#Raf...does have friends
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does each of them have an aspect you find hardest to portray, something you know to be true about them that doesn't find space often enough, things like that?
this is all amazing to read through btw, i've seen a lot of your art and have been meaning to catch up on the actual lore and what's going on (but, you know... life. always happening)
Tess, I just want to depict more in general. But she's what you call a "static" character [does not undergo character development but facilitates the development of other characters around her] and so my brain doesn't really insist on microwaving her nearly as much as it does with thr other two. Even though, in terms of aesthetic theming, she is the most interesting by far haha
For Raf, I microwave him the -most- and there are some really truly ugly aspects of his character that I am very soft on depicting because it is very easy to erode audience trust/empathy for a character like him. Even when I depict his struggles with his mental illness, we're only really see the battles he's able to win or overcome, and not the ones he loses--or is even completely unaware of. [Actually, we ARE seeing one such battle--but it hasn't been identified yet thanks to some unreliable narration hahaha] But I wish I had the balls--or finess--to depict his more unlikeable moments outside of the context of like...an ex or something where he has had time to look back on and reflect upon his behavior. Because he does have...more than his fair share of 'em. But I don't want that to be what he is to the reader.
For Margie, I feel like her struggles and interpersonal relationships play second fiddle to Rafs just because they're a lot more "mundane" and echo a lot of our own lived experiences, so I'm a little less inclined to go into big deep dives abt her because like...it's nothing new to most folks on this website. This website is FULL of people just like Margie. I think that's also why she's so popular on here. But she's got some really deep scars, too, that I'm only just finally starting to unpack properly--after leaving the clearly labled box out for so long wrt her haha So we'll be getting that soon enough.
Also with Margie, I would love to just kinda--show her relationships with her friends and family outside of Raf and Cortes, she actually HAS friends and such that she'll spend weekends and go on outings with!! I just haven't had the interest/motivation to depict any of that [because there are so many OTHER things that are more interesting to me that I'd rather spend the time writing and drawing abt wrt hi-note] haha but I genuinely wish I did.
#Raf...does have friends#but that's what the studio is to him...#His attendance at Hi-Note basically fulfills the limits he is willing to go wrt social interaction...
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Man i love Raf's step parents <:3
#especially the mom#also the fact that Raf doesn't have a red streak in her hair as kid#if i remember correctly she does have it in s2 in Angelie's flashbacks#angels friends
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#good for them#oh fак— i forgot to add Raf…and some others who i think would have up to 2-3 partners at a time…#tho i don’t think Raf would practice it ethically#no shade on R tho~ she just does not strike as an honest and good communicator.#angels friends#angel’s friends#my hcs#meme#for some reason i can’t tag all their names or t shadows it…. is one em a slur/curse word?? what’s up with that?#kinda love that— that’d be hilarious if it’s true
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june seems too late
caleb (xia yizhou) x female reader (mc)
for your graduation, caleb takes two weeks off to visit. things don’t go like they should.
▻ cw. noncon elements, pseudo-cest, light smut/nsfw, dark themes, caleb is a yandere what’s new, lots of pining and unrequited love, characters are 18+
▻ notes. hey yall so caleb’s mullet is actually killing me in catch-22. anyways heed the warnings & do enjoy 🤍 you can read this on ao3 (username caked) if you prefer that :3 homeboy is actually insane but i love him he’s precious . 10k words slowburn buckle up. im planning to post lotssss of caleb, raf, and sylus stuff so keep an eye peeled!! :P
𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒔 + 𝒓𝒆𝒃𝒍𝒐𝒈𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅 (๑´ `๑)♡
June comes at a breakneck speed.
Before they step out the door, she’s fussing all over the wrinkle in her robe and worrying that the cap will sit weirdly on her head.
In the car, on the way there, she doesn’t voice any more of her fears lest they intensify, but Caleb spots them all as if they’re written on her face. She fidgets and does not notice the way he looks at her.
Probably for the better, he thinks.
When they part, he gives her a pat on the shoulder (as opposed to rustling her meticulously-styled hair) and tells her not to worry. She’ll do great. This is a big day for her; he pleasantly remembers his own ceremony and urges that hers will be just as smooth.
It seems good enough for her. She’s dragged off by her friend, skipping hand-in-hand, and her nervous giggles ring in his head in a building full of noisy people. It might as well be a little pin dropping in a quiet room.
Sometimes Caleb almost forgets just how much stock that girl- his precious little meimei- puts into him and his words. It stirs something tender in his heart, and then he recalls his true feelings and it twists. Twists like a knife or the bitter truth.
There’s only a couple years between them, and yet during her graduation, Caleb can’t help but feel a sense of pride tug in his chest alongside something deeply bittersweet.
She’ll for sure be spreading her wings now. She’ll for sure be leavin’ him behind.
And he’ll have to say yes to it, that it’s fine with him. Pretend like he doesn’t care. He’s got a natural talent at dissimulating his intriciate, troublesome feelings, but it doesn’t mean he enjoys it. No, sometimes he just wishes she’d… see him. See him for what he truly is and not run in the other direction screaming, who are you and what did you do to my gege?
But that’s selfish, isn’t it? He huffs with a small, wry smile.
While waiting for the event to commence, Gran eagerly watches the stage, and Caleb lowers his head.
She’ll be spreading her wings for real, an inner voice murmurs again, rubbing it in his face. And then she’ll fly away. Never come back to you. Leave our nest to make a new one.
That, oh, that thought— Caleb’s not a generally angry person, but that has choler flaring in his chest... Imagining somebody standing by her side that isn’t him fills him with a darkness he cannot label. But he’s trying to be good, a good older brother. He’s been… trying for so long, and…
Even if he knows deep down that if he doesn’t do something, she’ll fly away—
“Beautiful, isn’t she?” Gran says beside him. She tucks her hand in the crook of his strong arm and he returns half the dimpled smile on her face.
Her words cannot be truer. His little sister is breathtaking; it’s the kind of beauty that will bring a man to his knees and plant soft longing in his heart. Evidently, though, it’s not the kind of beauty to bring a dog to heel…: she’s like a bowl of kibble and something rotten in him salivates at the smell of it.
It’s funny, you know, how much of a hypocrite he is. He gives her the saddest puppy eyes to get what he wants but there’s a big mean dog hiding in his heart. Barking and wanting.
Caleb curses himself. On the outside, he hums fondly. “Always. Hm… To be able to say I’m her big brother feels like an accomplishment in itself. I’m real proud’a her.”
Gran’s not looking at him; all eyes in the auditorium, including his, are leveled towards the stage and the spotlight raining over students shuffling in gowns. Caleb is thankful for that. Caleb has had a distinct self awareness since middle school, and he knows better than to let the love in his eyes- the kind that’s not entirely brotherly- reveal itself to any onlookers.
He’s kept on his toes by all the secrets he walks with. He’s kept on his toes by her.
“I can’t believe this day has come,” the elderly woman beside him (not tied to him by any biological means, but he loves her regardless) holds a tissue to her eyes and fights a teary smile. Caleb, utterly entranced by the familiar figure slowly inching closer to the podium and administrator, gives a noncomittal hum to show he’s heard, but his heart is knocking at the sight of his little sister. He can’t stop it. He can’t even slow it.
“Ah, my sweet girl…” (And why her sorrow-tinged, doting words echo some of the ones he keeps to himself, Caleb stopped caring.)
Gran, still not glancing at her adopted boy (albeit, there is close to nothing about Caleb that now resembles a boy), takes his large hand in her wrinkled one. Her free one dabs away an elusive tear.
“It’ll be even harder to see once she moves out and all. I’m sure she’ll want to keep exploring the world. I just… I just hope she visits more than you do, dear,” her voice warbles with sadness, but she’s only teasing him out of love.
A breathy, uneven laugh escapes his pursed lips. Caleb swallows thickly, “Yep. But that’s natural, wantin’ to find new opportunities and such... She’s really coming outta her shell, isn’t she? And… she’d better visit,” he says playfully, “The dinner table would feel awfully quiet without her during the holidays, huh?”
He’s not conscious of half the things he’s saying, operating under autopilot: robotically, he speaks in the voice of a teasing, somewhat protective older brother and nobody bats an eye to it.
On the inside, his feelings experience endless turbulence.
But he’d miss her if she left, that’s for certain. Words could never do him justice. He’s never exactly deserved that, though, has he?
He smiles to himself. Pathetic.
He told a nosey friend, once, that he had lost his marbles long ago. He’d said it with a smile- a genuine one, too- and as if it was no big deal. Because Caleb reconciled with his sin nature long ago.
He’s so proud of his meimei. So caught up by her.
Wants to marry her. Wants to blow all his pilot earnings on a big glittering ring for her precious little finger, wants to make all those childhood games, the ones where he played the dad and she the mom, come to life. Oh, if he’s being perfectly honest, he wants to—
“Caleb, honey, are you coming?”
A papery hand gives his bicep a gentle squeeze beneath his button-up. He’s pulled from his reveries and he blinks, noting the crowd as it begins to thin out and the stage that meimei has stepped off of. “She’ll be waiting for us, I’m sure. And nervous,” she explains with a light laugh, “but I think she’s very excited, too.”
(So excited to start your new life apart from me, huh, sis?)
The lower half of his face reshapes into a small smile as he looks down at Gran and nods with reassurance. He’s so good at providing consolation to others but somehow consistently fails to do so during his lone moments of self-reflection.
“I’d promised her I’d treat her to some ice cream at that new stall that just opened up,” he chuckles, and this time it does harbor some real mirth there, his eyes lighting, “I honestly think she was more excited for a special dessert than her own graduation.”
Gran laughs at that, too.
Then, he’s led away. Led to her and happy as a child.
After the ceremony ends, his very real fears of her suddenly leaving are put to rest for a moment when she leaps into his arms- just as she did when they were younger- and locks him in a hug.
He’ll always be a willing prisoner, in that regard. A slave to her affections and the strange sickness that rears its head in the pit of his stomach even when he tries his best to drown it.
She’s his lifering. The one thing keeping him afloat.
He looks over his shoulder, back at the shore. There’s a striking realization that he’s been dragged so far from it… And then he looks back out to sea.
Sometimes, Caleb thinks he’s closer to the point where the waves converge on the endless horizon than he is to dry land. And that’s fine with him. Because Meimei is holding his hand, doggy-paddling beside him.
He knows he shouldn’t try to drag her under. But sometimes, that’s all he fucking wants. For her to feel this way, too.
What a selfish gege.
✷✷✷
Caleb’s frame is hugged by an intense, golden light. Windchimes tinkle in the breeze and bring a nexus of soothing sounds.
The air is balmy. Unsmistakably summer.
You kick a pebble from your shoe and look over to Caleb with a small smile, his long legs keeping an even pace with you despite your slower one and all the dillydallying. The sun flares off one side of his head and it’s so bright you have to squint.
“It’s nearly time for dinner, you know,” even as he reminds you, he can’t fight off the grin playing at his own lips. It’s not exactly like he wants to truncate this moment with you, but hunger is creeping up on you both just as sundown is, and this brisk walk is urging it out. Your belly has voiced as much. After his laugh had died down, Caleb showed his concern but sighed when you brushed it off.
“It’s fine,” you tell him again. “I’m not fully dependent on snacks, you know,” and a dirty voice in the back of his head, a very dark corner, accuses, then what do you depend on? “We won’t starve if we eat one hour later... I mean, how hungry are you?” You poke.
(A lot. So much, Meimei.)
A casual smile curls his lips. Everything about him is so outwardly relaxed when he’s with you; it’d take some intense scrutiny to pick up on the little tells of restlessness he constantly shoehorns down inside him.
Anything to protect you though, right? Even if that means from himself.
He replies with thought, “Ehh… I guess walking a little farther wouldn’t hurt,” he shrugs with one shoulder, a teasing edge to his voice because those old habits die hard.
“Just don’t tell me to carry you if your feet start to hurt, pipsqueak.”
“Hah. As if! You know, I’ve been training a lot. Those hunter exams might even be harder than the Aviation’s.” Your light banter is rewarded with a small, incredulous laugh and a playful raise of his brow. Right now, he looks so boyish, youth lighting his face even as you pass under the tinsel-like leaves of a shady willow tree. “I’m serious, Caleb! My body’s probably more endurant than yours now.”
A challenge is brewing, and the signs are obvious. The anticipating glint in his eye, the slight posturing in his steps and the downright valorous grin you pin at him— all are suggestive of an upcoming game. He just has to throw his own hat over the wall to officially mark its start.
Of course, he does just that.
“Oh, really now?” He smiles and his eyes crinkle with amusement. He gives his head a tilt. “Are you trying to provoke me, sis? ‘Cause I’ll have you know that these muscles aren’t just for show...”
With a pout, you give his arm, thick and fully exposed under the frayed fabric of his tank, a harmless shove. Caleb’s heart has an anomalistic skip and his bicep tingles. It takes a considerable amount of effort to not snatch your little wrist up and force you to do it again.
“Oh, c’mon, you may be all big and strong now, but all that muscle will just slow you down.” (You’re getting him all sorts of riled up today, aren’t you? It’s good to know you look at him, that you acknowledge the man he’s become.)
“Do you wanna test that theory? We could do a race,” he suggests simply, a fluctuation of excitement in his voice betraying itself. “Because I’m ready to go right now.”
You huff, competitive as ever. “Oh, we’ll see about that!”
You roll your cropped sleeves an inch over your shoulders (as if to replicate his sleeveless tee) and Caleb watches with humor as they unfurl immediately. You dart your head around and land on a streetlamp at the end of the quiet, cobbled path.
”There,” you point, “that light over there will be the finish line. You have to touch it before the other person does or you lose. You’ll be a rotten egg.”
“You’re so childish.”
“You’re racing too, y’know.”
“Alright, alright,” he easily surrenders, lifting his palms up. Truthfully, he has no intentions of backing out now, try as he might to pretend he’s not equally invested in this as you. He sets his feet behind a crack in the paved stone, right beside yours, and nonchalantly prepares himself for liftoff. “But when I win—“
“Your toe’s in front of the line, Gege! Don’t think I didn’t see it!”
“—Don’t go cryin’ to Gran like old times and ignore me for the rest of the day, okay?”
A fleeting pink colors your cheeks, flowering across your face like a bruise at the mention. “Geez,” you deflect bashfully, “You’re so caught up in the past, Caleb.”
The accusation isn’t unwarranted. Your older brother has this strange penchant to keep all your childhood traits like a bag of tokens in his back pocket, forever ready to pull one out on a whim.
His gaze lowers for a moment at your innocuous teasing, and you watch with a mix of confusion and guilt as an offhand sadness weighs in his expression.
You open your mouth, about to find something to remedy the ever so slight shift in the air, but he lifts his head and his eyes are cheerful. Sunny and bottomless.
He looks at you infinitely. It’s as startling as it is endearing.
Your brow relaxes when you give him a once-over and sense no lingering sorrow there, or any evidence that it even appeared to begin with. Maybe it’s just the heat getting to you.
“Well,” he smiles, teasing to a fault. “You ready, or… do you plan on chickenin’ out? I’ll let you if you admit defeat right now. Otherwise, don’t be a sore loser.”
You wave him off and level your eyes forward. “Psssh, sore loser….” Thrill beats in your ears with a rushing current of blood. You plant your hands to the gritty cobblestone and lean forward.
“The moment you agreed,” your little grin sparks back to life, “you lost, Gege.”
Oh, and he is just the rotten egg, isn’t he? The perverted dud and the lying, selfish asshole.
The wormy apple.
✷✷✷
There’s just some things in life you can never quite wipe from your memory.
Here’s one: The first time Caleb was called a sister-fucker.
He remembers that day and how condemning it felt. Like he’d been made the object of some irrevocable curse. It was unwarranted, it was: some stupid playground bullies were mouthing off after he rushed to your rescue for the umpteenth time, and the word flew like a witch would on a broom. Caleb was not prepared for that stab in his little heart.
That was in middle school, and he was angry. Ashamed, too. All sorts of clashing feelings, really. Those little brats said the f-word in front of you, his innocent little meimei, and to make matters worse, Caleb was not sure if the majority of his anger should lie with their accusation or his inability to determine whether it was grounded or not.
He was hardly fourteen, then, and you were twelve. He never laid his hands on you that way. No, never thought about it. He hardly had the capacity to, at that time.
At that time.
But that moment stayed with him,… and that dirty, dirty epithet was one that remained around the block until one day something peaked in him- that shame climbing to its point- and he beat it from their mouths.
It never did end up getting back around to you. For a number of reasons, Caleb is glad for that. Just to name a couple: It saved him from the flaming red ears, and the awkward chat the bird-and-the-bees topic surely would have been.
When it got around to Gran, though…
‘Caleb, dear, is there…’ The elderly woman, for all her experience in fostering children, was not exactly sure how to broach the subject- which was oddly risqué, and downright horrifying it if were to be true- with her young boy.
But she didn’t think it was true: sure, the two were exceptionally close, she trailed him like a lost puppy and he had some underlying impulse to anchor himself beside her at any given time, but they laughed and played and Caleb was always the archetype of a- sometimes cheeky, sometimes clingy- older brother.
Their behavior was considered very normal for their circumstances, she’d thought. They seemed inseparable upon the first meet. With their close bond came the occasional spat and meaningless argument, but that only served as more proof of their strictly sibling dynamic, too.
Gran thought about it for only a moment before finding her peace, and shortly after her words.
‘Why are those boys saying such things? What did you do to make them have it out for you?’ She was gentle but firm with him. Caleb was not afraid of her; just maybe the awful, creeping feeling in his gut that told him he was in the wrong after all.
‘N-Nothin’, Gran… They got upset because I wouldn’t let them pick on Meimei… Don’t worry though, I covered her ears so she wouldn’t hear them.’
But it’s not like he ever imagined actually laying his hands on you— L-Let alone fucking. Even as a boy, he had the sound-enough subconscious to shut away those fleeting, invasive thoughts and put some space between you two when he was feeling… extra confused.
Caleb’s twenty-one now, though. And you’re nineteen and things are different. Those tender, innocent feelings of love from your shared youths- the one-sided romance of your bond- has by now fully realized itself. It’s bled out into ruby-red fingers of desire like watercolor on a page, and they grasp Caleb tight. Refuse to let go. He’s not a boy anymore. And he’s not particularly kind anymore, either. His softness is a luxury that only you’re entitled to but every touch feels like a beatdown because of it.
Yeah he might be overbearing sometimes but you’re just as abrasive. You cut him in ways you could never know.
But Caleb’s not a sister-fucker. He’s not.
And he’s not all the shame associated with that title and the big fat cluster of intricate emotions like guilt, loneliness, and terrible, terrible longing… H-He’s not.
No— He hasn’t even fucked you yet.
✷✷✷
Two weeks. Caleb is allotted two weeks off from his responsibilities at the Aerospace Academy to spend the start of summer with you.
Late June marks your graduation and the beginning of an exciting break the both of you had been planning for months to share. Between a taxing schedule and study papers that pile up if he so much as thinks about holding off on them, Caleb is a bit pressed for free time. He’d been counting down the days until he arrived back in Linkon.
Now that it’s finally here- your mini summer ‘vacation’, as you’d called it- he won’t take any of it for granted.
He’s savored every little moment with you since childhood- no stranger to the sentimental. But as you emerge from your bedroom with a cute bikini with a white frilly skirt that hardly covers your ass, Caleb decides this memory needs to be given a little extra care.
You flutter past him and down the hall, sheepishly nodding for him to follow, and he realizes he’s been staring a little too long without saying anything. He plasters on a nonchalant grin and sticks his hands in the pockets of his swim trousers. “Okay, sis…” He compliments in his tone.
“You, uh… you ready to go now?” He asks, propping himself against the kitchen arch to watch you pour yourself some water. He reminds that there’s juice in the fridge and you quickly forego the tap. He chuckles at that.
You try to hide a shy smile from him, too much energy in your heels to not sway as you move around the kitchen. There’s a small ball of nerves in your belly and you can’t help but feel a bit naked in your two-piece. You bought it because you’d thought it was adorable, but truthfully you feel a bit out of place- under scrutiny, maybe- as you uncap the fruit juice.
“I’m ready,” you announce casually. “But did you see my bathing suit?”
“W-What about it? Yeah, it… looks nice.” He answers a bit breathlessly.
You look over your shoulder before picking up your glass and marching over. His gaze flutters when you do, like he’s bracing himself for something. In stature, he’s nothing like the round-faced kid you grew up with, standing over six feet tall with lean muscle to hug his broad frame, but right now, he looks almost boyish with anticipation.
On the way to him, you stuff down that inexplicable kernel of unease. You pretend your pulse isn’t fastening, too.
A quasi reaction of fight-or-flight stirs in your chest. For the life of you you don’t know why. Maybe you don’t wanna know.
You smile. Gege, solid arms folded over his muscled chest, regards you with a strange look. It disappears under a veneer of brotherly charm— gone like a feverish hot flash of something unreal.
You stop a few inches in front of him. “See?” You chirp, piking your shoulder up for him to observe. “The red polka dots are actually apples. Since you like them so much.”
After a pause- one that seems to stretch infinitely but is actually only brief- you watch Caleb’s cheeks turn to rubies. Heat flares at his ears.
He sets his jaw and lets out a small scoff, eyes flitting everywhere. “W-What are you sayin’, pipsqueak? You got it… just for me?”
“Ugh, no, Caleb!” You giggle with a hint of disbelief. “I just thought it was cute but wanted to show you.”
With an annoyed pout, you spin away from him and head for the island. On top of it, a cooler sits, its lid open. You nurse from your icy drink as you wedge a variety of cold beverages and the sandwiches he made at the bottom.
“Yeah, yeah,” he recollects himself and joins you at the counter, coming to your aid without prompting. “Well, I think it’s cute too. But don’tcha think it’s a little… showy? I’ll be sweating bullets the whole time we’re at the beach.”
You laugh under your breath, only half paying attention. Certainly not to the intense glint in his eye as he watches your profile, anyway. “Why? And you won’t be sweating if we’re in the water.”
“I don’t want any guys gettin’ the wrong idea,” he lilts, but there’s a notable tinge of seriousness there. “Thinkin’ my pipsqueak isn’t off limits.”
A soft pink warms your cheeks this time. “It’s fine, Caleb,” you murmur, dutifully ignoring his gaze- which you are now exceedingly aware of. “Everyone’ll be minding their own business- they’ll hardly be looking at me.”
Wryly, Caleb closes the cooler and raises his brow.
“Doubt it.”
He seems as if he has a lot more to say, but apparently holds off on it.
When you return home, it’s close to five and Gran has finished her errands. She sits in the living room on the lovechair, holding a cushion on her lap as she watches the news.
You hardly have time to greet her on the way down the hall: you bump shoulders and race with Caleb for the bathroom shower. Maybe he’s going a little easy on you (per usual), but you’re too tunneled in on reaching it in time to scold him for it.
“Ladies first!” You say with victory, grinning through the crack in the door as it groans with pressure, halfway open. Caleb crams his elbow in it to show he won’t give up so easily. You’re met with his bunched brow, his sun-dried, messy hair and a grudging smile he can’t quite fight off.
“Be a good gege and wait your turn!” You tell him.
The title weakens him. His hand falters and you manage to shut the door. The lock clicks softly.
“Alright, alright,” his voice sounds muted from the other side. His footsteps, retreating down the hallway after a belated few seconds, emit defeat.
Maybe some frustration, too.
Either that, or his feet have just gotten heavy.
“But if you use up all the hot water,” he warns, “I won’t let you help me with dinner. Just remember that. And let’s be real, I know you’re hungry.”
Well, he has you beat there. Maybe he knows you just as well as you do him.
It’s an endearing thought, actually; as the warm water pours, you slough away the sticky layer of sea salt and the sand glued to it with a smile. Once these two weeks are over, you’ll go right back to your normal life: your brother will return to the clouds and you’ll have to pretend, between a steady stream of pining texts and phonecalls meant to check in on you, that you don’t miss your gege. Even if sometimes, all you want is to leap back into time and hold his hand, cower behind his shoulder to escape the daunting fear of growing up.
You have responsibilities now. Dreams you’re meant to follow. You’ll train to be a hunter and then officially enroll into their program. Caleb will become a bonafide pilot within a couple months, achieving his lifelong dream, and might leave you in his proverbial contrails.
It’ll be just you and Gran, until you pack your boxes for an apartment downtown closer to your future workplace. Family will become a distant memory, a fading speck on the horizon or a phantom pain that tugs at your heart.
But… maybe that’s just what growing up means. Letting go of everything behind you. Caleb would certainly be able to relate with the sentiment that- other than each other and Gran- there was little to hold onto in the first place.
But… You’re not so sure about all of it. Maybe you’ll have to ask your gege for advice around the dinner table. You have no clue what will happen a month or year down the line, and to be perfectly honest that terrifies you, but for now—
You’ll make the most of this break with him and Gran all together.
✷✷✷
Half of it flies by in a blur.
Movie nights with buttery popcorn and long strolls by Bloomshore turn into fuzzy lines as soon as you look back at them. Once-quiet suppers with just you and Gran are revived with the cheerful presence of your brother, and the cabinets are filled with new snacks the two of you buy on impulse to test out.
You chase him around your cozy, childhood home demanding he deletes those awful pics of you- and the woman who took you both in as children calls from the couch for him to stop terrorizing you already.
He always swears it’s in good fun, but submits to your whining. Not without a flick to your forehead, though. It never hurts, but you make sure to stick your tongue in his face.
Evenings are spent on the floor by the coffee table.
Caleb busts out an old, wooden box from the closet and speaks in a wistful tone as you pass nostalgic photos and yellowed notes between each other. You’re about to poke at him for being so sentimental, but you spot a little mist in his eyes, so you refrain.
There’s six days left, tonight.
Neither of you remind the other of this ticking clock of sorts, but sometimes it will get quiet after a bout of laughter and you think you can feel it in the blanketing tension— the wordless countdown to zero.
X amount of days until I leave for Skyhaven. And, X amount of days until Caleb leaves us again.
You can hear it snicking like a stopwatch- and not the one Caleb wears.
A fan on the floor cools the balmy evening, but just a little.
You lie on your belly- utterly stuffed from another delicious meal- on his bed while he assembles a model. It’s some aircraft that you can’t hope to remember the name of, but he’s always gravitated towards that kind of thing, in more ways than one.
You kick your feet and moan with boredom when his eyes take on a very concentrated look and he hunches over the figure in his hands. He pokes his tongue out the corner of his mouth, he’s so engrossed.
Many minutes seem to pass. “Are you almost done, Caleb? We were ‘sposed to watch a movie tonight.”
Without glancing up, he chuckles lightly. “Be patient, pipsqueak. You know, it’ll go faster if you help me out here,” he suggests, nodding towards a few wayward pieces on the edge of the mattress. He scoops them up before they call fall off.
”Or are ya just gonna watch me do all the work?” He looks up to you and smiles. It’s soft. Smitten, almost.
You huff. “Fine. Okay, I’ll help.”
“Knew ya wouldn’t leave me hangin’.”
Seemingly pleased, his purple eyes stare for a moment longer before lowering. They remind you of the nebula sometimes: all bottomless and resplendent, and sometimes they get a little starry if you catch them for too long.
You’ve seen them darken like black holes before, though; some deep chasm taking over whenever his protectiveness flares up or he asks you, with his hand held tightly in yours, who made you cry. Then, he’s a force to be reckoned with, devoid of warmth and sharp-edged.
“Caleb, can I… ask you something?”
Caleb glances up immediately. Noting the sobriety of your expression and the lack of playfulness in your tone, he gives a quick nod. He lowers the half-constructed model- the one his hands absolutely dwarf- as if it’s no longer important.
“Of course,” he says. He gives his head a little reassuring tilt. “If there’s anything you’re curious about, you can tell me.”
You let out a small sigh. “Will you visit again? Visit more, I mean?”
He blinks and appears contemplative for a few seconds. Yet, you get the strange feeling that it’s less him trying to formulate an answer and more like he’s trying to figure out just what prompted your asking in the first place.
“Sure, whenever I get time,” he answers with a simple shrug. “You know I wish I could be here all the time, sis… For you and Gran,” but mostly you, he doesn’t clarify, “but the Academy is no joke. I need to work hard if I want to get in.”
His endless scores of A’s and A-pluses reflect his convictions. It’s really only one subject he can’t find it in him to master: Those damned, annoying mental wellness checks. (He thinks that all those less than reputable scores— they don’t reflect him, they reflect you.)
He smiles. “Then, I’ll be able to really support us.”
“Yeah…” You sigh softly after a beat. “But, like… what if you stop visiting? You’ll find a girlfriend and then never come to see me and Gran again,” you mask your very real concerns with a weak laugh.
Caleb’s brow gives a little twitch.
His expression falls, then, like swirling grey clouds that nudge aside white fluffy ones. Something in your chest seizing, you understand it’s disgust that rewrites his pleasant visage.
You just… don’t know why.
“Why would I get a girlfriend?”
You stare on with confusion. For a moment, you feel stunned because you’ve never seen him make that face before.
It takes an extra second or two to lasso in your rationale and laugh. “Well, you’re like twenty-something now. Isn’t that just what happens? You’ll find a girlfriend and I guess I’ll find a boyfriend. I mean, I bet Gran will be happy too if one of us brings home some babies—“
A derisive scoff cuts you off. “Babies?” He throws back, peering up at you through long lashes. He takes on the perfect Kubrick stare.
The scathing sound of his voice and the shadowy look in his eyes is more than enough to zip your lips. “Don’t you think we’re a little too young for that? Besides, we don’t have to do anything right now… If we want to stay single, that’s perfectly fine.”
A few moments of uninterrupted silence pass and leave you with no choice but to reflect on your actions. You inwardly ask yourself if you did something wrong. It certainly feels that way.
You give your throat an inaudible clear. “I was just teasing, Caleb, geez,” you brush off his intense stare by looking down.
The aircraft model looks big and unbreakable in your grasp, a far cry from how it appears when held in his. You distract yourself from the startled beating of your heart by rotating it in your hand.
“Y-You can dish it out, but you can’t take it?”
You don’t meet his eye when saying that, not when he’s regarding you like you’re little more than prey or tomorrow’s dinner. No, you don’t dare to.
Gege is reliable by nature. But you suppose he can exhibit his fair amount of ‘intimidating’ when need be.
You feel an unseen weight lift off your shoulders (when they became cowed, you don’t know) when Caleb heaves a sigh.
He’s apologetic, “Sorry, sis. You’re right. Talking about it just… freaks me out a little. I mean, I barely have the time to even think about it, let alone prepare.” He pauses for a moment, as if waiting for your input.
When you look back up at him, it’s as if nothing ever happened. As if he never changed.
His eyes beam like indigo gems, sunny and unaffected. He leans forward to pat your head and it takes a strangely high amount of effort to not flinch under the weight of his palm.
If he notices, his mild expression doesn’t betray any signs.
“Why, what’s up?” He quirks a playful brow. “You’re not… Seeing someone, are you?” Caleb questions with a light laugh, hands moving to fold over the plastic plane in his hands, though his gaze remains level on you. Glued there like he physically cannot take it off until you provide him with an answer.
“Did my pipsqueak fall in love with some boy while I was gone?”
A harsh gust of wind escapes you at that. A laugh, you realize, or what’s supposed to be a laugh. You resume inserting pieces into place, adamant on building the miniature aircraft.
Your cheeks feel toasty. He’s managed to make you feel startled, ashamed, and bashful all within the span of a minute or two. It’s as impressive as it is whiplash-inducing.
Your gege is watching you very carefully as you lower your chin and purse your lips. “No…” you say sheepishly. “If I did, I’d be spending the summer with him instead of you,” you tease.
That proclamation rings loud in Caleb’s ears like a gunshot bang.
She’ll spread her wings, and fly away.
He should be joyous that there is still an absence of that ‘special someone’ in your life, that he indeed is the one spending the prelude to summer with you.
But all he feels is a lump of dread forming in his belly.
It fattens and makes it hard to breathe. She’ll spread her wings and fly away. Leave you in her dust and all the memories. All the love.
”Yeah? Well, consider me lucky then.”
Something in his chest plummets. Too rapid to catch it. Too monstrous to hope to.
He lets it sink. Feels himself going with it. It’s getting so hard to hold out, Meimei. But don’t look at him with those eyes of wide startle. It’s still the Caleb you loved from your childhood, your beloved Gege.
Just with a whole lotta love that you couldn’t even begin to fucking fathom.
…Six days. Six days left.
He’s been granted a final, measly six days to change your mind and convince you that he’s still got a place in your life, in your heart. That it’s reserved only for him.
An uncanny smile warps Caleb’s lips.
“I’ll always visit,” he assures. “And don’t worry, sis… Once I get a girlfriend, you’ll definitely be the first one to know, okay?” He chuckles, a pleasant sound.
A pretty smile smooths out the remnant lines of uncertainty in your face. “Okay. And… I can visit you in Skyhaven, too?”
Delirious excitement blips across purple eyes, his grin too bright.
“Sure,” he cheerfully agrees. “Even better.”
✷✷✷
White dots his vision like a light leak seconds before you barge in.
That tight knot, the one that had been wrapping his stomach in threads of want and frustration and need, begins to unfurl at full pelt, and Caleb quivers as it happens.
Those academy girls could never quite compete with his pumping fist or the swirling thoughts in his head he gets himself off to. But he supposes they served their purposes where they could— in those moments of foolish thinking where he thought they could heal him and needed to at least make an attempt. To clear his conscious, if nothing else.
(Spoiler alert, a humored voice in his head says dryly. They didn’t. And of course they didn’t. They were never his precious little Meimei. That’s no one’s fault but his own for believing he could get ‘better.’
No. ‘Better’ is you. It always has been.)
He’s learned from all that, though. Played all those games- and people- ‘til they tuckered him out.
Relief bowls through him. That’s just what he needs, isn’t it? A little help. He’s never considered these short-lived sessions of fucking his fist a way to summon pleasure, no- although that is very much present when he does- but rather as a kind of damage control.
He’s too pent up and needy. He needs to take the edge off, somehow, lest some of that frustration teems over when he’s talking to you and he messes up. Messes up in a way he can’t fix.
After all, he’s entitled to his own self-soothing mechanisms, isn’t he?
Or… what, is he just meant to deny himself of that, too?
Caleb bites down on a deep moan and shakes.
Pleasure courses through his veins and builds to a high peak, certainly not one he can hope to climb down from in the short time it takes you to run down the hall and into his bedroom.
“Caleb, guess what—“
And, you know, it’s already embarrassing as is, being interrupted in a personal moment and caught in such a compromising position, but what makes it worser is when it’s your own little sister who walks in to find you with your cock in your hand.
What makes it… mortifying?
When she hears you saying her name during it.
When she gasps, her eyes losing their initial glitter as they flit down, his cock gives a shameless throb and Caleb can’t decipher if the lurch in his belly is from disgust or newfound arousal.
Either way, he realizes his nakedness and scrambles to fold the sheets over it.
(Bit too late for that though, huh?)
With labored breaths, he makes a sound akin to a whimper, voice thin and pained, and lets his jaw hang dumbly.
You seem to cotton on to reality once more, because you finally take a step back- a shaky, belated one- and begin to retreat into the sunlit hallway.
Evening casts a cherry-orange glow on the white walls that flickers when you backstep into one of the beams filtering from the window. It makes you look fiery and almost hellish. But he’s a sinner. A sinner by nature and so you’re inviting.
(And he came to terms with his sin nature long ago. Sometimes it just feels like he’s waiting on you.)
His love— so deep and fervent, spread in the pit of his being like apple seeds, tearing him apart from the core— brings endless guilt, maybe, but not regret. No, nothing is regrettable about you. And he’s sorry, he’s so fucking sorry, Meimei, that he’s a monstrous liar and he desperately wishes it wasn’t like this, that you could see him separate from a brother, but—
He can’t stop. He can’t stop.
And there’s a certain instant… where he’s had to pause and really look at himself and ask if he truly wants to.
What he feels for you is suffocating. Like an eldritch river beast snatching his ankle and dragging him down hopeless, louring depths. But he pictures your face in perfect peace and wears your locket close to his heart. He loves you endlessly. Would do it all for you.
Just… Maybe pretending he doesn’t feel what he feels for you isn’t apart of that equation.
He senses your departure with a stab of inexplicable panic. “Meimei,” he quickly stammers, reaching out with his free hand.
His other hand, the one with wet, dripping knuckles, sticky with his own seed, darts to hide behind him, placing a proverbial cloth over his sin.
He has half the brain that already wants to mitigate this situation as it plays out in front of him in real-time, and he’s all but praying a ‘clean-up’ of sorts is viable here...
The scale doesn’t quite seem to be tipping in his favor though and honest to God, he’s not surprised. He deserves it if anything, for being such a selfish, awful big brother. Oh, doesn’t he know.
You look horrified, and you are. It feels as if you’ve been splashed with cold water. Your chest warms like a hearth and tightens, but your limbs frost over. Icy-hot shock keeps you moored in the threshold of his bedroom door with wide, fluttering eyes.
“Wait, don’t go, i-it’s not—“
A feeble lie. Wholly unconvincing.
You’re naive to a fault, that’s been true since you were kids, and too kindhearted for your own good, but this is not a matter wherein you can feign ignorance... It’s not one where you’re running into his arms, either.
No, you look… afraid as you back away from him. Like his arms come dead last on the list of places you want to be.
Paired with the mute horror is abashment. A vivid pink glazes your cheekbones and Caleb, guiltily, thinks you look very pretty (albeit, he can’t remember there ever being a time where he didn’t think that).
You recollect just enough of your composure to pick up your jelly legs and maneuver them out.
The door clicks shut and the sound is too soft to warrant the tempest gusting through his chest. His heart thrums at racehorse speeds.
He said your name, Meimei (or more accurately, moaned it), and you heard it. He came, and you saw that, too- fountaining over the backs of his fingers like white water rapids. You… saw it all. Saw him.
A niggling feeling stirs inside him. Filthy and blinding but brief. It passes like a car in the night, there and then gone.
A voice purrs to life in the back of his head, one of greed and frustration. One of miserable longing. He listens to it for a moment, and it brings him catharsis.
The loneliness constantly enveloping him like fog at a mountain’s foot seems to thin out, but just a little... It allows some wiggle room for a warped sense of accomplishment to settle.
Because you saw him.
(And isn’t that all he ever wanted?)
Slowly, Caleb licks his dry lips and hazily notes the twitch of his cock against his wet abdomen. It’s flushed an angry red as it crawls back to life, but Caleb tucks it under the waistband of his boxers and contemplates his next move.
You’ll be in disarray, in shock, in a boiling pot of disgust and the likely, self-sabotaging questions of, is this somehow my fault? Maybe he’ll even capitalize off them— screwed-up, pathetic gege he is.
But you saw him and there’s just no denying it and now there’s no hiding place for him either. Not anymore.
This truth… you can both navigate it together.
There’s a pulsating mix of terror, guilt, and scorching excitement that takes the breath from his lungs as he lies back down. Relief moves in a thin undercurrent in his blood, reassuring him that it’ll be okay. Somehow, it will.
Little devils perch on either of Caleb’s shoulders. He feels a very odd sense of calm wash over him. You saw it. So…
Do you accept it?
He thinks you might just have to. For your gege’s sake, if nothing else. Because Meimei, this has been killing him for far too long.
Relieve him, why don’t you?
✷✷✷
His vacation of sorts is coming to a close.
Caleb blinks, and a few days scurry underfoot like mice— too quick to stop or comprehend. He steps on the tail ends of them, but they escape anyway.
You’ve been avoiding him.
Stowing yourself away in your bedroom and locking the door just in case he tries to come in; you don’t exactly expect him to come barging in like you did, especially not after what you’d seen, but you’d rather be safe than sorry.
You’re not afraid of your gege, you’re not. You never have been. But these past few days have felt nothing short of hellish.
You tell Gran you’re not feeling well when she asks why you’ve been skipping family dinners. She leaves a water bottle by the door with a tiny orange pill on top and believes you.
Sure, you told your tall tale or two growing up, and Caleb always had your back when you needed to cover up a small wrongdoing, but this is… different. To pretend that nothing is happening right now- or that it’s all fine- would be more than just a white lie.
Something is wrong with your Gege. Terribly.
You… don’t know what to do.
You love him. And you hate him, hate him in a way you never could when he used to steal your snacks as a child or conveniently forget to unlock the attic hatch.
These battling feelings only serve to complicate the situation further; your stomach is a war-ground of guilt, sorrow, and a disgust that viciously razes your wellbeing to the dirt.
How could you do this, Caleb? You think to yourself, curled up on your side, nuzzling into a heap of pillows. You’re under the illusion that this was an overnight thing. That he up and decided just a couple days ago to do the unthinkable- the reprehensible- and vocalize your name in the act. You don’t why he did it. What he was thinking. But whatever the reason could be, perhaps you don’t want to know.
Your own Gege….
Anger beats in your chest. Fear, too- making your belly toss with sickness. Now the future is more blurry than ever, and the one person you always leaned on for counsel has all but spat in your face. That’s what it feels like, at least. Like betrayal.
Hours drag by and you fall victim to endless swarms of butterflies, but not the good kind. The anxious kind. They fly in droves and absolutely piece you apart.
Guilt lances at your heart as you curse him in your head, and you hate that despite it all, you still feel the undercurrents of love for him.
For the entirety of your childhood, he was your shield. Your best friend, your protector, and the one person in the whole entire world you could always count on- perhaps more than Gran- to be there for you. Your teasing but well-meaning older brother. Now, you realize just how strong that sentiment is, because it stubbornly remains. Even now as you clench your teeth and hold back tears.
It’s buried under layers of hurt, though. A feeling of betrayal that pierces bone-deep and spreads all over.
He’s sick. Depraved. A voice in a dark cranny of your brain whispers, bitter and scared. But these new, scathing adjectives you assign your gege are just as surprising as they are uncertain, because no matter how many times you mentally call him a sick monster, your heart sings a weak song against it.
No. No, he’s not a monster. He’s your Gege.
Maybe you can fix this, somehow.
Maybe… Maybe it was a misunderstanding after all! Some rotten delusion you experienced fueled by the summer heat and the humid haze of late June. Even if it wasn’t- maybe you’d just be content to pretend it was. You’ll seal your little pinky with his and he’ll make a vow to never bring it up again; you’ll accept a lie, even, if he says it never happened to begin with.
You’ll do it. You’ll pretend. The two of you will go back to normal and he’ll leave for Skyhaven and you’ll eventually send in your final admission to the Hunter’s Association. You’ll be accepted in and you’ll forget him. Forget him until he pays his one or two occasional visits during the holidays. By that time, though, you’ll already have gotten your new place and it’ll serve as an excuse to never have to fucking see him again—
You don’t want to see him again.
A little sob escapes you.
You feel sick to your stomach. Nausea churns in your gut like milkfat in a butterbell. You shut your eyes desperately to bat away a flurry of intrusive, bitter thoughts, but it hardly works.
How could he do this to the both of you—?
Could you confide in Gran about this? If you told her, would she find help for Caleb or spank him like old times-? or would she start looking at you with cold, repulsed eyes as if it was your fault?
Is… Is it your fault?
A sequence of knocks sounds at the door.
For how gentle they are, you really shouldn’t flinch so hard.
Your breath hitches. Your fingers curl around your blankets and tighten.
“Y/n,” the voice on the other side of the door is honeyed and low. You note the sadness in it and immediately wish you didn’t as a throbbing sweeps through your chest. “It’s…. It’s me. It’s Caleb,” he sighs out. “W-Will you… let me in?”
Your response is quick. “No,” you say dully, feigning meanness. “I don’t feel well.”
“What’s hurting?” He seamlessly chirps in a light voice, concerned. You’re just thankful he hasn’t tried for the knob yet, despite knowing you’d locked it anyway. “You still have your meds out here… I guess Gran left them for you, huh? Do you want me to bring them to you—“
“Just- go away, Caleb,” you manage to say his name, but it’s in a gritted, forced breath. Something in your heart does a 180 degree twist as the title leaves your mouth. A salty tear rolls in and wets your tongue.
You take a shaky breath in and try to mask your sorrow. That’s near impossible.
“L-Leave me alone.”
A pause.
For a second, you’re almost dumb enough to believe he’s turned around and left.
A palm, large and worried, presses to your bedroom door. “Are you crying? Meimei- let me in, please,” comes his fretting voice. “I need to see you.”
Meimei. The title, once wrapped with affection and warmth, sends a cold chill down your spine. You ought to open that door just to give him a black eye and a wake-up slap to reality. He needs that— and desperately.
A wave of anger, frothy and hot, rides over that feeling of disgust- but just for a moment.
You sit up in bed and sneer at the locked door, “I need you to leave. Go, Caleb! I don’t wanna see you anymore, don’t you get it?!”
It’s a strange thing, how you’re currently blind to his expression but you can clearly imagine it regardless: anguish bunching his brow as his whole face falls. You’ve seen that face before, and now you’re seeing it in your head. It’s paired with a very real, pained sound he makes.
You hate the guilt that hits you, barreling through you at the sound of his strained voice. Growing up, there was always a reason why he called you a cry baby, why Gran told you to guard your heart. Because it’s fucking weak. Prone to your gege.
He leans his full weight against the door. Fists planted there as he hangs his head.
“Don’t say that!” he forces out. “You don’t mean it. Let me come in. I’ll explain to you what happened— a-anything you wanna know. Just…” He pauses for a moment, exasperated.
“I only have three days left to see you. Don’t leave me like this.”
Three days…
You force your eyelids shut. Your nostrils flare.
“Please,” he says, and drives the final nail in the coffin home. Your, coffin.
You’re about to get up from your bed, plastering on a cool face as you prepare to untwist your limbs from your blankets. You drag one leg up from your sheets before a mental image- one you never want to acknowledge as real- stops you in place.
(Meimei, he moans. Meimei meimei meimei, nmmph—)
You stoop your head and cry harder.
“Dammit, sis,” his voice warbles opposite the door. “Let me in, you’re not okay- don’t cry, don’t cry,” he hushes, but you cut off his tender, admittedly effective tries at consolation with a sharp shout.
“Tell me,” you grit. “Tell me you didn’t mean it! That all of it was just some- some- I don’t know! Just tell me it won’t happen again,” you whimper, “That it never did.”
“Please, Gege.”
His reply comes quick. After a loud, shuddering breath that rattles the last of your wellbeing and oozes confidence.
“No,” he says lowly, assured. “It did. It did happen, sis. It’s been happening. You just… didn’t know.”
Revulsion lands a punch to your gut. Direct and vomit-inducing.
“N-No—“
“I’m sorry,” he interjects sadly. A very deep convinction bleeds into his words a second later, though, strengthening them. “I never meant to hurt you. But I don’t regret the way I feel. I love you, Y/n. I love you more than you could ever know. So… let me in. C’mon- Let your Gege see you just one more time, or will you send me back to Skyhaven without so much as a goodbye?”
Furious, you shout for as loud as your frightened throat will allow.
“NO! Leave, Caleb! I don’t wanna see—“
The door makes a sound. It echoes around the four walls of your cozy bedroom and you watch in mute horror as the knob, with the tiny slat lock and all, begins to turn.
Without using his hands, Caleb pushes the door open with his Evol.
He takes a proper moment before stepping in- almost as if preparing himself- something flashing across his face before withering away. You think it takes some piece of him with it.
But when he does take that first stride in, you get the cold, unshakable feeling that he is no longer your Gege, not anymore.
Some monster in him has been fully realized: it’s sloughed its skin- the sweet, doting face of your older brother- like a snake and embraced its scales. It can only crawl on its belly and it only crawls towards you.
(And now, all there’s left to do is place that apple in your hand—)
“It’s gonna be okay, sis. I’m right here. Gran doesn’t have to know. And if she finds out- it doesn’t matter. I’ll take you someplace else. Fly you far away, if I had to—“
“C-Caleb, stop,” as he nears your bedside, you demand your legs to move but they won’t- anchored in place like bags of sand. Tears path down your cheeks and put a chink in his armor; his brooding face faltering.
You know, just between the two of you, growing up, he was always a bit soft, too.
“It’ll be just the two of us and no one’ll lay a hand on you, I pinky promise. I’ll be a pilot within a month and get you anything you could ever dream of,” his quivering lips curl into a smile- a genuine, manic one- as he takes your smaller hand in his own and kisses the back of it.
You try to tug it away to no avail. You suppose he was right, a handful of days ago, saying his muscles weren’t just for decoration. If he wants to overpower you, he can, and that’s a terrifying thought you don’t want to believe in but it’s looking like you might have to grow out of this blind trust you always held for him. It’s looking like there’s no better time to start that than now.
Your lungs heave, “Caleb, what are you—?”
“Remember, when we were younger? you’d called me selfish once or twice,” he chuckles, a light sound. “And you were right, Meimei. I am selfish. But you should take a page from my book sometime, too. I’ll let you, ya know. Just say the word, and—“
Panic taking control of you, you regain feeling in your bones and launch a foot at him.
It’s seized, instantly. Suspended in midair— floating unnaturally without so much as a touch or grab. He’s holding it up, keeping you pinned beneath him, with his gravity manipulation skill and you realize with another sob that you cannot escape your Gege, not in heart and not in body, not ever.
His eyes trail to yours after a thick moment, indigo irises dancing with darkness, impatience, and the smallest beat of hurt. As if this pains him more than you.
What an asshole. A lying, selfish— manipulative asshole.
The sweet, kindhearted boy Gran raised to be your brother—
“Are you… tryin’ to hit me?” he laughs, lifting a deceptively flippant brow. “Hm, that’s alright. I can tell what you’re thinking, Meimei, that you don’t recognize me at all right now, right..?”
His fingers, long and slim, do close around your floating leg, then. They draw your calf to his face and he peppers a chaste kiss to it. It lingers and makes you feel sick— butterflies erupting in your stomach at the way he looks up at you, lashes framing a reverent look that borders on delusional.
Mortification settles when you realize they’re not just the anxious kind, those butterflies: Your body seems to be just as traitorous as the brunette hunched over you.
“But it’s me, Caleb. Your own gege,” you wonder if it’s a scoff, the little breath he looses, or something else, but he appears almost disappointed with himself for a fraction of a second—
Gone.
“So let me take care of you. If you don’t let me now… you’ll just be delaying the inevitable. Might as well just… rip the bandaid off, right? It’ll be okay, just have a little faith in me. I- I can’t keep pretending anymore. But it doesn’t have to end with you crying,” he reasons with furrowed brows, hands descending to pin yours to the bed and entwine your fingers with his. He hovers over you and nuzzles his nose into the crook of your neck, sighing with deep content. It’s a mockery of a lovers’ embrace.
But to Caleb, it’s the real thing.
“I want us to be happy. Just let go, Meimei. Let go and let me take care of you. I… always have, haven’t I?” He murmurs, lips planting a kiss- the first of many- to the thumping column of your throat.
(—All there’s left to do is place that apple in your hand, and watch you take the bite.)
#love and deepspace#lads caleb#love and deepspace smut#love and deepspace x reader#love and deepspace caleb#caleb x mc#caleb x reader#caleb love and deepspace smut#caleb x you#l&ds#lads smut#l&ds caleb#lads x reader#dark content#your honor i love him#but your honor he has a mullet#‧₊ 🍰.┊𝒄𝒂𝒌𝒆𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛
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.☘︎ ݁˖ you belong with me
— ༉‧₊ᐟ featuring: zayne, caleb, rafayel, sylus, xavier x fem!reader
— ༉‧₊ᐟ premise: he's in an emotionally-abusive relationship with his girlfriend. what a waste—you're the one he truly has feelings for. 「leave her. you deserve better.」
— ༉‧₊ᐟ tags/cws: angst, micro-cheating (LI with reader), mentions of emotional abuse and cheating (girlfriend on LI), forbidden love, pining
— ♫₊ᐟ soundtrack: what a shame – lizzy mcalpine, you belong with me – taylor swift
✧ a/n: don't worry guys, they'll find their happy endings eventually <3 lmk if you'd like a full-length !!
ZAYNE never speaks about her much. But you know she’s cheating on him. You’ve seen it yourself, the way she mysteriously disappears with Dr. Hemmings in the middle of the day. It kills him inside, and you ache for him. Why does he choose to endure such unfaithfulness—such disrespect? But you know it has to be more complicated than that. He’s an earnest man, one who would avoid hurting those around him at all costs, even if that cost is his heart. You find solace in the fact that he has a friend in you, someone he knows he can rely on. “What are you doing, Zayne?” you ask him one night while on break. “You know they've been sneaking around.” He exhales slowly, breath fogging in the cold winter air. “It’s not that simple. She needs me.” Poor Zayne. Always so empathetic, always so forgiving. You hate it. “Your mind’s been twisted into thinking that…” He looks away then, almost afraid to meet your gaze. “I know. Just…give me some time, okay?” You inch closer to him, your arm brushing against his. “Don’t make this about me.” The thought of him breaking up with her just because you told him to rubs you the wrong way, and you cringe. He stares at you then, intense and grounding. “You know it’s about you.”
CALEB isn’t the type to take anything too seriously—though you really wish he would. He brushes her “midnight escapades” off as “meetings with friends”, though his car’s dashcam tells a different story. You’ve always been his closest friend, his only childhood friend. Maybe he doesn’t want you to worry. Or maybe he’s trying so desperately to convince himself that there’s nothing to worry about. The very first time, she’d come back to his college dorm drunk and smelling of another man’s cologne, and he hid in the bathroom throwing up all night. “She just likes to have fun, Pips,” he tells you, and the certainty in his voice enrages you. How could a person take advantage of someone who loves them like that? “She’s cheating on you. Leave her, Caleb.” He scoffs at your words and tries to act nonchalant about the heaviness of truth settling over him. Tension punctuates your phone call, crackling and alive. He’s surprisingly silent now, so different from his usual, carefree self. What has she done to him? “I don’t have anyone, Pips. I’d be all alone here.” Your eyes well with tears, and you hate that you can’t reach for him right now. Your palms hurt from the emptiness. “You have me.” You both sit in comfortable silence for the rest of the night, phones pressed flat to your cheeks.
RAFAYEL will never admit when he’s hurt. It just isn’t in his nature to be outwardly vulnerable like that, except maybe with you. He claims that it’s just a casual relationship—one he’ll eventually move on from. But you can tell by the way he sighs and laments that he has feelings for her. It’s also clear as day that she’s stringing him along, using him for temporary pleasure and getting off on the fact that he’s deeper in than she is. She tosses him aside and stands him up almost every chance she gets, and your stomach twists each time he says he doesn’t care. You can’t decide which is worse; the fact that he’s in love with her or the way he pretends not to be. “You like her, Raf. Admit it to yourself.” He ignores you, mildly annoyed. “Nah. I’m just passing the time.” A few awkward seconds pass. “...Well, I think you deserve better, for what it’s worth.” He raises an eyebrow at you, his defiance slipping. “Maybe if better landed on my doorstep tomorrow, I’d chase the opportunity.” His words sting, but you know he doesn’t mean it like that. He could never hurt you, not on purpose. Sometimes you even wonder if the only reason he’s never tried anything with you is to save you both from unnecessary pain. “Sorry. I’m working it out,” he whispers, averting his gaze. You manage a small smile and nod. “I know.”
SYLUS is naturally dominant. Intimidating. He’s never been one to cower from a fight or bow to others—which is why it hurts you all the more that he’s stuck in a relationship with a woman who treats him like shit. The way he makes excuses for her. Defends her. Puts up with her repeated offences—all for absolutely nothing in return. He’s not docile around her, but you can tell she’s really done a number on him. She’s turned him into more of a begrudging guard dog than a boyfriend, and it destroys you to see him like this, a mere semblance of his past self. “I just wish you could see yourself the way I see you.” Your words shock him, though he’s been worn out beyond emotion. That something between you has grown palpable, tangible, and you know he feels it too. “I need you to understand, Kitten.” He sounds pained, damaged. Exhausted. “I know it’s been hard for you. You have no idea…” You stare at the ground as hot, pathetic tears threaten to spill. He angles your face up by the chin to meet his, a look of promise and hope stealing his otherwise grave expression. “Wait for me. I’ll find a way out of this mess.”
XAVIER is quiet, reserved—his sentences saved for those smart enough to listen. Now, even those precious sentences have become a rarity. He doesn’t laugh anymore, those adorable crinkles in the corners of his eyes gone from existence. She manipulates him, treats him like a little puppy who would do anything for her—and knowing him, he would. Though you know it isn’t his fault, you sometimes wonder why he can’t just fucking leave. Why does he feel the need to stay by her side, to love her? It’s an act of betrayal in itself, against his own heart. He stormed out of his house once, clearly frazzled and trying as best as he can to reel his emotions in. “What happened this time?” He shuts the passenger door and stares straight ahead. “It’s nothing. Let’s go.” You take your hands off the wheel and spin around to face him. “You can talk to me, Xavier. I’m always here for you.” His misty blue eyes meet yours, and the air stills for a moment. “Yeah… You are. I’m glad I have you.” And though your heart squeezes painfully, hope fills you warm and fuzzy.
— ⋆˙⟡ ©berrryparfait
《 please do not copy / plagiarize / translate my works or publish them on any other platforms. 》
#painpainpain#‧˚˖✩ bp works#love and deepspace#lads#lnds#sylus#zayne#rafayel#xavier#caleb#sylus x reader#zayne x reader#rafayel x reader#xavier x reader#caleb x reader#lads sylus#lads zayne#lads rafayel#lads xavier#lads caleb
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Inferior
I’m sad so yk what that means 🫵🏾 SAD SHORT STORIES

You stood in front of the mirror motionless. Your eyes run over your features. You sit there contemplating what was wrong with you. You judged everything about yourself down to the last detail. You assumed it was just your monthly coming around and messing with your emotions however, what you were feeling was different than the monthly emotional roller coaster. It was like someone in the back of your mind was bullying you, taunting you.
You spent most nights lately analyzing your looks. You often thought if the people in your life really liked you. It was exhausting to think this way but you couldn’t help it. You blinked slowly thinking to yourself ‘this is really me’. Sylus was running around the N109 zone as he usually does in the night. He often worried about you when you got like this. He helped you in the best way he knew how, being there for you. So imagine his surprise when he walks into the room to see you zoned out in front of the mirror.
“Sweetie? What are you doing awake? It’s 3am.” His deep voice travels through the bathroom knocking you out of your trance.
“I was just…washing my hands.” You mumbled as you washed your hands, slowly zoning out once again. He pursed his lips watching you, his eyes flickering from your face to your hands.
“You’re doing it again.” Your head pops up as you quickly turn the water off. He sighs walking over to engulf you in a gentle hug.
“I don’t mean to.” You mumble into his chest. He kisses the crown of your head reassuringly. He knew you didn’t yet he couldn’t help but worry.
“You are the most beautiful, intelligent and brave person I know.” He tells you holding you by your shoulders. Your waterline began to fill as you looked away so you wouldn’t cry.
“Look at me.” He whispered to you holding your chin up. You sniffled as your hands make their way to his wrists. “You are the most important person in my life and when you hurt so do I.” He tells you softly.
“Thank you for always being there for me.” You whimpered out as he smiles softly. “I’ll always be here for you.” He whispers pulling you in for a tight hug. He would do anything to make this feeling go away.

You felt like you were going nowhere stuck in the same position constantly while you sat back and watched others grow. It was eating at you and making that evil green monster grow. You didn’t want to take it out on anyone because this was just something in your mind. You were happy for your friends and Raf, truly you were but sometimes that green thing called envy reared its head and whispered in your ear.
You had a long day and on top of this annoying little voice, you messed up a mission. It tore your confidence apart so you took it out on your apartment. Breaking glass and swiping tables all in the name of anger. Hot angry tears pour down your face. You ruined everything. In the midst of your rampage, Rafayel walks in with wide eyes.
“Cutie. Hey, what’s going on?” He asks, concern etched on his features. You snap towards him visibly angry. You couldn’t take this out on him. You wouldn’t.
This isn’t his fault. It’s no one’s fault, you’re just having a bad day. He comes over wrapping his arms around you as you fume with anger. You huff and puff until you finally take a few deep breaths. You were still trembling with anger. He just held you letting you breathe until you were ready to talk. He didn’t want you breaking anything else and regretting it later.
“I got you. Breathe for me, okay?” He whispers into your ear. His tone soft, coaxing you.
He was right he’s always been there. You didn’t want him to see this ‘ugly’ side of you. You didn’t want to seem envious or angry around him but he understood. Rafayel understands that humans much like Lumerians get jealous and envious.
“I feel like I’m stuck in the same spot, constantly.” Your voice trembles as your head falls back onto his shoulder. He squeezes you tighter. “It’s suffocating.”
“I know.” He mumbles into your shoulder, waiting a beat for you to say something else.
“I’m jealous of everyone around me. Promotions and other new life achievements.” You spoke solemnly, it was eating away at you.
“Sometimes envy doesn’t always have to be a green thing.” He says lifting his head. You turn to look at him sadly.
“Envy can be wanting something someone has but you don’t feel malicious towards them…like a tealish blue.” He explains looking off into nothing. You listen to him closely.
“You don’t have to be great at everything. You’re working yourself to the bone looking for validation from others.” He tells you, you felt your eyes water.
“The only person you need to seek validation from is yourself.” He spoke sincerely making sure you understood him. You face him and hug him tightly.
“I’ll always be here to support you, no matter what you choose to do.” His chin on your head as you silently cried into his chest. He meant what he said, he’d always be there for you even at your lowest.

Studying was getting harder and harder these days. You’d put the computer down and distract yourself with other tasks, it was a vicious cycle. Your motivation was wearing thin and you had no one to tell this to. At least that’s how you felt. The endless hours were gnawing at you. Did you even want this degree? Was it worth it anymore? Did you waste your time?
Endless questions and no answers for them. You closed out of your work and sigh. You push the bottoms of your hands into your eyes until you see stars. You couldn’t keep doing this, it was stupid.
“You’ll hurt yourself if you continue to do that.” Zayne’s voice echoes off the walls. You don’t move, you can’t face him. He just stands there waiting for you.
“Whatever you’re going through you don’t have to face alone. Lean on me.” He reassures you as he steps closer, crouching down placing his hands on your knees.
“I don’t have the motivation for this anymore. I don’t want to do this.” You whimper feeling tears burn at your eyes. He breathes out his nose before caressing your legs.
“Maybe you need a break. We can go to the beach this weekend and relax.” He tries to coax you, his eyes never leaving your covered face, “Just you and me.” He whispers.
You remove your hands from your face waiting for the darkness and stars to disappear. Zayne’s figure comes to fruition, you stare at him as he stares at you. He grabs your hands rubbing them gently.
“We will go on a vacation and then we can circle back to this, alright?” Zayne waits for your answer patiently, seeing what you’ll choose. You nod and he pulls you in for a hug slowly rubbing your back.

The room was silent as you watched yourself in the mirror as you tried on different outfits. You hated them and didn’t know why. This was the 3rd thing this week that made you feel a certain way. A very heavy feeling. You sighed flopping on the bed, moments later Xavier comes to check on you.
“Are you okay?” He asks softly as he sits next to your limp figure. You peek up at him and sigh.
“I don’t like how I look in these.” You mutter making him tilt his head in confusion.
“Why not? You look beautiful.” He reassured you reaching over to rub your head. You shrug sadly.
“I bought them thinking I’d like them but I don’t.” You explain to him as he thinks to himself.
“I think this is just the straw that broke the camels back. I’ve noticed you’ve been having a rough week.” He explains to you leaning back on his palms.
“I don’t know I’m just feeling inferior lately.” You tell him, your bottom lip pokes out as you think about it.
Xavier listened intently as you explained that work felt different as well as life itself. You were becoming unmotivated as you watched everyone achieve. You felt you could be doing better but what was better? He asked about the new wardrobe and you explained that you thought it would help but it just made you feel worse. You were comparing yourself to others and that was dragging you down.
“You’re yourself for a reason. If we were all doing the same thing it would be repetitive and boring.” Xavier emphasizes, you nod slowly.
Xavier was right, if we all did the exact same thing over and over while acting the exact same way, it would be boring. You stare at the ceiling thinking to yourself. You needed to clear your head. It was just a bad week, not a bad life.
“How about we go for a walk? Maybe grab a snack on the way back?” He convinces you, you smile and nod getting up to change your clothes.
Man did that help. It’s what you needed and a good long talk too. You couldn’t thank Xavier enough.

You felt like you were slacking when it came to work however, no matter how much you studied and pushed yourself—it still felt like it wasn’t enough. Caleb barely saw you these days since you were holed up in the home office preparing for the hunting competition. If you were slacking the way you thought you were, this would make up for it. Caleb was worried you were pushing yourself too hard.
He knocked three times before entering, peeking his head in the room. You were studying the layout and wanderers today. He pursed his lips before fully entering the room. You flipped through pages of guidelines, warnings and such things like that.
“Occupied?” He asks you as he sits on the desk, crossing his legs. You look up at him before sighing.
“Yes, I’m trying to be qualified for the competition.” You replied. His eyebrow quirks up at what you said. Were you not already qualified?
“You’re a hunter. I’m sure you’re more than qualified to join.” He chuckles looking at what you’re reading.
“Not like Jenna is.” You mumbled making him look at you with a sour expression.
“Jenna’s been doing this a while. I wouldn’t compare you to her.” He reassured you. You slump into the chair.
“She got where she is by working hard and she’s not that much older than us.” You explain feeling that familiar sadness. His eyes run over you taking in your expression and body language.
“Everyone works at their own pace, pips. Yours works for you and Jenna’s works for her. You don’t have to compete with everyone.” He assured you as he holds your face.
“I know but I feel so…out of place and behind. It’s not only her either I feel like this with…everyone.” You curl up making him sigh. He was worried.
“Maybe you need a break. A mental and physical one for your health. This competition will only make this feeling.” He points to your chest, “worse.”
He was right, Caleb was always right. You hated feeling like this because it clawed and dragged it way up your body. This wasn’t an extremely rare occasion but it happened enough that Caleb would worry about you. He didn’t want stress to kill you over something so small. He didn’t want you to feel like you were good enough because you were beyond good enough.
“Maybe you’re right. I just feel like I’m not doing enough and I’m not good enough.” You pout making him smile sadly at you.
“That voice is going to be the death of you if you keep listening to it. How about this?” He takes out his phone, tapping away before shoving it in your direction.
“A resort. We can both detox there like at a spa. Mud baths and facials y’know?” His content state was refreshing as you looked over what he booked.
“That sounds nice actually.” You tell him making him feel proud. He cups your face making you look at him.
“I want you to feel like you’re important because you are especially to me. No one is better than you in my eyes.” He affirmed as he kisses your forehead. You melt into it feeling safe and at home.
“You’re important to me too.” You tell him, he snorts before answering you, “Oh I know.” You smack his arm making him laugh harder.
Now that that’s over I can post the funny stuff
This was originally going to be a Sylus stand alone but this was fine too
#pookie n’ lads °❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:・#l&ds sylus#lnds sylus#sylus love and deepspace#love and deepspace sylus#lads sylus#sylus x reader#lnds rafayel#l&ds rafayel#love and deep space rafayel#love and deepspace rafayel#lads rafayel#rafayel love and deepspace#rafayel x reader#zayne love and deepspace#love and deepspace zayne#zayne x reader#lads zayne#lnds zayne#l&ds zayne#lnds xavier#l&ds xavier#love and deep space xavier#love and deepspace xavier#lads xavier#xavier love and deepspace#l&ds caleb#caleb love and deepspace#lnds caleb#lads caleb
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coming over when they're drunk ♡

↬ request from anon ; Hiiii, may I please request the LADS boys getting really drunk, and they decided to come to her house late at night (they either live together or just came to her apartment). It can be only Zayne, tho.
↬ notes ; caleb, rafayel, sylus, xavier, zayne x gn!reader
↬ from ice ; hihi!! it's been like 7000 years since i last wrote but caleb's announcement has resurrected me!! this prompt was so fun and silly... anyways i hope you enjoy this!
↬ warning(s) ; all LIs are drunk, caleb antis dni, mc is described as shorter than all of them, sylus + zayne's are p suggestive
please reblog ! it helps a lot :)

[ caleb ! ]
"caleb?" what are you doing here?" you gasp as you open the door and see his familiar figure leaning against the frame. he's so tall that he has to duck to enter your apartment, and he stumbles as he does, making you rush to support him. "y/n..." he mumbles, his voice deep and husky, and you feel your heartbeat speed up at the way he says your name, "missed you..." "tsk, you're so dumb," you scold, though your heated cheeks betray how flustered you really are, "going and getting drunk even though you know you can't handle alcohol?" "mmphhh..." he groans as you both somehow manage to land on the sofa, his head resting on your chest, "sorry." you roll your eyes affectionately, threading your hands through his hair, "it's fine, silly. you're going to be the one hungover tomorrow." he nuzzles further into your chest, making you squeak, "hey! caleb!" "just let me sleep here..." and just like that, he's out like a light, his head tucked perfectly in the crook of your neck even though he's so much taller than you. well, you've known him for so many years that being this close is fine, right? it's totally fine that your heart is racing at a million miles per hour from how your dear childhood friend is sleeping on you... right?
more content utc !
[ rafayel ! ]
"ugh, raf, get off!" you groan, trying (and failing) to shove the purple-haired artist off you. "you're too heavy!" "but miss bodyguard~" he whines, lifting his head from how he's draped all 183cm of himself onto you, arms wrapped tight around your shoulders as if daring you to leave. his cheeks are flushed red from the alcohol, crimson dusting his ears when he gazes at you, "you're so warm! and it's sooo cold! you don't want your precious rafayel to freeze, do you?" he pouts, jutting out his lower lip in a way that's deceivingly adorable, and it almost makes you fold. keyword: almost. "well, you don't want your precious miss hunter to get crushed, do you?" you retort, even though you press yourself further into his comforting embrace. "if it's with me, then it's fine," rafayel teases, "i'll take care of you even if you're a pancake." "you're so annoying," you huff, though there's no real anger in your tone as you tuck a strand of purple hair behind his ear. "i'll even get you the best maple syrup and everything!" "...go to sleep, rafayel."
[ sylus ! ]
"sylus?" the two of you are in his mansion in the n109 zone, and he's just returned from another protocore auction. you help him slip off his masquerade mask, though you know he doesn't need to conceal his identity in someplace like this where his name is fear-inducing enough. "are you okay?" your palm presses against his cheek and forehead, checking if he has a fever, "you seem a little flushed." his eyes flutter shut and he leans into your touch, exhaling slowly, "it's nothing... i might have drank too much earlier." his large hand envelops yours, and he opens his ruby eyes once more, fixing his intense gaze on your face, "you're making me want to do very bad things, kitten." "i haven't even done anything- ah!" you argue, but your sentence is cut off as he sweeps you into his arms, lifting you easily into a princess carry. "you talk too much," he teases as you half-heartedly punch his chest, "ugh, sylus!" "i can think of several better ways for you to use that mouth of yours," he smirks as he kicks open your bedroom door, "so let's put those pretty lips to good use, hm?"
[ xavier ! ]
it's two in the morning when you hear a thump on your balcony. arming yourself, you stalk forward slowly, only to see, "xavier?!" "ah. hello, y/n." he stands up shakily, only to lean sideways and fall into a chair. "i was trying to teleport back home... but i guess i ended up at your apartment instead." he looks at you with his irresistible puppy eyes, and you can already guess what he's going to say next. throwing your hands up in defeat, you sigh, "sure, you can stay over." but as he stands up once more, almost toppling over again, you raise an eyebrow, "xavier, are you drunk?" "...not really." he looks away, and you can see how his neck is flushed, "liar. come here, let me help you." as you help him balance with his arm around you and head back inside, xavier's familiar scent wraps around the two of you like a soothing hug. "do i get to share a bed with you?" his eyes light up when you push open the bedroom door, "yeah, i feel too bad making you sleep on the couch when you're like this." his other hand sneaks up underneath the back of your shirt, pressing against your bare skin and sending waves of heat through your body. a gasp slips past your lips, and when you look up at xavier, he merely smiles, "i guess it's a good thing that i ended up here tonight after all."
[ zayne ! ]
"hmm..." you pretend to look thoughtful, gaze roving over zayne's tall figure as he sits on your couch, "is the famous dr. zayne perhaps... drunk?!" your voice turns dramatic, "how scandalous!" zayne looks at you confusedly, dark eyes seeming even darker and rounder than usual like a pair of twin boba pearls, "...what?" "aw, zayne! you're so cute like this!" you gush, giggling and wrapping your arms around his neck to pull him into a hug. "my senses are not that impaired," he retorts, though his voice softens as he feels your familiar weight on his lap, "i am just... tipsy." "mhmm, whatever you say~" you tease, pressing a flurry of kisses along his neck. "d-don't do that..." he gasps, breath hitching as your lips drag over his pulse point, "i might not be able to hold myself back." "so don't." you lean back and tilt your head smugly, knowing that he's putty in your hands, "who said i wanted you to hold back anyway?" his eyes narrow behind his glasses, "don't say things you don't mean." "i mean it one hundred percent~" you smirk, leaning forward to steal his breath with another heated kiss. zayne's hands tighten their grip on your waist before he pins you underneath him, "whatever you say, y/n."

✧ thank you for reading ! if you have a request, feel free to send it in 🌠
© icypopz 2024. do not repost or modify in any way.
#[ my writing — ! ]#[ love & deepspace — ! ]#love and deepspace#love and deepspace x reader#caleb x reader#xavier x reader#rafayel x reader#sylus x reader#zayne x reader#lads x reader#lnd x reader
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what are the lads' girl dinners in your opinion?
𝙶𝚒𝚛𝚕 𝙳𝚒𝚗𝚗𝚎𝚛
Here's what I personally think the lads men would have as a girl dinner feel free to argue with me

𝚉𝚊𝚢𝚗𝚎
Zayne is no stranger to girl dinner and doesn't even know it. This man is grabbing a sandwich w/ a slice of cake and a parfait to wash it down. As a matter of fact with the amount of hours he works he probably has girl dinners on the regular.
𝚁𝚊𝚏𝚊𝚢𝚎𝚕
I feel like people tend to forget that even though Raf is our fishie sea god lover boy this menace loves seafood. He is not a "fish are our friends" guy this man is munching on that seafood and licking his chops afterwards. His ass is air frying some popcorn shrimp with a glass of guava juice.

𝚇𝚊𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚛
If he got paid to cook he'd one broke son of a bitch (Sorry Xav I love you baby) Xavier is no stranger to girl dinner because that's all he can do honestly. He lives off frozen food and hotpot so girl dinner? Spicy mf buldak ramen with tteokbokki and probably a glass of water. He's also calling you to come over to eat with him.
𝚂𝚢𝚕𝚞𝚜
He's having his chef cook for him so it's rare that he has a girl dinner however comma when he does he's either warming up leftovers or he's throwing a quick salad together and keeping it pushing.
#love and deepspace#sylus love and deepspace#sylus#lads#lnds sylus#love and deepspace sylus#lads rafayel#lads xavier#lads zayne#sylus lads#lnds#lnds rafayel#lnds xavier#lnds zayne#rafayel love and deepspace#xavier love and deepspace#zayne love and deepspace#nikaaaaimagine
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Why Cody Burns succeeded where Rafael Esquivel failed
Honestly, Raf is one of those characters I never thought much of, in part because he was so forgettable. More often than not in Prime, Raf was just the sweet baby who everybody thought the world of and wanted to keep out of harm's way, even though the most he ever did in the show was provide technical help with Earth machinery or play the part of innocent child. This was not helped by the fact that he was buddy-ed up with the mute Bumblebee, who's sole contributions up until his two part arc and the series finale was additional man power and adorable mimic. While this was good for background humor, it ultimately did nothing to the overall storyline in the series, both for Raf and for Bee, and for the series itself.
By contrast, Cody Burns - the resident team baby, beloved by all and unwaveringly helpful in rescue missions - stood out far more than Raf. And what's more, is that he never had "his own" Autobot/Cybertronian partner, when literally his whole family had one of their own.
Allow me to delve into this, hopefully, final observatory post regarding the TFP kids.
Of all the humans, we quite frankly get the least out of Raf. We know he's a prodigy, given that he's twelve (and a quarter) and jumped straight into the same classes as Miko and Jack, the former of whom is no slouch as I've already covered. We're shown that his family allows him free reign of Jasper, as he's playing by himself near the road, although he's alone. That tells us that his family is either extremely lax in their attention for their youngest child, or that Jasper is an actually safe location for a kid who's barely filling out his shoes to be on his own. Whether or not either option is true, that's dangerous and shows that Raf goes unnoticed by his family. I'm not saying they're abusive or willfully neglectful of him, but this points us to the conclusion that Raf has a very lonely home life, and we already know that he's got zero friends until he meets the Autobots.
This could have been a great plot-point for the series: by giving Team Prime a small child with no one for company, the writers could have more clearly given the Autobots hope for the future of the War/after the War, while Raf could have gained confidence and security from having people who actually cared and listened to him. It could have been fun, having him be the human cycling through the Autobots for various needs. Imagine Raf going to Optimus for comfort after another day of feeling ignored, talking to Arcee for ideas on how to stand up to Vince (being the sole child in class makes you a target, after all), or coming to Bulkhead for how to struggle through the physical aspects of his school regimen (i.e. the time he brought up the rope climbing to Ratchet.) The possibilities were endless.
But instead, he's specifically handed over to Bee. Bee, who is the disabled child that is also largely forgotten, and who, while he does bond with Raf and provide him with much needed company, offers nothing else in the way of development or storylines. We got something marginally better when Raf started spending time with the grumpy grandpa that is Ratchet, which was great to highlight Ratchet's soft side that nurtures his own character progression, but it's not enough for Raf's development. I greatly prefer the company of the Autobots to the human characters in virtually every series, but there needs to be a noticable human presence to ground the Autobots' protective instincts toward Earth and to push along the story. Raf ended up being a token character not even halfway through the first season, which is a shame given his potential, especially since he and Bee ended up being background décor.
Now, as a counterpoint, we come to Cody Burns.
Like Raf, Cody is the youngest child of the Burns clan - and I say clan because his family has been the one providing Griffin Rock's safety and protection for about...roughly three hundred years? (Correct me if I'm wrong, but his family were the ones in-universe to discover the island. Thus, there's a large claim and respect to his family's name.) His father Charlie is the chief of police; his oldest brother Kade is the chief firefighter; his older sister Dani is the helicopter pilot and primary search and rescue operator; and his brother Graham, who's about eight years older than ten year old Cody, is already a chief engineer and inventor himself. Clearly, Cody has an impressive family. Clearly, they're the best of the best, and he couldn't be prouder of them.
And clearly, Cody feels the need to earn his stripes given their talents and the family's reputation.
A recurring subplot in Rescue Bots is how Cody is insecure about his role on the team, and that often leads him to attempt to provide help and find his place in life in the family. Sometimes, this works; although he's often left monitoring the situations across the island at home through the cameras, Cody finds ways of giving advice or pointing out a hazard that the others are oblivious to that would have likely killed them. And this is a noble occupation his fills, with his aid saving many lives and much trouble.
However, sitting around and merely being an observer wears on him. It makes him restless, and he often seeks aid from the 'Bots to figure out his problems before typical shenanigans ensue that rectify the current episode's dilemma.
This is an important part of Cody's characterization because while he does occasionally feel left out/ignored by his family, he understands it is because of their duties. Charlie has to daily wrangle different criminals and legal offenses while Graham is eagerly going to town on his latest project. Kade and Dani each have their own lives that are beginning and that they're pursuing, but additionally maintain an intense sibling rivalry due to them being not even three years apart. Thus, while they're seeing they're respective girlfriend and boyfriend, they're also competing in various childish ways that, sometimes, result in massive fights. It's no small wonder Cody rarely goes to them for advice.
For this, he's left with the 'Bots, and because they view him as their darling little brother who inspires them every day to give the humans of Griffin Rock and Earth a chance, they listen and advise him. Heatwave is the oldest of the 'Bots, and thus more experienced; additionally, Heatwave more than once nearly threw in the towel in the early days, but only relented due to Cody's convictions and virtues. Therefore, while they have a special bond without it being the sole focus, Cody tends to run to Heatwave the most when emotionally unwell and Charlie is unavailable. Heatwave in turn gives him comfort and advice, and backs him up in most situations. Chase is one he less often seeks help from, mostly due to Chase's nature of being a rigid rulebook. Most times Cody helps Chase understand human expressions and terms when Charlie is busy or otherwise engaged, with both their efforts helping the police 'Bot to loosen up. There are times when he needs Chase's input, as strange as that aid might be, and Cody doesn't hesitate to seek it.
Boulder he goes to almost as regularly as Heatwave, and the two get along fantastically. Boulder provides him with loving company he's hungry for, and sound advice without being overbearing. Blades sometimes needs more encouragement than anything, and thus Cody plays the rare part of helping guide someone through their numerous fears. Because of that, the 'copter 'Bot is extremely loyal and protective of Cody, and when Cody does ask for his help or companionship, Blades readily gives it. Sometimes, Blades will even go above and beyond what is asked, and never asks for anything in return.
These are healthy, constantly growing relationships that Cody develops with the 'Bots, as well as magnificent characterizations that are always expanding. While the focus tends to be shown through Cody's eyes or centered around him, it never fixates on him more than is necessary. Rather, by setting him up as the show's heart, the writing team is able to stretch out towards arcs related to other characters, both the 'Bots and their specific partners, and the other human cast members who interact with the 'Bots on a less frequent basis.
This is how Cody takes the potential of Raf from Prime and not only runs with it, but builds up countless heartwarming moments and strong characterizations over the course of Rescue Bots' run. Cody is positively and rightly shown as the glue of the family element of the show, and is given the autonomy to maintain his own personality and growth without being forgotten like Raf consistently was. That's why Cody stands out, and poor Raf is left hanging.
Well, that's my thoughts on the matter. I felt I should tackle Raf, given I covered his two peers, and Cody is a cute, fun, and constantly evolving counterpart to Raf that explains much of why I feel the poor baby of Team Prime was ultimately misused and unnecessary. I hope you enjoyed this, and that it got some gears turning in your heads.
I'll be seeing you guys!
"Rescue Bots, roll to the rescue!"
#transformers#transformers prime#transformers rescue bots#transformers humans#tf#tfp#tfrb#tfrobotsindisguise#tf rescue bots#tfrb boulder#tfrb chase#tfrb blades#tfrb heatwave#rescue bots#tfrb kade#heatwave#kade burns#dani burns#tfrb dani#tfrb cody#tfrb charlie#cody burns#charlie burns#tfrb graham#graham burns#tfp raf#bulkhead#rafael esquivel#tfp miko#tfp jack
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Would the Trio ever take a fourth? Doesn't even have to be a true romance thing or a physical thing exclusively or even permanently. I just feel like even a cuddle puddle night with them (especially Tess) would soothe my soul and I ache for what they have. And I don't mean a groupie thing either haha.
LOL cuddlefriends are always possible. In fact, if you are friends with Margie, you are a cuddlefriend. She is going to cuddle you. She might even invite Tess if ur obvious abt it.
Raf's kinda the sticky wicket on this... But he's got no problem with the girls being sweet on a new friend, as long as new friend doesn't have a history of scummy behaviors.
A -true- fourth would have to be someone who's put in front of Raf via extenuating circumstances, or someone he meets serendipidously...and finds intellectually attractive...and then continues to show that they're a good sort, -without- giving him a whiff that they're trying to win him over. Someone with good values/morales--who sticks to them even if they think it might upset him. He -really- likes that. Not in the moment, usually...but in retrospect...it's a big positive modifier on his opinion of someone.
And, genuinely--that person would need to be someone who contributes as a source of joy/calm and carries a generally positivite outlook. And has a ton of patience (for him, sure, but -especially- for Margie).
And honestly...at this point...if you have a liscense, can legally drive, and are willing to relieve him of the "Designated Driver" duty on frequent enough occassion--he'll straight up suck your dick*.
[*gender neutral]
#it's not impossible#but--just like his relationship with Margie--improbable.#lightning can strike twice though!!#go wild with your self-insert OCs haha genuinely!#nother big thing to note abt Raf though is that he will never NEVER never never never#find his fans attractive in any manner even adjacent to romantic.#Even just the suggestion of treating fans as romantic prospects reaaaallly icks him.#Margie hasn't know that kinda fame and might never figure out the importance of treating fans as fans#to the extent that Raf does...#But Raf does coach her away from getting too friendly with 'em.#Sometimes it upsets her a bit...she just likes having more friends.#She can't tell a difference.
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Hii! I am in love with your Raf nsfw alphabet. I can't imagine him being any other way cause you were so accurate. If you want, could you write a Caleb version? Thank you very much anyway byeee
Caleb NSFW alphabet
I am madly in love with you anon for this ask, we should get married fr
Warnings(?): I'm not the most familiar with his personality yet so it might be ooc, Caleb being weird and obsessive, slight mentions of drugging without your knowledge (just like canon lmao), the fanfic is just 𝔣𝔯𝔢𝔞𝔨𝔶, step-brother Caleb
A = Aftercare (What they’re like after sex)
Caleb would rather die than to not treat you like a princess after sex. I mean, what kind of step-brother doesn’t want to take care of his sister? He does everything and anything you ask of him. Do you need a shower Pip-squeak? You got it. Want a snack or a drink? Caleb is on his way already! Wanna just fall asleep and stay in bed? Caleb will wash you down and cover you with the softest blankets. Don't worry about him, you're the only important one right now.
B = Body part (Their favorite body part of theirs and also their partner’s)
Caleb's favorite body part of his is the one which you like the most. Do you like his hands? So does he! Do you like his abdomen? He does too!
(Although if you did force him to pick a part himself, he'd pick somewhere where you left a lasting mark on him. Like the bite wound on his hand from when you were both kids)
As for his favorite body part of yours?. He'd say everything, he doesn't need one favorite part when he can just love all of them. But truly? He's obsessed with your chest. Any time of the day he grabs your chest, his hands sneaking under your shirt and your bra. His brain is addicted to how soft your breasts are under his fingers, how your nipples harden under his touch.
C = Cum (Anything to do with cum, basically)
Caleb will cum inside of you, no matter what. Everytime you two are in bed, he cums inside automatically, not even asking. The only way for you to get him to cum anywhere else is to push him off of you just as he's about to cum or to say that you'll forever hate him if he cums inside.
D = Dirty secret (Pretty self explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)
When you were teenagers and both still lived under one roof, he'd always jerk off to the thought of you, his lovely step-sister. Now, of course his friends and he used to talk about pornography and porn stars all the time, but Caleb never understood it. He tried it, he really did! But nothing could compare to the thought of you being with him as he was jerking off. Did he feel disgusted? Absolutely, I mean, he's jerking off to his step-sister. But it felt the best.
A dirty secret from the present? He's obsessed with the idea of feeding you an aphrodisiac. I mean, he's given you pills before without your consent, why not try it more? Although it is worth noting that he hasn't done it yet, nor will he have the courage to do so in the next 6 months or more.
E = Experience (How experienced are they? Do they know what they’re doing?)
Caleb knows what he’s doing because he knows you. He has no experience outside of you, because as cheesy as it sounds, he was saving himself for you and you only.
F = Favorite position (This goes without saying)
Caleb is okay with any position as long as you like it, although he does prefer positions where he can see your face. He enjoys seeing the pleasure on your face, the pleasure he’s giving you. Plus he also enjoys kissing you non-stop, leaving you out of breath.
G = Goofy (Are they more serious in the moment? are they humorous? etc.)
Caleb is as serious as he can be in the moment. Sure, if anything embarrassing happens he’ll laugh at it, but otherwise he’s rather serious.
H = Hair (How well groomed are they? Does the carpet match the drapes? etc.)
I was gonna say that he only trims his hair, but in his design it is implied that he shaves, as seen here:

As for the hair itself? I’d say it’s slightly darker than the hair on his head and that it is thicker.
I = Intimacy (How are they during the moment? The romantic aspect)
Caleb is romantic with you 24/7, and it does not change when he’s intimate with you. If anything, it ten folds.
J = Jack off (Masturbation headcanon)
He'd jerk off almost every day when he was a teen, always thinking only about you. But upon becoming a fleet officer he didn't have time to do much. The only time he'd get to jerk off is when he had a free day (few days a month), and once again, his head would only be thinking about you no matter how hard he tried to think of anyone else.
As for the present? He jerks off anytime he gets needy and you’re not there. No matter where he is. Is he in a meeting and you text him? Well, he’s already hard and making his way to the bathroom to rub one out.
K = Kink (One or more of their kinks)
Due to Caleb's profession, I think he'd have a thing for bondage, especially handcuffs, and he'd be into uniforms, along with marking, like bites and hickeys.
For handcuffs, he'd cuff you and never let you cuff him.
For the uniform, it wouldn't matter. Sure, he loves to wear the uniform and to act higher than you, but you wearing the uniform turns him on the same, if not more.
Also, I am convinced he'd try to make you levitate up to his face to eat you out with his Evol while jerking off.
And there’s a slight chance that he has Dacryphilia, but he won’t admit it.
L = Location (Favorite places to do the do)
I honestly think he’d want to do it anywhere if he was needy enough and if it was private enough. Most often he takes you in his home since it’s private and you barely leave anyways, but there have been times (far too many times) where he bent you over the control panel of the fleet’s airplane, or on a random wall in a public space where no one could see you two.
M = Motivation (What turns them on, gets them going)
YOU. Anything and everything about you is what gets him going, innocent or not. Oh, are you wearing his shirt? It's because you love him so much you wanna look like him, right?
N = No (Something they wouldn’t do, turn offs)
I believe he’d try almost anything for you, as long as it gives you pleasure/turns you on. He just loves you so much that he’d do it even if it was odd to him,
Although a thing that he’d never do, is take you with anyone else. You’re his, just his. No one else can ever see you in the ways he does.
O = Oral (Preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.)
Caleb loves giving oral. Sure he enjoys it when you give him oral too, but he’s much happier giving you the pleasure.
As for his skill? Well, given the fact he has no experience before you, I’d say he’s definitely sloppy in the start. He does get better with time, noting how each of his movements make you louder or quieter.
P = Pace (Are they fast and rough? Slow and sensual? etc.)
This mainly depends on Caleb’s mood. He’d rather enjoys slow and sensual sex, but if something happens when he’s at work, he’ll come home and fuck you until you are on the verge of passing out.
Q = Quickie (Their opinions on quickies, how often, etc.)
Caleb most certainly prefers to take you in the confines of his home, taking his time with everything, but that isn’t too common due to his always-packed schedule. Thanks to him being a fleet officer who barely gets any time off, there are many times that quickies between you happened, much to his dismay.
R = Risk (Are they game to experiment? Do they take risks? etc.)
Caleb isn’t the biggest risk taker, but he does take them sometimes. I mean, whenever he asks you for a joined ride in his airplane you end up bent over the control panel with Caleb fucking you from behind, your face pressed against the glass of the front winndow.
S = Stamina (How many rounds can they go for? How long do they last?)
Caleb feels like he has infinite stamina, being able to go all night long if not longer. Although, if you start feeling exhausted, too overstimulated or like you’re gonna pass out, he will stop for you.
T = Toys (do they own toys? do they use them? on a partner or themselves?)
When he was a teen he tried to DIY a fleshliight/pocket pussy, but failed horribly due to being terribly untalented in the crafts. So he just continued jerking off with his hand and until now that had stayed the same. Sure, he had the idea of buying a fleshlight, but he’s grown accustomed to simply using his hand.
U = Unfair (how much they like to tease)
As much as Caleb loves to have soft and sensual sex with you, he also loves to tease you. And as much as he’d hate to admit, he finds it utterly hot when he makes you cry with his teasing.
V = Volume (How loud they are, what sounds they make, etc.)
The first few times you were intimate, Caleb was rather quiet. Although after you asked him if he’s even receiving pleasure during intimacy, he let his voice go. Now most of the times when you have sex he whines and whimpers as he kisses you, moaning in your ear when the kisses break.
W = Wild card (A random headcanon for the character)
I think the step-sibling aspect of your relationship turns him on beyond belief. The forbidden aspect of it fueling his love (obsession) for you even more
X = X-ray (Let’s see what’s going on under those clothes)
Caleb is much bigger than average, and much thicker too. His cock has a curve to it with the tip being an angry red color.
And for the record, he knows more than well how to use it. Well, after the first few times at least.
Y = Yearning (How high is their sex drive?)
Before you? It was honestly low (not counting when he was a teen) and he’d actively have to get himself horny but now? He’s horny almost 24\7 when he’s with you, when he thinks about you, or when you text him.
Z = Zzz (How quickly they fall asleep afterwards)
Caleb makes sure you're okay. He watches you as you fall asleep and if you can't? He's gonna get you a nice drink that assures you will sleep. After all, he doesn't want you to be tired tomorrow, does he?
It also is rather common for Caleb to not sleep much himself. He just loves watching you sleep. Sometimes he can spend the whole night just watching your chest rise as you breathe calmly. He'd love to watch you like this every night, but he is the fleet's commander after all, so there are bound to be distractions.

Idk @scarasdarling wanted to be tagged, there ya go bud
#caleb love and deepspace#love and deepspace#love and deepspace caleb#caleb#love and deepspace x reader#caleb x reader#caleb x you#love and deepspace smut#lads caleb#lads smut#lads
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hiii I’d like to make a request for LADS🙏
scenarios for the boys (specifically the original 3) when you meet and you’re already dating someone (maybe eventually you leave them for one of the boys). like. i can imagine raf and xav having a hard time keeping their cool about it and perhaps zayne acting the way he did in neon night since he doesn’t remember but fjdjsksm
You actually sent this a day before I got Neon Night, so I was able to reference it in real time and not look up the card on YT or anything, I'm so happy-- This was actually super fun, thank you so much for the request!! I hope you enjoy <3 (I'm gonna warn you tho, I made it a bit angsty--)
LaDS men when you're already dating someone [for now-]
Rafayel -
Rafayel is... upset.
to say the least.
He'll act rude and obnoxious to whoever it is you're dating at the time, to an uncharacteristically high level of sass and snippy comments. You have to try and ask him what's gotten into him, but he won't answer you.
Further meetings will go just as smoothly, so your current partner will just chalk up to you having an oddly rude friend.
He'll say something that comes across as weird to you at some point- a biting comment during a completely unrelated argument about how he waited so long for you, searching high and low for any trace of you returning again, and you didn't even have the courtesy to wait for him.
He'll leave angry, but he'll stand in the hallway regretting it, because he knows. He knows you don't remember him, and he can't keep faulting you for that. But damn-
It hurts.
It hurts to know that he did everything he could to find you, to protect you- to keep you safe until he could see you again. Talk to you again. Love you again.
But here you were.
Just out of reach again.
Xavier -
You're trying to handle a toddler now, not a grown man.
He's so upset, it's borderline ridiculous.
It's like any comment or conversation starter your current partner tries to toss at Xavier, it doesn't even make it out of the hangar before it's shot down.
Any attempts you make to be friendly with him are also met with snippy remarks.
He did not travel as far as he did, do every single hard thing he had up until this point- just to lose to some average every-day person who was currently enjoying holding your hand.
His jealously is through the roof.
His pouting face is actually pretty cute, though, so there's that.
After sulking for a long time, he'll start inviting you places more frequently, under the guise of wanting to hang out more as coworkers.
His actual motives are trying to make you see just how good of a partner he could be for you.
Yes he's trying to steal you out from under your current partner's feet.
Is it working...?
Sylus -
He's not surprised.
He's also not threatened.
What, was Sylus supposed to suspect that someone with no recollection of him or your previous time knowing each other would hold out for him, until you met again?
He tries his best to be a rational man, as there would be no rationality in getting upset at you for something you have no knowledge of.
He's hurt, but he also has a mild sense of confidence coating his doubts and pain.
He knows you'll come around to him eventually- it's everything that fate had destined, he'll muse jokingly to himself.
Still, he can't help a little doubt itching in his subconscious. He doesn't have any way of outwardly handling it, though.
He isn't the type to flaunt what he has in front of other people in order to appear better. It's gaudy to him, and shows just how little someone actually is worth if they're so desperate to put themselves above another through a dollar amount.
Treats your current partner with the same level of respect he does towards you, and shows them similar levels of care.
They make you happy, and he doesn't want that ever taken from you.
No matter how badly he wants you all to himself.
Zayne -
If it bothers him, you would never be able to tell.
Always the epitome of kindness and civility no matter who he's dealing with as long as they aren't unkind to those who matter to him- namely you- the person you're dating is treated no differently.
That is, as long as they're treating you properly.
He's no overprotective psychopath, but he does have his own concerns given some of the patients he has treated in the past. As long as certain basic criteria are met, he doesn't see any issue with it.
Still he's... a bit sad.
He blames himself wholeheartedly, for going away for so long. For leaving you alone. It's his own fault for missing his chance with you, and while somewhere deep inside of him is praying on your current partner's downfall- it's a very small portion in the back of his mind. Something dark he'll never truly humor.
He wants you to be happy, above anything else. Above personal feelings, his own wishes, anything. And if your current partner is making you happy, then that's all he could ever wish for.
Even through the sting.
He's happy as long as you are.
#love and deepspace#.writey#lads#lds#x reader#sylus x reader#rafayel x reader#zayne x reader#xavier x reader
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In High Cotton || Rafayel (m)
Paring(s); LADS Rafayel x reader
Word count; 3,626
Themes; swearing, smut, plushie turning human (??), I write the word plushie a lot (I'm sorry), porn with a smidgen of plot, alternative universe
Warnings; Cunnilingus, fingering, slight choking, smidge of hair pulling, some degrading (if you squint), unprotected sex (wrap it up), some boob play, (do not expect a masterpiece of a smut— I didn't realize how rusty I was at writing them until I actually started 😞)
Notes; woah, 700ish notes on my most recent drabble! That's insane tbh. It almost feels like I should only write drabbles, and it wasn't even a smutty drabble either 🤔 I thought people were usually into smut?
Either way, I'm glad yall are liking it while I readjust myself to writing smut once again! I used to write smut SO much when I was younger and then I just stopped– but when I do write it again, it might have too much detail and I do apologize beforehand for that...speaking of, it's happening now btw! I'm going to try to write good smut for this. I got this idea for a short, one-shot hentai-ish Manga (it's called…”my plushie turned into a human” or something like that)
Also, lowkey, cotton doesn't even feel like a real word anymore 😭
|| Main Masterlist ||
In High Cotton;
//this Southern idiom means “to be doing well or living a comfortable life”; in comparison, to be ‘in low cotton’ would mean you're having a bad day//
“What are you, a child? Stop carrying around that stupid plushie! It feels like you care more about that damn thing than our relationship.”
Your head whips around to stare at your partner through a glare.
Oh really now?
You care more about a stuffed piece of fabric in comparison to your almost five years of dating this person?? Yeah, right.
Your partner was just trying to deflect this situation away from the fact that you caught them cheating.
They were grasping at straws to throw the blame on you and your cherished plush was the only thing they could throw at you…pitiful.
You've had this little plushie since you were little and, honestly, you didn't even remember what show it was from– if it was on one. Your childhood friend gave it to you shortly before he moved away and you've since forgotten what he even looked like.
The only memory of him being the purple haired, humanoid plushie currently clasped between your hands as you fought the urge to throw it at your partner.
And, tired of your silence, your partner left your apartment shortly after.
Now, you were left alone with your plushie.
You slowly swipe your thumb back and forth over its pinkish-blue eyes as you ponder just why you cherished it so much. Why you cherished Raf so much.
Yeah, Raf. That's apparently the name of the plushie. That's what your mom claims you called it throughout the years, so you had no reason to change it.
But yeah. You were unsure why it never left your side.
You always kept it in your purse, in your shirt pocket– it almost felt like an emotional support doll, at this point.
Anyway, you stand up from the floor and go lock your door so your partner couldn't barge back inside the apartment, even if they wanted to. Then, you decide to go to bed. You were off work for the next few days, so you could finally get some well deserved rest.
You quickly get changed into your pajamas and curl up in the bed with Raf in your arms. Your hand resting against the red beret on its head, thumb gently brushing over the small black bead on top of the hat as you drift off to sleep.
You wake up feeling…warm? Too warm, in fact.
You know you fell asleep with the air conditioner on, so there's absolutely no reason for the room to feel as warm as it does.
You grumble under your breath, wanting to go back to sleep as quickly as possible, and keep your eyes shut as you try to kick out from under the covers. You soon realize you can't do this, because you feel an odd weight holding you down.
If your partner snuck back in, you swear to god—
But when you open your eyes, you're met with an unfamiliar sight.
It's…a stranger. In bed with you.
Their hair, however, was oddly familiar.
Purple hair…
Nah, no way. There's no way your plushie suddenly turned into a human, but that would definitely make you feel less anxious than assuming a stranger was in your home.
You take a deep breath and glance around for your plushie. If you can find it, then this man isn't your favourite stuffed animal and if you can't– well, it could've fallen into the floor. You won't sink into the delusion that this man was Raf, until that was your final option.
You couldn't find it with just your eyes, so you attempted to wiggle out of the man's grasp. However, this only causes him to hold you tighter, his arms squeezing around your waist as he pulls you further into his bare chest.
…bare chest?
You blink a few times. Your head is close enough to touch the man's chin.
Fuck it.
You put your hands on his chest and desperately try to pull away from him, full on struggling since you've decided to not care if you wake him up or not. He came into your house, why should you be accommodating toward him??
“Hmm?”
You hear his tired voice as he finally removes one arm from your waist to rub his eyes, and the moment he opens then, you have no choice but to accept that he was your plushie.
Seriously, like what normal human has pinkish-blue eyes?? No one. Unless he's wearing contacts, that is literally your comfort doll.
You know it sounds crazy, but how else would this random guy know what your plush looks like?? Especially enough to copy its looks perfectly.
“Oh. Good morning, Y/n.” He yawns, stretching his arms up and that's when you snap.
You quickly sit up and move away from him, holding a hand out in front of you. “What're you doing in my house? You're not…Raf, are you?”
“You recognize me!?” He almost blinds you with his innocently charming smile.
“You're…joking, right? I mean, seriously, how am I supposed to believe that?” You say, half asleep but clearly not buying this act. You run a hand through your hair, brows furrowed and you could feel a headache coming on.
“Oh…you don't believe me..” he frowns, sitting up against the pillows. “Hmm…what can I do to make you believe me?”
“Uh…say something that only someone who knows me would know?” You throw your hands up in the air, exasperatedly.
Come on, how the heck were you supposed to know?? Though, you'd probably believe him if he said something personal.
“Raf” brings his hand up to rest under his chin as he contemplates what to say. After a few moments of silence, you stand up from the bed.
“Alright, if you're not going to say anything, then–”
“When you were seven, you threw up and ran into your mom's room crying because you thought you were dying…uh, oh also, when you were ten, you were trying to ride a bike and busted your knee open when you fell– you have a scar from it. At eleven, you accidentally punched a kid in the face and got into your first fight– that you lost, by the way. And at sixteen, you were going to lose your virginity, but your ex said you had to get Raf off the bed and you said, and I quote, ‘the doll stays’.”
“Raf” looks at you after he finishes talking with an almost proud looking smile on his face and you tilt your head to the side.
You…
…what?
You had no other choice, but to believe him now.
The scar on your knee would've been the easiest to guess, but the others? But you don't want to seem too gullible…
You clear your throat, crossing your arms over your chest. “Tell me more before I make my decision.”
Surely he wouldn't say anything embarrassing, right?
“You've faked every orgasm with your current partner. You can only cum if—”
“Okay, okay!” You quickly place your hand over his mouth. Your face turns scarlet as you squeeze your eyes shut. “That's enough. I'll believe you for now.”
You feel something wet against your palm and jerk your hand back. “What the hell– did you just lick my hand??” You drag your hand against your pants to wipe it off, before shaking your head. “Look, go get dressed. I'm sure my ex has some clothes you can wear.”
You put an emphasis on ex, since you decided you weren't going to stay with that cheater the moment they left your apartment last night.
Then, you leave the room.
Honestly….Raf was a pretty decent roommate. Sure, he didn’t work, but you'd come back to a home-cooked meal after work every day. He'd do the laundry, the dishes, and he even painted on the side.
You weren't sure if he'd ever turn back into a plush, but you preferred him this way. With him as a human, you could talk about your day with someone, eat with someone…there's only one problem.
Personal space and…personal time.
You haven't been able to get off in almost a month– that's how long Raf has been human by now– and it has started to get to you. You usually aren't a very sexual person, but sometimes you just need to rub one out every now and again…and you can't with him constantly snuggled in the bed next to you.
Tonight was another night where you wouldn't be able to do what you wanted.
You let out a small sigh as you get settled in bed. The TV played a random show in the background as it illuminated the otherwise dark room. Raf laid next to you, one arm curled under the pillow so he could still watch the TV. He was shirtless too, so that made your conundrum even better.
“What's wrong?” He asks, not looking away from the TV and you quickly shake your head.
“It's nothing. Nothing at all.”
Raf shifts over to his side to look at your face, raising one of his eyebrows ever so slightly. “You haven't…Well, I mean, you usually do it once a week and it's been a month now–”
“Raf–” you sigh, covering his head with a pillow. “Shut up.”
He pulls the pillow down, so only his eyes are visible. “Do you still not see me as a man?”
“I don't want to talk about this right now.” You try to pull the pillow back over his face and he catches you by the wrist.
“I could make you feel way better than your ex did…” he trails off as he guides your hand to the front of his pajama pants.
You could visibly see a bump from over the covers and you choke on your spit as you felt something warm under your palm.
Something big.
“Raf…” you trail off, but you can't find the will to tell him to let it go.
His words made you curious…you wanted to know if sex could actually feel good or if he was just talking a big game.
What could he really know about sex, anyways?
He's only been human for a month now, so there's no way he could actually be good at it, right?
As you're lost in thoughts, your hand subconsciously squeezes his election and Raf tilts his head back, teeth sinking into his bottom lip to hold back a groan.
“Earth to Y/n.” He hums, snapping his fingers in front of your face. “Yes or no, cutie? I want explicit consent.”
You were battling with your thoughts, but you ultimately nodded your head.
“Use your words now. Your pretty lips aren't just there for show, are they?” The man taps his finger against your bottom lip and you let out an impatient sigh, “Yes, now can you please–”
Your words were silenced by Raf's lips crashing down against yours.
One of his hands ghosts down your body, fingers resting under the waistband of your pajama shorts, just a few inches from where you really wanted his touch. His other hand slides up your shirt, cupping a breast.
You feel the bed dip underneath you as Raf swings a leg over your body, fully pinning you to the bed as he continues his assault against your lips.
His tongue swipes across your bottom lip, but you playfully refuse to let him in. In retaliation, Raf’s fingers pinch around your nipple and harshly tug at it. A gasp escapes you and he takes this opportunity to slip his tongue past your open lips.
The only time your lips part is when Raf leans back to tug his shirt off and takes off yours as well.
Now shirtless in front of the man, you can't help but feel a little self conscious.
Though Raf quickly dissuades your self doubt by dipping his head down to latch onto your nipple. His hand finally moved further into your pants. His index finger resting on your clit and you arch your hips up, trying to force him to move.
Your thigh stings in pain as you feel Raf's palm collide with your skin.
“Patience.” He murmurs against your chest.
His fingers draw lazy circles against your clit and, while it is pleasurable, you want more.
You dip your hand past his waistband and grab onto his dick. Your hand could barely wrap fully around it and you could only imagine how it would feel. It felt like it would hurt…a little. But what's a little pain?
Your hand lazily strokes Raf's dick, thumb dragging over his tip to collect a few drops of precum and that's when the man finally snaps.
His fingers move lower. His middle finger slowly glides inside of you and he gives you a few thrusts with his singular finger, before adding a second one. With both fingers sheathed inside, he makes a ‘come-hither’ motion with every thrust of his digits.
“R-Raf– wa—ah— wait..” Your nails dig into the skin of his shoulder while your other hand pauses its movements. You try to hide your face in your shoulder, but Raf seizes your chin with a hand.
“Don't look away now, princess. I wanna see your face. Wanna see just how good I'm making you feel.” He tsks and pulls away for a moment.
He strips you of your bottoms, tossing them to the side as his big hands grip your thighs. His palm slaps the newly exposed skin before he taps your hands.
“Hold your legs up for me and don't drop them.”
You want to question his words, but don't. Instead, you wrap your arms under your knees and pull them as close to your chest as you can. It was, honestly, a really embarrassing position, but you couldn't help but get even more wet.
Your juices were tacky against your thighs and even dripping down onto the sheets below you.
“Raf…” you whine, wondering what's taking him so long since you expected him to fuck you already. But instead of his cock, you feel something else.
You feel something warm and wet against your clit, and a strangled noise comes up from your throat as Raf flicks his tongue against your pussy. His fingers going back to your entrance to slip inside as he wraps his lips around your clit.
Your head tilts back as moans spill from your lips. Raf's skilled fingers working at your center while he tongue draws figure-eights on your clit.
“R-Raf, inside. ‘Wanna cum with you inside, please?” You finally manage to say, your nails digging into your legs.
Your heart stutters in your chest as Raf makes eye contact as he eats you out. Only pausing to respond to you, his fingers still moving.
“You gotta be more specific, princess. I am inside you right now.” He teases.
As you open your mouth to answer, he curls his fingers and they just barely brush your g-spot.
“I want your di– ah, Raf, right there!” Your hips jerk with every thrust of his fingers and you can feel yourself growing closer to your first orgasm, but Raf has other plans.
As you squeeze your eyes shut, preparing for your climax, suddenly you feel empty.
When you open your eyes, you notice that Raf is licking his fingers clean.
A lazy smirk tugs at the man's lips and his hand disappears into his pants, freeing his dick from its confines.
Your eyes are immediately drawn to his angry, red tip. The glistening precum. The way his hand drug against the length of it.
“Hey, my eyes are up here!”” Raf snaps his fingers with a pout. “Geez, you really know how to make a man feel like a pack of meat.” He taps the tip of his dick against your clit and your hips jump.
“Ah, what's the magic word, cutie?” His hand pushes down on your hips, effectively pinning them to the bed as he smears his precum across your clit.
“I…” You grit your teeth, squeezing your thighs before you finally let them go and hold your arms out. “Please fuck me.”
Raf's arms wrap around you as he finally pushes his tip inside and his voice of reason finally snaps. He was originally going to take it slow, to give you time to adjust, but the feeling of your tight, warm walls around his cock makes him unable to think straight.
Your legs wrap around his waist as he thrusts into you with reckless abandon. Though there is a bit of skill to his thrusts, there's also a smidgen of inexperience mixed within it.
“You're so tight, cutie. Do you like my cock that much?” He hums, his lips dragging against the skin of your neck. He firmly presses his lips down, parting them slightly to suck a painful bruise on your neck.
His hips continue to snap forward. His cock languidly pumps in and out of your pussy. The obscene noise of skin slapping against skin, the sound of your bodies coming together, fills the otherwise silent room.
His thumb dips down to make quick circles against your lip as his cock brushes against your g-spot and he claims your lips once more.
Your nails dig into his shoulders, dragging up his skin to leave deep red marks in their wake. Your moans are swallowed by Raf's lips. His tongue collides with yours and you briefly fight for dominance. You ultimately lose, though you didn't put up much of a fight.
The man pulls out and you're about to complain, but suddenly you're flipped onto your knees. Raf presses his palm into the small of your back and your face slams into your pillows.
His cock re-enters as he thrusts, his palm cracks down across your ass. You can't hide the moan that slips from your parted lips and Raf raises a brow.
“Oohh, someone's a bit of a pain slut?”
With this new knowledge, Raf pulls you up by your hair. Your back against his chest and his other hand glides over your body. His two fingers make quick circular motions against your clit and he releases your hair, instead wrapping his hand around your throat.
“R–Raf, please. ‘M so close.” Another noise slips from your lips as his cock just barely kisses your g-spot and you can feel his breath against your ear. “You gonna cum for me?” He presses a small kiss on your shoulder, his hand squeezing around your neck as he quickens his thrusts.
“Uh-huh…” you nod your head, teeth sinking into your bottom lip as you try to hold back your moans. You could feel your juices soaking your thighs, could hear the evidence of your arousal with every thrust.
With one last precise thrust that brushes your g-spot, you cum.
You tilt your head back with a choked cry, your hips jerking as your walls spasm around his cock.
“Princess…” Raf groans, his hands tightly gripping your hips as he surges forward. Your body falls forward and your hands go out to steady yourself as he continues to harshly thrust. “Inside or out?”
You take a moment to think before you turn your head to the side, meeting his eyes. “Out, please.”
Raf flips you over onto your back once more and after a few more pumps, he pulls out. His hand quickly strokes his cock before his head tilts back and he moans. His tip shoots out strings of cum, painting your stomach and chest with white ropes.
“Fuck…” he takes a few breathes before you meet each other's eyes.
Then, you both laugh giddily and he dips his head down to gently kiss you.
“I'll go grab a washcloth to clean you up.” He smiles against your lips before he gets off the bed to head into the bathroom.
You sit up and stretch out your sore limbs while you look around for your phone to check the time. “Huh…I could've sworn it was on the bed..” You click your tongue and sigh, sliding off the bed to check if it fell into the floor.
Your hand pats around under your bed and you let out a small squeak of surprise as your hand brushes against something soft. You jerk your hand back, but notice your phone was on the floor. You press a hand against your chest to try and still your fast beating heart. Then, you turn on your phone's flashlight to look under your bed.
“Wait…” you squint, noticing something that looks oddly familiar and once you fish it out, your eyes widen.
It…was Raf.
Slightly dusty since it had been under your bed for a few months, but…this was most certainly Raf, your beloved plushie.
Your head slowly turns in the direction of your bathroom with wide eyes. If your plush Raf was in your hands then…who was in your bathroom?
The door swings open and Raf– no, the stranger walks out from your bathroom with a washcloth in hand.
“I think I'm going to need to do the laundry soon. This is the last clean on– oh, you found it.” The purple-haired man leans against the doorway, crossing his arms over his chest.
“I– who…” you look from your cherished plushie to him. “You're not even…”
Then, he chuckles.
“You ever noticed the little black ball on his beret?” He taps a finger against his temple. “I gave you that when we were little…been watching you ever since.” He has a smile on his lips as if this was a normal thing to admit.
“You're—”
“Highly intelligent? Devilishly handsome?”
“—insane.”
“No, silly girl. My name is Rafayel. Don't worry, I'll fuck you a few more times so you can remember it.”
I tried my best and that's all that matters tbh 😭 I think it seems so bad because it's in second person and I'm used to writing smut in first. But I'm hoping I'll get better at it with practice!
Either way, I'm sure this isn't the worst smut you've read so I hope you enjoyed it!
Also, sorry there isn't a drabble this week! I might write one soon since I've got two days off 🤔 I'm not sure yet tbh
#lads#love and deepspace#love and deepspace x reader#lads x reader#lads rafayel#love and deepspace rafayel#rafayel x reader#lnds smut#lnds x reader#lnds rafayel#lnds rafayel x reader#lads rafayel x reader#lads smut#love and deepspace smut#l&ds#l&ds rafayel#l&ds smut#l&ds rafayel x reader
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Caleb Headcannons!!!
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Fun fact: Ever since Johnny Apple Seed over here was introduced Sylus is now my second least fav out of the boys. Sorry Caleb but childhood friends to lovers isn’t really my fav trope and you’re new so you’re practically getting the Sylus treatment for a bit. Anywho this bitch needed his own set of headcannons, I haven’t came up with his NSFW ones yet as they will take time. So here’s the ones I currently came up with!!!
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. This bitch sneezes loud as fuck.
. When he sneezes on his ship he gets a call and the moment he answers it a soldier from like two hallways down is like “bless you, colonel.”
. You know when you’re fighting with your sibling and the moment you hit them they start screaming bloody murder.
. Yeah that’s Caleb.
. You don’t even hit him hard and he’s making a scene.
. Forbid you hit him in a public place he will fall to the floor wailing to make you embarrassed.
. “WHY WOULD YOU HIT ME?! I ONLY WANTED TO GET SOME COOKIES!”
. You thought Raf was a drama queen? Caleb can be a just as bad.
. Constantly pulls the “Oh, it’s cause I have one arm?” card.
. Doesn’t even have to be related to the fucking conversation it’s the moment he can’t do something he wanted to do he’ll pull the card.
. Does the “I’m not touching you” thing with Zayne just to fuck with him.
. Zayne absolutely despises it.
. The only one who knows how to make Zayne flustered.
. Leaves Sylus’ office door open on purpose no mater how many times Sylus has asked him to close it.
. He just likes messing with people he’s close with.
. It’s his love language I’m sure.
. He experiences phantom itches with his prosthetic arm and asks Zayne for help when he does.
. Will dramatically complain when you ask him to make you food late at night but he’s already halfway to the kitchen getting ready to make something.
. Let’s you and Raf decorate his prosthetic arm, makes it easier to look at on those hard days.
. The moment him, Luke, and Kieran met the universe shifted in a not good way.
. Their pranks and his knowledge of how to get under people’s skin?
. Yeah it’s the worse thing ever.
#l&ds#l&ds caleb#caleb love and deepspace#lnds caleb#lads caleb#love and deepspace caleb#caleb#love and deepspace#l&ds headcanons#lads headcanons#head cannons
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Rafayel didn't want Reddie - Analysis & Theory
Rafayel's intention with Reddie wasn't to take it home. An analysis of Under Deepspace Chapter 1 -07 with Rafayel's first meeting with MC. Contains spoilers from his myths.
As a recap for their first meeting - a small boy comes to MC to ask her to catch a fish for him before "she" finds out, but his friend/sister calls for him and he runs off. As MC looks at the fish, Rafayel comes to meet MC and catches the fish and drops it in the bottle she has on her hands. After some friendly conversation, Rafayel turns to leave before MC asks him to wait and offers the fish back to him.
First of all - I don't believe for a moment that the kids wanted the fish. I do feel that Rafayel did ask the kids to take her to the pool, so he could have an opening with her.
If we look back to this scene, he is smiling the entire time during this interaction until MC offers the fish back to him. He grunts, looks slightly displeased and leaves without saying a word.
From later interactions with Rafayel we know that he does take care of the fish and names it Reddie. He also sometimes mentions about changing the water for it in the cafe, have some phone calls and texts relating to it, so it seems all good, right?
My friend mentioned that Rafayel tells about Reddie that this species only survives a week on land. Considering how many interactions Rafayel has about Reddie, it's staying alive much longer than it probably should be. I'm not sure if Reddie is actually the last Flammula as the advertisement below says, but I assume it's atleast a real fish in the sense that it's not "visional".
Why does this matter? Because Reddie wasn't supposed to come home with Rafayel. He wanted that MC would take Reddie. If we look back to Nightly Stroll, this is what he says about fish:
He mentions this also in Abysswalker as well - fish have important task to fulfill. In Nightly Stroll the fish appears in between Raf's and MC's palms because their promise has the ocean's blessing. It works as kind of a messenger for the ocean.
His intention with Reddie was to give it to MC and keep an eye out for her. And it's not the only time Rafayel uses fish to this purpose.
In Abysswalker myth, Rafayel basically heard her asking the fish if he was going to meet her again and sent her a note, and showed with the fish where to find the note. In Sea God myth he used the fish to guide MC around Lemuria until he stopped her escape, being disappointed she betrayed his trust.
In Addictive Pain anecdote, it's made clear that Rafayel took a year lasting teaching position in MC's university to keep eye out on her, and he even collected information about her in the Nest. As she graduated and started to become a Deepspace hunter, he has no natural ways to keep track of her. This was an attempt for him to sneakily get more information about her - which failed.
I'm not sure if Reddie is actually his creation, as in he created it for this purpose - it's possible. Both the fish in the myths are his creations: the blue, transluscent fishes that he summons several times in the game already (Under Deepspace chapter 2-10, Nightly stroll, Cafe interaction - Gift...). The only differences to Reddie is that it is red and doesn't seem to be an illusion as his blue fish supposedly are. The blue fish float in the air, while the Reddie did have gravity affecting to it.
But I do feel Rafayel might be extending its life somehow - since it was supposed to die a long time ago already. Most likely because how upset it would make MC (and me) if it actually died.
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IM SCREAMING ur new raf fic with him being a literal fish WAS SO DANG CUTE ugh towards the end where he finally starts to warm up to her i wish he could give her a hug but he is technically a fish so KDKDKD
⋆౨ৎ˚⟡˖ ࣪ a fish's embrace.



pairing: rafayel x fem! reader
synopsis: how do fishes give hugs? well, this is how rafayel does it.
word count: 1.8k
cw: afab! reader, rafayel is a fish (literally), reader is a princess, slight angst/comfort, fluff, slight mentions of death.
note: hear me out anon... you kept me up at night with this. read this first for context!! comments appreciated <3

“hi fifi, how’s your day?”
the familiar sight of you lowering yourself to sit on the chair and peering into his fishtank caught rafayel’s attention.
rafayel swam out of the coral he usually hid himself in, a trail of bubbles following behind him as his tail flapped left and right.
well, there was only so much rafayel could do everyday in this fishtank. some include performing his everyday underwater stretches and somersaults, as well as gobble up the pellets you would pour into his tank during meal times.
although rafayel does not mind being a domestic pet to a princess, he was a social fish— or what humans would call an extrovert. and isolating him in a fishtank with no other companions really had a toll on his mental health (yes, fishes have them too).
well, he had you. but conversations with you were one-sided. he tried communicating with you verbally, hoping you possessed some sort of special power that allowed you to speak to animals like those fairytales he would read about when he was still a small fry. but to no avail.
all you understood from him was glub glub glub and a couple of bubbles escaping through his mouth.
some fish could easily live in solitude, but rafayel was not one of them. he loved mingling and talking to other fellow fishes. he may not be fond of socializing all the time, but having a fellow fish to talk to occasionally would be nice.
it had been a while since he last had a proper two-way conversation with a fellow fish. those nights where he would be laughing and joking around with his friends was now replaced with being trapped in an enclosure and listening to you complain about royal affairs he doubted he was even supposed to be aware about.
rafayel learnt from you that the problems humans face was a million times more than the problems fishes like him face. his only concern back when he was still in the ocean was whether he would be a shark’s snack.
“do you ever feel lonely in here?” your sad sigh directed rafayel’s attention back to you. your hair was still wet from your recent shower, making it stick to your neck and leave a damp patch on the nightgown you currently had on. you rested your chin on the palm of your hand, staring into rafayel’s aquatic terrarium with a guilty expression.
rafayel responded with a glub and a couple bubbles coming out of his mouth.
“i was thinking of returning you back to your actual home,”
…wait, what did you just say?
suddenly, rafayel was filled with a sense of dread, his mind running a hundred miles per minute. you were planning to abandon him just like that? it had only been approximately two months (almost coming to three).
he was finally able to convince himself that you were far from those spoiled brats he had heard stories about back when he was a baby fish living in the ocean. was that kind nature of yours nothing but a facade? he thought the two of you were close enough to be honest with each other.
how could you be so cruel to make him develop such a strong sense of attachment and reliability towards you, only for you to want to throw him back into the ocean where you had initially found him?
just when rafayel was contemplating about dramatically leaping out from the top of the tank and perishing right then and there on your study table filled with confidential documents, you spoke again.
“but i don't want to be lonely again.” you whispered, now slumping over your desk with your arm as a cushion for your head. your index finger was absentmindedly tracing shapes and letters against the surface of rafayel's tank.
rafayel stayed still, blinking at you behind the glass and impatiently urging you to continue with what you were implying.
sometimes, he hated it whenever you talked in a way that left so much suspense in the air.
seriously, couldn't you just treat him like an inanimate object and just blurt out whatever that was on your mind? you were acting as if you were waiting for his response, and it made him feel annoyed to a certain extent.
it wasn't like you could understand him even if he were to respond to you anyways. all you could hear was glub glub glub.
“you're the only one that i can confide in. if you're gone, i don't know what to do anymore.”
you sounded… pitiful.
everyone would have thought being a princess was full of a life of privileges, fun and riches. but no one ever saw the harsh reality beneath the beautiful facade of your life.
rafayel wasn't sure if this was the life of every princess to exist, but if it really was the case, then every princess definitely led a miserable life.
the only difference between you and other princesses was that not all of them necessarily had a pet fish that they could turn to during times like this.
“you probably think i'm selfish, huh?” you mumbled to rafayel with a small smile, a faint chuckle escaping your lips. “holding you hostage in my tank just so i have someone to talk to.”
you've perfectly read rafayel's mind, the only flaw was that your mind reading seemed to have a two month delay.
two months ago, if you were to say the same exact words as you did just a few seconds ago, rafayel would have agreed with you in a heartbeat.
but things were different now. much, much different.
rafayel was a social fish. he missed being able to talk and have people (or fishes) actually understand what he was saying. he missed spending his nights keeping his fellow fish companions awake as they all told each other stories of what they've encountered while swimming around in the oceans during the day.
but if given the opportunity to choose between a life of solitude in your bedroom and swimming around aimlessly in the oceans, he would choose this life.
rafayel would choose you over and over again in a hundred lifetimes.
occasionally during the day when you were away for your royal duties, rafayel would think about this alot (not that he had anything else to do in here).
he had come to realise that when he were to eventually die one day, he'd much rather die here in this fishtank as compared to dying in the vast abyss of the ocean, where he wouldn't even know what was to happen to his carcass after his heart stopped beating. the most realistic scenario was that he would be eaten up by a shark or another hungry fish in the waters, but even just the thought of that sent shivers down the fish’s spine.
sure, rafayel had fish friends out there in the ocean, but who was to say that they hadn't already been devoured by other sea creatures?
a life out in the wild was always accompanied by danger, and rafayel was at an even greater disadvantage with his size as compared to the other animals living alongside him in the waters.
at least if he died here, he knew he would be remembered by you. he hated to think that he could no longer comfort and be there for you the day you would cry and weep over his passing, but he knew that he would forever live on in your heart at the very least.
the two of you were just a pair of lonely souls trying to heal each other despite your difficulties communicating to each other. rafayel was here for you to vent your frustrations of life as a princess, and you would be here to keep rafayel safe and remembered.
with you, rafayel had an identity. he was no longer a lost and stray fish swimming around in the ocean, worrying constantly of when he would be gobbled up.
he was your biggest treasure, your beloved fifi.
with him, you could put down the invisible crown along with the shackles of your status. you weren’t a princess, you weren’t the girl getting lectured and scolded by your parents for your misconduct. you were just an ordinary girl who absolutely adored her pet fish and cuddled with her plushies.
perhaps the two of you did have some similarities.
despite the many differences the two of you had, it was the small similarities you two shared that made your bond with each other so strong even with the lack of verbal communication.
that's right. the bond between you and rafayel was so strong that you both didn't even need verbal communication to come to a mutual understanding.
“i love you, fifi.”
hearing your declaration of love made rafayel feel all fuzzy inside today. perhaps it was because of how vulnerable the conversation (or monologue) was tonight, but he felt extra affectionate towards you today.
you slowly dipped the pad of your index finger into the tank, putting into careful consideration not to frighten rafayel away with any sudden movements.
rafayel tilted his head up to look at your index finger slowly sinking into the tank. you never moved your index finger towards him, you always left your finger in the middle of the tank to wait for him to approach you if he felt like it.
rafayel greatly respected that about you.
slowly swimming up towards your finger, he could picture the smile slowly growing on your face without even needing to turn to look at you.
although rafayel may be a fish, he would definitely put in an effort to show you that he loves you too.
rafayel used his bottom fins to wrap around your finger as a way to give you a hug.
a soft gasp could be heard, and you tried to contain your excitement but rafayel could feel how your finger was trembling with happiness as you tried not to make any sudden movements that'll frighten him away from you.
the both of you remained in this state for a few moments, enjoying the silence. rafayel was initially unsure of how you would react to him attempting to hug you, but his worries about that dissipated the moment he saw the expression on your face.
rafayel had no way to describe the way you were staring at him, but he could read what was currently in your mind.
thank you for loving me too, fifi.
and a part of him felt satisfied that his mind reading skills was much better than yours, because at least he could beat you at something.
as rafayel’s fins continued hugging your finger, he smiled faintly to himself. so this was how it felt to hug a human, huh?
tonight, he was not rafayel. he was not the fish that lived in the wild, loving freedom and dangerous adventures.
tonight, he was fifi. the princess’s beloved pet fish that she loved immeasurably.

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#love and deepspace#love and deepspace headcanons#love and deepspace imagines#love and deepspace x reader#rafayel#rafayel headcanons#rafayel imagines#rafayel x reader#lads#lads x reader#lads x you#rafayel fluff#love and deepspace rafayel#loveanddeepspace#love and deepspace fluff#love and deepspace x y/n#love and deepspace x you#rafayel x you#rafayel x y/n#lads rafayel#l&ds#lads fluff#l&ds x reader#l&ds fluff#⋆ ˚。⋆୨୧˚ miclipse's writing#⋆ ˚。⋆୨୧˚ unidentified asteroid#⋆ ˚。⋆୨୧˚ milkyway's transmitter#⋅˚₊‧ ଳ ‧₊˚ ⋅ fish! rafayel.
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