#(riley:threads)

[ambercast]

where: main street who: carter behrens (@endlessreruns)

"Fuck, you're okay," Riley said in relief, pulling Carter into a firm hug once he found them in the crowd. He pulled away, gripping the other's shoulders firmly as he looked them over. "I mean, are you okay? I was worried about you all night." Being a boyfriend was hard on his emotions.

[ambercast]

Riley was enjoying the kiss, it was a good kiss, but he still couldn't shake the feeling that he shouldn't be doing it. He pulled away with a grimace. “Fuck, I'm sorry Monet. You're hot as hell, but I kinda have a partner . . . significant other . . . person. We were gonna keep things open for now, but I don't think I can do this. I totally would, though, you know? You're gorgeous. But . . . it doesn't feel right. I'm sorry.” He felt incredibly lame, but deep down he knew it was the right thing to do.

Monet wasn't typically the fooling around type, which was probably the only reason she hadn't hooked up with Riley before now. She couldn't help but think to herself that maybe she shouldn't just be throwing herself at people like this, but then a much louder voice in the back of her head was saying 'fuck it'. And she had to agree with the louder voice. She'd been too good for too long, why not have some fun? The world was ending, after all. She returned Riley's smirk, letting her eyes fall shut as he kissed her. One of her hands moved to his cheek, the other to his waist, waiting for further initiation from him to know what to do next.

[ambercast]

where: in front of fire station who: nathaniel dawson (@crazedhatesoul)

Riley sauntered over to Nathan, nudging his coworker with a faint smirk. ”Guess what Nate? You're looking at a taken man. Me and Carter made things official. I'm off the market. It's tragic, I know, but try not to cry. I'll still change in front of you in the locker room if you want.” He laughed.

[mxxnlightmuses]

closed starter || @daringsunflowers

“Okay it’s the first day of fall, it’s gonna be super cool today like in the 60s. Let’s get dressed and to for a walk in the park, maybe have a picnic?” She traced her fingers up her girlfriends bare side slowly. “Or we can go out of town to the pumpkin patch, take cute pictures, just spend time together.”

[ambercast]

where: ren faire who: lorcan hara (@houseoracastle)

Riley barely remembered Lorcan from their school days. He'd been a quiet one, usually in the music room, Riley remembered. Then he disappeared and Riley heard through the grapvine that the other was back and working at the school.

He made his way over to Lorcan, looking them up and down briefly. “So. I hear you're a teacher now. What made you wanna go back to that place?”

[ambercast]

Riley stared at Carter, not entirely catching the rest of their words, as one in particular echoed in his head. "Boyfriend?" he repeated with a faint grin. "You making this official, Behrens?" His heart pounded faster as he looked at Carter, trying not to freak out, pushing all his panic and anxiety down as best he could. He wanted this; he really did.

”Don't talk about my boyfriend that way“ Carter said when Riley called himself a piece of shit.. ”and I'm not sorry I ruined your plan“ they shook their head ”so don't ask me to be. Of course I stayed, Ri, I care about you. Yelling and cussing at me isn't going to scare me away. You're not going to scare me away. So you're going to have to get used to that because I'm not going anywhere, Riley Saunders.“

[mxxnlightmuses]

𝕿𝖆𝖌 𝕯𝖚𝖒𝖕

[ambercast]

where: the commune who: odette abbott (@odette-abbott)

"Hey Dette, you okay? You've been kinda 'off' lately," Riley said as he leaned against the back of the couch Odette sat on. He knew he'd been wrapped up in his new relationship with Carter, but he still paid attention to others at the Commune as best he could when he was home, and he'd definitely noticed something different about Odette.

[ambercast]

event: flower festival where: main street who: carter behrens ( @endlessreruns )

Riley was really feeling himself at this festival. Already a few drinks in and high on both mushrooms and marijuana, all the colors and shapes standing out to him in stark contrast to the rest of the street. He wasn't sure how long he'd been standing at this particular flower arch, stroking the soft velvety petals, when a familiar presence passed by him.

"Hey, hey, hey," he exclaimed, grabbing Carter's arm and tugging them over to the arch. "Look. Look at this. Isn't it amazing? All the colors . . . and it's so soft. Feel." He picked up Carter's hand, making their fingers stroke the petals lightly.

[ambercast]

“Even trouble seems boring? Wow, it's a cold day in hell apparently,” Riley said with a faint smirk. “Why don't we walk around and see what type of non-boring trouble we can get into? I've got nothing going on today. You can be my first appointment.”

"short stack? call me that again and i'll bite your ankles" she shot back with a smile towards him. "not much, it's been unbearably boring around here. even trouble seems boring." she huffed "what about you?"

[ambercast]

where: the parsons house who: olivia hart ( @crazedhatesoul )

"How you holding up with all this crazy shit?" Riley asked, passing Olivia his joint, since he figured she probably needed one. All of them did, honestly. Losing Tyler was . . . traumatic. The commune seemed quieter without him around.

[ambercast]

where: auntie em’s who: holland bryant (( @hollandmbryant ))

Riley honestly didn’t like to be inside Auntie Em’s. It was full of old, breakable things and he was always worried he’d fuck something up. But the girl who worked the counter was cute, and sometimes you had to take risks.

“Soooo . . . what’s the weirdest thing you got in here?” he asked, leaning on the counter.

[ambercast]

Riley glanced over at Sebastian, grinning faintly. “I don’t know, man, they’re both hot and scary ladies. It’s the ultimate blonde verses brunette.” He looked Bash over. “Too bad you didn’t sign up. Bet you look good on a horse.”

where: ren faire who: @ambercast (riley)

a jousting tournament was a wild choice of entertainment but his curiosity got the better of him. he'd never seen jousting in action and the point of town events were to bring people together. seb stood in the crowd waiting for the next round.

"who've you got your money on?"

[ambercast]

(( continued from here with @faciensmel ))

"My party routine is flawless, thank you," Riley said, laughing even as he took the joint from her to take a hit. "I get that people are grieving, I just wish they were grieving more in my direction. Give me something to do instead of just sitting around and thinking of the screams." He shook his head, taking another hit before handing the joint back to Andy. "Maybe something will catch fire and I can finally do my job."

[ambercast]

where: commune who: carter & riley (@endlessreruns)

Riley knew he had to make up for what happened at the festival. It wasn’t that he believed he’d said anything untrue, really, but the way he’d said it and the way he treated Carter was regrettable.

So he sought them out at the commune, hesitating a few feet away from where they were. “Hey . . . um, can we talk?”

"Here or did you want to go somewhere else?" They asked, knowing that while there weren't very many private places in the commune there were places more private than where they were now

Riley glanced around, confident he didn’t want to do this in front of people. “Can we go somewhere else? I’d rather talk in private honestly.”

"yeah, of course" they nodded, figuring there was an unused room somewhere

Riley hesitated before turning and walking out, doing his best to find an unoccupied room. Once he did, he stepped inside and shut the door behind Carter.

“I, uh, wanted to say I was sorry . . . for what happened at the flower festival. I was drunk and high but that’s no excuse really. I was pretty horrible to you so. I’m sorry.” He ran a hand back through his hair, not sure what else to say.

Carter wasn't sure what they were expecting when they got to the room and Riley shut the door behind, providing them with even more privacy.

"I accept your apology" they told him, moving to take a seat on the bed. "And you're right it isn't an excuse"

Riley bit his lip, watching Carter. “Are you really in love with me?” he asked softly after a moment, sounding a bit more vulnerable than he would’ve liked.

There was a moment before they answered, but it soon came accompanied by a nod, "yes." They didn't think it mattered anyways. Not with how Riley had reacted at the festival.

“I just . . . why? I’m an asshole, like . . . I’m seriously questioning your taste right now,” Riley said with an awkward laugh, rubbing his hand on his thigh.

"you can act like an asshole sometimes, there's a difference between that and actually being an asshole"

Riley stared at Carter a moment, still rubbing his hand anxiously on his thigh. “I’m a murderer,” he said helplessly after a moment. “And I’m not sorry I did it. That’s fucked up, right?”

"maybe, but I don't think anyone is going to blame you for killing your abuser. I don't."

Riley hesitated before finally moving over to sit next to Carter on the bed. He inhaled shakily. “I know I said I don’t feel anything except when I’m drinking, doing drugs, fighting, or fucking, but that wasn’t entire true. I feel things when I’m with you. I feel . . . kinda happy. Warm. Like . . . maybe I’m okay. I don’t want to lose that, and . . . the last time I loved someone they died.” He swallowed hard.

"I make you feel that way?" They asked, looking over at him as Riley came to sit next to them. "You know I can't promise you I won't die, right? I mean that's kind of what humans do. We die, but I can try my best to make sure you always feel happy and warm and maybe like you're okay while I'm here. Even if we're nothing beyond being friends"

Riley hesitated again, his hand flexing at his side before slowly reaching for Carter’s hand. He’d never felt this nervous in his life. It was a foreign feeling. “I don’t know if I can change. I’ve been this way for so fucking long. I’m . . . I’m afraid I’ll just hurt you,” he said in a voice barely above a whisper.

"I don't want you to change, I just want you to take care of yourself" they looked down at their hands, Riley's now holding theirs. "I'm not as fragile as you might think"

“You’re too good for me,” Riley said with a wry half smile. “I really don’t deserve you. I don’t know if I’ll ever deserve you.” He also looked down at their hands, lacing his finger’s through Carter’s. “But . . . maybe . . . if we go slow . . . I can learn to be better.”

"really?" They asked lifting their head to look up at him. "I think I can do slow."

Riley nodded. “Can I kiss you? I’ve kind of been wanting to do that for a long time now,” he admitted with a sheepish smile.

"yeah" Carter nodded, with a grin "you can kiss me*

Riley’s smile widened and he reached up with his free hand to touch Carter’s cheek gently. His stomach felt full of butterflies, which he’d never gotten before when kissing someone. But this was different. This was Carter. He leaned forward slowly, hesitating only briefly before he pressed his lips against theirs in a simple but deliberate kiss, his heart pounding wildly in his ears.

They smiled back at him, noting how gentle the other's touch was. They met his lips as Riley leaned to press a kiss to them, returning it lightly, thumb stroking the back of his hand

Riley pulled back after a moment, his cheeks warm as a blush spread over them. “I’ve never actually kissed anyone I liked before. Like, actually liked. In a more than just friends way. My heart feels like it’s about to explode.” He took Carter’s hand, pressing it to his chest so they could feel the rapid heartbeat.

Carter can't help but smile wider as they noticed the way Riley was blushing from the kiss. A kiss they had been waiting for. It grew further as their hand was placed against his chest and they could feel his heart beating beneath it. "Well let's hope it doesn't because I'd like for you to be alive for me to kiss more" they said before leaning in to kiss him this time.

Riley had to admit that was a very good line, and he kissed Carter back, deeper this time. The urge to push them down onto the bed and fuck them was strong, but he resisted. He didn’t want this to be that. This was special.

Carter squeezed his hand while moving the other up to the side of his neck. Their fingers curled gently around it and their thumb stroked back and forth against his jaw. After a few more lingering moments Carter pulled back, "has anyone ever told you you're a lovely kisser?" They asked with a soft grin.

Riley snorted softly and it broke some of the tension. “They’ve never used that exact word, no,” he admitted, shaking his head. “Not everyone is as poetic as you, though.” He grinned faintly, looking over Carter’s face. “We might want to head out because if we stay here it’s gonna be really hard not to fuck you.”

"yeah that's probably a good call" they nodded. It wasn't that they didn't want to, it was that they didn't want to yet. It didn't feel right to do it right now. They wondered if Riley felt the same.

“I want to, though. Fuck you, I mean,” Riley said, moving to stand and pulling Carter up next to him. “It just . . . never felt right before. To use you like that. I didn’t want to use you like that.” He shook his head.

"I want you to too just not yet. Is that okay? We said we were going to take things slow after all. Which if you still want to have sex with others I'm not going to tell you no. Just I want it to be not that with us"

Riley bit his lip. “You’re really okay with me having sex with other people while we’re taking it slow?” he asked hesitantly. “I’ll stop . . . when we make it official if you want.” He really didn’t want to fuck up with Carter.

"like I said I don't want you to change, I don't want to ask that of you"

“Honestly, I just do it because it’s better than feeling nothing all the time,” Riley admitted. “Like, yeah it feels good and it’s fun, but . . . if I’m getting it from you I don’t think I’d need it from anyone else anymore, you know?”

Carter smiled again at his words, "how about this, if it does happen just tell me. I won't be mad, I just want to know"

Riley hesitated. “You promise you won’t be mad? I don’t want to hurt you.”

"I promise. Just don't y'know lie about it"

Riley shook his head. “I’d never lie to you,” he said firmly, giving Carter’s hand a squeeze.

"thank you" they smiled giving him a quick peck of a kiss. "now we should probably figure out somewhere to go that isn't so tempting to have sex in"

“That’s gonna be a hard find,” Riley said with a small laugh, opening the door to the room and stepping out into the hall, finally feeling happy and hopeful for the first time in a long time. Maybe, hopefully, he wouldn’t fuck it all up.

[ambercast]

event: valentine’s day hoedown who: wren marsh (( @viewjaded ))

"Hey you're new right?" Riley asked as he collapsed in the seat next to Wren. He grinned, running a hand through his hair before putting his hat back on. "What made you decide town instead of the Parsons house? Not a fan of free love?"