#that fic killed me
Explore tagged Tumblr posts
Text
EVERY SINGLE DAY there are MILLIONS of characters in their late 20s who get falsely accused of being father figures to teenagers when in reality the description of "weird older cousin" or "step-sibling that moved out before you were born" is 1000000x more apt
#talk tag#IT KILLS ME. REIGEN IS NOT MOB'S DAD. HE HAS A DAD. INGO IS NOT AKARI'S DAD. PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD CAN ANYONE HEAR ME#(not even necessarily to say that ingo is in his late 20s but still)#(even if he was a 30-40-50 year old no matter how old he is no fucking teenager is gonna call some guy they met as a 15 year old ''dad'')#GAI IS NOT A FATHER FIGURE TO ROCK LEE HE WAS LIKE 13 WHEN HE WAS BORN! PLEASE!!!!!!!!#one time i saw that a âperson wrote a fic where mario was like a father figure to luigi.#they are TWIN BROTHERS.#not what this about but idk where else i can say anything about this.#just horrible#also sometimes someone is just An Older Friend like no familial relationship just a friend or acquaintance who is a lot older than you
71K notes
¡
View notes
Text
References for Anomaly Diversion!!!
Official!! finally!!
I wanted to make their design stand out, so I created them from scratch; they're not loadouts you can find in-game. Plus a little bit of character description because I'm dying to talk about them and their roles in the story (*wearing a shirt that says "please talk to me about my fic"*).
Now I can finally draw them often!!
Somewhat goofy clothing sheets under the cutâââ
I tried to design them the way their silhouettes and colors stay recognisable, as if they were meant to be used in-game later, to not to break the gameplay rules. I also wanted them to look as tf2-like as possible, I studied the hell out of the 3d models and on the last three I guess it started to turn out decent. Drawing Spy is still pain though.
Or maybe it's just that I'm not attracted to the majority of the mercs visually?? That's why they don't look satisfying?? Lmao. Need to adjust them to my tastes later.
I'm not sure I can exactly explain my design choices with these... How exactly they correlate to their characters. There is something, but I went for it fully intuitively.
//
For BLU scout I went for the softer, rounder oversized clothing to accent his insecurity and the need to shield himself for comfort. It still needed to shape his torso (game rules) but his hood and sleeves do the deed. There is also a strict rule in how to draw his freckles: they look more like moles and there's 7 or 8 of them. You won't believe me if I say this is lore relevant.
For RED Scout, I went with the more aggressive military style. I think I literally took this jacket design from a real military one. There should be an accent on his heavy relations with the army. His clothes are tight because he still likes himself.
RED Sniper is giving hunter vibes, forest type. BLU Sniper looks more like a fisher or a winter hunter. Not sure what deeper meaning I could assign to this except that BLU Sniper was heavily referenced on Ogata Hyakunosuke.
BLU Spy should radiate tiredness. His look is quite unkept for his standards but at this point it doesn't matter anymore. The turtleneck and the boots are special requests from @/gentlesurgeryenjoyer (xoxo)
BLU Medic just looks so freaking cool in a black shirt. It was a vision. I'm not sure if black and white accents mean anything in terms of which side those characters are on. I also wanted to separate him from another famous horror witnessing Medic.
And Miss Pauling was the most satisfying to draw, it was a gift to draw her last... I gave her pants because it's getting cold outside at the time when the story takes place. I also find it very impractical to go killing job in a pencil skirt, I'm sorry. She probably also wears snickers underneath.
And also thanks to @nightly-headache for helping out and assistance!
#tf2#team fortress 2#anomaly diversion#tf2 fic#artists on tumblr#my art#team fortress#tf2 scout#tf2 sniper#tf2 spy#tf2 medic#miss pauling#ad blu scout#ad red sniper#ad blu sniper#ad red scout#ad blu spy#ad blu medic#ad red spy#ad miss pauling#TOO MANY TAGS#This took me?? a month?? to make??#I'm ill#WE BALL!!!#(malnourishedâ heavy eyebagsâ dehydrated and on the verge of insanity)#no spoilers but chapter 4 is gonna kill your dog and fuck your wife
5K notes
¡
View notes
Text
the scene people keep screaming about from chapter 5 of theseus' guide
#gravity falls#gf theseus' guide#billford#stanford pines#bill cipher#stanley pines#mabel pines#dipper pines#m.png#THIS WASNT SUPPOSED TO TAKE ALL WEEK AAGH#cool thing i did where i took these characters who i cant draw from any angle but the front and then have them turning around CONSTANTLY#not just views from different angles either! active turning! im a genius!#i feel like you can tell which shots were drawn on different days sadkfhlgljaskg this killed me. i was gonna clean up the bgs but fuck that#theyre functional on a basic level and that is all we need#anyways can you believe the notorious line is only in the fic because an eagle eyed editor (not myself) caught it just before it was delete#and started screaming until it got put back#also the way stump came over while i was making this and was like 'oh right. i ship them' at the way i made bill flirt lmao#it hits different in the visual!#alright now i gotta fucking haul ass on the chapter 8 one
5K notes
¡
View notes
Text
Danny and Jason kissing behind the gym.
Danny pulling back: Hey, do you know Batman?
Jason, 15 and panicking: No, why do you ask?
Danny: It would be better if you knew him, then him just following you around for no reason.
Jason: What?
Danny: Don't make it obvious, but he's watching us.
Jason: What? *Turns around*
Bruce:
Jason: omg he's so embarrassing.
Danny: I mean the word I would use is odd, maybe even horrifying if you don't know him, but he usually just stands in the background making angry noises so I'm sure he's harmless.
Jason: Usually!?
Danny: Yeah, he's been following us around since we started dating. You haven't noticed?
Jason: No!
Danny: Really? Can't you feel his hate when he glares at us?
Jason: obviously not!
Danny: Huh. I thought he was homophonic, but maybe it's just me he hates. Hmmmm. We should kiss more to test it.
Jason: No! Look, I have to get to class and make a call to my dad. I'll see you later
Danny: Okay but Batman is making threatening motions with one of his throwing knifes so I may be found dead in a ditch later. Can I have one last kiss goodbye?
Jason: No
Danny: I guess I'll die.
#dcxdpdabbles#dcxdp crossover#from a fic i never wrote#Dead on Main#Right before Jason gets killed by joker#he has a secert boyfriend#who can sense Batman's dislike#Danny seeing a vigilante following him for a few days: thats a problem for tomarrow-me#Jason yells at Bruce for 45 minutes
2K notes
¡
View notes
Text
Jason Todd later finding out that not only did his brother beat Joker to a pulp he did kill him... until Bruce stepped in.
Dick: Jason⌠How are you feeling, bud? I know it's a lot to learn.
Jason took a deep breath as he kept his head down, pinching the bridge of his nose, before reacting explosively.
Jason: Are you kidding?! That's unfair! He wasn't even the-
Jason paused closing his eyes and pulling a dagger out of his pocket, gripping it tightly. Dick's eyes widened in shock, but Jason was able to relax as he took a deep breath.
Jason: I need to calm down. Everything's fine... I'm an adult.
Cass sat next to Jason and patted him on the shoulder while sipping her smoothie.
Dick (nervous): That's a big dagger in your hand right now.
Jason (calm as he gripped the hilt of the knife): This? It's my support dagger. Iâm not going to stab anyone. I'm just furious at the jackass who thinks everyone in this family should follow that rule!
Dick: Come on⌠I felt guilty afterward.
Jason: Oh God, you and your big heart. Let me handle him next time.
Cass: Jason, no.
Jason: You won't have to be there when I do it. I'd kill him for you or Dick, even Bruce.
Cass: I doubt taking his life would be what you truly wanted.
Jason: Okay, but what if it's an accident? I could accidentally push him down a flight of stairs where he'll fall onto a knife.
Bruce: No! No you won't!
Jason: Why the hell did you revive him?!
Bruce: Murder is wrong!
Jason: For you! For you! And Cass, but she's my favorite. At least she killed someone and felt regret.
Bruce: I⌠Okay, sure. What do I know? My parents just diedâ
Jason: Weâve all lost our parents! You're not special!
Damian: Mine haven't⌠Wait.
Bruce: Don't worry about it Damian. Iâm⌠kind of sorry. I can make it up to you.
Jason (crossing his arms): No, you canât!
Bruce rolled his eyes, then pulled out his phone and sent Jason some money. Jason checked his phone and huffed in annoyance.
Jason: Well, this kind of fixes it.
#batfamily#batman#batfamily shenanigans#batfamily headcanons#batfamily fanfiction#jason todd#batfamily funny#bruce wayne#dick grayson#damain wayne#batman did try to kill the joker but was stopped by superman#jason being mad that bruce revived joker after nightwing killed him is what annoys me#at least let the guy who killed the joker make the decision#batfamily adventures#batfamily fluff#batfamily comedy#script fic#mini fics#dc fanfiction#fan writing#batfamily wholesome#batfamily mini fics#flash fiction#wayne family adventures#microfiction#dc stands for disregard canon#batfamily feels#writer of tumblr#no beta we die like jason todd#writer on ao3
1K notes
¡
View notes
Text
these fucking guysâŚ.
#jazzop#sharkyâs art tag#optimus prime#jazz transformers#tf jazz#transformers jazz#autobot jazz#optimus#optimus prime g1#transformers g1#tf g1#transformers fanart#transformers#tf#maccadam#this silly little doodle based offa a line from a fic i read about op staring into jazzâs optics often enough heâs memorized the color of e#i think about that line frequently#sighâŚ. i NEED more content of them like so desperately#stupid idiots they r so in love to me#jazz trying to read an important report or wtv and op just wants to stare at him#killing them both with my mind <3
2K notes
¡
View notes
Text
Eddie almost becomes a 4th of July finger loss statistic and runs into a pair of sailors in the ER
cw: medical terminology, references to canon-typical gore
-
Eddie can feel his uncleâs glare from the seat next to him. Heâs resolutely ignoring it and also attempting to ignore the pulsing pain in his hand, which heâs currently pressing a damp kitchen towel to.
Wayne, apparently, isnât having it. âYou know how many people blow their fingers off on this day every year, boy?â He says slowly.
Eddie presses his lips together. When he canât hold his thoughts back anymore he half-whispers, âLast time I checked, all my fingers were still attached to my body.â
âThey better continue to be that way by tomorrow morning.â Wayne huffs and leans back in his chair. Arms crossed tight over his chest.
They sit in silence for about 5 minutes before the doors to the emergency room practically fly open. The sudden movement draws Eddieâs eye.
Heâs met with possibly the last thing he expects. The first thing he registers is that two of the people who just entered appear to be dressed like cartoon sailors, and that one of the sailors also appears to have been recently hit by a car, then the car reversed, and ran him over again.
The second thing he realizes is that the roadkill sailor is the one and only Steve Harrington. Not only is he Steve Harrington, heâs Steve Harrington, clearly on drugs.
âHopper, we told you,â Harrington attempts to sound convincing while teetering precariously with every step, âwe feel fine. I donât even think this is as bad as last time. Nobody even⌠smashed anything into my head.â
The other sailor, whom Eddie has just identified as Robin Buckley, band kid and on Eddieâs short list of suspected fellow freaks.
âNope!â Robin giggles, âjust ripped a few fingernails out.â She wiggles her own fingers in front of Hopperâs face, which at the moment is locked in a simultaneously horrified and exasperated expression.
Now that attention has been called to it, and all of Robinâs fingers seem intact, Eddie sneaks a glance at Harringtonâs hands, the left one of which appears to have bandages that are becoming soaked through with blood on the index and middle fingers.
âMaybe nothing got smashed into you, but Wheeler mentioned something about you smashing a certain commandeered vehicle into a certain Camaro.â Hopper leans in and speaks in a growl Eddie assumes he thinks passes for whispering, while directing Harrington and Buckley into matching plastic chairs to the one Eddie is currently occupying.
He gapes at them and blinks a few times before turning to see what his uncle thinks of this whole scene. He finds Wayne watching the newcomers with a slight squint to his eyes and a slight raise to his right eyebrow. A clear sign that he is equal parts concerned, Eddie would assume for the obvious poor condition of at least one of the teens, and intrigued, but not intrigued enough to risk intervening and complicating his already very mentally taxing evening.
Before he can do anything about any part of this scenario, a nurse calls Eddieâs name and in a blink heâs being led into the next stage of the hell of his own making. At first itâs several minutes of answering questions, nurses looking very intently at the half burn/half gash in his hand, and antiseptic. Finally heâs left alone for a few moments while they let the topical numbing cream set in.
There are two other beds in the section heâs been taken to. One of them is currently occupied by an older man, accompanied by a younger woman in a plastic chair next to him. Both of them appear to be fast asleep. The other bed is empty. Or at least, it is until thereâs a commotion from the hallway, and the sailors are being ushered in Eddies direction, toward the bed next to his. Eddie catches bits of the conversation that leads to the two-high-teenagers-for-one deal heâs about to get.
Robinâs almost frantic voice, âNo! They canât separate us! Last time we got split up-â
âItâll be fine, Rob, these guys are probably American.â Steve cuts her off nonsensically. Eddie kind of wishes he was on whatever stuff Steve was right now.
âConsidering what youâve tried to explain so far, I donât know how much better that is.â Robin says, giggling again.
Steve clumsily grabs her hand with his right one, reaching across is own body awkwardly to get to her, and missing on the first attempt. âYou also need to get looked at, little miss âask me tomorrowâ.â
Robin cringes at him, âOk now I will leave you alone so you donât call me âlittle missâ again.â
Eddie watches the nurses lead Robin further down the hallway, and Steve to the bed next to his own. Theyâre left alone briefly after Steve gets settled and the nurse has rushed off to find a doctor.
The other teen stares almost blankly at him for a long moment before he exclaims suddenly, startling Eddie, âMunson! From Biology! Thatâs why you seem familiar.â
âHarrington,â Eddie replies, âyou are aware we shared more classes than the one Biology period, right?â
Harrington blinks slowly with the eye that isnât swollen shut. âNo, actually, I dunno if you noticed, but I was sort of an asshole in high school, soâŚâ he wobbles his head back and forth, âI kind of only remember that time you passed out when we dissected that cow eye.â
âAh,â Eddie rolls his eyes and nods, âso you were an asshole in high school, but youâre not anymore. Got it.â Heâs really going over the top with the sarcasm, but Harrington doesnât seem to catch on.
âYup. Earlier Robin said that I really was, but Iâm not anymore, and sheâs usually right about most things, even though itâs super annoying when she is right, because she wonât shut up about it, and she remembers stuff, like how many times Iâm wrong and what Iâm wrong about and what I ate for breakfast in Mrs. Clickâs class and-â
Heâs cut off by the nurse from before returning. âSorry for making you wait, hon, itâs a real circus here tonight. While we wait for the doctor, Iâm gonna get you set up with some fluids. The EMTs said you were pretty dehydrated.â
When she brandishes the needle in preparation for placing the IV, Eddie notices all the color that isnât bruising drain from Harringtonâs face. He tries to subtly scoot away from her, but the movement is a little too rushed to come from anywhere but a sense of panic.
âO-oh, no thatâs, Iâm okay, no-no thanks.â He stutters out, his breath coming in quick and shallow now.
âOh, hon, itâs okay to be afraid of needles,â the nurse says sweetly, âjust look away and take deep breaths, and itâll be over in a pinch.â
Harrington winces at that. âI-Iâm really- itâs- Iâm fine, you donât-â
He stops abruptly when what sounds like a screamed âNo!âechoes from down the hallway. It takes half a second longer for Eddie to place the voice as Robin Buckleyâs than it apparently takes Steve, because Eddie blinks and Harringtonâs off the bed and rushing toward the voice with a half-shouted âRobin!â
The nurse, it seems, is just as stunned as Eddie, and itâs a few seconds before sheâs racing after him down the hallway.
It isnât until his stitches are almost halfway done that Harrington returns, now closely followed by Chief Hopper, and lead gingerly by the elbow by the nurse. The IV situation appears to have been solved, as he is now rolling a drip bag on a stand with his free hand.
Once Harrington is returned to his bed, Hopper leans over him slightly in what Eddie recognizes as his attempt to be intimidating. âNow listen closely, Harrington. You are going to stay right there in this bed, and do whatever Annette here asks you to do until I get back. Do I make myself clear?â
Steve stares at him open mouthed for a moment, before he starts giggling. âHuh, Mikeâs right, you do have a little vein that pops out rightâŚâ he reaches up to try and poke Hopper in the forehead.
Before Hopper smacks his hand away, Eddie notices a thick band of bruising around Harringtonâs wrist, adding to the already massive pile of questions he has about whatever series of events led to those two landing themselves here.
Steve is still giggling when Hopper stands back up, dragging a hand down his face. âLook. Just stay put for 20 minutes. Someone still has to call your damn parents.â
âGood luck with that,â Harrington says wearily to Hopperâs back as he retreats back toward the waiting room.
With all the commotion, Eddie almost forgets heâs currently getting his hand sewn back together. A distraction heâs secretly grateful for, since he was starting to get a little light headed thinking about it.
âWell, Eddie, that should be it,â the doctor says, patting the fresh bandage gently, âIâll get someone to take care of your discharge papers and youâll be on your way.â
Eddie gives a thumbs up with the hand that did not get nearly exploded several hours ago. As the doctor leaves, Eddie realizes he is once again left alone with Harrington. He can only handle about two minutes of the silence before he blurts out. âOk, man, Iâm dying to know. What the hell happened to you? You look like you rolled down a rocky cliffside for like a day straight.â
Harrington chuckles, âI feel like that.â He doesnât say anything for a long moment before he apparently realizes Eddie asked him a question. âOh, uh, the mall burned down.â
âStarcourt? The brand new mall?â
Harrington nods. âYup.â He pops the p.
âWh-â Eddie blinks at him in disbelief, âand you and Buckley..?â
âWe were there, yeah.â He says it so nonchalantly Eddie almost thinks heâs messing with him.
âRightâŚâ Eddie starts, not sure where heâs going before one of the questions swirling around his brain tumbles out of his mouth âso the mall was burning down and someone ripped your finger nails off?â
Harrington sits up straight, âHow did you-?â
âI was in the waiting room when you came in,â Eddie answers in a rush, âoverheard you and Buckley.â
âOh.â Harrington says, then blinks slowly a few times and Eddie can almost hear him thinking. âUmm, no that happened⌠before the fire.â He finally says, frustratingly vague.
âRight, and theâŚâ Eddie gestures vaguely to his own face in leu of actually asking.
Harrington hums. âUhh, I think⌠falling debrisâŚâ he nods to himself, âyeah, you know, chunks of burning mall.â He mimes something falling from the sky and makes a cartoon explosion sound. Eddieâs not totally inclined to believe him, especially since he just noticed the finger shaped bruising on Harringtons arms.
âYou think?â He presses.
Harrington huffs, almost like a kid throwing a tantrum. âLook man, Iâm like super ultra concussed and on some kind of mystery drugs so my memory is likeâŚâ he flaps a hand around for a second, then lands on a thumbs down, âat the moment.â
Eddie nods. âRight, yeah, sorry.â Eddie puts his uninjured hand up in surrender, âJust, my curious nature, man.â
Steve shrugs, then winces. âOkay, my turn.â He points to Eddieâs bandaged hand, âWhat happened there?â
âAwesome firework experiment gone wrong.â Eddie says, deliberately not elaborating. Itâs apparently enough for Steve who nods knowingly.
Another silence settles over the room, this time less awkward, but Eddie still feels the need to break it. âOkay this is my last question for real.â Harrington sighs, but motions for him to go on. âThe outfit?â
He squints at Eddie for a moment. âDid you ever like, actually go to the mall?â
âOnce. And it confirmed my suspicions that the whole thing was a capitalist nightmare that I in no way belonged within a thousand foot radius of.â Eddie proclaiming proudly.
Steve looked at him like he was speaking Spanish. âUm, sure. Yeah. Thatâs probably true.â He picks at some of the blood that has dried on the collar of his shirt. âRobin and I work, or, I guess worked, now that it doesnât exist anymore, but, anyway itâs this ice cream place, and itâs like, ocean themed for some reason, so⌠sailors.â
The mood seems to have shifted slightly. Harringtonâs no longer looking at him, instead focusing on his shoes, which also appear to be smudged with blood. No trace of the half smile that had been lingering from his random fits of giggles. With the way heâs fidgeting, it almost seems like heâs nervous.
Eddie decides the best way out of this is to pretend like he doesnât notice and hope he can get the vibe back on track. âThat sounds like the most ridiculous business Iâve ever heard of.â
Steve lets out a halfhearted chuckle. âYeah, it was pretty stupid.â
They are both saved from trying to come up with a new direction for the conversation to go by the entrance of Robin Buckley, who is toting her own rolling stand of IV fluid with her.
âDingus!â She calls, and Eddie notes the way Harrington relaxes slightly at seeing her. âIâm completely healthy!â
Steve mimes clapping and Robin bows dramatically. âI⌠am not.â
Robin taps his knee. âI could have probably told you that.â Her gaze scans the room, then catches on him. âHey, youâre the guy that runs the D&D group, right?â
âIn the flesh,â Eddie says, spreading his arms wide.
Robin cringes again. âEw, donât say flesh. Iâve had too much flesh for one day.â
Steve nods next to her. âHe blew up his hand with fireworks.â
Robin gasps, âReally?â She turns to Steve, âI totally thought we were gonna do that, butâ she holds out her hands, and while they themselves seem fine, Eddie notices the bruising on her wrists that match Harringtonâs, âall my fingers. Intact.â
âThat makes one of us,â he smirks and makes eye contact with Eddie.
âDid you know that on the Fourth of July, over 30% of hospital visits are related to injuries from fireworksâ Robin says unprompted.
âWhy would I know that.â Steve says flatly, âWhy do you know that?â
Robin shrugs, âI read.â
Itâs then that a nurse comes back to get Eddie out of there. As he goes, Steve waves a goodbye to him that he awkwardly returns. As he leaves them behind he hears Robin ask, âDid Johnathan Byers cut open a girlâs leg, or was that the drugs?â
He shakes his head as he returns to the waiting room, resigned to never have answers to his mountain of questions.
#un-fake-kills Hopper for this because i like hom and want him here#*raises hand* i think itâs funny if Eddie is squeamish with his whole metal aesthetic heâs got going on#idk if they were dissecting cow eyes in the 80s but I dissected like 3 cow eyes in the course of my high school career#i took a lot of science classes and they make you dissect a lot of stuff#anyway#apologies to those of you who were expecting an update of the other fic thos one simply possessed me#steve harrington#eddie munson#robin buckley#jim hopper#stranger things#and another thing!#i think they should have committed to the bit and taken some of Steveâs fingernails away from him#and im not afraid to say it!
878 notes
¡
View notes
Text
Genuinely one of my favorite things about the maruaders fandom that is widely agreed upon:
Regulus is trans. Everyone assumes Remus is trans because werewolf behavior can look suspiciously similar to having a period. Shenanigans ensue:
*During 1st Year*
Sirius: *discreetly giving Remus chocolate during his time of the month*
Remus, in his head: HOW DOES HE KNOW? HOW DOES HE KNOW I'M A WEREWOLF? HOW DOES HE KNOW CHOCOLATE HELPS? WHY IS HE NOT SAYING ANYTHING? WHAT IS HAPPENING?
*Quidditch Locker Room*
Marlene: FUCK!
Sirius: What's wrong?
Marlene: I started my period and don't have anything on me!
James, who started carrying extras because he's a mom friend: Oh, here you go.
Marlene: *intensely stares at them* Okay if James carries the tampons and Remus is the one who uses them, why the FUCK is Sirius named Pads???
James: I. . .what?
Sirius: Abort Prongs. There's no right answer to this one.
*During a Study Session*
Regulus: Ugh, I'm so jealous of you sometimes Lupin.
Remus "Low Self-Esteem" Lupin: Why?
Reg: It's just that. . .well, if your mood is any indication, your time of the month is so CONSISTENT! Like, every 28 days like clockwork. You've never had 2 in one month or anything!
Remus, in his head: . . .is. . .is Regulus a werewolf too? Is this how Sirius was so accepting?
Remus out loud: You get it TWICE sometimes, how is that even possible?
Reg: I know right, it's so unfair!
Regulus: . . .
Peter: . . .
Regulus: So is there a REASON you've been stalking me or---
Peter: Are you a werewolf?
Reg: The fuck? No? Why---
Peter: KAY THANKS BYE!
*later*
Remus: oh my God Peter I didn't mean ASK HIM
Peter: Well how the fuck else was I supposed to find out?
Everyone start milking the comedy potential, or I'll have to write it myself! This is a threat! There's enough angst in this fandom, we need more pure comedy fics!
#marauders#the marauders era#marauders era#mwpp#sirius black#james potter#peter pettigrew#remus lupin#regulus black#marlene mckinnon#trans regulus#trans regulus black#moony wormtail padfoot and prongs#platonic moonwater#moonwater canoe#the ONLY reason I tagged the first one is so that ya'll can find this#I WILL make the word for platonic ship âcanoeâ if it KILLS me#feel free to drop fic recs and links in the notes#I'm so bad at remembering fic names#this is what happens when you're too paranoid to actually LOG IN to AO3
1K notes
¡
View notes
Text
Ghost au Sam Winchester more likely than you think
#he gets killed by a hunter ambush lead by Gordon in late s2 ish#I know he has retired the fringe by then let me live#Dean is glad to have him back and look for possible revival methods#but he finds it difficult to look at him because heâs reminded of his failure#heâs connected to the samuelet#supernatural#sam winchester#spn fanart#dean winchester#spn#sam and dean#Gordon walker#Gordon my insane best friend#ghost Sam Winchester#blood tw#my art#pls donât tag as ship#if you have ghost Sam fics please drop them
505 notes
¡
View notes
Text
Stay with me, Sylus
A/N: I just needed this moment after Magnum Opus. The yearning, the love, and the soft moment between Sylus and us... I can't get enough of it. So this is my little fantasy of how it should have ended.
Character: Sylus & Reader/MC/you
Genre: romantic, fluffy
Word count: 950 | Reading Time: 3 min | AO3
Next > Beneath His Touch
You walked Sylus to the door. This date was something you needed, even when you were tired and exhausted from the previous missions. Having Sylus around made you feel relaxed. Your new dynamic was heartwarming. And even if you didnât quite understand why this man was so persistent about getting hiking gear, you were glad he used that excuse to come visit you.
Your back-and-forth, the way you both danced around the real matter, was something that might never change. The ironic way Sylus said:
"Weâre dating now? Should I bring you roses next time?"
It made you smile, and of course, you didnât miss a beat, asking for the roses with the most thorns.
You didnât want him to leave. And he wasnât in a rush, either. So he stayed, half in the corridor, half at your door. He keeps talking, stretching the moment to part. His words were coated in honey, filled with those promises he never made lightly. Because everything he had ever said he would do, he had kept his word.
Your heart flutters as if a thousand butterflies have taken flight, and you find yourself gripping the door frame without realizing it.Â
âAre you just going to⌠stand there all day?â you asked. His red eyes flicked to you, amused.Â
âI could camp here.â
âThatâs not what I meant.â
âI know.â He smirked, taking a slow step closer. âYou always dance around the real question, though. It's charming.â
You exhaled sharply âDo you-â You hesitated, suddenly unable to finish the sentence.
Sylus tilted his head. Leaning in, placing one arm on the door frame. âDo I?âÂ
âYou know.â You gestured vaguely, as if that would clarify anything. âWant to Stay over.â
The smirk twitched at the corner of his lips. âI suppose that depends.â
âOn?â
âWhether the couch is still my designated territory, or if Iâm being upgraded to⌠somewhere else.â His voice was teasing.Â
Heat crept up your neck. You huffed. âWhy do you say things like that?â
âBecause itâs fun watching you try to untangle them.â He took another step closer. Too close now, the air between you shrinking, charged. âBut if youâd rather be direct, just tell me where you want me.â
You opened your mouth, then closed it again, your entire brain short-circuiting at that choice of words. Sylus chuckled, clearly enjoying this too much.
âI-â You ran a hand through your hair, trying to find a way to say it without actually saying it. âYou donât have to sleep on the couch.â
Sylus hummed, pretending to consider. âSo that meansâŚâ
You groaned. âIt means you can sleep wherever you want.â
At that, something shifted, without warning he closed the distance entirely. Pulling you against him, one hand on your back and the other still on the door frame. The heat of him is impossible to ignore.
âWherever I want?â he murmured. Your pulse stuttered. You don't want him to leave but the way he makes you blush so easily is annoying. He is so annoying. You swallowed, trying to steady yourself.Â
âN- not anywhere, but if youâre so into camping, do it in the living roomâ you muttered, half angry.Â
Sylus smirked. He definitely caught that hesitation.
His fingers brushed your lower back before suddenly pinching lightly at your side, making you hitch and instinctively press closer into him. The reaction was immediate, your body betraying you before your mind could catch up. You barely had time to swat at his hand before he stepped fully into your apartment again.
The door clicked shut behind him. His back rested against it as he tugged you into his arms again, dragging you effortlessly against his god-blessed body. The space between you vanished, replaced by the solid warmth of him, the way his breath fanned against your temple. Your fingers pressed against his chest, an attempt to put some distance between you, but the moment you tried to escape, his grip tightened.Â
âKitten,â he drawled, his lips dangerously close to your ear. âYou were the one telling me I should be more direct and now youâre stumbling around?â
Your jaw clenched, your body betraying you even as you tried to resist giving him the satisfaction. The heat from him seeped into your skin, making it impossible to think clearly, to ignore the way your pulse stuttered against his touch. You swallowed hard, tilting your chin up in defiance, even though your face was already burning.
âItâs different when you do it.â
Sylus grinned, amused how you twist things in your favor. âOh, I see.â
For a long moment, he didnât move. He exhaled, his breath brushing against your cheek as he leaned in, close enough that his lips nearly grazed your skin. âYou are making this difficult, sweetie,â he murmured. His breath sends a shiver down your back. âDo you want me to push a little more?â
And then, just when you thought he might close the distance, just when your pulse spiked up, just when your fingers curled slightly against his chest, he pulled back.
"Say it."
You clicked your tongue, the spell breaking, pulling you back just enough to remember who you were dealing with.
âFineâŚâ you muttered, lowering your head for a brief moment, biting your lip. Itâs only fair, you told yourself, trying to ignore how your heart pounded against your ribs. Slowly, you looked up again, your gaze locking with his, losing yourself in his eyes.
âSylusâŚâ The word lingered between you, a breath, a confession.
"You can sleep in my bedâŚ"
The word left your lips like a surrender, and his expression shifted. Something that told you he wasnât planning on letting you get much sleep tonight.
Next > Beneath His Touch
MASTERLIST
#love and deepspace#lads sylus#sylus#sylus x reader#lnds sylus#sylus x you#lads x reader#soft sylus#i love soft sylus#sylus qin#sylus fanfiction#romantic morning#sylus love and deepspace#sylus fluff#magnum opus#sylus magnum opus#love and deepspace sylus#lads#sylus is killing me#romantic sylus#l&ds sylus#sylus fic#sylus fanfic#sylus beging sylus
896 notes
¡
View notes
Text
She's looking at Shisui's hand holding hers wow i'm actually gonna be sick

(Art by Itsuki Nanao!!)

#the apothecary diaries#kusuriya no hitorigoto#maomao#xiaolan#shisui#maomao x shisui#shimao#they sre KILLING ME.#the coincidence of itsuki dropping this art immediately after i read a princess tutu fic of these three#what is she trying to say.#knh pesticide
612 notes
¡
View notes
Text
killing me softly | 17
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 ->
âż G E N R E âż she fell first, he fell harder | slice of life | drama
âż P A I R I N G âż s1!rafe cameron x overthinking!reader (f)
âż C O N T E N T W A R N I N G âż swearing, suggestive language & themes, hints at jjpope, jealousy and possessive rafe, tension and angst, FLUFF
âż S U M M A R Y O F L A S T P A R T âż at bulk & bloom, rafe fought off suggestive thoughts while you two had some teasing back and forth. later at barry's pawn shop, he told you to stay in the car, but the silent treatment made him give in. inside, rafe got tense when he saw you and barry knew each other. it quickly became clear barry had the upper hand. while rafe was sent to the backroom, barry warned you not to trust him, which triggered a spiral: what if rafe only saw you as a dispensable toy? back in the car, rafe confronted you about barry threatening him, but your passive replies made things worse. frustrated, he eventually admitted he liked spending time with you and wasnât trying to mess with your head but he still likes the idea of getting to bend you over. you explained how mixed signals make you anxious, and that you needed clarity to feel safe. after some back and forth, you both agreed this could be a friendship. when cara called, you asked rafe to drop you off. he hid his disappointment but offered to pick you up later, quietly worried that sarah might pull you away from him.
âż W O R D C O U N T âż 10.6k+ (oopsie again)
âż A / N âż whew. another super long-ass chapter. a lot is happening here, lots of jumping back and forth but i really wanted to squeeze it all in so i wouldn't need another "saturday" chapter. maybe this whole thing feels a little rushed (especially the very end, sorry for that) or floppy but i srsly wanted to finish it today so you guys wouldn't need to wait for another day but i guess it will have to do. anyway, I SCREAMED AND GIGGLED AT THE ENDING SO PLS LMK WHAT YOU GUYS THINK. enjoy <3
âż âż âż âż âż âż âż âż âż âż âż âż âż âż âż
W E E K O N E // S A T U R D A Y 2 : 3 0 P M
You had literally just a few seconds between the moment Rafe dropped you off and the moment Cara immediately descended on you with Diggory and dragged you to the beach, where a group of energetic Pogues greeted you.
But in those few seconds? Your brain had already gone absolutely haywire and it was all Rafe, Rafe, Rafe, Rafe, Rafe.
Because holy fucking shit, today? Those not even three hours you'd spent with him? Jesus fucking Christ, that wasâwhatâlike, no seriously, what???
Just what. That summed it up pretty well.
Rafe, who'd shown up unannounced at your house to drop off your bag and had had lunch with your family. Rafe, who then willingly dragged you out to hang out (okay, under the pretense of sobering you up, but like, STILL). Rafe, who had almost gone for your throat in Barryâs pawn shop just for knowing Barry. Rafe, who'd actually tried to help pull you out of that goddamn spiral in your head. Rafe, who somehow had a shocking amount of patience for your absolutely deranged overthinking episode (seriously, you needed to tell Barry never to say shit like that again, even if he meant well).
FUCKING RAFE, who said he LIKED hanging out with you AND HOLY SHIT was down to sleep with you if you gave him the green light LIKE JESUS CHRIST IâM SORRY WHAT IS HAPPENING???
Just. Rafe.
Oh, and Rafe, whoâd also offered to PICK YOU UP LATER LIKE GUYS WTF WHAT UNIVERSE ARE WE IN?! Because it sure as hell wasnât the one you knew.
Some real life Marvel Multiverse Quantumjump shit mustâve gone down, because this? This day? THIS RIGHT HERE? RAFE!?!?!?!
Nope.
Just no. How? What?!?
This dude had turned your entire brain inside out with a single conversation like CAN WE JUMP BACK TO RAFE GENUINELY WANTING TO FUCK YOU LIKE HELLOOO??????
Like for real now. The fact that youâd even managed to finish that conversation? And without having a full-blown panic attack after what he'd admitted? Remarkable.
Because your brain hadnât just short-circuit after that, it was shattered. LIKE YOUR FUCKING CRUSH BEING SEXUALLY ATTRACTED TO YOU I MEAN??
WHAT.
Nah, that hadnât even been you in that conversation. No way. Your body mustâve switched to passive flight mode or autopilot or something because you, just a few days ago, wouldâve freaked out so hard you'd have launched yourself into another dimension.
Oh. Hah. Funny. Apparently, you had.
Holy shit, seriously.
But again, you didnât really get the chance to process any of that truly. No time to spiral, because one, your serotonin levels were sky-high just from how absurdly patient Rafe had been with you todayâlike, fuck, that alone had made you fall even harder for him.
And two, youâd barely managed to half-say goodbye to him when Cara was already there waiting with her terrier at the parking lot, pulling you into a hug with the biggest, smirkiest smile in the world.
And then she started absolutely blasting you with questions. First one being: âDid you make out?â followed by âWhat did you guys even do?â, âWhy were you hanging out in the first place?â, and âHow big is his dick?â
Uhm yeah, that didnât exactly help your already overloaded brain.
You tried catching your breath after she let go of you with a, âWaitâdid I just interrupt something between you two?â
You just shook your head with a smile. âProbably better that you called, otherwise I mightâve actually exploded.â
âOkay, now I seriously need to know what the fuck you two were up to,â she said, eyeing you like a dog begging for treats.
A tired chuckle escaped your lips. âI think weâll need a separate meeting for that. Wouldnât wanna keep your loverboy waiting.â
After a bit of back and forth with her saying âHis ass can waitâ and you insisting âActually, I need the distraction,â she finally gave in and led you across the parking lot, over the dunes, to a shady little spot where probably the last people Rafe would want to see you with were waiting.
His sister and Pogues.
Well. Good thing you hadnât been specific about who exactly you were meeting up with. And thank god he hadnât asked. Otherwise, you probably wouldâve had to listen to a whole speech about why you shouldnât be hanging out with that kind of scum (letâs not forget, last week in Econ he'd said heâd rather shoot himself than hang out with a Pogue, so yeah, that said enough).
ANYWAY. Whew.
You had barely a millisecond to breathe before Cara threw you right into the next interaction.
âTadaaa, everyone, meet Y/N,â Cara said with a dramatic hand flourish as you arrived at the shady spot.
With an awkward wave and a smiling âHi,â you greeted the three girls lounging on towels under a sun umbrella, who all perked up with visible curiosity.
You recognized Kiara Carrera: Sheâd gone to Kildare Academy for a year, a grade below you, and also lived in the 8. Cleo Nash you vaguely remembered from bonfire parties. And of course, you knew Sarah, both from around and, wellâŚfrom that little awkward encounter on Wednesday at Tannyhill.
All three of them eyed you curiously and with varying levels of friendliness. Sarah had that big warm smile sheâd greeted you with the first time. Cleo looked like she could murder someone if she felt like it, but even her smile had something soft about it, like running your hand along the dull side of a blade.
Only Kiara seemed a little... you didnât even know how to describe it. Not cold or distant, just... cautious.
âHey,â Sarah said, patting the towel next to her. âCome sit down. Nice seeing you again.â
God, why did this feel so awkward? You were a year older than the three of them and yet, this was just... weirdly uncomfortable.
Still, you sat down cross-legged with an awkward, âThanks, good to see you too,â as Cara plopped down beside you. And oh no, judging by the way all four of them were now staring at youâŚ
You shot Cara a what-did-you-tell-them-about-me-and-Rafe look, and she just gave you an innocent little grin that said, Nothing, I swear.
In response, you shot her a telepathic Iâm gonna kill you.
âI hope Rafe didnât throw a fit when he dropped you off,â Sarah said with a smirk. âActually, Iâm kinda surprised he even let you come hang out with us.â
Kiara gave a wide-eyed Yep-nod.
WelpâŚ
You chuckled awkwardly. âI kinda... didnât tell him who'd be here.â
Sarah raised her brows, still smirking. âAnd he seriously didnât kick you out?â
âNo?â You blinked, an embarrassed smile tugging at your lips. âI mean... he even offered to pick me up later.â
Cara shrieked beside you (Kiara flinched with a âShitâ). âWHAT.â
Sarah chuckled. âOkay, now Iâm even more surprised. He knows I hang out here all the time. Literally calls it the rat hole.â
UmâŚ
âA lot of people hang out here,â Cleo said with a shrug.
Kiara scoffed. âItâs Rafe. Are we sure heâs not hiding behind some dune waiting to jump us?â
O-kay. What kind of picture did she have of him?
âMore like heâs hiding to spy on the love of his life,â Cara said, and you immediately wanted to dig a hole in the sand and die inside it.
Cleo and Sarah chuckled. Only Kiara raised a brow, eyeing you in disbelief. âAnd you willingly hang out with him? Like, heâs not forcing you?â
âI... yeah, heâs...â you started, but honestly, what were you supposed to say? An idiot, an asshole, intense, a lot, a total dumbass. No, you said what you always said in situations like this. âNice.â
Kiara blinked at you like youâd just announced World War Three. She curled her lips and furrowed her brows. âAre we talking about the same Rafe Cameron or...?â
âKie,â Cleo muttered with an eye roll and a chuckle.
Kiara lifted her hands in mock innocence. âIâm just saying, âniceâ wouldnât be my first choice of words to describe Rafe Cameron.â She raised her brows. âMore like brazen or, I donât know, ruthless. No offense, Sarah.â
âNah, that sounds like my brother,â Sarah replied with a smile but then turned toward you again, eyes a little more curious now. âOkay, stupid question, but... have you two, yâknowâŚ?â
âGod, Sarah,â Cleo groaned.
PLEASE.
Camerons clearly had a gene that made any situation instantly awkward.
With flushed cheeks, you shook your head and fidgeted with the strap of your bag in your lap. âUm... no.â
What did that even have to do with anything?
âInteresting,â was all Sarah said, a big grin on her face. âAnd youâre not, like, a witch or something?â
Literally what.
"Excuse me?" Cara raised her brows in mock offense and gestured at you with both hands. âDo you see that radiant aura? Of course heâs obsessed. No spell needed.â
âOkay, shouldnât we be asking if heâs the one casting spells on her?â Kiara muttered, frowning. Then she turned to you directly. âI seriously canât believe someone like you actually enjoys being around him.â
Somehow that was kind of offensive⌠but also weirdly sweet?
âWhoâs hanging out with who?â A dripping, shirtless John B appeared by your little towel circle, surfboard tucked under his arm. A few steps behind him, JJ Maybank and Pope Heyward wandered up too, bumping shoulders and laughing about something.
Also: shirtless⌠and wetâŚ
Jesus Christ.
âY/N and Rafe,â Sarah said, glancing up at him with a sweet smile.
John B nodded with an Ahhhh expression like he already knew about it, like, ??? Then he looked at you with a smile and gave a casual wave. âOh yeah, hey. And heâs not holding you at gunpoint for this?â
âThank you,â Kiara said, pointing to John B.
âWait, whoâs holding who at gunpoint?â JJ dropped his surfboard in the sand next to you all and planted his hands on his hips. His gaze finally landed on you, eyebrows shooting up with a grin. âWild day when two Kooks voluntarily show up in the Cut. What is thisâthe Purge?â
âThree, actually,â Cara said, giving him a cheeky look. âIf you count Rafe.â
Now Pope was the one looking confused. âRafe was here?â
âNot with us, dumbass,â Cleo said, then pointed at you. âWith Y/N.â
Can someone just shoot me? Shotgun, sniper, I genuinely donât care.
Pope turned to you, gave a slightly awkward smile and a little wave.
OMG A FELLOW SHY GUY.
You smiled back and gave him a small wave in return and wow, it didnât even feel awkward. One fellow introvert was all it took to help you shake your own nervous energy.
âYeah, we just havenât figured out yet if Rafe put a spell on her or if itâs the other way around,â Kiara said. âMy moneyâs on the first one.â
âNah, Iâm going with the second,â John B replied, with Cleo and Sarah nodding in agreement.
âHow about heâs just smitten with her,â Cara said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
JJ squinted, tilting his head. âMmm, not sure. Rafeâs nuts. Wouldnât shock me if heâs doing some voodoo shit in his room.â
Okay, what was going on between Rafe and these people, like seriously?
Pope let out a scoff. âDonât tell me you actually believe in witchcraft.â
âI believe in anything until Iâm proven wrong,â JJ said with a shrug, gesturing to you. âAnd a nice girl willingly hanging out with Rafe?â He shook his head, lips curling. âThatâs gotta be some supernatural stuff.â
You couldnât help but laugh, amused. âNot sure about that.â
âGuys, itâs simple,â Cara said like she hadnât just met these people three hours ago. âHeâs just head over heels for her.â
OKAYYY, THATâS ENOUGH.
You barely knew like 90% of the people here and this was not the first impression you wantedâhanging out with Rafe being your entire personality. You hadnât even properly introduced yourself yet.
âYeah, um⌠can we maybe justâŚâ you said with a sheepish smile.
Kiara nodded. âYes. Please.â
"I donât know about you guys, but I could go for a snack," John B said, and everyone seemed to agree.
"Bobâs Iceshack?" JJ asked.
John B shut his eyes, lips escaping a delighted Mmmm. âYou get me, bro.â
âż âż âż âż âż âż âż âż âż âż âż âż âż âż âż
"So, why exactly did you want me to come here again?" you asked Cara, washing your hands in the restroom of Bobâs Iceshack.
After placing your orders at the beachside cafĂŠ, the others had already snagged a spot out on the wooden balcony, but youâd shot Cara a more-or-less telepathic signal (aka a gentle kick to the foot) that you needed a quick minute with her.
On the phone, she'd said she needed backup because of JJ but hadnât said exactly why. And yeah, to be fair, Rafe was kind of rightâwhat did Cara ever need backup for in a situation like that? Especially from you, of all people???
Especially when the sexual tension between her and JJ was practically leaking off the walls. All those two needed was a room and the rest would just... happen. Shit, they probably didn't even need that.
Cara furrowed her brows. "Iâve been thinking..."
Uh-oh. That could mean anything, from Iâm becoming a nun to Iâm buying a crocodile and starting a family of five. Today.
âMmh-hmm,â you hummed, in that high-pitched danger incoming tone, pressing your lips together and raising your brows as you dried your hands.
Cara sighed. "Okay, JJ's cool. Heâs really hot, funny, and also kinda got this soft side. Oh, and did I mention, heâs really hot."
You nodded. "Uh-huh, loud and clear."
"And like, I know I could end up in his bed tonight if I wanted to," she said, drying her hands too. "God, the things he could do to me... Iâd let him explore every direction on the compass with me, like full-onâ"
"Okay, too much information."
Cara wrinkled her nose. "But the thing is... I donât know. Now that the opportunity is right there, like literally one move away..." She gave you a look like sheâd just tasted something weird and couldnât decide if she liked it. "...I kinda donât want it anymore?"
Oh!
Thatâs...
Not surprising at all.
You let out an amused chuckle, which earned you a stunned look from Cara.
"What?" she asked, genuinely flabbergasted. "Iâm serious. My whole body is screaming for this guy, but my headâs just like, ugh, I donât know, itâs pulling in another direction." She widened her eyes. "I think Iâm getting sick."
"Orrrr," you said with a big grin, "That other direction is called Topper Thornton."
Cara blinked.
You chuckled again. "I mean... itâs kinda obvious he likes you. And you like him too, judging by how close you two were last night."
"Trust me, I KNOW he likes me. I could see the little hearts in his eyes every time he looked at me," she said dryly. "But like... itâs Topper."
You laughed. "Correct me if Iâm wrong, but didnât you almost hook up with him a few weeks ago before he chickened out? And werenât you the one always preaching how sweet and nice he is?"
Caraâs face twisted into a dramatic frown. "Yeah, I mean, he really is sweet. We texted forever last night, butâ"
"Define forever?"
"7 a.m."
Jesus Christ.
"Girl. Connect the dots."
Cara made a tortured face. "Ughhh, I donât wanna."
"Think of it this way," you said, chuckling. "Baddie and simp duo."
Cara burst into laughter, a soft pink tinting her cheeks. "Great. Now I just want him for the trope."
You both started laughing.
"So what now? Do I spend one night in JJâs Wonderland and then circle back to Topper?" Cara asked, raising her brows, real frustration in her voice.
You shrugged. "I dunno. I support you either way. Just trust your gut."
"Girl, my gutâs telling me to ditch all men and marry you instead."
You scoffed. "Would be the easiest route."
"The smartest one," Cara corrected, then gave you a playful smile. "But I wouldnât want to snatch Rafeâs future wife right from under his nose."
You made a tsk sound. "Pretty sure he doesnât see it that way."
"Oh, Iâm sure he does. I can already hear the wedding bells," Cara replied, clasping her hands together like she was already planning the ceremony.
Jesus. If she was already talking like this, she was going to absolutely lose her mind when you told her about today.
But honestly, you hadnât even processed it yourself: Rafe Cameron being down to hook up with you? Like... letâs be real, you were probably never going to be ready to process that. So, for now, you just shoved it into a deep, deep mental box.
So instead, you just said, "Okay, we should really get back before everyone thinks we both have parallel diarrhea."
Cara raised a brow. "Girl, have you seen us together? Theyâre way more likely to think weâre making out in here."
"Oh, speaking of," you said, grabbing your bag and glancing at her. "Am I crazy or are JJ and Pope givingâ"
"Yep."
âż âż âż âż âż âż âż âż âż âż âż âż âż âż âż
"Hey, why arenât we tagged?" JJ asked, genuinely offended, holding up his phone screen.
Sarah chuckled. "Because the pictureâs only of our drinks."
"Cold," Pope said, and John B nodded in agreement.
"Yâall need to chill your balls," Cara said while filling a little water bowl for Dig. "Everyone knows youâre just the accessories to these hot baddies. No need to tag you separately."
All the girls chuckled in amusement.
"Ouch," John B said with a suppressed smile, giving JJ a pat on the shoulder. "Come on, man, clearly weâre not wanted here."
Sarah laughed, and Kiara nodded along.
"Pope is," Cara noted. "Heâs the only one of you who hasnât made me lose brain cells with the stuff he says."
And fucking Pope smiled all flustered and awkward and honestly, it was like looking into a mirror. "Trying my best."
"Whoa, nope, thanks," JJ said, grabbing Pope by the shoulders and pretending to pull him away from your group, narrowing his eyes at Cara. "Careful, man. Those are Kook compliments. Blink once and sheâs got her claws in you like some Fury."
"Sounds like your wildest fantasy," Cara shot back, sipping her Corona.
Yep. She had clearly chosen to enter JJâs Wonderland tonight.
"Geez, get a room," Kiara said, eyeing them in fake disgust.
JJ scoffed with a crooked grin. "Meh, maybe later," he said, then guided Pope away from the table by his shoulders.
"Alright, you girls have fun," John B said with a smile, giving Sarahâs shoulder a soft squeeze and planting a quick kiss on her cheek before heading down the stairs toward the beach.
God, those two were actual relationship goals. Each of them alone was already Golden Retriever energy, but together? Just... pls adopt me.
Cara clearly felt the same way. "Can you two please get married already?"
Alright, second time within minutes that Cara had brought up marriage. Like, at this point it was painfully obvious that Topper had her thinking about some things.
Sarah chuckled. "You wanna be a bridesmaid?"
Okay, real talkâhow long had they known each other now? Two, maybe four hours at most? How the fuck were we already at personal wedding invites?
Caraâs friendship game? Not to be underestimated.
"Fuck yeah," she said with a nod. "Iâll be the damn church bench if I have to."
You all laughed.
"Honestly," Cleo said with a smirk, sipping on her passionfruit lemonade, "every time I saw you and Y/N, I thought you were typical Kook princesses." She chuckled. "Caraâs got the whole shiny blonde hair, heels at a beach party vibe, and she looks like sheâd throw hands with a bitch given the right reason."
"Hey, I donât need a reason," Cara chimed in, smiling proudly.
Cleo nodded, grinning. "Yeah, thanks for proving my point." Then she looked over at you, her smile deepening. "And you? Shit, youâve got that Death Star stare, like you know something about me I donât, plus this whole donât-talk-to-me energy."
You smiled awkwardly. "Yeah... more like my awkward stare and help-I-have-social-anxiety please-donât-talk-to-me energy."
"Yeah, thatâs more accurate," Cara said, raising her brows at Cleo. "So, what youâre saying is: We give off major baddie vibes."
Cleo shrugged, amused. "That and cool girl vibes."
"These Kook-Pogue stereotypes are bullshit anyway," Kiara chimed in, making a face. "Just like there are bitchy Kooks, there are bitchy Pogues. And just like there are hardworking Pogues, there are hardworking Kooks too."
You immediately thought of your parents and nodded. "Guess itâs always easier to judge than to meet somewhere in the middle."
"Whoa, okay, people," Cleo said, laughing. "I wasnât trying to throw stereotypes around. I just meant, yeah, that judging people by looks or whatever is stupid when you donât even know them."
Your phone buzzed in your bag. While still half-listening to the conversation, you took a quick glance at the notification.
And your heart dropped.
Is this guy actually crazy?
"...all the patriarchyâs fault andâwait, where are you going?" Cara stopped mid political rant, eyeing you as you slung your bag over your shoulder.
Feeling your cheeks heat up like youâd just been caught doing something you shouldnât, you gave an awkward smile. "Oh, I, um... Iâm just gonna grab a water. Be right back."
Judging by their expressions, they all knew what was really going on, but they just nodded, giggling and stifling their smiles.
"Tell Rafe I said hi!" Sarah called after you.
Fucking Camerons, man.
Heart thundering in your chest, you thanked Bob for the glass of water and let your phone plop back into your bag.
Okay, so⌠like, sure, you and Rafe had gotten to some kind of mutual understanding earlierâbasically that you enjoyed each otherâs companyâbut holy hell, the fact that he wanted to pick you up just an hour after dropping you off?
Right. Three possible reasons here:
He didnât like that you were hanging out with Sarah and Pogues, considering his weird dynamic with his sister and the general class war in his head.
Rafe Cameron was actually clingy with people he liked. At least in private. You had skimmed some of his chat with Kelce, and they seemed really close. And honestly? Last night after your balcony talk, heâd stayed glued to your side until the very end. Likeâshitâhe probably wouldâve followed you into the bathroom if you hadnât giggled and told him to play bouncer instead.
Barry had been right and Rafe was possessive. Okay, no, not like in a throw-you-into-a-psychological-horror-movie way. Not like a dog with a chew toy either. More like... a kid who couldnât stand seeing his mom give the baby sibling more attention. Ugh, okay, gross metaphor. You werenât his mom. But your brain wasnât coming up with anything better right now.
So yeah. Option one seemed the most realistic, but your gut told you there was probably some truth in the other two as well. Otherwise, your brain wouldnât have gone there in the first place.
God, where was that positive thinking system youâd come up with on Thursday?
Okay, letâs try that:
Maybe he just really likes spending time with me and heâs excited about the idea of having a new friend, so heâs just a little too eager to hang out again.
Ha. Yeah. Sure.
YES, SURE. DUDE. HELLO??? He literally said he liked you, that he enjoyed being around you, and that he was open to some kind of friendship.
Seriously, how much clearer did your brain need it spelled out? (Also, why did you hear this in Rafeâs voiceâhelp.)
ANYWAY. Time to head back.
âDamn, that mustâve been some really good water you got there, judging by that smile,â Cleo said with a smirk as you returned to the table.
Sarah giggled. âAlso took you quite a while for just water.â
âCanât blame her,â Cara added, grinning. âThat waterâs got some very visible attributes we clearly donât.â
Kiara sighed, half exasperated, half amused. âWeâre never gonna pass the Bechdel test.â
Your cheeks burned as you sat back down, cradling your glass. âYeah, sooo... Iâm heading out around seven-thirty.â
âYou and the water got a date?â Cleo raised her brows with a smirk.
Cara went one further. âYou and the water better use protection.â
Your brows knit in hot-faced disbelief as Cleo and Sarah burst out laughing.
Kiara just curled her lips. âBlink three times if you need help.â
Jesus Christ.
âIâno,â you said, laughing in embarrassment. âHeâs just picking me up and then I donât know, probably driving me home.â
Cara rolled her eyes. âSweetie, we all know damn well thatâs not whatâs gonna happen.â
âAnd if it is,â Cleo added, âhe can turn his ass right back around. Taking you from us just to drop you at home? Disrespect.â
âWouldnât surprise me,â Kiara said dryly.
The way she always talked about him made you think there was some history there. Just... what kind?
âNo,â Sarah said with a chuckle. âIf that was his goal, heâd already be here. My brother doesnât have the patience to wait for stuff like that.â
If you only knew.
âOkay, I appreciate you guys cheering this onâor well, not cheering, in Kiaraâs case,â you added with a side-smile. âBut honestly, this whole topic is frying my brain a little, so if we could shift the gears? Thatâd be amazing.â
Sarah smiled gently. âSorry, we didnât mean to push. Itâs just, my brother never puts in effort with any girl. I mean, Wheezieâs kind of the exception, but other than that?â She shrugged. âHe takes whatever falls into his lap. Anything more would be too much work. But with you? I donât know.â She tilted her head, almost fascinated. âItâs like heâs chasing you. Even if he doesnât realize it.â
âDuh.â Cara gestured toward you. âHave you seen her?â
Sarah chuckled. âOf course, Y/Nâs gorgeous.â You could feel the heat crawl up your neck. âBut I donât think you guys realize how unusual it is for Rafe to spend time with a girl and not try to hook up with her. Heâs never been into relationships. But nowâ"
âOhâum, no. No.â You cut her off, laughing awkwardly and shaking your head like your life depended on it. âThatâs notâlike, no. This is more of a friendship thingy.â
They all looked at you. Deadpan.
Kiara was the first to speak, brows raised in disbelief. âYeah, no, trust me. Rafe doesnât do female friends.â
Sarah also shook her head, but before she could say anything, you raised your hands like you were waving off the whole convo. That tiny little sentence from Barry earlier had already sent you spiraling enough for one day. You didnât need a rerun.
Especially not after you'd just talked things through with Rafe and nearly driven him to the brink of insanity.
âPlease. Seriously, I appreciate your concern and support and everything, but Iâm actually really okay with how things are right now,â you said with another nervous laugh. âI mean, I...who even says Iâm interested in him like that?â
Another round of flat stares.
Yikes.
You eyed Cara, but she just raised her hands. âAll I said was that Rafe dropped you off and you'd come to hang out with us.â
âA girl willingly sticking around to hang out with my brother?â Sarah said, feigning innocence. âI just put one and two together.â
âAnd girl, them numbers are loud,â Cleo added, clearly entertained.
Alright. If everyone already clocked that you had a crush on Rafe...how the hell had he not picked up on it yet?
Oh. Oh no. Or what if he had?
Jesus fucking Christ WHAT IF HEâ
âOkay, I can literally see the gears turning in your head,â Cara said. "And the drinks are empty, so letâs go stretch our legs and hit the beach.â
And that was exactly why this queen was your bestie.
âż âż âż âż âż âż âż âż âż âż âż âż âż âż âż
"Huh, you're leaving already?" JJ asked as you slung your bag over your shoulder. "Gotta hit the hay or what?"
Youâd all regrouped with the guys back in the shady spot on the beach. And honestly? Youâd just hung out, chatted, laughed, Cara, Cleo, and JJ had shared a joint, and it had actually been really fun.
Theyâd welcomed you right in, super chill and easygoing, and the dynamic between them all felt like a little mini family. It was kind of adorable.
But now it was almost 7:30 p.m. and well, youâd promised Rafe to dip at this time.
You smiled a bit awkwardly. âNo, I justâŚâ Am getting picked up by the guy you all seem to hate. ââŚI already had plans for tonight,â you decided to go with.
âItâs fine, you can say his name,â John B said, grinning as he took a sip of his beer. âHeâs not, like, the Darth Vader.â
Cleo raised an eyebrow. âWrong franchise, dude. You mean the Dark Lord.â
Everyone laughed in unison.
âOkay, okay,â Cara said. âWe promised her weâd drop the subject.â She stood up and helped you to your feet. âNow chop chop, Cinderellaâs got a carriage to catch.â
She gave you a tight squeeze goodbye, grinning wide, which of course triggered a whole wave of hugs.
First Sarah, who jumped up next and hugged you warmly with a âHave fun, see you soon,â then Cleo and Kie, who added a good-natured âDonât let him get away with any crap,â and JJ, who patted your shoulder and told you, âProtection first, fun second,â and finally Pope and John B, who said, âTake care and weâll probably see you tomorrow, yeah? You guys are coming, right?â
Oh right, the open-air movie night.
Cara nodded for both of you. âAbsolutely.â
âWant us to pick you up?â John B offered.
âUh-huh, weâll sort that out tomorrow,â Cara said, already nudging you away from the group.
With one last smile and a wave, you turned and headed back over the dunes toward the parking lot where Rafe had dropped you off.
Whew. Another wild chapter of today officially crossed off the list.
Now that you actually had a moment to yourselfâno one talking your ear off or asking about Rafeâyou finally had time to think.
Except⌠you couldnât.
No thoughts. Head empty.
No energy left whatsoever. And no, that wasnât really the Poguesâ fault. God no, they were all basically drama-free, free-spirited serotonin boosters. But the day itself had just been a lot.
And your body? Still recovering from last night and probably processing the final fragments of your hangover.
And the worst and best part? No time to exhale, because Rafe was already there, waiting with his black Benz in the parking lot, the setting sun throwing golden glints off the sleek surface.
Only when you got to the passenger side did you catch your reflection and realize you were grinning like an absolute idiot.
Already hit my peak craziness today, canât get any worse, you thought as you climbed into the car with a cheerful, âHi.â
Fuck. Every single time, it hit you again. Those painfully blue eyes of his. Then the scent of his cologne, the now-familiar smell of his car, that slightly unbuttoned polo shirt, andâoh. He was wearing his hair in curtain bangs style again.
Heâd had it like that this morning too, now that you thought about it. But you were only really noticing it now that your head was clear enough to focus.
âWhatâs with the smile?â he asked, raising an amused brow and turning down the volume on the Kendrick Lamar track playing through the speakers.
You shook your head, still smiling. âNothing, itâs justâŚâ You glanced at his hair. âToo lazy for the slick back today?â
Rafe scoffed and started the car. âNah, just taking a girlâs advice.â
YOU. HE MEANT YOU. OMG.
No way. Had he actually taken your little compliment from last night to heart? When you'd said curtain bangs suited him more than his usual style?
For some reason, that made your heart race fast.
âYou take advice?â you teased, trying to play it cool despite the adrenaline spike. âWow. Thatâs a first.â
To your surprise, he didnât laugh or clap back with something snarky. No, he actually furrowed his brow, let out a bitter scoff, and pulled out of the lot. âLooks like Sarah and her little loser friends are already rubbing off on you.â
You blinked. Was he serious right now?
âYeah, well I was joking,â you replied flatly.
Rafe glanced at you for a second. There was somethingâhesitation, maybeâin his eyes. âYeah, some really funny joke, hanging out with people like that.â
Okay. Seriously? Fuck. That.
You were not in the mood for this bullshit right now.
âOkay, wait no,â you said, turning your body to face him fully, âI donât know what your problem is with them or your sister, as a matter of fact, but keep me out of it. And, just so weâre clear: I can hang out with whoever I want, regardless of how you feel about them. Plus, if youâre gearing up for some kind of confrontation or Pogues-are-scum lecture, let me out of the car right now. Iâll go back to said âlosers.ââ You made exaggerated air quotes.
âAnd also,â you raised your eyebrows, more amused than angry now, âdid you seriously just call me a loser?â
Now it was Rafe who blinked, clearly thrown off, gripping the steering wheel tighter as he threw you a very dry side-eye.
And as good as it felt to have said all that, to shut him down before the confrontation even had a chance to erupt, part of you couldnât help but hope he wouldnât actually start a fight now.
Not now, not when things between you were going so well. When you were at the peak of your⌠getting-to-know-each-other-project-partner-acquaintanceship.
Pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease donât blow up now.
âShit, do I look like someone who hangs out with losers?â he finally said, and although he sounded tenseâlike, tense enough to physically restrain himself from crashing the carâthere was an amused undertone to his voice.
Translated from moody-Rafe-speak, that probably meant something like: Youâre not a loser. I didnât mean it like that.
You let out a breath, but your voice stayed firm. âWell, apparently I do. And clearly, that bothers you.â
âShit, yeah, I mean, why are you hanging out with my sister?â he asked, shrugging in irritation. âThatâs weird as fuck.â
You shook your head, already irritated. âAnd what exactly is so weird about that?â
That seemed to make him think for a second. Maybe you should piss him off more often, then heâd actually start using his brain.
âI donât know, it just is, okay?â he snapped back, somehow sounding both soft and frustrated.
You just stared at him, completely deadpan. âUh-huh.â
Rafe scoffed. âDonât âuh-huhâ me.â
âOkay, you wanna know whatâs weird?â you said, raising your brows and gesturing toward yourself. âTelling me who I can and canât hang out with. Thatâs weird. Youâre not my dad, youâre not my mom. And I donât even take that kinda shit from them.â
Rafe furrowed his brows like you were the crazy one. âWhat the fuck are you talking about? Iâm not telling you what to do, Iâm questioning your judgment.â
âWhat fucking judgment?â you snapped back. âTheyâre just normal people. And one of them happens to be your own sister. How can you talk about her like that?â
And now the craziest part: Rafe was clearly tense and worked up. It was obvious he didnât like that youâd hung out with Pogues today, that you got along with Sarah. Like, he wanted so badly to keep picking at you, to criticize you, throw some kind of blame your way.
But all he did was exhale sharply, clench his jaw tight, and mutter, âShit. Iâm not in the mood for this shit right now.â
Okay. Something was definitely off. Rafe Cameron⌠backing out of a confrontation? Nah. Universe mustâve glitched.
âNo, I want to know why it bothers you,â you pushed, surprised by your own willingness to keep going, considering this was probably playing with fire. âI mean, I think your sisterâs cool. Shouldnât that⌠I don't know make you happy or something?â
Rafe scowled. âFucking great, you two are besties now.â
Oh my God. This was starting to sound an awful lot like theory #3 from earlier: Rafe being lowkey possessive.
âCara is my best friend,â you said calmly, though really, you were just trying to outsmart the spiral slowly forming in your head by faking some semblance of calm, âbut yeah, Sarahâs probably a great friend, too.â
Rafe clenched his jaw so tight, you could see a vein popping in his neck. His chest rose and fell like he was trying hardâreally hardânot to lose it.
But despite the tension, he looked a little lost, like he didnât know what to say. Hesitant. Unsure. And somehow, that clawed at your chest. Heâd been so patient with your spiral earlier, so maybe it was your turn to meet him halfway when he had his little moody episode.
âIâm just trying to understand why this is hitting a nerve,â you said softly. âI mean, Sarah seems really nice and kind to me. But maybe sheâs different around you. Of course, thatâs not really my place toââ
âSheâs a greedy bitch, okay?â Rafe snapped, his tone almost hateful, eyes fixed on the road ahead with shocking intensity. Then he glanced at youâpure rage flickering in his eyes. âShe sticks her curios nose into everything, always has to be faster, smarter, better than everyone else.â He shook his head, eyes darting forward again. âAnd everyone treats her like some fucking princess, like sheâs royalty or some shit, just for batting her damn lashes. Even at home.â
His voice had taken on a dangerously sharp edge. Visibly agitated, he jabbed a finger at his own chest. âIâm the one driving Wheezie around. Iâm the one who listens to Roseâs bullshit. Iâm the one whoâs always backing Dad. Iâm the one who deserves the kind of shit Sarah gets handed for free. But no one fucking sees that. Everyoneâs too blinded by her fake charm and smiles.â
His face, already twisted with emotion, looked almost pained with the bruise still visible on his cheek. âEvery fucking person in my life she tries to turn against me or pull over to her side. Dad. Wheezie. Fucking Topper, once. And now you,â he said, gesturing to you in one swift, bitter motion. âAnd Iâm so fucking sick of her always getting away with it.â
The frustration and bitterness that followed cracked in his voice. âEvery time sheâs about to fall, thereâs always some fucker there to catch her.â His brows twitched, and then his eyes finally locked with yoursâsharp, bitter, and frustrated. âAnd Iâm just so fucking sick of being the only one who sees through her bullshit.â
You were stunned. Completely thrown off by the sheer weight of what had just spilled out of him. All the anger, the bitterness, the jealousy but underneath it all, what you really heard was desperation. Frustration. A fear of being left behind. And maybe a deep-rooted sense of not being good enough.
And if you had to guess⌠the root of it all wasnât really Sarah.
It was Ward Cameron.
Because no matter how hard he tried to pin the blame on his sister, something about the way he spoke⌠it didnât feel like she was the real issue.
You didnât know what went on behind closed doors, of course, but your gut told you: His dad was the reason Rafe was like this.
The way he always talked about his dad, like Ward was some flawless, perfect man. The way Rafe instantly tensed whenever his father was even mentioned. The way heâd completely flipped into submissive mode when talking to a male authority figureâlike your dadâcalling him sir, being polite to the point it was almost⌠eerie.
And then, of course, the way he couldnât hold a normal conversation without posturing, getting defensive, or misinterpreting every neutral word as an attack. Like he literally didnât know how to express a single honest feeling.
Like that had to be the result of some kind of suppressed trauma.
And this? Rafe voicing his frustration out loud? To you?
That made your heart ache for this angry, wounded boy who maybe wasnât so stupid after all. Just bitter. And broken.
And as much as you wanted to tell him that Sarah wasnât the real problem, that he needed to take a long, hard look at his dad, open his damn eyesâit wouldâve been pointless.
His hate, his bitterness toward Sarah ran deep. Too deep for you to reach right now.
So you tried a different approach.
Because what he really seemed to ache for was to feel seen. Maybe the only thing you could do right now was acknowledge that.
âIf Iâd rather hang out with Sarah, I wouldnât be here right now,â you said softly, heart pounding so loud it nearly drowned your own words.
Rafe's brows twitched like he was weighing the truth in your words, but then he shook his head bitterly, eyes fixed on the slowly darkening road. "You don't fucking get it. That invite to her stupid little hangout was just the start of her bullshit. She always gets what she wants, eventually." He scoffed. "You already jumped at the first chance she gave you."
Let's add Theory #4: Rafe being scared of abandonment.
You fidgeted with your fingers in your lap, taking a slow breath in. This wasnât just playing with fireâthis felt like walking across a paper-thin glass dome, already cracking beneath your feet, threatening to shatter and drag you down at any second.
"But Sarah wasnât the one who called me or asked me to come," you reminded him softly. "Cara wanted me there. She needed advice about JJ. If she hadnât needed my help, I wouldnât have asked you to drop me off." A small, almost amused chuckle slipped from your lips. âNot after driving you this close to insanity.â
That seemed to ease some of the tension in his body.
With a stern look, he muttered, "She's chasing fucking Maybank? Of all the shitty-ass Pogue rats, she chooses him?"
You laughed at the dry amusement in his tone and how quickly his demeanor had shifted. "Yeah, but I doubt it'll turn into a long-term thingy. Topper kinda flipped all her principles upside down."
Rafe didnât respond. He just kept staring ahead, a stormy mix of exhaustion, confusion, and frustration in his eyes.
It was strange seeing him shut down like this, considering he was always the one with the cocky remarks and sharp comebacks. But right now? He felt like a wolf shedding his skin to reveal the sheep underneath.
âIf whatâs got you scared isââ you started, but he cut you off immediately.
"I'm not fucking scared, alright?" he snapped. "Iâm just not in the mood to waste my fucking time on someone whoâs already dancing to Sarahâs tune."
In other words: he was scared.
You eyed his harsh profile, your gaze soft. âOkay, but I donât get why you'd even think that. I mean, Iâm here, arenât I?â
âThe fuck do I know,â Rafe muttered, voice tinged with visible frustration. âWhyâd you stay over there then, huh? Or did Sarah send you to spy on me?â
Paranoid too. Fantastic.
An amused smile tugged at your lips. âWell, for starters, Cara was there, and Iâd already promised her weâd hang out today anyway. So I figured I might as well knock that out." You toyed with the strap of your bag. âAnd, even if you donât want to hear itâor wonât get itâI actually thought the people there were⌠nice. Welcoming even. To me, at least.â
Rafe looked about two seconds away from pulling over and kicking you out of the car, so you hurried on: âBut as friendly as they were⌠theyâre also a lot. Like, imagine a room full of Caras, Kelces, and Toppers all at once,â you said with a soft chuckle. âSure, itâs fun in small doses. But for someone like me? That's exhausting.â
The car came to a stop at a red light, but Rafe didnât meet your gazeâjust kept staring straight ahead, uncertainty written all over his face. A heavy silence settled in the car.
"And this right here?" you continued, your voice suddenly quiet. "This is like a welcome escape."
Only the soft hum of the engine and the loud pounding of your heart filled the air as you waited for his reply.
The light turned green, casting a glow across the carâs hood but Rafe didnât move the car. In the side mirror you only spotted an empty road behind you.
Rafe's eyes finally met yours, and for some reason, with that bruise on his face and the exhaustion in his gaze, he looked wrecked. Completely worn down, like he didnât even have the energy to snap back.
âSee, thatâs the thing,â he said flatly, his usual fire missing. He gestured vaguely to his chest. âI donât want the doll Sarah tosses away after she breaks it.â
That sounded a hell of a lot like Iâm sick of being everyoneâs second choice.
Jesus. This boy had issues so deeply tangled it made your chest ache. All you wanted in that moment was to hug him.
âGood thing Iâm not a doll, then,â you said with a soft chuckle. âAnd maybe I worded that badly. I didnât mean it like Iâm just using this,âyou motioned between the two of you,âas some kind of doormat.â
You tilted your head slightly, tapping your finger against your temple as the light turned red again. âThat would be a shitty move, especially considering I recently just mentally added you to my friend book today.â
And just like that, the hard edge in Rafeâs face melted. His crooked smile crept back, and the heavy storm cloud hanging over you both finally drifted on. âShit, you actually did that?â
Was that really all he needed? A little acknowledgment? Some reassurance? It was almost like you both carried the same core issues, just rooted differently.
You smiled wide and shrugged. âYour folder idea wasnât bad not gonna lie, but that felt a bit too impersonal for me.â
Rafe scoffed, amused, and god, your heart flipped at that familiar sound. âThinking about it, maybe Sarah can have you,â he said with a lopsided grin. âYour crazy ass would fit right into her fucked-up group.â
A laugh burst from your lips. âYou can still turn around.â
His brows twitched, a flicker of irritation in his eyes.
Oh godâno way he thought you actually meant that.
So you quickly added, âBut Iâd much rather stay here.â
Rafe held your gaze for a moment, his expression still harsh, but the green traffic light seemed to soften the sharp lines of his face at just the right angles.
Funny enough, he actually did remind you of a Dobermanâsharp, alert, a little intimidating, but really just an anxious soul underneath.
A loud, grating honk made both of you jump.
âHoly shit,â you laughed, startled, pressing a hand to your chest.
Rafe glanced up at the rearview mirror, scowling. âFucking Pogue in his shitty-ass truck.â
âJust drive, please,â you said, half-nervous, half-amused, glancing through the rear window. âThat guy actually does not look friendly.â
Rafe let out an amused breath as he finally started moving the Benz. "Guess thereâs still a little bit of reason left in that crazy head of yours."
And just like that, the energy between you two was back to normal. Or, wellâas normal as it could be, considering neither of you was exactly normal. You had a full-blown overthinking-spiral problem, while Rafe... yeah, letâs not even try to unpack those issues.
Still, that one moment where heâd let out some of his frustrationâeven if it had been aimed at his poor sisterâonly made the pull you already felt toward him even stronger.
It was like, every day, he peeled back another layer of himself. Compared to the beginning of the week? Holy fuck, that was a completely different ball game.
Where youâd been anxious as hell just riding shotgun to Kelceâs place on Tuesday, now you felt this calm, this ease around him. Rafe had started out as nothing more than an intimidating crush but now? He was just a guy, carrying way too much unprocessed shit, trying to bottle it up in public.
And despite the absolute oceans of differences between the two of you, despite constantly arguing, snapping at each other, and testing each otherâs patience dailyâsomehow, it worked.
He shut down your overthinking, and you drove him fucking insane. Nah, just kidding. (Actually⌠not really.) You helped him be real, humbled his cocky ass now and then.
And maybe thatâs why this weird project-partner-acquaintance-kinda-friends-now-ship was working for both of you.
OKAY GIRL, thatâs enough thinking for today, damn. Just chill out already.
And you did.
The sun had finally dipped below the horizon, letting the moon and stars take center stage. Rafe was just cruising around the Outer Banks without any real plan. Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole played in the background, and at some point he even tossed you his phone to pick songs yourself. You caught him tapping his finger to the beat of Tame Impala and Suki Waterhouse, even though he had the audacity to call it âdepressed emo girl music.â
Other than that, the two of you just vibed. Rafe bitched about Kelce and Topper, you both talked shit about Chris Reid and Ruthie, and you rambled on about some design ideas for your school project and how to execute them in collage form, until Rafe had had enough of the school talk and, surprisingly, steered the convo back toward your little beach hangout earlier.
You could tell he was physically restraining himself from crashing out, but he still nodded, showed some (fake) genuine interest, and only threw in a couple minor passive-aggressive comments.
Another small win.
Around ten, you both got the munchies. After going back and forth way too long, you finally insisted on McDonalds.
Rafe nearly cried (no joke) as he squeezed his massive Benz into the way-too-narrow drive-thru lane. Then he almost had a full-blown breakdown when the cashier handed him your milkshake without a lidâbecause God forbid his precious seats got dirty. Luckily, the lady was kind enough to give him one before the panic attack fully set in.
And once you were in the car? He opened every window and door to eatâbecause, apparently, the fabric seats were at risk of absorbing âthat garbage smell.â
Jesus Christ, this guy was a drama queen.
âYou know,â you said, laughing as you daintily picked up a fry, still not over the fact that he actually paid for your order too, âwe couldâve just eaten inside.â
Rafe just scoffed as he layered, like, seven hundred napkins across his lap. âItâs bad enough I even showed up here. No way in hell Iâm letting anyone see me inside that cracked-out hellhole.â
You seriously doubted anyone gave a single fuck that Rafe Cameron was picking up 9-piece nuggets and a Big Mac meal on a Saturday night at McDonaldâs, but sureâletâs not ruin his illusion.
He then frantically gathered every single piece of trash and had you throw it out so no one would catch him in the act.
Then the car just sat there, windows wide open, for ten whole minutes to âair out the cursed stench,â before he finally drove off again.
About an hour later, around 11, a heavy wave of sleepiness hit you. Youâd barely slept the night before and had spent half the day with a lingering hangover. Tomorrow, you at least wanted to feel like a semi-functional human.
So yeah, you decided to call it a day.
Rafe looked mildly offended, but truth be told, he seemed ready to pass out too. That didnât stop him from taking the longest, most unnecessary detour ever (clingy Rafe confirmed) before finally pulling into your parentsâ driveway half an hour later.
âThanks for the ride. And the food,â you said when the engine shut off and everything went quiet.
Rafe let out a breath, half amused. âPretty sure you canât even legally call that crap food.â
âYou sure didnât hesitate with those nuggets, though,â you teased, smiling.
âProtein,â was all he mumbled in response.
You laughed softly. âSure.â Then unbuckled and slung your bag over your shoulder. âOkay, well... uh... I guess Iâll...â OH GOD WHAT WERE YOU SUPPOSED TO SAY.
Last night youâd been absolutely wasted so you hadnât given a single shit, but now??? Awkward silence GO.
âWait, Iâll get the door,â Rafe mumbled, unbuckling too. âDonât want your dad kicking my ass because I didnât open it for you.â
You looked at him in disbelief, amused. âHeâs definitely already asleep.â
Rafe opened his door with a frown. âNot risking another fucking bruise.â
You felt this weird, fluttery feeling in your chest and stomach as he walked over to your side and actually opened the door for you. Clutching your bag strap, you got out with a quiet, âThanks.â
With a soft thud, Rafe shut the car door behind you.
âSo,â Rafe said flatly, âdo I have a sniperâs red dot on my forehead yet?â
You chuckled. âHe was a combat medic, not a sniper.â
âAnd now chief physician,â Rafe said deadpan. âPretty sure heâs got some shady connections and could get my doctor to prescribe me something lethal.â
You laughed again. âAlright, I better head inside before you start spouting more half-asleep conspiracy theories.â
âIâm wide awake,â he chuckled. âYou need me to walk you to the door or you got this?â
You glanced at the door and nodded, your brows furrowed. âDunno, what if some Pogueâs lurking behind the bushes?â
Rafe let out a dry âFucking hilarious,â and then PUT HIS HAND ON YOUR BACK TO GENTLY STEER YOU TOWARD THE DOOR.
ALARM ALARM ALARM ALARM.
Exactly six steps later, he dropped his hand. âIâm not tucking you in though,â he said, and of course added with a crooked grin, âUnless youâre scared of sleeping alone.â
UM. HELPPPPPPPPPP.
A half-embarrassed, half-anxious laugh escaped your throat, your chest and neck heating up, and you shook your head. âI think Iâll manage, thanks.â
âAight,â he said. And thenâsomething shifted in his usual cocky posture. It could almost be interpreted as hesitation. Or nerves.
Okay, guess you had to say something now.
âYouâve got something on your mind,â you said, amused.
âNah, I justâŚâ He scratched his chin, his face twisting into a grimace. âI went to the gas station earlier after I dropped you off. Had to fill up my car.â
You nodded. âSounds like something youâd do at a gas station.â
Rafe let out a shaky breath, followed by a âNo shit, smartass,â the corner of his mouth twitching up in the faintest smile. âOkay, I justâwhen I was at the checkout, you know how they always have those shelves full of random dumb crap?â
âGas station core,â you replied deadpan, trying to mask the way your nerves were absolutely going crazy, BECAUSE RAFE BEING NERVOUS ONLY MADE YOU TEN TIMES MORE NERVOUS.
Rafe looked at you with furrowed brows. âYeah, and they had that dumb horse merch, thatâwhatâs it called, that damn cartoon?â
âMy Little Pony?â
He nodded impatiently. âYeah, maybe. Whatever.â His hand slipped into his pocket. Then he pulled out a palm-sized yellow-pink plastic bag. âAnyway, figured your fucked-up brain might need this. All that stuff you said earlier about needing clarity and shit like that.â
He held it out to you, a smile on his face that didnât quite match his usual cockiness. âDidnât craft it myself though, but guess itâll do.â
[system shutting down, please consider doing a backup]
âŚ
DBJKHKSUEGFBVMLCDMCDJVGFSDWODJFDNCJKFLSĂ;XNAAGHDFSMDS;KMKSXKDWHATWHATWHATWHATWHAT
WHAT.
Your heart was pounding, nerves threatening to explode, adrenaline ready to hand you a goddamn stroke.
THIS. OH MY FUCKING GOD.
You probably looked like a complete idiotâlips slightly parted, eyes wide, just straight up staring at the thing in his hand.
You had no idea what to say or do. Despite the crooked smile on his face, Rafe looked way too serious for this to be a joke.
âShit, take it already. I can see the minions in your head running around in panic,â he said and basically forced the bag into your hands.
You took it and stared, baffled. A smiley Fluttershy was printed on the front, surrounded by pastel pink hearts and yellow stars. And right under the big-ass MLP logo, in bold letters, it said: âFriendship Bracelet for the Fluttershy in your life.â
SCREAMING CRYING THROWING UP EXPLODING DYING REBOOTING.
MENTALLY JUMPING OFF A CLIFF.
Actually physically vibrating.
Okay. Okay. You needed to get a grip before you actually combusted orâholy shitâstarted crying for absolutely no reason.
Your eyes met his again, adrenaline surging through every damn corner of your body. âThatâs... I donât even... thank you, thatâs really sweet.â
âJesus, please donât thank me for spending money on that shit,â he scoffed, stepping closer, his finger tapping the plastic. âAnd look, it says âfriendship braceletâ. Not âIâm-trying-to-get-in-your-pants-or-use-you-for-a-hookup braceletâ.â
His intense blue eyes locked onto yours, and holy shit HE WAS CLOSE CLOSE. He tapped his own head. âThat clear enough for your crazy brain? Or is there still some stupid little minion in there running his mouth? âCause if so, Iâll knock the little shit out myself.â
Even though you were massively taken aback by this incredibly and unexpectedly sweet gesture, you somehow managed a laugh. âNo, I think that should do it.â
Rafe let out a strained breath. âJesus Christ. Fucking finally.â
You smiled, cheeks hot. âWhereâs yours?â
âWhat?â
âYour bracelet,â you said, amused at his baffled expression. âFriendship bracelets only make sense if both people wear them.â
Rafe gave you a blank stare. âShit. Wait, what? You actually wanna wear that?â
âYeah, why not?â you chuckled. âYou bought it for me, might as well put it to use.â
Rafe scoffed. âThat crap didnât even cost five dollars.â
âAnd?â
âAnd it was clearly just meant to make a point. Didnât actually expect you wanting to wear that shit."
âOkay well, let me at least see what it looks like,â you said, tearing the little bag open.
Andâholy shit.
Youâd expected some hideous, oversaturated, cringey kid bracelet with plastic hearts and cursed Fluttershy charms but this was actually ridiculously cute. And definitely not sized for a childâs wrist.
A silver chain with pastel-colored hearts, flowers, and beads dangled between little silver charms: a butterfly, a keyâOH MY GOD.
âItâs cute,â you said, grinning as you looked at him. âI like it.â
Rafe scowled dramatically, raising a brow. âLemme guess, you want me to put it on for you.â
DKFJHSDHFBVJDLNSKADNVJSDFKLS YES PLEASE.
âThatâd be nice,â you said quietly, handing him the bracelet.
You held out your arm, and Rafe stepped even closer, wrapping the bracelet around your wrist from underneath. His fingers brushed against your skin as he clumsily fumbled with the clasp, his expression focused like he was defusing a bomb.
You couldnât even laugh at how badly he was struggling with a literal childrenâs bracelet because your heart was pounding so loud, your breathing had basically stopped because you could feel his warm breath on your wrist.
âFucking hell, what is this shitty-ass clasp,â he muttered, brows pulled together in frustration. But finally he managed to close it, letting out a breath like heâd just survived a 24-hour brain surgery.
âThanks,â you said as he stepped back, your eyes dropping to the bracelet and the tiny little charms dangling from it. You were smiling like an idiot. âItâs actually really pretty.â
Rafe looked at you like he was now absolutely convinced you belonged in the âmentally unstableâ section. âShit, well, I guess as long as it spares me from another long-ass conversation.â
You let out a soft chuckle. âMaybe on that topic, but I canât make any promises in general.â
âAight,â he said, making a hush motion with his hand. âBetter get inside before I regret buying that crap.â
âOkay,â you said, probably still grinning like a dumb idiot. And thenâyou took a step forward, courage powered by a serotonin overdose, and hoped to EVERYTHING ABOVE he would catch the signal and not turn this into the most awkward goodbye of your life.
AND HE GOT IT.
Rafe stepped forward too, immediately wrapping his arms around you. Your own found their way around his neck. The little bracelet jingled between you, and you actually giggled like a total idiot because of this. This was everything and more.
His warm body pressed against yours, the scent of his cologne, his hand rubbing slow circles on your backâSJDHAKJDHKDJWH.
When you both pulled away, you were smiling at each other like two hopelessly dumb idiots. And of course, this dumb idiot in particular had to ruin it with some stupid comment.
Rafe nodded toward your wrist. âTry not to think about me when youââ
âMh-hm, good night.â
He laughed, boyish and smug. âAight. Sweet dreams.â
With that, he turned around, and you let out the most tension-filled breath of your entire life. Because what. the actual. fuck. Like--
âOh, and youâre coming tomorrow, right?â
You looked up while digging for your keys. âWhat?â
âThat shitty-ass open air thing,â Rafe said. âTopperâs driving, so you can get wasted again if you want.â
Oh. Now it was fine that you were riding with Topper? This guy made zero sense.
âUm, yeah... can we discuss that tomorrow?â you asked with a sheepish smile. âI still have to check in with Cara.â
Rafeâs brows twitched, but he nodded.
You exchanged one last round of goodnights, and finallyâfinallyâyou made it into your house. Without overthinking, you went straight to your room, shut the door, and collapsed onto your bed with the biggest motherfucking grin on your face.
And without even letting yourself process what kind of batshit insane day this had been, you knew you had to text Cara. Or rather, send a voice memo. And then tomorrow morning youâd have to suffer through like a thousand delusional, chaotic messages in response.
But when you opened your messaging app, a final (hopefully final) surprise of the day was already waiting for you.
You sighed, now LITERALLY completely finished for today. But just as you were about to switch your phone to airplane mode and get ready for bedâthis:
You immediately put your phone into airplane mode, shut that thing off and tossed it onto your nightstand. Then you quickly got into your pyjama set, brushed your teeth and hurried back into bed.
Tucking yourself comfortably into the blankets, you force-shut your eyes and tried to ignore your thundering heart.
Your head was FULL. Like it had reached maximum capacity and workload today. AND NOW RAFE WAS BACK AGAIN WITH HIS CHEEKY LITTLE MESSAGES AND THAT CRAZILY GOOD LOOKING MIRROR SELFIE, GOOD HEAVENS HELP ME.
And that after he'd claimed--
NOPE. NO SPIRALING NOW. No overthinking, no questioning, no coming up with theories.
Absolutely not.
Rafeâs a flirty guy. He literally said so himself. And he was right, flirting didn't have to lead to anything. Plus, he just gifted you a freaking friendship bracelet like twenty minutes ago. So youâre not going to ruin your happy little bubble again.
Thatâs it for today. Tomorrow youâll have plenty of time for unnecessary mental gymnastics and whatnot.
Brain, shut up now. Good night.
âż âż âż âż âż âż âż âż âż âż âż âż âż âż âż
EXTRA SCENE rafe buying reader the bracelet at the gas station
âż âż âż âż âż âż âż âż âż âż âż âż âż âż âż
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 ->
âż âż âż âż âż âż âż âż âż âż âż âż âż âż âż
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
#killing me softly series#rafe cameron x reader#rafe cameron#outer banks#outer banks x reader#rafe cameron x yn#rafe cameron series#obx rafe cameron#rafe obx#rafe cameron x you#rafe cameron fic#rafe cameron smau#rafe cameron fanfiction#rafe outer banks#rafe x reader#outerbanks rafe#rafe cameron fluff#rafe cameron x y/n#rafe cameron x female reader#fluttershy bracelet (photo and design) by jaysbabygirl78 | depop
443 notes
¡
View notes
Note
I just realized. One thing that Optimus will certainly be educated on by the Primes in the Haunted AU is the various was One Can Kill A Quintesson! Leaving some Autobots confused at times when he's teaching them in return because 'This sounds pretty Specific...???'
It's slightly competitive on the Primes' part because yeah, the Deceptions do got the High Guard being good at killing Quintessons too but. They're the Real Experts. (Are they salty? Naaaah they're not. Much. Kinda.)
AKJSHDK YEAH YOU'RE SO RIGHT I LOVE THAT <333
they got so good at squishing the goddamn bugs and they're thrilled they can save Optimus the pain of figuring out their weak points through trial and error like they did. they're gonna make a pro out of their baby brother in no time.
and if they just so happen to know some of the Decepticons will be majorly pissed off at the fact OP is already on par with the best of what used to be the High Guard when he only has a fraction of their experience... well, happy coincidences, y'know?
and if they happen to teach Optimus how to crack open a Quintesson in just the right way to make some Decepticons see ghosts through him... that's between them and the people they're haunting :)
haunted au
#hey i got an ask#funsizedkola#transformers#transformers one#tf one#optimus prime#tf jazz#haunted au#my art#i am. so sorry this took so long. there's literally no good explanation i don't know where time went OTL#on a different note!#this ask reminded me of one of my favorite tf fics ever. it's called 'Nor Is He Early' and it features a delightful version of the matrix#and the role of prime that i haven't found anywhere else#it isn't really that similar to this au but it does feature OP being able to access the memories of previous holders#and some of those memories are about how to kill quintessons and all the trauma that comes with that#delighful i tell you#i think in this au optimus *can* access memories from the thirteen#but they just prefer to teach him the normal way#mostly because they think it's better from optimus to learn things in his own body rather than from someone else's memory#but also because those memories are Not Good. optimus is already going through his own war and they'd rather he not carry#memories from another one he wasn't even alive to live through#and if he struggles to pick something up they prefer to show him through memories of sparring they did with each other#and the high guard than to show him real battles#they Know it's no use. optimus had already died once before they even met him. they won't be able to protect him from this war#nor any other that comes next. but still they can't help but try#so... yeah ajshdjksa
449 notes
¡
View notes
Text
We as a fandom donât talk enough about this line cause what do you mean they havenât seen each other in over a decade and in their first interaction she calls him her shining Jedi knight? And then he tells her sheâs beautiful?? Iâm so not normal about them I love them
#something about her saying â*my* shining Jedi knightâ#the fact that thereâs like three other people in the room witnessing their reunion is killing me#Almec and Merrik definitely gossiped about this later#the protector in the back had some fun info to tell the rest the protectors squad#(is it canon that Satineâs guards are called the Protectors or was it just in that fic I read?)#satine kryze#duchess satine kryze#obi wan kenobi#obitine#the clone wars#star wars the clone wars#sw tcw
540 notes
¡
View notes
Text
Trey wasnât the prey after all â he was the bait. And Jade had fallen for it.
[ Just Bite Me Gently ]
#okay but this is NOT even the best scene of the fic pls just go and read it#IT'S HARD TO DEPIC INTIMATE FIC but IT'S THE ONE KILLING ME THE MOST#THE WAY TREY ACTS IN THIS ONE MAKEs ME LOST MY MINDDD.......................#HE SOUNDS SO MATURE WITH ALL OF HIS RESPONSE#FOR OCNE I AM SCREAMINNGGG FOR TREYY INSTEAD OF FOCUSING ON HOW BEAUTIFUL JADE ISS#fanfic stash#twst#twisted wonderland#treyjade#trey clover#jade leech#fanart#i was supposed to do a bit of report for my placement#but i would like to advertise this fic so much
728 notes
¡
View notes
Text
drabbles |Â á´á´á´ ĘÉŞá´
á´
Ęá´ x ę°!Ęá´á´á´
á´Ę
⢠late nights at the library.



All you crave is a break and sleepâbut Tom Riddle being your tutor and boyfriend makes your life just a little bit more complicated.
âThis is the third time you have gotten this wrong.â
You sighed, leaning back in the chair you were sitting in. âTom, I know. I justâ itâs late, okay? We have been here for what? Five hours?âÂ
He raised a brow, deep brown eyes meeting yours. âThatâs right. So, any reason why you canât remember? Do I need to explain it again?â
You wished you had known what you were signing up for when you started dating Tom. Endless hours of studying together. Him acting like your tutor when he was supposed to be your boyfriend. He had this never-ending ambition and motivation that you just couldnât match in the slightest.
Yes, you were one of the better students as well, but nobody and nothing could match Tom Riddleâtop student in every single class. Sometimes you wondered how he managed it all. How he could be so perfect. Studying, revising, prefect duties. It was almost like you needed an appointment to meet him, even as his girlfriend.
He seemed like a student as any otherâthough so special in his own way. The hunger for knowledge and power. The desire to become prefect, head boy, a professor.Â
The softer side to him that only you would ever get to seeâexcept when you were studying together, that is.Â
âPlease, can we just leave? I am so tired.â
You didnât leave. Not until you finally got it right. Not until you were completely drained, eyelids fluttering closed every other minute.
âCome on, I will bring you to your dorm.â He said softly after returning the books to where you had taken them from. Taking your hand in his and helping you up, he led you out of the dark and empty library. There were no words needed when you arrived at your dorm. The look in your eyes told him everything he needed to know.
Tom exhaled, deeply. âFine. But just this once.â
He always said that.
A minute later, you entered his dorm instead, and it was as if his guard had dropped the second the door closed behind you both. He took off his and your robes, hanging them on the coat stand behind you.Â
And then, without hesitation, he gently pulled you into his arms. He held you close, your head buried against his chest as his hand caressed your hair, placing a kiss on the top of your head.
Finally, your worries started to fade, exhaustion taking over. A soft smile tugged at the corner of his lips when he took in your expression, swiftly helping you out of your uniform and into your pyjamas. How heâd gotten themâyou didnât know, but you couldnât bring yourself to care.
All you wanted was himâhis kisses, his warmth, his support.Â
Of course, he knew.
So thatâs what he gave youâpulling you close as soon as the both of you lay down, pressing a gentle kiss to your soft lips before letting you cuddle into his side.
âI am proud of you, darling.â Tom whispered right before you drifted off to sleep, brushing a strand of hair from your face. âI always am.â
You smiled softly in response, drawing soft patterns on his chest.
âI love you so much, Tommy.â
thank you for reading! feel free to reblog and leave feedback <3 â masterlist. | drabbles.
âËâĄ
A/N: Just a little fluffy drabble bc I crave this manâs love and support during exam season. Ugh. <- This is also why I will be posting a little less/shorter works due to me basically having no time to write for the coming two weeks! I love you guys and hope to be back to normal asap! <33
#áŻá˘đŠ á´á´Ęâęą á´Ąá´Ęá´ęą âá°.á#finals are killing me#send help#accountingâŚ#tom riddle#tom riddle fluff#tom riddle fanfiction#tom riddle imagine#tom riddle x reader#tom riddle fanfic#tom marvolo riddle#tom riddle fic#tom riddle drabble#harry potter fandom#harry potter#slytherin#slytherin boys#slytherin boys fanfic#dividers by strangergraphics
465 notes
¡
View notes