameron at the moment, how could it not be. He was everywhere, on you, in you, touching you, leaving traces of himself all over you. His hand in your hair, his mouth on your neck, his hands on your hips, you felt like he had his fingerprints all over you. Your breathing was growing more harsh, letting out a sweet moan as the pleasure finally snapped in your lower stomach, your orgasm washing over you and causing your body to shake gently in his arms, thighs clenching almost painfully.

His name left your lips like a mantra, and he kissed you to swallow the sound, taking your bottom lip between his teeth, nipping at it gently. He loved the way his name sounded on your lips, and how easily he could get you to say it, but he loved the sounds you made even more. And when you did say his name in that soft, breathy, desperate way it left him reeling. He was addicted to it, and knew he'd never be able to get enough. He kissed you with a fierce, desperate passion, his hands roaming your body, wanting to touch all of you at the same time, his hips lifting to meet yours.

He could feel you trembling in his hold, and he knew you were feeling sensitive and over worked and he loved that. That he was the one to make you feel that way, and that he'd be the only one to ever put you like this. He kissed away the moans he was eliciting from you, the small whimpers, the soft sighs and gasps of pleasure, loving every moment of it.

He held you as you came down slowly from your high, his hands now soothing and gentle, running softly up and down your back. He placed gentle kiss to your neck, your shoulder, your face. Anywhere he could place a kiss, he did. He was completely wrecked, but he wanted to make sure you felt good. He knew the feeling and he knew it could overwhelm you a bit. So he was trying to be as sweet as he could.

"Did you finish..?" you asked, still moving your hips lazily, drawing out the pleasure as long as you could.

He groaned at the feeling of you still moving your hips, his eyes fluttering shut momentarily, his breathing ragged. Your question made him chuckle. "Yeah, yeah I did.. about two minutes ago" he responded. He gently grabbed your hips, encouraging you to still, his own hips still, trying to catch his breath

You looked down at him, eyes roaming over his face. You had just fucked Rafe Cameron. And enjoyed it nonetheless. You felt a bit guilty bout it but you pushed down the feeling, too drunk and satisfied from the sex to care at the moment. You could regret it tomorrow when you were gonna wake up with a hangover and not remember half of what you just did or said. "Good.." you mumbled, resting your forehead on his shoulder, sighing quietly.

He wrapped his arms around you, pulling you close, his hands tracing random patterns on your back. His heart rate was still elevated, but it was slowly returning to normal, his breathing more even. The afterglow of sex still lingered between you, and, for once, Rafe didn't feel the need to say anything. He simply held you, his head resting on top of yours as his fingers ran gently up and down your spine.

A/N: Sorry for the delay, ive been fighting the most awful cold for the past days. What do y'all think about the first meeting between Rafe and the reader? They're such freaks, I'm actually giggling and kicking my feet every time i have a scene with Rafe. The last part of the chapter is a flashback, in case you couldn't tell..

Tag-list*:･ﾟ✧ @cali-888, @bee-43, @jjscoquette, @melsbels-zip, @stanseventeen @wh0reforbucknasty @wtfisastiles @annaconscience @pqndxra @carrerascameron @nini2mem

[kcwriter-blog]

Lavellan as Empathy

When talking about what kind of rare and marvelous spirit Lavellan might be, we usually settle on Hope. It makes sense. As the Herald/Inquisitor it is her job to inspire hope.

However, I would like to posit an even rarer spirit. Empathy.

Empathy is the ability to be aware of others' emotions and to try to feel those emotions from their perspectives. It isn't sympathy which often involves feelings of pity. Empathetic people do not judge. They do not jump to conclusions about how another person is feeling, they offer support and they listen. They walk a mile in another person's shoes.

Being empathetic is hard. It is often seen as a weakness. That's why it is so rare. Empathy doesn't mean you agree with a person all the time. It just means that you understand why they are doing what they are doing. That understanding can lead to you saying the right thing to get them to pursue a path that doesn't hurt others.

We see our Inquisitor do this all the time if we are trying to play a "good" Inquisitor. We choose to ask questions before we make a decision. We help the refugees, side with the mages and offer comfort to our companions. Even if we don't side with the Templars, we feel for them. We understand why they made the choices they did. We may even spare Samson because we understand where he is coming from. And Solas sees all of this.

Also consider how Lavellan (and any high approval Inquisitor) approaches Solas. She actively listens to him and asks questions about the Fade. When his friend dies, she offers comfort and support (The next time, you don't have to mourn alone.) She appreciates his efforts. She wants to understand him. He isn't just her Fade expert. He is a person. She weighs his words carefully before making a decision.

Solas himself will say he is not used to support from others. You can interpret this a number of ways but given what we know about him from Veilguard, I choose to interpret this as very few people showing him anything approaching empathy.

Do you know what flows from empathy? Wisdom. If you can walk a mile in another person's shoes, you can make wise decisions that help that person. Compassion flows from empathy. Self-sacrifice flows from empathy. Altruism flows from empathy. Forgiveness also flows from empathy. If you understand a person's feelings and motivations, you can more easily offer forgiveness.

Lavellan displays all these traits in DAI.

We see this in Veilguard as well. When everyone is discussing tricking Solas or forcibly binding him to the Veil, she is the only one besides Emmrich who advocates trying to talk to him. She does this knowing what Solas has done and what he intends to do.

She empathizes with him, even if she may not agree with him and her suggestion about how to handle him is based on that. She knows he needs forgiveness so he can forgive himself, so she offers forgiveness, compassion and understanding.

And, I would argue, empathy is something Solas struggles with. He is not empathetic to the plight of the Dalish, for example - until the Inquisitor asks him to put himself in their place (what course would you set for them, that is better). When he does, he understands their struggle and the obstacles they face and recognizes that they can't do what he wants.

I think Solas knows this about himself. He knows he should be less judgemental. He knows he should listen more and react less but the part of him that is becoming a Pride spirit resists this. Her ability to empathize is something he admires. He respects what she is the same way he respects what Cole is. He wants to find his way back and she offers a road map.

SO I think the spirit Solas recognizes in her is Empathy. Something he desperately needs to set a better course for himself.

And with regard to Mythal. Consider. Benevolence or Justice needs to be tempered with Wisdom otherwise they become Retribution and Vengeance. Wisdom needs to be tempered with Empathy other wise it descends into Pride. Mythal needs Solas but she does not respect him. Solas needs Empathy and he admires her.

[postcardsfromheapside]

[heavy sigghhhhhhhhh]

Okay, it's 9:30 in the morning, but I don't want to go out in the cold yet so we're addressing THIS instead.

First and foremost, turning Emmrich into the victim (and then whining about the lack of Solas) is what's cringe here. Not only is some of this wrong (Harding only brings up the age issue because Emmrich expresses his own concerns and she then acts as a sounding board for him), but it's getting tiresome to act as if the other companions don't have reasons to voice their opinions (I'm getting particularly tired of people not listening to the exchange with Taash and considering how they might feel). You can apparently consider things from Emmrich's perspective, but you refuse to consider things from everyone else's.

I'll put this under the cut - I hope no one has plans because we're going to be here a while.

A lot of the complaints in the post neatly latch onto individual ones I've run across in the past, so I'm just going to make one big response.

Emmrich is my favorite character in Veilguard, and second only to Varric for the whole series.

But he can be stuffy, snobbish, overly pedantic, he gets into other people's business and loses emotional perspective when the academic focus takes over, is possibly attempting to make a major life change based on barely-addressed trauma, and is prone to bouts of melancholy where he has to be drawn out by his friends and/or lover about whatever is actually bothering him, rather than him communicating his issues. He is not perfect,

That's why it's very interesting in that post to see someone claiming that "no one's bullshit is called out." When the companions "dunk" on Emmrich, it's a two-way street. Sometimes the companion is wrong, sometimes Emmrich is wrong.

Neve and Emmrich resolve their issues peaceably - it's not toothless, it's just that they're both mature adults and neither of them get actively hostile with others if they don't have to. They talk it through over several conversations, and decide the other is fine - good company even! - and move on to sharing Manfred, sharing poetry (you have to read the codex), sharing spell books, joking with each other, they're my favorite to bring out together despite not having interlocking talents.

Davrin and Emmrich start somewhat peacably - Emmrich tries to encourage him that he will find Assan's siblings, and I've gotten dialogue about the books the lighthouse has to offer early on - and then they begin their magic and child-rearing arguments. And Davrin ISN'T IN THE WRONG.

1) while it seems silly to us for Davrin to be a Fade denier, what's more interesting to me is that he points out that in a group of mages arguing about the Fade, there's never a cohesive answer. It's like listening to philosophers or religious experts never coming up with one clear answer about their favorite topics to mentally masturbate over. Davrin likes "science". He's writing a monster manual, ffs. He wants solid answers. One thing I love about Davrin is he's never afraid to call something that's bullshit, bullshit. Weird magical things happening in Arlathan? Bullshit. (and they are) Living in the lighthouse and feeling like it's ooky spooky? Bullshit. (and it kinda is) Questioning the boss about the god stuck in their head feeding them bullshit? 100% should be doing that. You should be listening to Davrin more - he's the voice telling you not to go into the haunted house, y'all, it might save your life.

2) He's also not wrong about Emmrich helicopter parenting Manfred, and almost none of how Davrin handles Assan is any of Emmrich's business, or area of expertise.

We need to stop getting upset at Harding for talking Emmrich through his worries about an age difference (this is something I think Bioware handled badly in that not everyone headcanons their Rook at a younger age, but also, Emmrich clearly has an issue with aging due to his thanatophobia). He shows signs of distress, and she talks him through it and offers advice. For some reason, a large part of the fandom has decided to take his issues out on HER, which is *wild* but not unexpected given the deeply internalized misogyny I've seen displayed. Not only that, but Sylvia herself has come out on Harding's side, because she wrote Emmrich that way.

Getting irritated at Taash is honestly wrong on so many levels at this point. I don't diagnose other people or characters, so I won't get into the ND aspect (it's fine if you relate to it, I'm not stopping you), but I will say this: Taash comes from a completely different culture than Emmrich, which finds using dead bodies so "callously" to be abhorrent, and their particularly sensitive sense of smell makes anything having to do with death even more disgusting to them (have you ever smelled a corpse, or dead animals? My migraines enhance my sense of smell, and make normal things smell awful sometimes) and finally, they are IN THEIR EARLY 20'S AND FULLY ACT LIKE IT. That means not everything they do is going to be as mature as the rest of the party, who are in their early to mid 30's, (and Emmrich was listed as 50-52). You can outright tell Emmrich to cut the shit, and he reels himself back with zero disapproval because he realizes ALL of this in a single second. *He's* the grown-ass man and professor here and shouldn't be escalating their argument. He values Taash, and changes his entire behavior toward them IMMEDIATELY, because *he was in the wrong*. And Taash responds to it, in a positive manner. You do not need to protect Emmrich from Taash.

Even Lucanis refuses to talk to Emmrich about Spite in some dialogue, because he feels more like a academic project than a person.

No companion is explicitly "called out" because sometimes these characters are calling *Emmrich* out. You're just refusing to see that he might be acting badly in his very quiet, stuffy way.

**put a pin in the Davrin/Lucanis bit**

Now.

After seeing a series of screenshots ending with this:

I got a little fixated with finding out which route unlocked this dialogue. It turns out you, as Rook, can romance Emmrich while expressing distaste for death, necromancy, and the undead the entire time - effectively dissing his profession and life's work, to paraphrase the post I linked - and Emmrich doesn't actually disapprove. Any time you can express disaste without missing a flirt option, if you do that, he takes it in stride. And then you can flirt as normal. He is *used* to people feeling this way. I think all Nevarrans are. I rather suspect he doesn't give a shit what the companions think about his job, at his age - he's written books, he's given lectures, he's a senior Watcher. Their opinions don't matter. He's at the top of his game, he has nothing to prove to them. Rook hired him, not them. And Rook? If you romance him, and take this route, his answer to you is: "There's no shame in a little attraction to the forbidden, my darling."

This man is a fucking menace. He doesn't need defending - you need defense against his rizz.

Now, Solas.

Yes, Solas taunts him for being a lich. Solas also taunts Davrin for being Dalish and what he must have heard about Solas from his people. Solas also tries to flatter Emmrich if he remains human. Solas tries to butter up Lace by apologizing to her. It's almost as if Solas is the "god" of deceit and trickery and presents as many different faces as their are people or even aspects of those people. He will present whatever face he thinks he needs to in order to get under their skin, or throw them off their game. Solas doesn't care about Emmrich becoming a lich. He doesn't actually care about any of the companions. He cares about tearing down the Veil. What choices you've made do not matter to him on a personal level except inasfar as he can use you. That's who he is. I hate it for you if you haven't realized and accepted this by now.

There are a lot of people who think Solas and Emmrich "nerd out" in their dialogue, and I just don't see it. I've held back from this descriptor in this lengthy response, but Emmrich constantly displays a very "British" politeness - and he does it when Solas attempts to flatter him in the end game. Emmrich doesn't express a *personal* wish to have a conversation with Solas. He says there are things the Watchers wish to have answered. It's professional for him. Solas kidnapped Rook, someone who, romanced or not, Emmrich spent weeks making a damn good facsimile of the lyrium dagger in order to save. Emmrich isn't going to outright tell Solas to go fuck himself, because he's too well-mannered, and he's got an affinity about spirits. But he's not inviting him over for tea and crumpets.

I don't understand where the idea that Emmrich holds off from flirting back because of the age gap comes from. "I must be sure to live up to expectation" - do you...do you not see that as him flirting back? TBH I think this guy flirts first and then kicks himself because "that's the boss" (and probably gets told about what's happened with Varric) and only REALLY gets serious when he thinks "No, there actually is something here" when Rook has flirted a few more times after that, plus helped him in his personal quest. Age gap be damned. A lot of us did not play Rooks with an age gap, or that much of one - mine was my age, well within Earth "norms" these days.

Okay, back to the Davrin and Lucanis bit.

Saying that Lucanis is "okay because he's an assassin that only kills bad people" is missing the point. Lucanis fully admits that he has only killed people who are guilty by his own yardstick. I'm sure all the companions could agree there are some standards (children) but even in D'Meta's crossing you're faced with a moral choice where not everyone agrees what to do (free the mayor or don't) and it's very clear that not everyone has the same standards about what makes a "killer". So why should you assume that Lucanis is a guilt-free assassin? We know that he frees slaves, we know that he earned a reputation killing Venatori mages. But he demures from Emmrich's excited statements that he "empathizes" with all his victims. There's absolutely no way he was able to vet all his kills, and who decides who "deserves" to be killed? You're meant to contrast this with Davrin's warm empathy for the criminals who join the wardens and become "something better" - the kinds of people who start bad and change into something good, who get a second chance to help and contribute to Thedas society in a meaningful way. But the Wardens have their own dark history, they're often corrupt. Lucanis and Davrin are two *good people* propping up their own suspect organizations, both of which are doing the best they can in imperfect situations. It's like watching a gang member and a cop slowly understand each other.

Please for the love of Andraste. Go read widely and expose yourself to other things and other people. It will help you gain perspective. This is a GOOD game, and not thinking critically about the conversations and choices, or trying to see things from each character's perspective, is what's holding people back from enjoying the richness and replayability it has to offer.

[diagonal-queen]

Omg you're backkkk<3 I hope uni's going well for you!

Maybe the Hunting Dogs with a s/o who's kind of mean/petty?

Hunting Dogs with a mean S/O

♡ pairing: Fukuchi Ouchi, Jouno Saigiku, Tecchou Suehiro, Teruko Okura (platonic), Tachihara Michizou x gn!Reader

♡ synopsis: How are the Hunting Dogs with a mean and petty S/O?

♡ cw: Swearing, u r a BULLY >:((, dw it's pretty chill though, non-graphic NSFW with Jouno, teensy bit of NSFW with Tachihara, mentions of violence, crime and torture

note: ahhh hello yes i'm back! uni's pretty great actually. i love being able to tell people i go to law school lmao, it makes me feel smarter than i am. uhh but i've been swamped and a bit busy, and i'm going back home for a week so i might not be super active over the next couple weeks, i'm so sorry my babies </3 but i'll still be lurking in case you wanna chat! as always, apologies for errors and i hope you enjoy x

Fukuchi:

Mf you think he cares?? He hired Jouno and Tachihara because they committed crimes, and he's more than happy to keep Teruko around. Bro doesn't give a FUCK that you're mean

If you're dating Fukuchi you clearly do give a shit about the welfare of society and world peace, so your individual quirks are just that. Quirks

He will fully let you just be a dickhead sometimes, because...like, why not?

I feel like Fukuchi is obviously often a very intimidating individual who strikes fear and commands respect from everyone else. But you? You just walk all over him

In some ways for him it's probably kind of refreshing to have someone around him who doesn't idolise him at all, or look up to him as a superior. It gets exhausting, for sure. Sometimes he just wants to be humbled and that's so okay Fukuchi, you deserve it actually /mean-spirited and condescending

Don't get me wrong it's not like you're an abusive partner! You're still obviously nice to your partner and you love him, but you definitely don't go out of your way to sugarcoat things or try to avoid any necessary confrontations

And Fukuchi genuinely really respects that about you. He's pretty similar like that, though still definitely goofier than you

I mean he won't want you sitting around with an RBF when he's at formal events and whatnot, because that really wouldn't have the best impression, but he's usually very gung ho about letting you be yourself

You're lucky he loves you man...lmao

Jouno:

He loves it. Full stop.

You two are just sadist central over here. Like he'll be torturing a suspect and you're just watching. Bored. Not a care in the world

(Jouno, I don't think you're legally allowed to invite your partner to watch you do your job- much less one like this, but...eh...)

You two are always just talking shit about people to each other, and like when you're out in public on dates you're just whispering to each other and judging people T-T

Lowkey kinda gets turned on when you guys argue. He thinks it's hot when you get heated and angry. Usually it ends in rough "passionate hugging", and the pillowtalk is when you both actually resolve the issue (dumbasses)

He might even purposefully rile you up sometimes because mf is just THAT much of a horny degenerate. You guys can call him classy and gentlemanly all you want, but we all know he's secretly deranged

Like an angry, horny goblin with a knife...someone stop him

Tbh you should probably bully him a little bit every now and then. I think he needs to be taken down a peg sometimes

Hey, he's more likely to listen to you than Tecchou, isn't he? Besides, it's nothing genuinely malicious. Just couple's banter

Oh, you guys are fucking LEGENDS at the couple's banter. Though you never do it in public, because a lot of the times the things you both tell each other as jokes can come off as really cruel jabs

Nah your senses of humour are just not family-friendly (violent and malicious)

You guys have very strange ways of showing your love and affection. But, hey, it works for you and that's what's important :)

Tecchou:

Ah yes, arguably the least meanie of all of the Hunting Dogs. Yeah uh he doesn't really like you at first

Tecchou doesn't understand being mean just for the sake of it. I mean like, for Teruko, she uses it in her career, and Jouno is sadistic and weird and also uses it in his career. You're just petty because you can be

But the more time you spend together the more he realises that you're really not that bad- you're really just more of the loveable asshole type

An acquired taste, yes, but this is Tecchou we're talking about! That's his thing!

He learns to appreciate the things about you that many others would probably consider flaws. He influences you for the better definitely...

...BUT you also kinda make him worse

He will adopt your 'deal with it bitch' attitude sometimes, but it doesn't hinder his relationships or work so it's fiiiiine

(Jouno isn't a huge fan of it though...but at the same time he kind of respects you)

Tecchou probably won't admit it but he really likes to listen to you rant and bitch about people you don't like. He just likes to listen to you be angry about trivial things, he finds it equal parts endearing and entertaining

If you're mean to someone who deserves it? Well I mean...who is he to stop you?

At the end of the day you're definitely emotionally self-sufficient, so that's one less part of you for him to fret over. All's well that ends well or some shit idk

Teruko (platonic):

You guys are literally the best of friends

She's the loud fiery kind of mean and you are the 'I will straight up meticulously ruin your life' kind of mean

You on some r/nuclearrevenge type shit and she fucking loves that for you

Like she's fully willing to plot and scheme with you and do whatever mean shit you suggest. You two are menaces and she should absolutely not be a military soldier

Teruko WILL smite your enemies. And by smite your enemies I mean she will actively do what she can to ruin the lives of people you don't like, with absolutely no remorse (pretty sure she actually commits crimes to do this)

She LIVES for your cruel one-liners and clever insults. Every time she hears one she absolutely hollers

Teruko enjoys it when you're mean to the other Hunting Dogs (except Fukuchi). They can handle a couple bitchy words so it's not a huge deal, but she's just extra amused by it

For the record you're not *mean* mean, you're just...humbling them (which let's be real they could use from time to time (Jouno, again, looking at you))

Nobody is surprised by your guys' friendship really

You're a dangerous pair. Please stop

Teruko kinda likes that you hold grudges so frequently because she'll never tire of hearing you shittalk the same exact people and events over and over again

She'll shittalk them too

Dia doesn't approve of this friendship

Tachihara:

You guys know that scene in B99 where Jake says that he can't decide if he's scared of Amy or turned on by her and then decides that he's both? Yea, that's Tachihara with you

He is a good person at heart, and outside of his mafia gangster persona he's really not that mean, and as such he does not encourage mean behaviour. But like, when you do it? Mm...

Bro is WHIPPED

Lowkey he probably gets some of his mafia persona ideas from you 💀

His mafia coworkers have no questions about how you two get along, and they generally like you. The other Hunting Dogs have a few more questions

Tachihara isn't some shy, quiet introvert, but he is generally pretty chill and a nice person. They like to playfully tease him about how different the two of you are (though if it gets too far he knows he can count on you to rip them a new one with no issue)

Dw they still like you though! Especially Teruko

He has absolutely no problems with you for being cold and blunt. It's nothing he himself can't handle, and in some ways it actually makes talking to you easier

Again, I'll stress that you're not mean to him, you're just not the most lovey-dovey person out there. But you DO put effort in and that's what Tachihara cares about, even if it isn't in a stereotypical way

If anything else, you're certainly loyal!

Tachihara loves you for all of your different eccentricities, and he's also kinda turned on by them. Win-win? Win-win.

taglist~ ♡ @gettinshiggywithit, @fyodorhatr, @flower-of-darkness, @bejeweledgirl, @kokoenjiandco, @pinkiipeachiikeen

[felassan]

From Game Informer:

Solas plays an important role in the game as a central figure and significant character, but the game is not about Solas, hence the title change

Rather than focusing on a specific individual, the focus and centerpiece of the game is Rook's team, stopping the end of the world with this group of specialists

"I think you could argue [these companions] are the best the franchise has ever seen". We will have the opportunity to interact with them in a way that both shapes their story and also influences the main story, including having the opportunity to impact their fate

"Arguably, this game has kind of, in a way, been called Dreadwolf to some degree since its earlier days"

Excerpt:

"When I ask about Solas' role in the story after I learn his namesake is no longer in the game title, Darrah says Veilguard is still taking the Elven God's narrative in a good direction. He adds, "It allows us to, hopefully, give a good conclusion to all the varied attitudes toward Solas that are going to be coming from people who love Solas, who agree with Solas, who hate Solas, people who want to kick Solas off of a building – I think that we give you the opportunity to bring that to a close, but then tell a greater story about The Veilguard and about the world as a whole." Talking to Epler, I learn more about how Solas isn't exactly the big bad I expected before seeing the opening hours of Veilguard. There's a lot more nuance to everyone's favorite bald elf.  "The most interesting villains to myself, and honestly most people, are not just straight up, 'I want to end the world.' To them, they are the heroes of the story, and Solas is no exception," Epler tells me. "Solas always feels that he is a tragic hero but a hero nonetheless, so he's coming into this believing firmly that what he did, that which you stopped him from doing, was the right thing – that you made a mistake. But now he's trapped and can't reach out and actively affect [Thedas], so he needs to work with you. "That allows us to provide a lot of nuance to that relationship," Epler says."

Solas is literally trapped in the Fade after the game's prologue. Rook and co stop his attempt to destroy the Veil. Rook passes out and wakes up in a dream-like landscape to Solas' voice. He explains that he was trying to move Elgar'nan and Ghilan'nain to a new prison because the old one wasn't containing them properly anymore. The two blighted gods are now free and roaming Thedas. Rook has to stop them, but it seems that they will have to work with Solas ("or at least listen to his guidance and advice") to do so

Excerpt:

""So one of the principles we took to when we were building the story of The Veilguard early on was we wanted the beginning of the game to feel like the final chapter of an earlier story and you're coming in right at the end, you're coming in as if you've been chasing Solas – the [Solas at the end of Dragon Age: Inquisition's Trespasser DLC] who said he was going to end the world and tear down the Veil," Epler adds.  Epler says players will see early on (and as the narrative develops across Veilguard) that Solas sees much of himself in you, the player-controlled Rook, especially "the parts that maybe he doesn't like to face." As a result, there's an interesting push and pull between Solas and Rook. He says players can define the relationship between these two characters with their choices in dialogue.  "You can continue to be suspicious and hostile towards him, or you can start to see him and find that common ground, that connection between the two of you, and really develop a different relationship over the course of the story," Epler says."

[source]