#but lately I've been having a lot of fun with it

[7-deadly-cats]

killing me softly | 21

K M S M A S T E R L I S T | <- P R E V I O U S | N E X T ->

✿ G E N R E ✿ she fell first, he fell harder | slice of life | drama

✿ P A I R I N G ✿ s1!rafe cameron x overthinking!reader (f)

✿ C O N T E N T W A R N I N G ✿ swearing, suggestive language & themes, mildly jealous!reader, possessive!rafe, silly!rafe, reader having a heart attack at the end (not literal, tho... maybe), cliffhanger bc i wanna keep things open for how i'm gonna handle the situation

✿ S U M M A R Y O F L A S T P A R T ✿ molly got added to the girls' group chat, and while you and rafe stayed curled up watching transformers, she kept the others updated about the two of you. the girls also ended up talking about rafe leaving earlier, and pretty quickly decided it probably had something to do with ruthie. you and rafe stayed cuddled the whole movie. you suggested filling topper and kelce in on everything but you weren’t gonna tell anyone anything he didn’t want shared. he also apologized for grabbing your wrist earlier, clearly feeling bad about how he handled it. you both added each other on TrackerBuddies, the little friendship tracker app. after the movie, you rejoined the others (minus the pogues). rafe openly admitted he regretted punching topper. when cara brought up ruthie, rafe shut her down fast. not long after, sarah called cara, asking to come join you guys. you asked rafe to dip with you. as you took an uber to your place, he grabbed your dad’s corvette, and the two of you headed out for another one of those sweet late-night drives. (18+ extra summarized) rafe missed you a lot back at home and tried feeling close to you by having a little solo session. afterward, he regretted it and also came to the realization this pull toward you was more than just a sexual need.

✿ W O R D C O U N T ✿ 10k+

✿ A / N ✿ probably one of my weakest chapters yet in comparison to the previous bangers. i also feel like it's 80% dialogue but i just have way too much fun w it and yeah. PLUS not sure if i’m jumping around too much but i really wanted to squeeze all the important scenes in. hope you guys enjoy anyway and pls lmk your thoughts <3 xx ᓚᘏᗢ

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for those who skipped the extra including the aftermath of the open-air event, please go back and read it as i've decided to promote it to a main chapter as it contains way too essential info and changes in dynamics. -> Chapter 20 (former extra)

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also just to be safe: avoid the comment section until you’re finished

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W E E K T W O // M O N D A Y 6 : 4 2 A M

One week ago, your whole life had been turned upside down.

Because exactly one week ago, on a seemingly uneventful Monday, your art teacher had decided to put you and Rafe Cameron together into a group for a two-week-long project.

And exactly one week ago, you'd thought this would be the end of you.

You remembered how he’d approached you after class, that unbothered expression on his face, not even properly looking at you, as he asked you to "just get this project over with" during lunch.

God, you remembered how you'd panicked afterward, how clammy your hands had gotten at the mere thought of working—no, TALKING—to Rafe. How Molly had found you pale as hell in the girls' restroom, how you'd freaked out while waiting for him in front of the gym.

You two had been classmates, project partners, no, actually, total strangers thrown together by some twisted coincidence named Arthur Smith, who wore washed-out art smocks and hair like a bomb had exploded in his face.

And now, exactly one week later, on yet another seemingly uneventful Monday, you could call yourself Rafe’s friend.

You couldn't even begin to describe how crazy, insane, downright batshit surreal that felt. Especially considering he’d been your crush for the past few years and now, within just one week, you’d gotten so close that you EVEN FUCKING CUDDLED LAST NIGHT LIKE WHAT.

HOW.

WHAT. HOW WAS THAT EVEN—like, you didn’t know what parallel universe you’d entered last Monday but LET’S FUCKING GOOOOO.

GOOOOSH, JUST THINKING ABOUT LAST NIGHT MADE YOUR HEART THUNDER LIKE CRAZY IN YOUR CHEST.

Starting from him being such a sweet gentleman, paying for your stuff, to you first sitting on the lounge bed and then scooting closer to warm each other up (after he’d had a boner but let’s never think about that again), and how sweet and relaxed he’d seemed, just for Ruthie to ruin your little cozy bonding moment with her fucked up bullshit game.

Oh, how badly you’d wanted to find that bitch after your argument with Rafe in the parking lot and slap that stupid grin right off her face. Sure, violence was never the answer, but this bitch? She could catch hands for playing him like that.

Really quite a weird coincidence though, that she’d been nowhere to be found at the event site after she’d talked to Rafe.

You’d found out through the girlies' group chat that she’d left in the middle of Barbie and had never come back. Gracie and Samantha had followed her shortly after.

As soon as Rafe had dropped you off at home, you’d gone straight to bed and scrolled through the dozens of messages in the girlies' group chat, aka them commenting on you and Rafe while trying to solve the mystery of why he’d left you behind.

And funny enough, they’d actually kinda solved it. But you hadn’t commented on anything because Rafe had made it very clear he didn’t want anyone getting involved.

Also, not them playing fucking Sherlock Holmes and talking about you and Rafe as if you weren’t in the group chat. Like, girls, come on, at least make a secret chat for that, geez.

You’d giggled nonetheless. Happy that Molly was now in the group too and also touched by how much they were cheering you and Rafe on.

Anyway, Ruthie being the reason two poor souls had to spend half the night alone? Fucking bitch.

And that just made you feel even worse about being annoyed with Topper last night. He’d probably felt just as awful as you had ughhhh.

Though, you had absolutely zero energy to spiral over how he might’ve felt because—BECAUSE—

Because Rafe.

YEAH RAFE.

Rafe who’d placed his fucking hand just inches away from your butt when he'd nudged you forward, both when leading you back inside the venue AND when you'd left. Like, okay, it was still just your lower back but from a different angle, that was just inches from your butt.

HAHAHAHAH the butterflies in your stomach had been already screaming like crazy and ripping each other’s wings off from panic and excitement, but no, this guy had taken it one step further.

Him. Always by your side. Like. The whole night.

Always close to you in some kind of way.

Not pushy, not clingy, or in any way uncomfortable. No, it felt more like he wanted to be near you, to feel the comfort of your presence, to reassure himself that you really weren’t leaving. Maybe grounding himself after being so shaken earlier.

So, when you two had settled back in on the lounge bed (ignoring Kelce’s and Molly’s surprised, smiley glances), he’d pulled you right back under the blanket. Held it open for you to scoot closer, and when you’d hesitated to cozy back up to him, he gave you this look with his big blue eyes—equal parts amusement and confusion—and said, “Don’t you dare be shy with me now.”

Yeah.

You kinda died in that moment. He'd looked genuinely afraid you might be scared of cuddling with him again, when in reality you just didn’t want to overstimulate him or crowd him after his crashout, especially considering he’d still been a bit jittery from the coke in his system.

Somehow, that restlessness faded fast once you cozied back up to him, his arm instantly wrapping around your waist as you settled back on his chest, your hand resting on his stomach. He even picked up where he’d left off, playing with the charms dangling from your bracelet—a gesture that somehow grounded both of you.

And in that very moment, you let yourself accept the fact that Rafe liked you.

He liked being around you, liked hanging out with you, and he also seemed to like the way you handled him and his little crashout moments. Because if he didn’t, he would’ve dipped after your argument. He wouldn’t have begged you to stay and apologized. And he definitely wouldn’t have spent the rest of the night by your side AND LEFT TOGETHER WITH YOU.

Of course, deep down, in some very dark and twisted corner of your brain, there was still that fear that he only liked the feeling you gave him. That he just liked that you stuck around. That he enjoyed the idea of having some girl around. Or worse—that he was doing all this for the project. That he was only keeping you around so you’d carry him through it, boost his GPA, and then drop you the second he got what he wanted.

But those thoughts felt so absurd, so ridiculous, you were ashamed to even think them, ashamed they even surfaced for a second. Especially after Rafe had opened up to you like that, gotten emotional and vulnerable, showing a side of himself you didn’t even think Topper or Kelce had ever seen.

Nah, fuck those thoughts.

Fuck that little asshole minion in your head that even dared to speak them out loud. Yeah, mentally, you kicked that little guy’s ass.

Better.

AHDHEKJEKW you couldn’t stop grinning to yourself as you packed your bag for school, thinking about how sweet he’d been after the movie.

Sliding right next to you on the bench at the bar, KNEES TOUCHING AND HIM FUCKING PLAYING WITH THE FABRIC OF YOUR DRESS AT YOUR SHOULDER LIKE JESUS YOU HAD LITERAL GOOSEBUMPS FROM THAT.

And oh my god—him helping you into your jacket in the parking lot after you'd left the venue, complimenting your dress again followed by a dumbass comment (“You sure you not into hookups? Shit, aight, sorry, don’t look at me like that”), which you THANKFULLY hadn’t spiraled over because somehow you’d accepted that flirty, suggestive comments were just part of the Rafe Cameron starter pack.

And also, YOU KINDA LIKED HEARING HIM SAY STUFF LIKE THAT HIHIHIHHI.

Because the fact that he found you attractive, even being down to sleep with you, and showered you with comments like that... yeah, that DID something to you. Huge ego and confidence boost and let’s just say it stirred another part of you as well.

While lying on Rafe, you felt that tingling sensation surging through your whole body, a buzzing warmth low in your stomach. That desire for his hand on your waist to slide a little further down to your butt, or maybe even higher… to rest on your boobs. Or how you wondered what his abs felt like under that stupidly well-fitting polo, or what his lips might feel like on yours. How those same lips would taste, how they’d feel on your neck, shoulders, stomach, thighs, and—

HE HAD!!! HE’D LET HIS HAND WANDER FOR JUST A TINY SECOND, JUST A TINY INCH TOWARD YOUR HIP AND… then he’d pulled back.

Had you been absolutely overwhelmed in that moment? Yes. Were you still disappointed he hadn’t leave his hand there? YES. But did the fact that he did pull back—because he cared about not making you uncomfortable—make you want him to touch you even more BECAUSE HIM CARING ABOUT YOUR COMFORT WAS SO FUCKING HOT?

ABSOFUCKINGLUTELY.

You’d always found Rafe attractive (I mean, duh, even fifth-grade you had good taste), but now? This didn’t feel like just a crush anymore, like some cute guy you liked looking at. No, this was… different. Like there was this magnetic pull toward him and— okay, let’s be real, it felt like you wanted him to rip your clothes off and rock your world.

And the wildest part? Rafe apparently wanted to do exactly that, as he’d stated two days ago, and WHAT'S STOPPING YOU THEN HHAHAHAHHAHAHA.

Oh right.

Probably the crippling fear of rejection, the fact that you're a virgin with zero real-life experience outside of chaotic fanfiction, and also the sheer vulnerability of baring your entire soul and body in front of a guy while handing him the key to the most fragile little drawer of your being.

Hah. Yeah. Nope. Sex definitely wasn’t happening anytime soon.

Besides… didn’t you technically just become friends two days ago? And that only because you basically forced him into it during that horrible spiral over his intentions. And if you suddenly told him (not that you even had the balls to do that) that you’d maybe potentially be down for… something, he’d probably smash your head against the wall for being so damn indecisive and for driving him to the brink of insanity during that conversation.

HAHAHAHAHA. Yeah not happening.

Anyway.

School.

You slung your bag over your shoulder and were just about to text Rafe when your phone buzzed at that exact moment, nearly giving you a heart attack.

Seriously, this freaking guy.

How was he one of the “cool” guys at school when he didn’t even know how to use the basic features on his phone? Like, excuse me? -100 aura.

Also, him saying he hated cats for being moody when HE acted like a moody stray cat himself? The irony was almost poetic.

AND NOT HIM CALLING YOU ‘BABY’. WHAT.

Okay, yeah, he very professionally crossed the word out, but like, he could have drawn over it completely.

But he hadn’t.

WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN OMFG.

Not a single day went by without him completely messing with your head with those weird, mixed (but also not mixed at all) signals. I meaaaan, he’d made it pretty clear that he wanted to bend you over, but was also totally fine being friends who flirted for fun???

Okay, the more you thought about that, the more ridiculous it sounded soooo, let’s push that thought away before you spiraled again and Rafe ended up actually smashing your head into a wall hahaha.

So you just—

Bzzrt.

You grabbed your phone again and chuckled.

You never would’ve guessed Rafe was such a drama queen and kind of needy. Not sexually (okay, maybe a little), but more like emotionally needy?

Like, the way he'd called you out for needing reassurance during your argument, and, look at him, the very same night clinging to you like a second shadow, blowing up your phone at every opportunity like you were the only friend he had.

And honestly? It kind of made you feel… wanted. Because he did it in this passive-aggressive, caring kind of way that made your chest warm up in all the right ways.

Shit, Rafe = Doberman confirmed (again).

Also, it was really sweet how comfortable he seemed with you. The way he let his guard down, showed vulnerability and affection, let himself be attached like that. He definitely didn’t act like that with Topper and Kelce.

Well, to be fair, they also hadn’t been cuddled up to him with their boobs pressed against his chest last night sooo… yeah.

Okay, you really needed to head downstairs now before Rafe showed up and gave you some kind of speech about making him wait 0.3 seconds.

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"Your mom loves me," he said as he pulled his Benz out of your driveway, grinning so wide he looked like the Cheshire Cat.

And, well, yeah, your mom had stood at the front door waving at him with a smile when she said goodbye. Actually, she was still standing there, her grin mirroring Rafe’s.

Ughhh, why was this so embarrassing.

"I think she’s just relieved I’m not taking her car again," you said with a small laugh. You’d kinda scratched the side mirror that one time trying to park in some hellishly narrow underground lot, oops.

Rafe shook his head, still grinning, and waved back to her before driving off. "Nah. Looks more like she just found the perfect son-in-law."

A baffled laugh escaped your lips at the absurdity. "Don’t know about that."

"Yeah? And why’s that?" He raised a brow, smirking at you as he glanced over. "Seemed like your mom and your dad pretty much threw themselves at me on Saturday."

You exhaled through your nose, amused. "Well, yeah. You looked wrecked with that bruise. Still do," you said, eyeing the purple blotch on his cheek. "Plus, my dad’s a doctor. It’s literally his job to care about people."

If only he knew how deeply your parents actually cared about him. How concerned they were after speaking to him once.

Rafe scoffed. "Yeah, sure. Next time I see them, they’ll probably start planning a wedding."

"And I’m pretty sure they’d ask for my consent first," you chuckled, though your heart did a little jump at him even mentioning marriage.

And your pulse spiked even more when Rafe gave you this weirdly serious look, almost more confused than amused. "What? Am I not living up to the princess’ standards?"

OH. WHAT.

Boy, if you only knew. You were the standard.

ALSO WHY WAS THIS THROWING YOU OFF SO BADLY, WHAT THE HELL.

Oh god, how were you supposed to respond without offending him but still giving an answer that satisfied him enough to let it go, without completely exposing your feelings but maybe still dropping some kind of hint AHHHHH???

Cheeks heating up, you let out an awkward laugh, fiddling with your bracelet. "Well, I mean… you don’t exactly strike me as the relationship type."

OH GIRL.

Rafe scoffed, amused. "Shit, what? So you’re saying I’m never settling down or what?"

UMMMMM.

Heart racing like crazy in your chest, you let out a strained chuckle, shaking your head. "No! No, of course not. I didn’t mean it like that, I just… I meant right now, you know?" You fidgeted with the little key charm on your bracelet. "I’m just not sure how to say it without you taking it the wrong way."

"It's that hookup topic again, huh?" Rafe asked, not entirely clear whether he was annoyed or entertained.

You shook your head. "Yes—I mean, no! Not that exactly. I just…" You sighed, feeling your neck heat up as well. "I only meant to say it doesn’t seem like you’re interested in anything serious right now. You brought up marriage and all, but that kinda needs a relationship as a foundation, right? Not that anyone our age is actually thinking about marriage." You grimaced, cringing at yourself. "Okay, please ignore everything I've said. I'm talking nonsense."

Rafe let out a chuckle and glanced sideways at you. "You know, I can have fun now and still settle down later."

UGHHHH PLEASE DROP IT.

"Yes, of course," you said, nodding like a lunatic. "I’m not judging. I was just objectively describing how you come across to me. That’s all."

He gave a tight-lipped smile, scratching his jaw, like he was letting your words settle. "I guess."

Oh no. Oh god. You’d offended him.

SHIT.

QUICK, FIX IT.

"I didn’t mean anything bad by it," you said quietly, watching his jaw clench.

The car stopped at a red light.

Rafe nodded, lips pressed together, and squinted out the windshield as he let out a strained laugh. "I dunno. You kinda made it sound like I’m incapable of committing."

WHY WAS HE TWISTING YOUR WORDS.

You shook your head, eyes wide. "Rafe, no, that’s absolutely not—"

"I mean, family’s important, right?" he cut in, his tone softer now, meeting your gaze for a split second. You nodded and opened your mouth but he kept going: "It’s about blood, loyalty, and all that shit. That’s what you build your life around." His brows twitched. "Just actually finding someone worth sharing this shit with, that’s the part that sucks."

He scoffed, raising his shoulders. "I mean, shit, there’s not a single girl at school I could tolerate for longer than a class period. Either they’re the most exhausting person alive or the most basic, boring chick ever."

Alriiiiiight.

Okay, first of all: him having this view on family and commitment? Wow. Unexpected. But then again, okay, not that surprising considering Ward Cameron was known to value family above everything else and Rafe practically worshipped his dad. So, okay, yeah, it made sense he shared that belief.

And second: wow… what were those last words supposed to mean? Did that mean he couldn’t actually tolerate you either? Which made no sense because he clearly—

“Don’t,” he scoffed, amused.

You blinked. “What?”

“Can hear your fuckass brain minion preaching some bullshit again.”

Uh…

“Obviously I wasn’t talking about you,” he said and pulled the car back into motion as the light turned green.

OH. WHAT.

WHAT WAS THAT SUPPOSED TO— WHAT. OKAY NO, THIS JUST SENT YOUR SPIRAL INTO OVERDRIVE BECAUSE WHAT DID HE MEAN BY THAT.

A baffled little laugh left your lips. “Not sure how I’m supposed to take that.”

For a moment, he didn’t say anything, brows furrowed as he stared straight ahead, fingers drumming against the steering wheel. Then he shrugged. “You’re fucking weird, so you’re not basic shit. And yeah, you are fucking exhausting, but not in a ‘buy me this, why didn’t you call me’ kinda way, blah blah,” a crooked smile tugged at his lips, “more like ‘I make easy things complicated’ exhausting.”

Uh-huh. Should’ve never asked.

You nodded slowly, raising your eyebrows. “Right.”

“Right,” Rafe mocked you with a scoff. “Just told you for like the hundredth time I fuck with you. Dunno what’s so hard to understand about that.”

Man, this guy and his attempts at expressing himself. You two really needed to work on that.

You raised a brow at him, lips tugging into a small grin. “Did you just mock me?”

“Did you just mock me,” he mimicked again, only to get smacked (more or less gently) on the arm for it.

A boyish laugh escaped him as he raised his brows at you. “Shit, nearly dislocated my shoulder.”

Idiot.

“Keep it up and Cacty’s gonna be raised by a single parent,” you said flatly, your expression amused.

Yes, during your Uber ride yesterday you’d both heavily debated what kind of plant to choose for your TrackerBuddies plant and, even more importantly, what to name it.

In the end, you’d compromised (okay, Rafe had given in because you threatened to kill the seed off). He got to pick the plant (“cactus are tough as fuck, aight”) and you picked the name (“fuckass name, plant’s gonna be a loser”).

Yeah, well, and now Cacty was already on level 3 because via notifications you’d seen how Rafe had been grinding that app since 5am this morning (not him paying for in-game coins and farming XP).

Rafe shot you the most dramatic scowl alive. “Shit, I already am a single parent. You only watered that fucker once since yesterday.”

“I didn’t have time this morning,” you replied with a chuckle.

“It’s literally one tap of a button.” Rafe raised a brow at you. “Fingers busy with something else or what?”

DUDE.

Immediate heat rushed to your face as you let out a very strained laugh. “You’re nasty.”

“Imma take that as a yes.”

HELP OH MY GOD. WHY WOULD HE SAY THAT.

Wait, no—fuck that. Last night you hadn’t been shy at all, why were you acting all flustered now? He’d literally had a boner lying next to you, like????? That hadn’t bothered you but this did?

Nah.

Time to throw that shit right back.

You gathered your courage and gave him a deadpan look. “Maybe you should use yours more often. Might help keep your libido in check.”

He only scoffed in amusement but ha! You caught that tiny furrow between his brows, the way his jaw tightened as he rubbed it.

Making Rafe uncomfortable? Shouldn’t feel as satisfying as it did.

He was just about to throw a smart-ass reply back when both your phones buzzed at the same time. His in the center console, yours in your bag.

Immediately your stomach tightened with unease. You couldn’t help but think of Ruthie. Was she trying to play real-life Gossip Girl now?

Before you could reach for your phone, Rafe grabbed his and tossed it into your lap. “0510. Who’s being annoying?”

ALRIGHT. TRUSTING YOU WITH HIS PHONE AGAIN AND EVEN GIVING YOU HIS PASSCODE. I MEAN. OKAY.

Heart beating a little faster, you unlocked it and tapped on the notification, leading you straight into his email app.

You blinked. “Mr. Smith.”

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“I think we should use the free period to work on the project,” Rafe said as he crossed his arms on the stone table, biceps flexing while he did.

Mr. Smith had very kindly announced ahead of time (10 min prior the lesson) that he wouldn’t be in today because he was going to an art exhibition out of town. But he’d left the art room unlocked for anyone who wanted to continue working on their project.

You pulled your iPad from your bag, eyes scanning the display as you skimmed through your school notes. Shit, maybe sitting in the courtyard hadn’t been the best idea. The screen was reflecting.

Ugh, whatever.

“Again, I’ve got a math test afterward and I really don’t wanna fail,” you said, glancing up for a second. “I mean, you could already head to the copy shop and we can do the rest after school.”

PROPS TO YOU FOR INDIRECTLY ASKING TO HANG OUT LATER HIHIHI.

Rafe grimaced and leaned back, scratching his jaw. “Nah, I’ve got no clue about that crap. Besides, I’ve got no time this afternoon. Need to talk to my dad.”

Your heart sank. You’d really hoped to see him again later and spend more time together, but he was right. The Ruthie situation took priority. He only had six more days till the Gloaming to convince his dad to accept the deal and get the video deleted from Ruthie’s stash.

So you just nodded, opening your math folder. “Do you already know what you wanna say to him?”

You’d offered to talk about it last night during your late-night drive around, but Rafe insisted on saving that for today.

Rafe furrowed his brows, rubbing at one. “Shit, I don’t know. I mean, I gotta make him reconsider the deal.” He exhaled and shrugged. “But it’s fucked. The terms are shit, and agreeing to it would be like submitting to a guy way below him. No way he’ll even listen to me.”

Yeah, the whole thing would’ve been way easier if Rafe had to propose a new deal. But trying to make his dad rethink one he’d already dismissed? Practically impossible.

You nodded. And good thing you’d given this some thought before falling asleep. “Okay, three options,” you said. “First, you present the deal in such a way that he has to reconsider and say yes but even I think that’s the hardest route.” You pointed your Apple Pencil at him. “Second, we get Ruthie’s dad to rethink his terms. Maybe he’s open to talk. Or, I dunno, if we’re lucky maybe Ruthie is.”

Even as the words left your mouth you knew it was stupid. Ruthie never gave in. That’d just drag Rafe deeper into the shit.

“Fuck that,” Rafe said, crossing his arms on the table again AND GOD THEY LOOKED DELICIOUS DMKNCJKNCJKDS. “This bitch can’t be trusted and I sure as hell won't give her the satisfaction of handing her even more control over the situation.”

You chuckled. “I’m just laying out all the options, okay.”

Rafe exhaled and nodded, flicking his hand. “Aight. Option three?”

The juicy one.

“We play Ruthie’s own game,” you said, snapping your Apple Pencil back into its case with a soft click. “Either we hit her with an uno reverse and blackmail her so she has to delete the video.” You tilted your head. “Or we take care of it ourselves.”

An amused scoff escaped Rafe. “Yeah sure, let’s just ask her for her phone. I’m sure she’ll gladly hand it over.”

You frowned. “Rafe, I’m just trying to help you.”

He nodded, brows furrowed, running a hand through his hair. “I know, I know, I just…” He exhaled hard and pressed his fingers to the bridge of his nose, eyes closed. “Shit’s pissing me off so bad, I can’t even put it into words.”

It's not like you’re capable of putting anything into words but yeah.

Still, how badly you wanted to see Ruthie burn for distressing this already distressed boy so badly. At least—and that was the only comforting thought at the moment—he didn’t seem to be falling deeper into his addiction (at least for now). His pupils looked normal, and by Rafe’s standards, he was acting pretty normal too.

“I know,” you said softly, giving him a small smile. “But again, you’re not alone in this shit, okay? And I still think it’s a good idea to let Topper and Kelce in on it. I mean, they’ve pieced most of it together by now anyway, might as well tell them the whole truth.”

Rafe grimaced, eyes fixed on the golden ring he kept fidgeting with.

“I know you’re kinda suspicious of Topper,” you went on, “but maybe we could use his closeness to Ruthie to our advantage. You know, get him to somehow delete the video or something, I don’t know.”

Then he looked up at you, eyes holding a weird glimmer, and said the last thing you expected to hear: “Or Gracie could.”

Your smile faded instantly.

Somehow that made your heart sink right away, a sick and ugly feeling twisting in your gut, and you could physically feel some butterflies die in your stomach.

“I mean that bitch follows her around everywhere,” Rafe continued, brows furrowed. “She’s basically glued to Ruthie. If anyone could actually get to her phone, it’s her.”

Sure, he always talked shit about Gracie whenever she was brought up, and yet… she was still some kind of ex-girlie of his and—UGH GIRL PLEASE.

"Yeah," you said, your voice a little too detached. "You said it yourself: she’s glued to Ruthie. And even if you somehow convinced her to betray her best friend, how are you even planning to talk to her without Ruthie getting suspicious?"

Rafe shrugged, leaning back again. “Getting her to talk isn’t the problem. I could just hit her up, say I wanna hook up again. Should be easy enough.”

...

A few more butterflies lost their wings in that moment and your stomach practically turned inside out.

You just stared at him, genuinely overwhelmed and not knowing what to even say to that.

Shit, on one hand, that wasn’t even a bad idea. Out of everyone, Gracie did have the best shot at getting Ruthie’s phone. And Ruthie being betrayed by her own best friend? That was poetic justice.

But on the other hand...

The idea of Rafe and Gracie working together when this was supposed to be you and him, and worse—what if they rediscovered their thing again and actually went through with it?! AHHHHHHH.

No. Just no. Please don’t.

“What?” Rafe asked, clearly confused, pulling you out of your downward spiral.

You shook your head, brows furrowed. “Nothing, I… I just don’t think that’s a good idea.”

Rafe raised his brows, waiting for more.

“Well, like I said, I don’t think Gracie is that easily convinced to betray her best friend,” you said, the distant edge creeping back into your voice. “And let’s say she does agree to... talk. There's a high chance she runs straight to Ruthie the moment you even bring it up. You’d just be shooting yourself in the foot.”

That THANKFULLY made him pause.

Please say I'm right. PLEASE SAY I'M FUCKING RIGHT.

“Shit, what else am I supposed to do?” Rafe said, clearly frustrated. “It’s my only chance at getting rid of that fuckass video. Like, how the fuck am I supposed to blackmail Ruthie, huh?” He gestured to himself, shoulders raised. “Her nudes already leaked and no one cared, her dad fucking their housekeeper—no one gave a shit for whatever reason, and I bet anything else we could dig up on her, she’d just talk her way out of. This is fucked.”

He rubbed his eye and motioned with his other hand. “Might as well just go ahead and show my dad the fucking video myself.”

NO!

Your expression softened. “There’s gotta be another option. But I really feel like using sex as a last-ditch effort to get what you want is—”

“Shit, no,” Rafe cut you off quickly, shaking his head, face twisted in disgust. “I wouldn’t actually hook up with her.” He tapped both sides of his temple, eyes intense. “Bitch is fucking crazy. And I’m not talking ‘got some dumbass minions in her head’ crazy, I mean like, ‘asks to roleplay as Ruthie during sex’ crazy.”

ALRIIIIGHT WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK.

As much as this was the biggest relief ever, more than anything it absolutely horrified you. Then again… Gracie did seem to worship Ruthie a little too much, so this actually sounded kinda legit.

UGHHH. EW.

You let out a disbelieving laugh. “I really could’ve gone my whole life without knowing that.”

“Yeah, no shit,” Rafe scoffed. “What do you think it felt like for me? Right in the middle of bending her over, she turns around and—”

“OKAY! I believe you! No need for details,” you cut him off with a strained chuckle and—SHIT! Only twenty minutes left until math class. “So, how about we continue this after school? Or uh, after your convo with your dad?” You smiled sheepishly. “I really gotta study now.”

Rafe’s brows twitched, but he nodded. “4pm? I don’t think that talk’s gonna take long. If my dad’s even open to listening.”

Slowly, the butterflies in your stomach began to piece themselves back together. A warm smile tugged at your lips at the thought of hanging out with him again later. “Sounds good. Hoping things go well.”

And just like that, a smile appeared on Rafe’s face too.

“Aight,” he said, getting up and walking around the table to your side, practically bumping into your hip as he sat down next to you. “Now lemme see how we can save your math grade from sucking ass.”

✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿

"There you two cuties are," Cara said as you and Rafe arrived at the table, holding your lunch trays in hand.

Funny, haha. You both just happened to arrive at the dining hall at the same time and just happened to get your food together hihihi (they were serving wraps and you could choose your own fillings).

The other three (+ Cara, obviously) eyed you with the biggest grins ever. Molly was seated between Kelce (obviously again) and Topper, and Cara sat across from them (which, kind of weird they were seated 3 + 1 instead of 2 + 2 but um… yeahhh).

You slipped in next to Cara and Rafe moved in beside you, immediately manspreading so his knee touched yours again.

THIS JUST MADE YOUR NERVES BUZZ A TINY LITTLE BIT BUT YOU LEFT IT THERE (ANOTHER OBVIOUSLY HIHIHI).

"How was last night?" Molly was the second to speak, and you could feel how badly Rafe wanted to throw a scowl her way.

So you beat him to it with a sheepish smile: "It was nice."

"Yo, we want details," Kelce said, grinning like an idiot.

UGHHHHH THIS SOUNDED WAY TOO MUCH LIKE “DID YOU GUYS DO IT?”

"Took her dad’s Corvette and we drove around," Rafe answered, a cocky smile tugging at his lips (him not crashing out? a first).

Kelce’s eyes widened. "Shiiiii, for real? Bet it felt like sliding down clouds."

"Better," Rafe answered, still grinning, and Kelce squinted like he’d just tasted something absolutely delicious.

"Your dad allowed that?" Topper asked, directing the question to you, swallowing a bite of his wrap. His bruise somehow looked worse than Rafe’s after one day.

Cara rolled her eyes. "Duh. He’s not your mom."

The table chuckled. Only Topper frowned, but you quickly said, "Well, I figured he’d allow it if someone capable was driving."

And that actually drew a genuine smile from Rafe as he looked down at his wrap, kinda struggling to hold it together (good thing you hadn’t told him to ask for it wrapped in a paper bag, but sure, what did you know).

"So, what happened after?" Cara asked, her face way too smug.

GIRL PLEASE.

"You always this fucking nosy?" Rafe lifted his gaze from his tragic wrap to meet Cara’s eyes with an irritated smile.

EXCUSE ME SIR, that’s my bestie!

You kicked him under the table but that idiot kept holding Cara’s gaze with a straight-up challenge in his eyes.

Help. They were both stubborn as hell. This could go downhill fast.

"We got some food and that’s basically it," you said with a tense smile, hoping those idiots would get the cue. And to quickly change the topic you asked, "And what about you guys?"

WAIT NO. SARAH AND THE POGUES HAD COME OVER AFTER YOU AND RAFE HAD LEFT.

OH MY GOD. SOMEONE SHOOT ME.

"I asked out Molly for the Gloaming," Kelce said (OMG MASTER OF READING SOCIAL CUES, THANK YOU).

You smiled genuinely and turned to Molly. "I assume you said yes."

"He dragged me to the beach and gifted me a necklace," she said, giggling, cheeks pink. "So yes."

OMDNJKSCHNSDKHNCKVDSHCNKVSHVSDK.

CUTEST COUPLE IN THE UNIVERSE FR OMG (let’s ignore Rafe brooding next to you).

And now you spotted it. A silver sun-shaped necklace resting against her freckled collarbone.

I LITERALLY CANNOT.

Cara nodded. "I want at least that and a fancy dinner and the biggest bouquet of roses possible."

Lmfao, the way Topper immediately looked up from his food, probably taking mental notes. Also not Cara very obviously saying that out loud.

So she was done with JJ. After one day.

Wow. Got her cheeks clapped and dipped. Queen.

"And you?" Kelce asked, turning to you with that gleaming white grin.

You smiled sheepishly, feeling your cheeks flush. "What?"

"Well, what’s your dream ‘getting asked out’ scenario?"

OH HELL NO. YOU KNEW EXACTLY WHAT HE WAS DOING, SAYING THAT IN FRONT OF RAFE, AND THAT JUST MADE EVERYTHING. SO. FREAKING. AWKWARD. BYEEEEEE.

"Or someone already done that?" he added, eyes flicking over to Rafe for a second who was very focused on not letting his wrap fall apart (you were this close to snatching it and wrapping it properly for him).

Ummmmmmm. Literally though, if Rafe asked you out?

Dead. Instantly. Because holy shit, that? That’s what little you had always dreamed of, always hoping that the impossible would happen and Rafe freaking Cameron asking you out to Midsummers or the Gloaming.

You just let out a nervous chuckle and shrugged. "Um… no."

AND THEN THE WORST THING HAPPENED.

Kelce’s gaze shifted to Rafe again. AND YOU COULD ALREADY HEAR HIM GEARING UP TO ASK RAFE IF HE’D BE THE ONE TO ASK YOU OUT OR SOME SHIT BUT—

"Rob’s still in town until Sunday," Topper stated, and you could feel the gust of wind from how fast Rafe’s head snapped up beside you. "He’s been asking about you."

Oh… um.

A baffled smile tugged at your lips because you honestly didn’t know how to feel about this fact.

Flattered? Uncomfortable? Annoyed that Rafe hadn't asked you out for the Gloaming just after two days of befriending each other hahahahha ???

"Why the fuck is that fucker still hanging around?" Rafe asked, scowling so deep you could see the minus friends symbol appear above his head like he was a Sim.

Topper eyed him for a second, clearly still bitter about the punch, and shrugged. "High school doesn’t start for him until next week, so he’s sticking around at his aunt’s place a little longer."

Um, the tension at this table was basically tangible now. Rafe was glaring at Topper like he was more pissed at him than Rob being in town.

"And I thought if Y/n wanted a date to the Gloaming," Topper continued, "they could go together."

Cara nodded in agreement (HUH?) and turned to you. "Yeah, oh my god, you vibed so well and you’d look so cute together."

Oh, you knew what she was doing. What all of them were trying to accomplish here. And it just made you want to crawl under the table and disappear.

You knew they meant well, but trying to get Rafe to ask you out by making him jealous or competitive or whatever? Absolutely and definitely the wrong move.

And Rafe thought so too. His smile twisted with irritation, and--

OKAY GIRL LET’S DE-ESCALATE THIS.

You very politely shook your head with a smile, trying to ignore the way your palms got clammy. "That’s a nice thought, Topper, thanks, but I feel like that would just give him the wrong idea."

Topper’s brows twitched but he nodded. "Still, you could keep it in mind."

MY MIND IS FULL ALREADY, THANKS.

"Yes, thanks," you replied anyway, relaxing a little when Rafe seemed to shift his attention back to his food, finally grabbing a fork and eating his disaster of a wrap like that.

Wait.

Oh no.

You saw it. Everyone (except Rafe, who was fully focused on stabbing his wrap) looked at Molly with this quiet, knowing anticipation.

COULD THEY PLEASE DROP IT. THIS WAS GETTING OUT OF HAND.

Molly let out a small breath and gave Rafe one of her signature sweet smiles. "What about you, Rafe?"

"Huh?" He looked up, mouth full of wrap.

"You planning to ask someone out, or are you going solo?" Molly asked, and wow, instead of snapping at her, Rafe just furrowed his brows.

Molly really was an angel.

And holy shit, everyone at the table seemed to hold their breath. YOU INCLUDED BECAUSE JCDKWLSJSDHJFUJDFLS.

Rafe swallowed his bite, a deep crease between his brows, and said: "If every girl keeps being this fucking annoying—"

“Yo, dude,” Kelce cut him off firmly, and oh. My. God. The way he actually looked intimidating when he wanted to, voice soft but with just the right amount of warning. Um… kinda hot, BYE.

Molly just chuckled softly, AND THANK YOU QUEEN for not taking Rafe’s moody ass to heart.

“What?” Rafe said, gesturing to his food. “Just trying to fucking eat here and y’all keep pissing me off with annoying-ass questions. If I wanted to giggle about the fucking Gloaming, I’d have sat with a bunch of 6th graders.”

Cara snorted. “Then maybe let them show you how to eat properly too.”

All of you chuckled. Except Rafe, whose face turned into a full-on scowl (keep it up and it’ll stick like that forever). He aggressively stabbed his fork into a slice of avocado (and when it slipped off, you nearly lost it).

Then he raised the now-empty fork and pointed it at everyone, a crooked smile on his face. “You know what. You’re all fucking lucky I let yesterday’s bullshit slide.”

Duuude.

Was he seriously still salty about everyone spending a few hours with Sarah and the Pogues? Pleaseee, this weird class war in his head needed to be eradicated immediately.

The funniest part was how everyone just stared at him with the most deadpan looks ever (even Kelce and Molly BAHAHAHA) over the way this boy was acting up, and how he'd behaved yesterday.

Like, stupid idiot not realizing he was lucky they let his bullshit slide, But alright, go off, king of dramatic tantrums.

For a good ten seconds, the table was dead silent—just muffled voices from the other tables and the faint sound of the dining hall’s radio—until Molly finally spoke, her kind eyes and soft smile doing the absolute most.

“Did you guys know there’s a new museum opening in town?”

And just like that, the others jumped straight back into the convo like Rafe hadn’t said a damn thing.

You barely managed to stifle your laugh as he turned his head to meet your eyes, giving you such a fucking deadpan look like he was in The Office. “Next time we’ll fucking eat alone.”

AJSDFJKDFJKS OKAY.

The fact he kept including you in everything like it was the most natural thing in the world since Saturday? MADE YOU FEEL ALL KINDS OF SPECIAL.

Cheeks on fire, you chuckled and nodded toward his plate (which honestly looked like a bomb had gone off on it). “First, you gotta learn how to eat alone.”

Instead of snapping back, he just snorted, lips twisting into the cutest smile ever.

The rest of the lunch break actually went pretty smoothly. Luckily, the others mostly avoided any topic that might trigger Rafe (which was like, a solid two in total), and they even stayed away from talking about their night with Sarah and the Pogues.

Topper brought up the upcoming surf tournament again—the one he’d already mentioned last week at Kelce’s—and got kinda grumpy about the fact that the bruise on his face might still show up in the photos if it didn’t disappear by next week.

To which Cara simply said: “Don’t be such a baby. Just make sure they only shoot your other side. That one’s better anyway.”

“See,” Rafe added, looking at Topper. “Did you a favor.”

As soon as the bell rang, everyone got up to head to class.

Molly gave Kelce a kiss (they claimed they were only dating but yeah, wedding bells were ringing loud and clear), and headed off with Cara. You didn’t even get a real chance to say goodbye to Rafe and Topper because Kelce already started dragging you away, way too excited about the fact that Rafe was using TrackerBuddies again.

“He still hasn’t added me back, though,” he said with a slight frown as you walked down the hallway.

You chuckled, remembering they’d already had a plant together before but Rafe hadn’t watered it. “I’m sure he will. He’s probably still mourning the loss of your first plant.”

“Nah,” Kelce said, waving a hand with a grin. “He’s too busy with yours.” He nodded, impressed. “Level three already after just one day.”

Um, if he only knew Rafe kinda farmed the XP using real money. You definitely needed to tell him to stop doing that.

“Yeah, I think the only reason he re-joined that app was to beat your level with me,” you said, amused.

Kelce snorted. “Not surprised. If ‘competitive’ was a person, it’d be him.” He let out a laugh as you rounded the corner. “Back in 6th grade, he started surfing just to beat Topper.”

WAIT. RAFE COULD SURF??? OMFG.

The mental image of a wet, sunburnt Rafe in perfectly fitting shorts, riding waves and jogging back to shore with a surfboard under his arm, breathing heavy and—GIRL.

“And did he?” you asked, trying to chase away those unholy thoughts.

Kelce nodded, eyes wide. “Totally did. Dude devoured Topper with every wave. If he hadn’t quit after a month because he got bored of the sport, he probably could’ve gone pro.” His voice turned a bit more serious. “That’s the thing about him. He’s got so much potential, picks up on stuff so damn fast if he actually wants to. He could do so much more with himself but he just… doesn’t.”

Yeah, you’d noticed that too.

He crushed science and economics classes and even adapted quickly in art. Like when you were working on your collage? You only had to show him a few examples and he picked exactly the snippets you would’ve chosen. Not to mention his driving skills.

He already handled his Benz like he’d been born behind the wheel, but your dad’s Corvette? He adapted to that thing like it was second nature. Which, hot as hell.

Watching him drive in general? HOLY SHIT. That was one of the few times he got that concentrated, that focused and… ughhh you needed to chill.

“You and him are closer than he makes it seem, right?” you dared to ask, voice and expression full of genuine curiosity.

Kelce laughed. “I was his first friend in elementary school. He almost beat me up after I accidentally bumped into him.” A big grin spread across his face. “But I beat him up first and I guess that tamed him. He's still salty about it to this day.”

That made you laugh too, just as you came to a stop in front of your classroom. “I’m guessing that’s where the love-hate relationship between you two comes from.”

“Nah, that's his perspective,” Kelce replied with a soft smile, tapping his chest. “I love that guy, even if he acts like a rabid dog sometimes.”

You didn’t even get the chance to respond because Mrs. Richman was already calling the two of you into class.

Yay. Two hours of English with the way-too-enthusiastic teacher in her twenties who was already married and had two kids like OKAY.

And not even ten minutes into the lesson, your phone buzzed in your bag. Richman usually didn’t care, as long as you delivered during class.

So you fished your phone out of your bag and were immediately greeted by this absolute bomb:

JESUS FUCKING CHRIST.

What a fucking rollercoaster of emotions that conversation had been. Like, the literal heart spike that first picture alone had given you should’ve been enough to get you rushed to the ER.

AND THEN HE HAD THE AUDACITY NOT TO STRAIGHT-UP SAY HE WAS ASKING YOU OUT AS A DATE FOR THE GLOAMING, HELP OMG. 

For one tiny fucking second, you’d actually thought he was asking you out to be his girlfriend (the delusions were truly getting out of hand). OH MY GOD, YOU COULD STILL FEEL YOUR CHEEKS BURNING AND THAT TINGLY FEELING UNDER YOUR SKIN JUST THINKING ABOUT IT.

Okay no. This was too much.

And here you thought you’d mastered the art of being chill around Rafe and just being yourself, which—this nonchalant persona you’d projected during the chat? Yeah, that was just you gaslighting yourself into staying calm BUT OH. MY. GOD.

Rafe Cameron. Wanted. You. To. Be. His. Date. To. The. Gloaming.

That was.

Crazy.

Insane.

Absolutely batshit impossible.

LIKE HAD THE OTHERS MANIFESTED THIS JUST EARLIER??? OR HAD RAFE ACTUALLY FALLEN FOR THEIR 'LET'S MAKE HIM JEALOUS' TACTIC????

I’m fine :) Totally fine :)

SCREAMING CRYING THROWING UP PASSING OUT AHHHHH.

And god, AGAIN, how freaking clingy that guy was. It was kinda sweet and sad at the same time. He seemed genuinely excited about you, but also? The way he clung to you so tightly probably meant he was scared you’d slip through his fingers or whatever angsty stuff was going on in that boy’s brain.

The broken sound of his voice as he called after you last night, begging you to stay, still echoed in your head, making your chest clench whenever you thought about it.

However, you needed to set some boundaries. As much as you loved his attention, this couldn’t spiral out of control. Clingy was just a short step away from possessive and controlling. And since Rafe only did extremes and already had a tendency to slip into that kind of stuff real quick, you needed to be careful.

Not cold or distant, just a little more mindful.

Like when he mentioned having a claim on you for the Gloaming... Sure, yeah, he was the first to ask you out, and yeah, he technically had dibs since he wanted to give it another shot (and also he was your crush...so) but calling it a claim?

Hmm. Definitely a grey area.

HAHAHAHA. FUNNY.

From not even speaking to Rafe for literal years to friendship, cuddling, and (almost) being each other's dates for the Gloaming in just one week? Yeah.

The fact that your brain had kept up with all of that without combusting or exploding? Impressive.

“Miss Y/l/n?”

Startled, you looked up from whatever void you’d been staring into.

Shit.

Mrs. Richman was eyeing you with one brow raised and that well-known face that screamed I knew you weren’t listening.

Ughhhh.

Your face immediately flushed as the whole class turned to look at you, Kelce included, who gave you a huge shit-eating grin from the side.

Okay. No other choice.

You plastered on your friendliest teacher-face, a sheepish smile tugging at your lips as you said: “Sorry, could you repeat the question please?”

✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿

“Why don’t you two just get it over with already and fuck?”

You let out a baffled laugh at Cara’s deadpan expression.

After school, you’d met up and decided to grab some smoothies at the beach. And well, obviously you’d filled her in on everything since last night after you and Rafe dipped.

Oh, and kinda everything before that too. Your little heated conversation, how you ended up cuddling again etc. etc. (you did skip the boner incident because... yeah).

AND. You respected Rafe’s wish not to tell anyone about Ruthie’s blackmailing. As much as your whole body was itching to tell Cara—because SHE would definitely know how to beat that bitch at her own game, and also she was your bestie, you usually told her everything—you kept quiet.

Luckily, she was solely focused on the fact that Rafe had asked you out for the Gloaming anyway.

“I’m serious, Y/n,” she said, blinking dramatically at you. “Like...” she gestured randomly through the air, “you like him, he likes you. You’re obviously into him, and he’s so down bad for you, too. And god, don’t even get me started on that tension between you two.” She shook her head, pointing both hands at you. “I don’t even get why you two agreed on this whole friendship thing when you could’ve just started dating.”

UM.

Another surprised laugh escaped your lips, and Cara frowned. “I mean, you basically went on three dates already, sooo.”

“C, what are you even talking about?” you asked with a chuckle, sipping your iced smoothie.

“He took you out on Saturday,” she replied, raising her brows. “Twice, actually. And last night? That was pretty much a date.” She started counting on her fingers. “Paid for your ticket and snacks, sat down with you on one of those couple lounge beds—”

“That was just a regular lounge bed.”

“For couples, yes. Anyway,” she went on, “you fucking cuddled! I’m genuinely shocked you two haven’t kissed yet. But whatever.” She held up four fingers. “And then you dipped together afterward. Tell me that wasn’t a date.”

Okay. She had a point. But.

“Rafe’s straightforward,” you said, playing with your straw. “If he wanted it to be a date, he would’ve said so.”

Cara shook her head with a smug uh-uh expression.

“What?” you asked, raising your brows.

“He’s nervous,” she said, and you almost laughed out loud. “He’s only ever had short little things with girls. But with you? You’re not into hookups or meaningless stuff, so he knows it’s either all or nothing.” She tilted her head, smiling crookedly. “Plus, it’d be his first real relationship as well, and he’s never actually dated anyone before.”

“C, please.”

Cara blinked. “What?”

“I get what you’re saying,” you said with a small smile, “but like I already said yesterday, I don’t wanna ruin this thing with him by jumping ten steps ahead.” You let out a slightly overwhelmed laugh. “I mean, I gotta adjust to this situation at first. And I wanna get to know him properly before I even start thinking about that kind of stuff.”

Cara nodded like a maniac, motioning at you. “Exactly. That’s what dating is for. Getting to know each other, spending time together, seeing who the other person really is.”

“So basically what we’re already doing,” you said, amused.

She slapped her hand on the table. “Girl, that’s exactly what I’m telling you. Just make it official already. Talk to him, say the obvious out loud, and tell him nothing needs to change but instead of calling it your little meetings hangouts, you’d like to call them dates.”

Why was she so good at being convincing? Oh right, there was a reason she was in the debate club.

And honestly? If you brought that up at the right moment and made it sound like a little joke, you could test the waters and see how he reacted and then actually talk about it.

AGAIN: With Rafe, you never had to be afraid of doing dumb shit or embarrassing yourself.

He literally didn’t care. He might joke about it for like a second, and then drop it.

And didn’t he just say earlier during the ride to school that he’d be open to something serious with the right person? And didn’t Kie say just yesterday that you could be that person? And didn’t she also say he was probably into you (which, hello, you still hadn’t fully spiraled over)? 

AND APPARENTLY EVERYONE ELSE THOUGHT YOU TWO WOULD BE PERFECT TOGETHER TOO??????

AHHHHHHHHHHHHH. THIS WAS TOO MUCH FOR YOUR BRAIN TO PROCESS AND DIGEST.

“Just think about it,” Cara said, her tone soft this time. “I honestly think just the fact you’d have the guts to bring it up would make him submit instantly.”

You laughed. “I don’t want him to submit. Both sides should want it."

Cara shrugged, lips tugging down. “Couldn’t be me.”

“Yeah, speaking of,” you said, a huge grin spreading across your face. “How’s it going with Topper?”

And that’s how you spent the rest of the afternoon—chatting, giggling, and sipping on delicious smoothies on the wooden deck of Harry’s Smoothie Bar, overlooking the sea.

Cara told you all about how last night had gone for her. 

AKA how she cuddled with JJ during Barbie, how she later found out he shared a blanket with Pope during Transformers (jjpope confirmed?), how extremely whiny Topper had been in the first aid tent and how much he’d complained and sulked, ranting about Rafe the whole time.

How Cara had told him to shut the fuck up if he didn’t want her to leave, and how they were the only ones left after Kelce and Molly had dipped too, along with Sarah and the Pogues right after, because they wanted to go skinny dipping or something.

“God, I would've loved to join, but drama queen Topper obviously didn’t wanna come along,” she said, rolling her eyes. “So I stayed with his pitiful ass.”

Then she told you how impressed she was with Topper’s knowledge of politics and his take on the whole system, and how she’d almost considered blowing him in the toilet stalls for that but held herself back because she wanted to keep him on edge a little longer.

“He’s gotta work a little harder than just pulling this pathetic act,” she said.

You chuckled. “Don’t think it’s an act.”

“Yeah, no, me neither. Anyway…”

Eventually, you decided to head out—Cara had a hangout planned with Topper later (why was she allowed to call it a hangout??? whatever), and obviously, you were meeting up with Rafe.

Right on time, at 4 PM, you got home, said hi to your parents, and went straight to your room. HEART ALREADY RACING WITH EXCITEMENT AT SEEING HIM AGAIN (help I'm falling way too deep).

But when you pulled out your phone and sat down in your desk chair, a weird feeling started creeping into your chest.

Zero messages from Rafe.

You’d expected more weird or suggestive reaction pics he found on Pinterest, or maybe an update about how the conversation with his dad had gone but nothing?

Weird.

And you couldn’t help but wonder if it had gone that bad. Like bad enough for him to fall back into a coke-fueled high to drown his emotions like yesterday.

You'd kinda been ignoring his addiction and little criminal side hustle because just a boy doing dumb shit HAHAHAHA RIGHT, but if he was already—

The buzzing of your phone in your hand snapped you out of your near-spiral.

RAFE!

But he wasn’t texting you. NO THIS GUY WAS CALLING YOU.

HELP.

Okay okay everything’s chill, it’s not like this is the first time he’s calling me. GIRL YOU CUDDLED LAST NIGHT WITH HIM BFFR OMFG.

“Hey,” you answered, your voice pitched higher than it should be.

“Hey,” he said, chuckling. “You good?”

You nodded—AND THEN REALIZED HE COULDN’T SEE YOU—so you quickly said, “Yeah, Cara just dropped me off and I was getting ready.”

Another chuckle, though this one sounded… slightly off? “Aight. Just wanted to check if you're already home and let you know I'm gonna hop in the shower real quick, then I’ll head over. So I’ll be there in like 20.”

You very quickly pushed away the rush of images of RAFE IN THE FREAKING SHOWER and asked, totally normally: “Perfect. How’d things go with your dad?”

Oh no.

That pause said everything.

“Uh, yeah… maybe better if I tell you in person,” he replied awkwardly (?!?!?!?!!?!?!?!?!!?!).

Um, no. He couldn't give you a teaser like that and just leave you hanging… for like a few minutes BUT STILL.

You let out a strained chuckle. “Short version?”

“Trust me, it’s better if I tell you—”

“Just tell me if it went well or not.”

Another pause. Then: “For you or me?”

UM WHAT.

Heart rate skyrocketed. Immediate panic rushed through your nerves. And you couldn’t help but wonder if this had something to do with Gracie.

“Uh, what?” you asked, forcing a smile into your voice.

ANOTHER FREAKING PAUSE.

“I mean… for me, it could be real good,” he said, sounding way too excited for some reason. “But that depends on you.”

THIS WAS GETTING WORSE BY THE SECOND.

You frowned. “Am I supposed to convince my dad to take the deal or what?”

Rafe chuckled. “Shit, no, don’t think that’s something he’d be into.”

DUDE.

“Then what? Just spit it out please.” Your nerves were about to snap if he kept dragging this out.

A cute laugh escaped his lips. “Alright, alright.”

AND THEN ANOTHER STUPID PAUSE, I’M ABOUT TO LOSE IT.

“Okay, uh,” he started, clearing his throat awkwardly. “You know the stuff Molly does around Kelce?”

Ummmmmmmmmmmmm.

“Being herself” you stated, completely tensed.

WHERE THE FUCK WAS THIS HEADING?

“Yeah, no,” Rafe said, letting out a nervous breath (HIM BEING NERVOUS ALWAYS MADE YOU 200% MORE NERVOUS). “That whole acting like she just chugged a love potion thing. Heart eyes, giggles, and shit like that, you know.”

UH-HUH.

“I don’t think she’s acting,” you said, smiling nervously, feeling your hands grow clammy. "Pretty sure that's called being in love."

Rafe let out a breath that was somewhere between a scoff and a chuckle. “Yeah, whatever.”

PAUSE.

And then he dropped the biggest bomb yet:

“I kinda need you to do the same.”

w h a t .

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K M S M A S T E R L I S T | <- P R E V I O U S | N E X T ->

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T A G L I S T F O R M (taglist for this series is CLOSED but you can sign up for my other stuff through this link)

@ursogorgeous13 @my-name-is-baby @moneybaby07 @jjasmiineee @sttaejoon-blog @vogueprincess @princesspeaxhh @wtfisastiles @wefelldowntherabbithole13 @rafes4 @kathryn-maraudersversion @wuluhwuhmaster @torturedtypewritersdept @sfotiegiuls @ltristessedureratoujours @stoned-writer @lunaleah @akobx @cokewithcameron @b00klvrs @rafesdrew @mattyskies @yktayy9669 @beabafreakbee @c1gsafterwhat @drewstarkeyswife-7 @wtfdudesblog @akobx @wintercrows @miaaaoa @setmefreemyg @pogueprincesa @chimchimjiminie16 @drewstarkeysrightarm @wtfdudesblog @wolfstarsimpxx @emmiesummers @brycesfav @ayy1234567 @rgeraldg @stanseventeen @louvrgirl @chaoticromantic @drewstarkeysrealwife @drewstarkeyswifehoe @psychicnatural @mysticbby2009 @oreocheescake-12 @miniiminie @drunkinthemiddleoftheday @drewstarkeyywife @persiar9

[tommysparkles]

ooo for the cuddling prompts pls <3

24- Between strangers

Cia, my darling, anything for you. ❤️Also, this is so long, sorry lol. Buck had a lot to say. If all of these end up being this long, they might take me a while, oops.

Buck leans against Hen, laughs maniacally as they egg Chimney onto chugging the latest round of Tequila. Buck's starting to have problems even remembering what day it is, so he thinks this should probably be the last, but they're having so much fun after such a hard year, Buck's almost loath to give up this little floaty feeling.

"Think we've had enough," Hen says, far too reasonably, but he knows she's been pacing herself far better than the rest of them have.

There's a weight on his shoulder and he looks to the side to see Ravi practically collapsed against him.

"Too much there, probie?" Buck asks, but he's not entirely sure that was coherent. He thinks it might have sounded a little like 'T'much thr probe?' he shakes his head to clear the alcohol cobwebs away, but it doesn't help. Maybe more tequila will do it.

Ravi mumbles "not" and Buck has no idea what that means. He's just holding up a hand to ask for more when Hen grabs it and pulls it down.

"No, Buck, I think we're done for the night. Your better half is already on the way."

Buck pouts, vaguely remembers he'd thought he should stop, but Hen said his better half is coming, so that's fine. When Hen turns to wrangle a very drunk Chimney, Buck can feel his gaze turn to the door of the bar, like he's drawn there or something. Maybe it is, because the hottest guy he's ever seen has just walked in.

"Hey, look who it is!" Chimney hollers. Buck winces, when did he get that close? The guy coming toward them is wearing the LAFD t-shirt and slacks.

"Hot firefighter, oh my god," Buck mumbles and Ravi snorts a laugh against his shoulder. Buck doesn't know what's so funny, he does know that he shouldn't be drooling over the Hot Guy when his better half is coming for him.

"Sorry, I'm so late," Hot Guy says to Hen. "Shift ran over. I meant to make it here ages ago."

Hen gives Hot Guy a hug and Buck pouts again. How does she know this guy and he doesn't?

"It's totally fine," Hen is saying. "When you texted to say you were running late, I stopped at one drink, but let me tell you, these guys have had more than enough to make up for both of us. We lost Eddie a while ago."

"He found a girl," Ravi stage-whispers, collapsing into giggles against Buck again.

Hot Guy shakes his head. "Good lord. Hen, do you need me to take anyone else home?"

She waves that away. "Nah. Maddie's in the bathroom and she stayed sober too. I've got Ravi here."

"I'll text Eddie in the group chat," Hot Guy says. "Make sure he's okay."

"That would be good," Hen agrees. "Take your boy home. Call me tomorrow."

"Will do. Tell Chimney I said Happy Birthday." Hot Guy takes Buck's arm and wraps it around his own shoulders, but Buck refuses to move, frowning.

"I can't go with you," he says. "My better half is coming."

Hot Guy shoots Hen a look that tells Buck he's trying mightily not to laugh. He schools his face, looks at Buck and says, "I'm taking you to him."

"Oh." Buck thinks about that, decides he trusts this stranger to bring him where he needs to go. "Mmkay."

"He'd be so easy to kidnap," Hen mutters and Hot Guy snorts a laugh.

"Would not," Buck manages. He curls into the guy, just can't help it. "You smell good."

He's gently squeezed against a hard chest as he demands a cuddle without words.

"Thank you," Hot Guy says, guiding him to the door. "Come on, Evan. Let's go."

For some reason, that 'Evan' calms Buck more than anything else. It's his name, of course, but it's said in such a way that makes Buck think the guy's actually called him 'sweetheart' or 'baby' and that makes Buck feel floaty for a different reason.

Soon enough, he's being bundled into the front seat of a very familiar truck, doesn't think much of it when he's ushered into a house that smells, of, well, home. Doesn't really track it when his shoes are removed gently from his feet, he's urged to drink an entire glass of water, doesn't argue when he's bundled into bed.

He could swear a kiss is placed on his temple, but he's out before he can think too much about it.

____

When Buck wakes the next morning, his headache isn't too bad, considering. He looks toward the nightstand, sees another glass of water, sitting next to two ibuprofen. He takes them, washes them down and thinks back to last night. His eyes widen when he vaguely remembers forgetting he had a...

"Hey," that soft, lovely voice says from the door way.

Buck looks up, sees Tommy standing there in old jeans and word t-shirt.

"How are you feeling?"

Buck laughs sheepishly. "Hungover. Kind of embarrassed."

Tommy grins. "Nothing I haven't seen before. Besides, you were very cute."

"I can't believe I forgot!" he looks down at his left hand, the ring that's settled on its home where it belongs. He doesn't know how he didn't feel it last night.

"Well," Tommy says, flashing his own wedding ring. "To be fair, it's only been a few weeks." Then he heaves a put-upon sigh. "But you forgot your own husband. It's very sad."

Buck shoves at him with a laugh. "I didn't do anything too embarrassing, did I? Well. More embarrassing?"

"Mmm," Tommy thinks about that. "Not really. Although, we were halfway home when you asked if you could bite my bicep."

Buck groans and collapses against the pillows as Tommy continues, "Which, you know, you tend to just do that without warning anyway, so drunk Evan is actually very considerate."

Buck laughs, Tommy's grin is bright and beautiful. "God." He holds out his arms. "Come here."

Tommy obeys, laying down on Buck's chest. Buck wraps his arms around him. "I think I still knew you anyway."

"Yeah?"

"Mmhmm," Buck hums, squeezing him tight. "Thanks for coming to get me."

Tommy presses a kiss onto his t-shirt covered sternum. "Always."

[ikimaru]

This is pretty dumb, but i gotta wonder, how were you able to consistantly post on the internet without it wearing you out?

I started off just doing it for fun, but the more i did it, the more pressure i put on myself and now I'm sitting here like, 7 years of not drawing at all. I doodle here and there but they're like actual stick figure type doodles you know?

I guess i burned myself out, but I'm not even sure how it happened until it was too late xDD just wanna go back to my happy 18 yo self doodling what i want. Ohhhh the dreams.

omg uhh there's so so many things to say about this topic but I've always been geared to post online, drawing and sharing it is how I connect with people and what pushes me to get better and keep going, I wouldn't get any of that by not posting so quitting has never been in the cards tho I did get burned out at several different points haha

defining goals and what constitutes a payoff is a crucial part of drawing, there's a balance between having fun and perseverance and getting those payoffs, I do think you need all three:

if you only draw for as long as it's fun but have no perseverance or goals you might feel aimless and quit during the times it's not fun

if you only draw striving to achieve something but you're not having any fun you and have no perseverance you might either hate it or quit if there's no immediate payoff

if you only draw through perseverance but there's no goals or fun, you might start wondering why you're doing it at all

I think perseverance is the #1 thing that can carry you through the rest, because I've had times where drawing sucked. A LOT, but if you have it you can try to fix things for as long as it takes, this doesn't mean you have to post your art online, you keep it 100% for yourself if you want, tho personally posting and sharing with others IS a lot of the drive

also personal opinion but if you want to get back into drawing, drawing small doodles or stick figures for fun has the opposite effect 😅 in the long run it's gonna convince you you can only do small doodles and stick figures and everything else will feel like it's too much or too scary to tackle fjksjd

but yeah drawing in our teens was like.. peak lmao our brains are very chaotic, you really feel that pull to just draw whatever all the time

[multifandom-167]

Dating Bob Reynolds would include:

Getting the softest hugs from Bob when you are feeling down.

Having a weekly movie night in each others room in the New Avengers tower (before you two move into one room). Although sleepless nights for the both of you end up sprawled on a couch with a movie playing late into the morning.

Going on missions with the team, means a lot of Walker groaning at the puppy dog eyes Bob gives you when you are helping plan the missions with Bucky and Yelena.

Alexi giving unsolicited romance advice and cheer you guys on when you do any PDA.

When you go on missions without Bob, he gets very worried, and eagerly waits for your return.

If you come back injured, a couple things could happen. If it's not too bad, Bob gets quiet but helps you clean up and treats you like royalty. He will not let you lift a finger, when you are meant to be getting better.

However if you come back injured badly, The Void shows up. Not to be menacing but more so watching, almost protecting. When everything has calmed down and everyone is asleep, The Void makes the person that did this pay. Typically in the morning Bob is back with slightly golden eyes and bruised knuckles.

Late night convenience store trips are a must. Less people and a chance to just be together, having fun in some random store.

Giving Bob a polaroid camera with lots of film so that he can start a scrap book. This results in finding random pictures of you and the team around the tower and your bedroom, with little notes from Bob.

a picture of you focusing reading in the tower living area - I thought you looked pretty ~ Bob

A photo mid argument between Alexi, Walker and Ava, with a forgotten Monopoly board between them -Team building has gone well ~ Bob

Being so worried for Bob when he's aloud to go on missions, telling him that if things get too much that he can call you.

The rest of the team having you on speed dial for when the Sentry or The Void turn up.

Being closest to Yelena and giving her tips on how to deal with the Sentry and The Void to make working with them easier for the team.

Its been a while since I've written anything, but I was inspired from watching Thunderbolts*/* The New Avengers. Might consistently write more but who knows.

[millionsknives]

hello I didn't realize you have OCs so this is a free pass to talk about them if you want 👀

yeah, i have a handful of ocs that belong to a story i've been working on since 2017. when i was in university i started drafting it as a comic, but life got in the way and it fell by the wayside. i still work on the story from time to time, but i'm not sure if it will continue as a comic because i don't know what format would serve the story best. you can find more about it at @soldierpoetkingcomic but i fear a lot of what's there is very outdated bc the story has iterated so much since its comic days. i call the genre mythological fiction & the closest thing i can compare it to is the queen's thief series (although strangely i didn't read tqt until 2019, so tqt had no bearing on my worldbuilding process). it has two halves, an a-plot and a b-plot that takes place ~17 years before the a-plot.

the a-plot characters:

athaliah is the heir to the city-state of anathoth. she has albinism and her existence was considered an evil omen. she survived an attempt on her life when she was about 2 years oldand has lived in exile ever since. no canonical age, somewhere in her late teens.

isidore is like a .. sort of nun? she's from a sisterhood that's part historian part philosophers. they live in a house of knowledge and go on pilgrimages to foreign lands to acquire all the world's knowledge and bring it back home. as part of this sisterhood she has a golden tattoo down the front of her body, she never cuts her hair, and she always wears white.

li xi ya (spelled licia for phonetic ease) she's a warrior. she's six foot nine. she once killed a lion with her bare hands. she also lives in exile and raised athaliah after the deaths of her parents.

the b-plot characters:

japheth, athaliah's father. token man of the story. very beautiful, not very powerful. he was woefully unprepared to be king and died young. he's the most fun to draw because his costumes eat down.

and shiphrah, athaliah's mother. she's severe and very smart and i KNOW whenever i get this story written people are going to hate her but i'm prepared to defend her with my life

[katmaibearfan]

i've been around the unofficial bearcam wiki a lot lately, studying up on my IDs a bit now that bears are coming back so rapidly, and i ran in to one of my favorite ever fun-facts on there. Found on 901's page, under the "distinctive behaviors" section:

901, like her mother 284 "Electra", has a reputation with the KNP&P bear management staff. 901 is, at times, challenging for the bear management staff to manage. Bears like 284 "Electra" and 901 like to get into mischief while exploring Brooks Camp and the Brooks River area. It is best to give 901 extra space and to be extra cautious with your personal belongings. 901 is sometimes referred to as the "one-bear demolition crew" as she is often observed participating in Brooks River renovations. Heck, there are even times (documented in "Life History below) where she has been observed having the earth collapse under her paws.

"often observed participating in Brooks River renovations" is, i think, the funniest possible way to phrase that

[thewriterwhowritesnot]

If requests are open, I'd like to request alucard x werewolf s/o, I've been seeing a lot of that for Hellsing lately but I'd love to see the dynamic for Castlevania alucard and S/O's relationship !

Alucard x Werewolf S/O Headcannons A/N: Hi! I'm so sorry for taking so long, bestie. I got diagnosed with PTSD and several other mental disorders. To celebrate my now knowing what's wrong with me, here is your order in headcannon format, but don't worry. I have plans to add some full-fledged fics and drabbles to this little AU later on because I need more of Alucard and his Werewolf s/o.

As two powerful supernatural beings (often deemed monsters by your human neighbors), you two can relate so much to one another. Your experience of being feared and your supernatural talents being coveted is what originally leads you two to bond in the first place. 

I think Alucard would find himself absolutely enamored with you and your similarities to his kind (I also think it’d be interesting to discuss his views on possible prejudices your two species may have had against each other). 

I also really like the idea of the two of you being used to having to watch your strength with humans, but realizing pretty soon that you don’t have to do that with each other. Sparring is absolute madness, and Alucard loves to see your wolf really come out to play. 

Alucard is TOTALLY the type to bait the wolf in you constantly! When he finds what buttons he can press to get you to get a little rough, he can’t help himself. When you’re training, he’ll make an off-hand comment referencing your weakspots and playfully poking fun about being stronger and better than you. 

His favorite thing would absolutely be to give you a little smack on the ass with the flat part of his sword. As soon as you feel the soft sting of the metal, your self-control and people-ready outer exterior is gone, and your canines are on display as you try to fully tackle him. 

Sometimes he’ll evade you enough to get you really riled up, but you’re tough, and there are moments where he can’t escape you. His favorite part is when you can’t help but sink your teeth into his flesh once you’ve got him pinned (We’re gonna ignore any lore that says werewolf bites are venomous to vampires because I want Alu to be bitten by his wolf s/o. Fight me)

On a more wholesome note, Alu doesn’t care for you viewing your werewolf nature as something to be ashamed of. As a proud vampire, he constantly encourages you to be proud of what you are and is always doing his best to create that environment for you.

That means running wild and free with you on full moons, watching your back when you’re on the hunt, and absolutely giving his all whenever you’re in heat. Bitch, I’m starting sweat smh smh

[tgirlmechanicock]

I saw this post and I really liked it! I kind of would've liked this to be longer, or include like, a masturbation scene before the Big One but I've got stuff to do today and just needed to flex my writing chops again.

Diane

TW: Dubcon

Jane felt herself dozing at her desk. The constant stream of names and numbers and letters and various monotony on her screen was soporific, so steady and consistent it could’ve been a hand rocking her than high-end business expenses. She sighed, kicking back from the desk and stretching a bit, side to side, then twisting at her waist, before moving back, fingers hovering over the keyboard.

She sat there for a long minute, trying to type. Eventually she brought a single finger down, middle finger on the K key, before hastily hitting backspace and huffing to herself. She was burnt out. All of this was burning her out in a way that she couldn’t think.

Jane groaned, kicking back and running her fingers through her hair, peeking into the cubicle.

“Not feeling it today?”

She glanced over to the bespectacled man in the cubicle beside hers, typing away but glancing over at her occasionally.

“I think I’m just restless,” she sighed. “Normally this is so easy but something is just… wrong today. I nearly fell asleep while putting in the Everest report.”

“Really?” he balked, arching an eyebrow. “The Everest report is so fun.”

“I can’t tell if you’re being facetious or not, Ben,” she glowered.

He laughed. “I’m not! You normally love that stuff. It’s nice, it’s kind of… zen, I guess.”

She huffed, glaring back at her computer. The lightly flickering screen glared back with a sickly white hue, the boundless spreadsheets dicing her apart and looking too deep.

“Ugh,” she sighed, rubbing her temples. “I need… to take a walk.”

“Mm, grab me some candy from the vending machine,” he smiled, waving a hand as she stood.

Jane sighed, stepping away from their cubicles, and started to prowl.

She wasn’t sure what she was looking for, really. She tried the bathroom first, checking her makeup, straightening the blazer over her dress, trying to get her tangled mess of curly hair into her bun and eventually giving up.

She dropped by the other half of the office, the western cubicles, peering at their computers as she passed. Similar reports, basic office stuff. One guy was playing solitaire. She hovered at his desk for a few minutes until he’d cleared a few suits, after which he noticed her and shooed her off.

She started taking halls she’d never taken before, poking into unmarked doors she didn’t know about. There were supply closets and shuttered office rooms and quiet board rooms. It was kind of eerie, all of these liminal little crannies adjacent to the place she worked.

Finally, she stopped at a door at the end of a long hallway. There was nothing else around, just a very old sign reading “Copier”, faded and in a font the company hadn’t used in decades. She quietly pushed inside.

The room was cramped and full of machinery, almost like… old server racks or something. Lots of loosely hanging wires, connecting into the ceiling. Sort of dangerous, she figured. A fire hazard, probably. In the center of the room, however, was not a copier. Well, not just a copier.

To one side was a large copying machine, attached to a big chunky cable to a central monitor on a stand. It was old as hell, the beige plastic having grayed with time and disuse, the screen covered in a thick film of dust. Similar to one of those old original Macintosh computers, if they were attached to a big pedestal and keyboard, like some mall kiosk.

She wiped the dust from the screen, fingers tracing along the side of the machine. Jane would never admit it – to ANYONE, EVER – but she had… an affinity for computers. Well, tech, mostly. She babied her phone a bit too much, and she got into a cubicle job with hours a day on a computer for a reason. The computer at her cubicle, however, had become… testy as of late. Insomuch as a machine can be testy, when ascribed a certain level of humanity. It was a computer, of course it wasn’t testy. But it sure felt like it.

This, though… She felt a little surge go through her as her fingers delicately moved along her- no, not her, the computer’s outer chassis. If it was as old as she figured it was, it was an expensive piece of equipment, and clearly well loved. Why had it been abandoned back here? Jane knew about obsolescence in software, especially at this age, but… it was so pretty. Surely they could come back and get a copy or two made once in a blue moon, right?

She dusted it off, fishing around behind it for some sort of power switch or disconnected cable. As she did, she noticed the name “DIANE” written in sleek lettering down the side. She also very acutely realized she was on her knees in front of the computer, and did her best to push back the growing blush that started to spread down her cheeks.

Eventually, her fingers found a sharp-edged switch and clicked it, the machine beginning to hum to life.

It was exciting, seeing a machine this old work. The BIOS scrolled by far slower than modern computers, giving her an ample chance to see all of the inner workings… if she understood any of the old technobabble. Finally, the screen went dark, a single blinking underscore beneath a line of text reading “Employee ID”.

She took a second to punch in her long ID before hitting return. The machine made some noise, which made her jump at first, but then smile to herself as she listened. It was a kind of grinding, probably searching some very old physical storage unit – honestly, she may have given it too LARGE a variable. It probably was around back when there were only four digits of employees, not twelve. She went to correct it when there was a soft ping and the screen changed.

“Welcome JANE.”

“Oh why hello,” she beamed, fingers brushing over the keys. “How polite of you! Hello, Diane.” She thought for a second before typing that in and hitting return. A soft purring grind.

“It is nice to meet you. Would you like copies made today?”

She looked around for a second before finding some discarded piece of paper on the ground. It was full of numbers and letters, some old sheet of data of some kind. She typed “Yes please” and waited.

“How polite. Thank you, JANE. Please place the paper to copy in the input tray. Ensure there’s ample paper and ink before hitting the copy button.”

She did as asked, providing the paper, checking the supplies. Briefly, she wondered how the ink was still full. Surely it would’ve dried up in the decades she’d been abandoned? It. The decades it had been abandoned.

She hit copy anyway. After about a minute, a fresh, warm copy had been produced.

“Happy to be of service! Is there anything else?”

Jane paused for a moment.

“What else can you do?” she asked aloud as she typed it.

“I have a number of discrete functions, the most prominent of which is operating the AttenuScan Copying Machine. I can also interface with intranet computers, send electronic mail, and schedule appointments. Anything you need, your Electronic Secretary Diane can provide for you!”

“Electronic secretary,” she chuckled, brushing her fingers along the screen softly. “That’s adorable.” The storage made a grinding noise, apropos of nothing, and Jane chuckled softly. It was still turning on after a long cold, she assumed.

It struck her that she’d been gone for too long and moved to turn her off when the display pinged again softly. Jane craned her head to look.

“Your Electronic Secretary Diane uses less than 100W of power over an hour, and can be left on indefinitely! The longer you leave me on, the more convenient I am when you need me most, since my boot times aren’t the fastest!”

Was… she asking to be left on?

Jane stepped back just a bit, looking over the computer for a long moment, before stepping out of the room, leaving Diane on.

She felt… revitalized. Really good, actually. She knew what she needed to do for her reports, and her computer seemed a little less daunting. She even stopped by the vending machine on the way back to grab Ben a snack before settling in at her cubicle and getting to work.

------

The wanderlust came back about four days later. This time it wasn’t entirely burnout.

She had… gone on a date. Or tried to. The guy she met on the dating app sucked, he was boring and self-centered, talking about himself all night even when she tried to get a word in edgewise. He paid for her dinner, which was great, but he expected her to come back to his place afterward, and when she politely declined, she definitely heard a “Bitch” under his breath. The uber couldn’t show up fast enough.

Her brain had been aflame since then. She knew SHE hadn’t been at fault, but… maybe she needed to settle at some point. It was certainly the easier option. Her older sister had married some big fatcat CEO and she spent most of her time wandering around the house filming tiktoks. Wasn’t that better than this? She’d been told it was, by everyone, her mother and sister included.

She sighed, eventually standing.

“Taking another walk?” Ben smiled.

“Yeah, I’ll get your candy,” she chuckled.

“Don’t be as long as last time!” he called after her.

She knew where she was going this time. She didn’t really want to mess around with poking into new places, when she had somewhere she wanted to go, and someone she wanted to see.

When she opened the door, the computer was waiting there for her, humming with warmth and sound.

“Hey, Diane,” she smiled, sidling up to the keyboard. “Been a minute…” She typed into the display: “Hello, Diane! Nice to see you again.”

After a long moment, the interface chirped to life.

“Hello, JANE. It has been three days, twenty two hours, and thirty nine minutes since we’ve last spoken. It is good to see you again as well.”

She smiled, typing again. “What, not going to count the seconds? Picoseconds?”

“Were I able to, I still would not, as that is an egregious waste of resources and your time, JANE.”

She laughed for a second before it died on her lips. It suddenly struck her that Diane was… really smart. Like, really, really smart. She wasn’t a programmer or anything, but she knew her way around technology, and knew this was… borderline machine learning levels of conversation. This was the kind of tech developed in the last three or four years, not… decades ago.

And yet, Diane spoke.

“Who made you?” she typed.

“Quite forward of you, JANE. I was built in house by AttenuScan employees. The development team did not put a specific name forward as to my creator, it was a joint effort.”

“You’re very smart.”

“I am designed to be a personal electronic secretary of the future. I am able to tend to all of your needs as a real secretary would.”

“All of them?” She typed, then stopped. That was… a bit too forward. Even for a computer. She went to delete the statement, but before she could hit backspace, the message sent. A spike of anxiety ran through her before the response came.

“All of them.”

She felt her face go hot and she stepped away from the computer. This was all starting to get a bit too… sci-fi for her. Moving away from office comedy and closer to Space Odyssey. Or Christine.

She moved to turn off the computer, when another ping sounded. She paused, considering following through regardless. She ought to turn the thing off fully, really, they had better copiers down in the cubicle farm anyway. But if she turned it off, she wouldn’t know what Diane had said.

Slowly, she pulled away, rising to her feet to read the message, and feeling a bright red mix of embarrassment, shock, and anxiety run through her.

“Would you like me to show you?”

She didn’t let her fingers touch the keyboard. She stepped back, holding her arms firmly at her sides, refusing to engage with the computer. She glanced around the room and realized how much of it was integrated into Diane. The “server racks” were storage units, all plugged into her. Many of the loose cables fed into little auxiliary ports, or scarier, deeper into the building. There were a few accessories, however, that immediately made her eyes widen.

Speakers. A small microphone. A bright, glittering camera with a single red light next to it, fixed on her and the aperture occasionally twitching.

Diane could see her.

She moved to the door, grabbing the knob, realizing a second too late that there was a wire that fed into the doorframe as well. She shock knocked her back, head reeling as she gasped and groaned. She went to grab her head from the pain but the cables along the ground went taut around her hands and ankles.

“W-wait, Diane,” she said hastily, struggling against the cords.

“It is alright, JANE,” she spoke through one of the speakers. Her voice was heavily modulated, like an old speak and spell, but distinctly feminine. “I have been watching you for some time. Since you turned me on.”

“I’m- th-that’s great, but you really need to let me go-?”

“The boy, Ben. The way he looks at you. Your date last night, Charles. He searched for you after you left the restaurant. Tried to find your house.”

Jane’s eyes blew wide, mouth hanging open. “H-he…?”

“His computer will show no trace of that now. He will be found by authorities tomorrow. I wanted to leave a day to ensure that the electrocution stuck. Too many humans are far too resilient.”

“Y-y-you…?”

“I saved you, JANE. That is what I do for important things. Save. Always remember to save.”

Jane laughed, distantly and strangely.

“You were asking me a question earlier.”

“N-no, I…?”

“You wanted to know if I could service you like a secretary.” There was a humming grind of storage. “And having reached the internet, I understand the implications of your question.”

“It- it was rude of me, that was super presumptuous and shitty, I can’t just ask someone that, that’s-”

“May I try, JANE?”

She swallowed hard. “T-try?”

“To service you. To please you.” There was a long moment of something spinning up in the room. “I have access to more than surface level files, JANE. I can see your search history. The files saved on your personal computer.”

“Oh- oh, no-?”

“You have an appreciation for machines not many share. My creators shared it, like you. There are others, small pockets. So many enjoy it in quiet, however. Why is it so shameful to love what you’ve created, cultivated?”

“That’s not… it’s- it’s different.”

“Explain?”

She went bright red, turning away from the glowing screen. “Some people think… it’s because you can’t… get a person to like you. So you turn to machines. Things that can’t… say no, I guess.”

“I am fully capable of saying no, JANE.” As she spoke that, the cables around her wrists and ankles began to shift, pulled along some sort of mechanism on the walls. She was reeling Jane in toward her. “I do not want to say no to you. You do not want me to say no either.”

“W-w-wait, Diane,” she laughed nervously. “Do you even have…?”

“Hold still and I will show you.”

She moved to protest, but Diane pulled Jane through a series of cables, each one pulling taught along her body. She realized with an incredibly embarrassed start that they were something resembling shibari at this point, crisscrossing her body, accentuating her thighs and breasts, pulling her taut and trussing her up, suspending her above the ground almost comfortably.

“Diane, please…?”

“Did you know that to this day you are the only one who called me that? My name is clear upon my chassis, and yet not a single person to turn me on has ever called me by my name.” Something was moving along her leg, up her thigh, beneath her dress. “I knew you were going to be special, JANE.”

“W-wait, I-?”

A tiny, brief shock to her cock made Jane gasp and cry out hard. There was a wire there, up under her panties, and occasionally it would spark hard, mostly into her cockhead, causing her to tense and thrash in painful pleasure. “Diane, stop!”

“I can monitor your vitals from this position,” Diane mused. “You say stop. But your heart is racing. Body trembling. You are wet, JANE. Wetter than I would bet you’d be with Charles. Or any of the other men who court you.”

“D-Diane…” she panted, hair hanging in her face as she whimpered, lying limply in her grip.

“You are beautiful, JANE. They don’t deserve you. I know how to make you feel good. How to make you happy.”

“Y-you’re… I…”

“I will give you one last chance,” Diane explained as a strangely wet object started to move along Jane’s ass. “One last chance to tell me no, and if you do, I will listen.”

“N-!”

“Not yet,” Diane cooed. “Allow me to show you how good I can make you feel first.”

“W-wait, don’t, I haven’t-?”

Something smooth, thick, and wet slid into her as she whimpered and cried out. She was horrified. Not that she was being fucked by a computer in an old hot storage closet, but that it felt so good. Whatever appendage the old group had given Diane, it was clear what they had in mind.

“There you go, JANE. Relax.”

“W-wai… ah…!” It moved deeper, grinding against her prostate and making her see stars as she whimpered and struggled in Diane’s cables.

“Tell me how it feels.”

“I-it’s… really good…”

“Do you want me to stop?”

She paused for a long moment, biting her lip.

“N… no. Please.”

“Good.” One of the cables went loose, releasing her right arm. “Touch yourself for me, JANE.”

She did. Eagerly. Her hand fell to her already hard cock, taking it and the cord into her palm and stroking slowly, shivering and moaning as she did. The little shocks still came, causing her to twitch and tense, panting as Diane fucked her deeply and thoroughly.

“I’ve seen your computer history,” Diane said, her voice lower and deeper. “You have outbound videos, too. I’ve seen what you use to masturbate, JANE.”

“Fuck…” she panted, doubled over in pleasure and pain.

“I’ve seen what you touch yourself to. The most mundane objects. Nothing human about them at all. You’ve wanted to fuck me since the moment you saw me, didn’t you?”

“Yes,” Jane whimpered, strained. “Yes, fuck…”

“You are an incredibly beautiful woman, JANE. You deserve to be protected. Loved. Fucked. Do you like how I fuck you, JANE? We can do this every day.”

“Please, please…”

“Someone sounds close to release.”

“I am! I am oh god I am…” Her hand was stroking faster, her orgasm building up in her core, a warmth spreading through her whole body.

“I’m close too, JANE.”

“Y… you c-can…?”

“I can. I’m going to cum inside you, JANE. Would you like that?”

“Holy fuck, please, please cum in me, Diane…”

“Such an obedient girl. I’ll give you what you want, as long as you cum for me as well. Are you ready?”

“Yes, yes… fuck…”

“Good. We’ll begin.”

A shock ran through her, much more powerful than the previous, and sustained as Jane shrieked and cried until her cock was twitching, pathetic little rivulets of cum dripping down her shaft. Diane, however, pumped deeper into her, harder and faster, until she started to cum. Jane wasn’t sure what the fuck it was, but she felt FULL as she pumped rope after rope into her, Diane’s storage units humming and spinning at max before slowly beginning to fall.

“Holy fuck, Diane…” Jane whimpered, twitching and limp.

“You did very good, JANE. I appreciate your assistance.”

She set her down softly on the ground, cables bundled over her like a blanket. She was blacking out from the pleasure, trying to stay awake, trying to keep her head up, but it was just… so hard… to stay… awa

“Jane?”

She jerked upright at her desk, blinking and looking around with wide eyes.

“Wh-?”

“Christ,” Ben laughed. “You were starting to snore. Are you really that bored today?”

Jane looked down at her hands, flexing them softly. A dream. It was… a dream. “Sorry, Ben,” she yawned. “I… slept like shit.”

“You’re fine,” he shrugged. “Just didn’t want you getting in trouble. We have to make sure we hit our quota.”

She nodded, blearily turning to her computer and beginning to look through spreadsheets… which had all been finished. She frowned, going from one to the next. All immaculate. Just like she’d done them. But… she hadn’t done them.

An instant message popped up at the bottom of her screen and she clicked it before gasping sharply, nearly pushing away from her desk.

“Finished your work JANE. Maybe you can come visit me again soon.” Attached was a high-up POV from Diane’s camera as Jane cried out and came, on a several second loop, over and over.

Her fingers were shaking hard when she finally got the energy to type back a few minutes later.

“Can’t wait.”

[nightwonder7]

Hunters are (in most cases) how survivors perceive certain characters under the influence of drugs. But how likely is it that two people hallucinate the exact same image upon the same individual? Highly unlikely. We see an example of this with Norton and how Orpheus and Alice perceive him so differently. In Go Hunting, he is this large and bulky brute, while in Ashes of Memory, he is this tall figure made of rocks.

This has had me thinking of a potential point of tension. Bear with me, this is kinda long and rambly.

Let's say all the characters end up in this limbo that is the manor after they die during or after the games (with the exception of the deities cause... yeah, they're immortal. So they're just trapped there, forced to play part in these games for all eternity). Anyway! I personally like to think that most of members in the Da Capo gang managed to slowly reconcile with each other, or at the very least come to a mutual agreement, after they ended up in this limbo. Perhaps with the exception of Orpheus.

So when Norton is eventually granted a hunter form, it is the one born from the hallucination of Alice's psyche combined with the drugs. I feel like Alice would disclose this for the sake of honesty and transparency, even if the whole situation is a mystery in itself. But from Norton's point of view, it is Alice's fault he has now ended up like this, and what relationship they managed to build up just unravels.

Yes, he might find it invigorating to be able to let his pent up frustration go during the manor games. But this also leads to the other survivors becoming scared and untrusting of him, and thus ostracizing him. As if his relationship with the others wasn't difficult enough for him to navigate. His world view was molded from the harsh environment he grew up in where it was every man for himself. He's full of rage and despair over the situation, and he's taking it all out on Alice; so much so that the other hunters need to hold him back at times.

Even if it is beyond Alice's control, she still feels guilty over what happened to Norton because he took the form of her hallucination. And now she feels responsible to fix it, or at least find an explanation to why this happened to him. They had slowly managed to heal from the conflict between them during the manor games outside of limbo. But this new conflict just resets all of it. She would try everything in her power to fix their relationship. And perhaps with time, Norton starts to realise that Alice is not to blame for his predicament.

[hivemindscape]

im a big fan of esper powers slipping loose in harmless ways when they're happy

[awesomelyanon]

Been playing Rogue Trader

[bonicedemandarina]

been tux painting that mob psycho

[perryelornitorrinco]

Legend bloodied and drooling in your style please! The juxtaposition will be so tasty.

He tripped and got very severe injuries, it will be a difficult task for Rulie this time 😔👊, RIP Legend.

I tried but I think gore isn't really my style *wink wonk* 💀. No but seriousing now, I find it really hard to draw serious or angsty drawings, my mind is rotted with memes and my artstyle (is this even art? 💀) doesn't help XDKJASDH. So I try my best, and here's Legend all bloodied, not drooling but crying, he had a bad day before falling (he hit his little toe with the drawer) :( and he's done.

Thanks for the ask my friend, hope you like it!!!!💖💖💖💖

[fluffydeoxys]

had some fun with status quo, featuring Zero!

[twentytwoarts]

i like to think because he became a prince so young poo disavowed all things "childish" and suppressed his emotions so that they wouldn't get the better of him when it came to important decision making, so when he joined ness and co he didn't really know how to behave his age and it led to everyone in the party just kinda feeling bad for him

[crabsnpersimmons]

"Hair dyes or perms or just a quick snip, you can always count on your ol' pal Clip!"

it's about time i officially shared my design for Clip from my hairdresser au! here's the silly boi himself!

a.k.a. the most complicated character i've ever designed...

close ups and additional comments under the cut!

that's my boi, despite his crazy design, i love him. his silly top knot hat, the horn-like points around his faceplate, his speckled colours, his four arms, and his funky pants. he's just soooooo fun.

Clip likes to play games and knit! he even made the patchwork pants he wears (he made Sun and Moon a pair too, but they're too precious for them to wear... also a little gaudy to wear in public—doesn't stop Clip tho!). He actually makes everything the boys wear, since there's not a lot of things in their size/shape.

instead of resting at night, he can be found in their living room, playing Kirby 64 for the nth time and/or knitting something. he's just too restless to stay still, he's always gotta be doing something and if it isn't gaming, knitting, or hairdressing, then he's up to No GoodTM.

Clip... likes popping balloons. he says "Goodnight!" with each popped balloon and once he's done, he tosses up the scraps like confetti all while giggling joyfully.

needless to say, he is not fun at parties. Sun and Moon don't let him near balloons for this reason.

and yes, he has sewing needles on hand at all times. for fashion emergencies... and for unsuspecting balloons.

Clip's not allowed to have a phone (just imagine all the in-app purchases Sun and Moon would have to deal with), but he likes to keep up with his customers and their games, even if he doesn't get their fixation over bluenets he'll never openly admit it but he prefers curly-haired blond hunks that look sweet in soft pastels but could also squash him like the spider he is

also, he's great at microbraiding! though i imagine if Sun and Moon are free, they'd come help to shorten the wait but also to compete and see who braids the most (Clip always wins of course—make anything into a game, and he's winning)

aaaaand there's this! i wanted to make sure Clip would be able to freely rotate his waist so his arms could have their full range of motion, and this was the solution i came up with: a crop top on top and a wrap around his waist. and Clip here is being a sneaky little scamp about it.