#cleo wc

[eggfeather]

cleo

[shallowbreeze]

Cleo

Cleo is a fluffy, sleek-furred, white she-cat with ginger splotches, with yellow eyes, and white paws

[lemnnshark]

"Cleo is a fluffy sleek-furred white she-cat with ginger splotches and yellow eyes and white paws."

[rosemist50]

Part 2 of Riverstar's Home cats! Again, small spoiler warning for some discussion below the cut.

To start out with, we have Cleo and her mate Casper, and their kits Hunter and Scout. The marking on Casper's back is meant to look like a ghost. Also I tried to make Hunter look like Hunter from TOH, but I don't think it worked super well. Next are Hopper and Scooby, two cats who joined the Cats of the Park, and then Sparrow, Grub, and Snail. Sparrow and Grub were in Slash's group, but joined the Cats of the Park, and Snail was in Slash's group and stayed a rogue.

[break-the-glass-block]

will never be over wc!zombiecleo

wants to be witch ruler so she can be human

the only witch that knows she is a zombie is the necromancer

has timetraveler-flavored super speed

can freeze time

invited to a roast party, is immune to roasts

proceeds to roast the host

coolest witch outfit

main weapon is a gun

said gun is actual a spell that sends the selected point trillions of years into either the big bang or heat death of the universe

killed first boss in two minutes with the weaker gun

beat the illusion witch in a competition and made her their apprentice

had an entire notebook for rune magic

converged all the timelines and versions of herself to and gave up her magic just to be human

[hermitshell]

Froths at the mouth. Multiverse lore?

[exocynraku]

riverstars home spoilers below /// (NOT under cut, 5 images) .

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new cats part 3 .

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riverstars home spoilers above /// (NOT under cut, 5 images)

[teethcollection]

also was thinking about them last night. i miss witchcraft smp

[mcybree]

good morning! i’m insane about the coven again!

(thinks about cleo learning that betrayal is inevitable and people are out for themselves and that there are very few people that they can trust. who had been stabbed in the back by the very first person she had met in this world. and then they meet el who is earnest and insecure and vulnerable and inexperienced and they go “this is someone i can Trust.” and never sees her as anything other than a friend and rival who stands on equal ground. and scott is also someone cleo can Trust because he’s proven himself to her over and over again, lifetime after lifetime. thinks abt c!cleo and trust)

you are sick and twisted for sending me this you know that. in 2024 no less

[widows-alliance-but-everywhere]

[w0rmeater]

[finnickodaiir]

Listen i do agree 1989 >>>>>> midnights but hey its still good ok 🔪

It is good, but it just doesn't really stand out as much. Idk I just find the concept of Midnights more intriguing than the album

[erstwhilesparrow]

where's that post about the joy of reacquainting yourself with the canon material i am experiencing it right now and it is in fact very good you would think doing this enough times i'd remember that this is true

[eternalxvenus]

༻ room for one more? ༺

summary: after many failed dates, you begin to give up on the dating scene until Sarah and John B give you an interesting proposal.

cw: smut 18+, sarah x f!reader x john b, threesome, oral (f and m receiving), face sitting, overstimulation, squirting, dirty talk, praise, p in v, unprotected sex, pet names (sweetheart, pretty girl, good girl, baby), brief drug use, lmk if i missed any!

wc: 3.6k

notes: thank you to the lovely @juniebugg for giving me this amazing idea, i loved writing it and hope i did it justice 🙏🏽

☆ obx masterlist ☆

The sun was setting but the day was still hot, a soft wind tickling your skin. You were lying on your towel, opting to enjoy the last few rays of the sun with Kie. JJ, Pope, John B, Cleo, and Sarah were all in the water swimming and playing around. You all had a rough week for different reasons and so JJ called for a mandatory beach day.

As you dozed in and out, listening to the sound of the waves, Kie nudged your side softly. "So... how is the whole dating thing coming along?"

Even though she was genuinely curious, you couldn't help the sting of embarrassment as you tried not to groan. "Not so great. I have a date with Kelce tomorrow, but I'm not over the moon excited." You turned to look at Kie through your sunglasses with a tight smile. "If this one doesn't work out, I'm giving up."

Her nose scrunched up in mild disapproval. "Kelce? I didn't think you'd go for someone in that circle.

Truth be told, you usually wouldn't. Even though the whole Kooks vs Pogues thing isn't as relevant anymore, some Kooks were still stuck in their old ways. "Me either. He came up to me and started a conversation at the boneyard a couple nights ago and asked for my number. Now we suddenly have a date at the country club," you sighed with a shrug.

"Even if it doesn't go well, don't stress it. You don't have to push a relationship anytime soon– you're still young."

You sat up and turned onto your back, deciding to take a nap while you could. "Easy for you to say. You have JJ, Cleo has Pope, and Sarah has John B. I'm the odd one out." Kie gave you a solemn smile but didn't say anything else, which you were thankful for.

A few hours later, everyone was out of the water, and the wind picked up leaving goosebumps on their wet skin. While everyone was drying off, Kie woke you up and said it was time to go.

You asked John B to take you home because you had plans tomorrow. As everyone laughed and joked around with one another, you couldn't bring yourself to be in a cheerful mood knowing they each had their special person within the group.

Once you were home, you immediately took a warm shower to try and let the warm water relax you. It did somewhat, but it didn't stop your brain from overthinking. After what felt like hours of tossing and turning in bed, one melatonin later, you finally were able to fall asleep and stay asleep.

⭑*•̩̩͙⊱✩•̩̩͙⊰•*⭑

The room was unbearably hot when you woke up. You flung the covers off you as you wiped the light sheen of sweat from your forehead. You'd left the window open, and your AC wasn't on. With an irritated groan, you got up and closed the window. Wanting to cool down your room as quick as possible, you turned the AC on as low as it could go.

You checked your phone and saw a few missed messages.

Kie: have fun on your date, lmk how it goes!

Sarah: if you aren't busy later come swing by the chateau :)

Kelce: morning, i'll be there at 1 to pick you up for lunch. can't wait to see you.

You sent in your replies and got ready for your date with Kelce. Light makeup and a cute but simple white dress. As you grabbed it from your closet, you saw the red dress you shoved in the back with the price tag still attached. You'd bought it impulsively while shopping with the girls one day but had never worn it. 

It was a mid-thigh deep cherry red with a slit and showed off your cleavage perfectly—according to Sarah, at least. It had never seen the outside of your closet, no matter how many times your friends tried to make you wear it. You never felt like you could truly pull it off.

There were five minutes to spare when you'd finally finished up. As you were spraying your perfume a text from Kelce came in letting you know he was outside. You grabbed your purse and met him outside, where he sat in his car.

A small sigh left your lips. He didn't bother to meet you at the door. Perhaps he wasn't the gentleman type. You got into his expensive car, the leather seat cool from the AC blasting on high.

"Ready to go?" He asked, giving you a once over. You nodded softly and gave him a small smile. Neither of you spoke much the entire ride there. You sat on your phone checking social media, playing games, anything to pass the time.

Kelce parked in front of the country club and beckoned you to follow him. He led you to the outdoor patio that connected to a restaurant. After a waiter sat you both and you ordered drinks, Kelce started the conversation.

"So, is this your first time at the country club?."

"Uh... yeah, it is."

"What do you think of it?" he said, taking a sip of the drink that had been placed in front of him.

You shrugged, "It's nice, I can see why people come here." There was a beat of silence and you knew this date wasn't going to be the best.

"Honestly, I'm surprised we're here right now. I never thought I'd be taking a pogue on a date at the country club. But you're really hot, so I've got no complaints."

His statement made you internally roll your eyes. "Right..."

⭑*•̩̩͙⊱✩•̩̩͙⊰•*⭑

You were back home, feet aching slightly from your shoes, and the heat was making you feel groggy and gross. The date was not good. All Kelce could talk about was himself, the kook life, and how he wanted to bring you to a party at Topper's next week. You declined. He also made slick remarks about you being a pogue which pissed you off.

You: hey sarah, i'll be over in a bit.

She sent a thumbs to your message. You got in your car and made your way to the chateau. When you pulled up, you saw John B out by the deck. 

Inside you could see Sarah walking around so you went in to greet her.

"Hey, I'm here," you said knocking on the door as you walked inside. 

"Hey! Glad you could make it." She sat the plates she was holding into the cabinet and motioned for you to sit. She came over and sat next to you on the couch as you both got comfortable. "Kie mentioned you had a date… how did it go?"

You picked at your nails and shook your head. "Not too great."

Sarah hummed sympathetically. "Well, Kelce isn’t as interesting as he makes himself out to be." You both laughed as you nodded in agreement.

You laid back on the couch letting your head fall back. "When is everyone else coming?" assuming Sarah or John B had something planned for everyone tonight.

"Actually, I only invited you. John B and I wanted to talk to you about something," she sighed. You felt nervousness bloom in your stomach as she stood up. "I'm gonna go get John B, just sit tight."

While waiting for them to come back your mind was wandering, not sure what could be so important that they had to talk to you together and in person. The door swung open and Sarah walked back in with John B right behind her. No one spoke as they pulled up two chairs and sat in front of you on the couch. John B gave a soft smile which helped your nerves just a little.

"Okay so," Sarah spoke up. "We weren't really sure how to go about this so just bear with me here. You're one of our best friends and we've spent a lot of time together over the years..."

You could hear your heart beating in your ears, almost drowning out Sarah's voice. Please don't tell me they don't want to be friends anymore, you thought to yourself.

"Anyways, me and John B have been talking. We both find you attractive obviously. And we wanted to invite you to bed with us! Like a threesome." Sarah had a smile on her face and your eyes widened.

"W-what? You want to have a threesome? With me?" They both nodded.

"Basically, me and Sarah had been talking and we asked each other who we'd want to hook up with if we were single. To our surprise we both said you, so we figured why not just ask."

Your face felt burning hot with shyness and embarrassment. You'd only had sex one time and it wasn't all that great. You and your boyfriend at the time had wanted to lose your virginities to each other but neither of you knew what you were doing.

Sarah's hand grabbed yours and pulled you out of your swarming thoughts. "You don't have to answer right now." She was caressing the back of your hand with her thumb reassuringly. "Go home and just think about it. We'll be waiting patiently for your answer— no pressure at all, okay?"

The air in the room felt a little less heavy. You knew they wouldn't force you or be mad if you decided not to. "Okay," you said with a small smile.

They both hugged you, walked you to your car, and waved you off home. On the ride back, all you could think about was whether you should accept or not. You weren't experienced and didn't want to disappoint them.

You were laying in bed but once again couldn't sleep. You decided to take a few hits of the weed pen JJ had given you a while back, it's lasted you a while since you only use it when you can't sleep or need to relax.

Once you felt the high encompassing your mind you laid down and closed your eyes. Your mind drifted to the thought of being in bed with Sarah and John B. With that, you fell asleep.

⭑*•̩̩͙⊱✩•̩̩͙⊰•*⭑

It had been three days since your threesome invitation. You had thought about it a lot. Even though you hadn't spoken to Sarah and John B directly, you all still talked in the group chat with everyone else like normal.

It was still early in the morning when you texted Sarah.

You: hey are you and John B up yet?

20 minutes later, you got a reply.

Sarah: good morning! i am but he's still sleeping lol. what's up?

You: i've given it some thought and i wanna do this but are you sure? i'm not the most experienced when it comes to all that

Sarah: i'm so happy! thank you for trusting us and don't worry we'll both be there to guide you. are you free tonight?

You said yes and she told you to come over at 7. That gave you 11 hours to completely freak out before heading over there.

⭑*•̩̩͙⊱✩•̩̩͙⊰•*⭑

The warm air from outside blew into your car as you sat outside the chateau, trying to give yourself a mini pep talk. They suggested that you come in loungewear, so you wore shorts and a cropped tank top with no bra, all things considered.

You went up and knocked on the door and waited. John B came and greeted you with a hug. He didn't hide the fact that he was taking in your body. 

"Hey, come in. Sarah's finishing up in the shower so she should be out in a few minutes." With a brief nod, you followed him inside.

It was so weird, normally the chateau felt like a second home. You'd help yourself to whatever and never felt out of place. This time it was the complete opposite. You didn't want to touch anything or sit without someone telling you to. You felt like a guest, who was visiting for the first time.

John B sensed your nervousness and gave you a smirk. "Don't get all shy now sweetheart, we haven't even started. Speaking of which, is there anything you wanna do? We could have some takeout, watch a movie, anything really."

You gave him a puzzled look. "I thought we were going to... you know."

"I love your enthusiasm," he chuckled. "We are, but Sarah and I both thought it'd be best to ease into it rather than just jump right in. We want this to be as comfortable as possible for you."

It was the little things like this that reminded you that these are your best friends. They knew you like the back of their hand and wanted this to be enjoyable for you and them. "A movie sounds nice," you said with a smile.

A little while later you were all sat on the couch watching some random movie that you'd picked. It wasn't all that good but you were still tuned in. Your eyes glanced away from the TV when you felt Sarah's hand start grazing the inside of your thigh. She was still facing forward almost as if nothing was happening. You looked back at the TV and spread your legs a little wider.

It was summer, entirely too hot for any blankets— even with the cool air of the AC blowing— so if John B looked, he'd see what was happening. The light, teasing touches went on for a few more minutes and you could feel yourself getting more and more worked up. You were ready to break the silence and ask for more until you felt John B's lips on your neck. A soft gasp slipped past your lips as your eyes fluttered closed.

"This okay?" he muttered against your neck, and you nodded. "Use your words, pretty girl."

You managed to whimper out a soft 'Yes' which encouraged them both to keep going. Sarah's hand moved higher, lightly rubbing you through your shorts. A moan slipped from your pouty lips at the contact and you tried grinding your hips against her hand for more stimulation. "Let's go to the bed," Sarah whispered.

The short walk was filled with little kisses and light touches, none of you wanted to stop even for a second. Sarah instructed you to take off your clothes and lay on the bed. She and John B did the same as she sat behind you and John B positioned himself in between your thighs.

"Fuck... your pussy is dripping." You attempt to close your legs but he has a strong grip on your thighs. "Don't try and hide yourself, I wanna see everything."

Sarah brought her hands up to massage your tits, your nipples feeling painfully hard. "John B is gonna use his mouth to make you feel good, okay?"

"Okay– oh!" He wasted no time licking a long stripe to collect your arousal on his tongue.

"How does she taste baby?" Sarah asked. You could hear the lust and neediness in her voice. "She's so fucking sweet, like candy." John B couldn't help but moan as he continued to move his tongue in and out of your hole. You felt one of Sarah's hands leave your breast to touch herself behind you. Her soft moans make you even more turned on.

John B brought his mouth to your clit and sucked hard. That was all it took to have you falling over the edge in pleasure. One hand squeezed Sarah's arm while the other tugged on John B's brown tresses. Your moans filled the room as you rode out your first orgasm of the night.

Sarah replaced your spot in front of John B and once again he wasted no time lapping at her essence. Once she reached her peak John B didn't stop he was pushing her into overstimulation and instructed you to hold her legs open.

"John B! Please– ohmygod– it's too much!" she tried to push his head away but he didn't budge until he pulled another orgasm from her. You watched in amazement as she started to squirt making a mess of the bed and his face. He wore your combined juices proudly, not bothering to wipe any of it off. 

You leaned down to whisper in her ear. "Fuck Sarah you look so hot like this, squirting all over the place, being so messy." She whimpered at your words as John B finally gave her some reprieve.

She pulled you down so your lips collided with hers in a heated bruising kiss. Her tongue swiped across your lip and made its way into your mouth massaging your tongue.

In the corner of your eye, you saw John B stroking his hard cock slowly. Sarah noticed as well and gave you a smirk. "Let's show him how thankful you are for making you cum."

John B positioned himself up against the headboard and Sarah brought you face to face with his length. "Grab the base and take him into your mouth. He likes it really messy," She whispered while keeping her gaze on him. You followed her instructions and did your best to please him.

Once you'd taken as much as you could into your mouth, a light gag leaving your throat, he groaned. "Fuuuuck, that's it, take it all in that tight little throat." You went at your own pace for a bit, then Sarah took over gagging you on his cock at a brutal pace. Your eyes watered and there was spit and drool all over your chin and his pelvis. John B's thighs tensed and without warning his load filled your throat forcing you to swallow it all. 

You coughed a bit and Sarah rubbed your back soothingly while you and John B caught his breath. "You did so good baby." She went to kiss your neck and caress your body.

The praise did things to you. "Thank you." John B pulled you against him and kissed you deeply. "Do you wanna keep going, sweetheart?" John B muttered against your lips. The room felt so hot in combination with all the body heat and the summer air. You were definitely spent, but you wanted to go again. "I want you inside, please."

He nodded and moved you down to straddle him. Sarah moved to sit on his face, facing you. She moaned, feeling his tongue on her clit again. You sink down on his length feeling completely and utterly full. Sarah pulled you in for a kiss as you rocked your hips in a slow rhythm.

The stimulation on your clit from grinding felt delicious, you knew you wouldn't last much longer. One look at Sarah and you could tell she was close too. "I wanna cum together," you whispered against her lips. "Okay, together." she nodded. John B pushed his hips up to get impossibly deeper and gave a harsh such on Sarah's clit, pushing you both over the edge.

You both collapsed onto the bed, your body completely worn out. Sarah and John B left kisses and comforting touches anywhere they could, telling you how well you did and that they were so proud. Their voices faded away as sleep overtook you.

⭑*•̩̩͙⊱✩•̩̩͙⊰•*⭑

A month after your night with Sarah and John B things couldn't have been better. You'd spent many pleasure-filled nights at the chateau. They were always showing you something new and making you feel so good. There were even times when it would be just one of them if the other was busy or not around.

You weren't expecting the text from Sarah asking you to come over considering you were just there two days ago. She asked you the wear that red dress which made you even more confused.

Walking into the chateau, not bothering to knock, you saw the table with lots of food and a candle adorning the middle of the table. "What's all this?" you questioned. John B and Sarah both turned from their spot in the kitchen and greeted you. 

"We wanted to do something special to thank you, you look beautiful by the way," he said leading you to the empty chair. They sat down at the table and you could tell something was coming up. Even Sarah looked a bit nervous. Maybe they were going to end things.

"So, we don't want to keep you here with this uncertainty. We did all these because this past month has been amazing. You've always been a great friend and I think– we think– doing this has made us incredibly closer." You nod in agreement. "We want you to be our girlfriend. We'll be an official polyamorous couple. I don't want to have to give you up to someone else and neither does Sarah. We want you to be ours and we'll be yours completely."

You felt like the wind had been sucked out of you. They wanted you to be their girlfriend. Before you could say anything Sarah chimed in. "Sorry if this seems sudden and we understand if you want to keep things how they are. You don't have to have an answer–"

"Of course I would," you cut her off with a wide smile. You could see the worry leave both of their faces. "God I love you." Sarah laughed leaning over to place a kiss on your cheek, John B following suit.

The rest of the night was spent having an amazing dinner and even better sex with your new partners. Never in a million years did you think this would be your life but you loved it and you loved them. They were your best friends and lovers wrapped in one.

likes, comments, and reblogs are greatly appreciated!

[sunr1seblvd]

- you are in love.

you are in love.

summary: the three times jj fell in love with you, and the one time you fell in love with him. warnings: lowk lovesick!jj, swearing (duh), somewhat canon violence, small reference to luke (gross), underage drinking, not proofread, the scenarios aren't in timeline order but who cares a/n: loved writing this! i'm also taking requests or people that just wanna talk in my inbox, so hit me up :) feel free to send me some feedback, i'm always trying to improve. wc: 567

you can hear it in the silence.

10:20 AM - the chateau

it was uncharacteristically quiet for a morning at john b's place. he and sarah were out in charleston looking for clues, kie was stuck working at the wreck (jj wasn't sure how that was a bad thing because of the free food), and pope and cleo were out helping heyward with orders.

so here jj was with you, girl of his dreams since the 3rd grade. you and him sat in the living room on the pull out sofa, half asleep and in your own thoughts.

he wondered what was going through that pretty little head of yours. was it him? was it someone else?

he felt comfortable in the silence. he shifted towards you, looking into your e/c eyes. you looked back into his steel baby blues, feeling blush creeping up on him slowly.

you giggled to yourself, turned around, and went back to sleep.

you can feel it on the way home.

11 PM - somewhere in the obx...

jj and the pogues just found the gold. like...the gold.

everyone was screaming about going "full kook! full kook!" and so were you!

but if you ignored the gold bar in your hand, and the mud, rain, and general dirt on your skin and clothes, you were so much more than that.

"jj, you good?" you asked and nudged him playfully, bringing him out of his romantic stupor.

"y-yeah! of fucking course, baby! you helped john b over here find the gold!" he yelled as the van errupted in cheers.

"yeah, and almost died in the process," you joked, cheesing hard.

if jj wasn't surrounded by all his friends or you didn't smell like actual cow shit, he would've kissed you on the spot.

you can see it with the lights out.

jj knew this was stupid, but he wouldn't be jj if he didn't do this.

it was pouring down, the rain slamming onto your house. he knocked slightly on your bedroom window. he saw a faint light turn on and saw you pull your curtains apart.

"jj?! what the hell- it's pouring down, get in here!" you hissed.

he climbed into your room, knocking down a book on your shelf. both of your head whipped towards your bedroom door, knowing your parents were right down the hall. you turned off the lamp, the only light in the room being the moon.

"what are you doing her- is it your dad?" you whispered.

"yeah, it was..." jj trailed off.

"c'mere," you motioned for him to give you a hug, and you felt his tears blotch onto your tee.

"you're okay..you're okay, shhhh," you murmured, not wanting to alert your parents.

he had never felt more love in that moment than in his entire life.

you are in love.

10 PM - the chateau's dock

maybe you were going insane, or maybe the bottle of beer you and jj were sharing together finally kicked in, but you think jj maybank just kissed you.

sure, you had feelings for jj, but it never really occured to you that he might like love you back.

you both sat at the edge of the docks of the chateau, looking out to the starry night sky. you were crisscrossed towards him, still in shock about what had happened.

"i'm sorry! that was sudden, i'm not mad if you didn't wanna talk to me again-" he rambled and got ready to get up when you pulled him down and kissed him back.

you kissed each other, the only noises around were the crickets and the occasional frog.

you are in love. true love.

[drewsctover]

but daddy i love him.

"he would burn the world just to keep you by his side — even if it meant losing himself."

summary: they tore you away from him, but not even time could heal the wound. now that he has you back, broken and desperate, he’s willing to risk everything — even your love — just to keep you.

wc: 2,5k

warnings: 18+ MDNI, miscommunication, emotional manipulation, kidnapping, non-consensual drugging (chloroform implied), dubcon and attempted noncon (but stopped), heavy angst, toxic love, obsessive behavior, unhealthy relationship dynamics, mutual codependency, possessive!rafe, unstable!rafe, lovesick!rafe, hurt/comfort, mutual codependency, toxic but deeply loving relationship, unhealthy coping mechanisms, trauma bonding, manipulation by third party, abandonment issues, desperate love, guilt-tripping, emotional blackmail, reader experiences fear but also love, morally gray characters, "he’s crazy but he loves her", obsession mistaken for love, they love each other, fluffy ending, heartfelt confessions, reconciliation, healing journey, they’re toxic but they’re soulmates.

authors note. ok so. i got super annoyed while reading devil’s night because like??? they don’t know how to TALK like normal people lmao. they just solve everything with sex lol (i love it but it also drove me crazy sometimes). so i wanted to write something closer to how i imagined it could go. this is my first time writing something actually dark and heavy...?? so i hope you like it 😝. also pls forgive any mistakes, english isn’t my first language!

the relationship with rafe was never easy. no — he never raised a hand against you, never uttered cruel words. but there was, in him, an overwhelming passion, an intense attachment that sometimes made love overflow the borders of what was light and calm. and your parents... oh, your parents never understood him. no matter how many times you said, with your eyes shining with faith, that he was the love of your life, the companion you had chosen for all the days yet to come.

you loved him, truly.

“babe, i’m going to my friend’s house,” you said, your voice soft, almost playful, as you packed your purse with a smile on your face. you, sarah, kie, cleo, and sofia had planned to spend the day together — shopping, relaxing at the spa, those kinds of things.

“today?” rafe asked, his tone laden with an almost imperceptible sadness, as he hugged you from behind, kissing your neck and shoulder. “we had planned a movie night, angel...”

yes, you two had planned.

but the week before, he had said it was fine, that you could leave it for another day, that you had every right to go out with your friends and have some fun.

“i know, babe. but you said we could leave it for another day, remember?” you replied lightly, trying to mask the growing warmth inside you, as he scattered kisses on your neck and shoulder, almost as if he wanted to take you right there, in that moment.

rafe let out a sigh, slowly pulling away. you immediately turned around, and your eyes met his sad expression.

“i just... i’m not feeling well,” he said, his voice soft, almost tired. “i wanted to spend the day with you.”

jesus christ…

rafe knew exactly how to stir you, how to use the right words, that gaze full of intensity. he knew you loved him, and that was enough for him to manipulate you.

you smiled tenderly, your heart tight with love. you hugged him back, kissing his temple in a gesture full of silent promises. you ended up staying. you nestled on the couch, picked an easy-going movie, and laughed together. later, rafe fucked you, as if the whole world could fit between his arms and you.

you stayed there, that day, and on others. but there was one day — just one — when you couldn’t stay.

your father showed up at tannyhill, after rafe had taken you to spend a week with him, pretending you were already married. he grabbed you forcefully and pulled you away from rafe, not even giving you time to say goodbye.

you wanted to stay.

you loved him too much to let him go.

“i’m tired of this! this boy is not for you!” your father shouted, while you, with tears in your eyes, looked at rafe through the car’s rearview mirror. his blue eyes, wide, growing more and more distant.

“don’t leave me, please!” rafe shouted, his voice desperate, muffled by the distance. “don’t leave me, i love you! i love you!”

you turned your face, feeling your heart shatter.

the car kept moving away, but you were calm. you would talk to your father, convince him that rafe was good, and see him again tomorrow.

but that never happened.

when you arrived at your father’s house in charleston, you found out that you wouldn’t be going back to outer banks. now, you would live with him, in charleston, away from rafe.

“but, daddy, i love him,” you said, your voice choked with tears, your heart crushed inside your chest.

“his love is dangerous. one day you’ll understand why i did this, darling.”

a year had passed, and you still didn’t understand.

today was your birthday. you were back in outer banks, living at your mother’s house. the air, the beach’s warmth, the memories of everything you had lived there... everything was imbued with a longing that seemed to grow heavier each day. you spent the night with your friends, amidst laughter and a little alcohol, but the feeling of emptiness still followed you. they tried to convince you to let them walk you home, but you insisted, saying you were fine, that you could walk alone to your mother’s house.

despite their protests, they eventually agreed. they were happy too, maybe even a little careless.

when you finally reached the door, your steps heavy from the night, you felt a light touch at the back of your neck. before you could react, a soft yet firm cloth was pressed against your lips and nose. your heart raced, and in an instant, the world went dark.

when you woke up, the first thing you felt was confusion. your head throbbed, and your body was heavily pinned down by something... or someone.

a familiar warmth surrounded you, but fear came along with the sensation of being completely out of control.

your eyes slowly adjusted, and that’s when you saw him. rafe. he was there, above you, his blue eyes locked onto yours, with an expression that — though loaded with something you couldn’t quite identify — also seemed... sad.

what had happened to the man you loved?

why did he do this?

"happy birthday, love," his voice came, faint and fragile — almost a whisper — as if even his words no longer had the strength to reach the real world.

the weight of his body over yours was both gentle and crushing. it was as if he was battling some inner turmoil you could no longer decipher. rafe held your wrist with a delicate touch, like someone afraid to break what they most cherished, and yet, his presence was overwhelming, inescapable.

"i never wanted it to be like this," he murmured, his sigh barely a breath against the silence. "but you left me no choice."

those words... they rang through you like a bitter echo, a cruel reminder of how everything between you had shifted. how the lines between what you once were and what you had now become had blurred into something broken, unreachable.

that unbearable ache of wanting to love him still, yet not knowing how anymore — the yearning to pull him back into your arms, even knowing it was no longer healthy, no longer safe. you tried to move, but your chest tightened with the effort.

the tension, the suffocated desire, the sorrow... everything melted into something nameless and unrecognizable. was it still love you felt? or merely a haunting nostalgia for a happiness that had long since crumbled away?

tenderly, almost reverently, rafe brushed his fingers along your cheek — like someone touching a fragile, sacred thing on the verge of shattering. the sorrow in his blue eyes unraveled you, and without meaning to, a single tear slipped down your face.

"why didn’t you miss me?" he whispered, and the raw anguish in his voice crushed something deep inside you. "i missed you every single day... since the day your father tore you away from me."

what?

you felt his fingers glide down your arms with a softness so terrifying it nearly broke you — touching your skin with a gentleness that seemed designed to completely disarm you. when he lifted your pink dress up to your waist, the motion was so cold, so deliberate, that you couldn’t suppress the shiver that raced down your spine.

his eyes locked onto your white lace lingerie, and the look he gave you was merciless — as if he were observing something that already belonged to him, something that was no longer yours.

a small smile curved his lips, a bitter, possessive amusement mingling with the hunger in his gaze. he let out a low chuckle, almost as if laughing at some unspoken truth.

"you knew i would find you, didn’t you? is that why you’re wearing my favorite?"

the war inside you was overwhelming. you were terrified — and yet, somewhere deep inside, a forbidden heat stirred within you, burning fiercely, irrationally. a desire that should not exist, that had no place in this moment. it was madness. he was out of control. you knew that — but still, your body couldn’t help but respond to the storm he stirred within you.

he positioned himself between your thighs, the sheer weight of his presence consuming every fragment of air around you.

you were lost. confused. desperate. and yet... somewhere inside you, a part of you ached for him — a disconcerting, shattering longing. you missed him. you missed what he had been in your life.

“his love is dangerous. one day you’ll understand why i did this, darling.”

your father’s words haunted your mind as rafe leaned down to kiss your cheeks, your jawline.

now you understood.

the danger only made him more irresistible, harder to resist.

yet, you still loved him.

but this wasn’t right. not now.

your panties were already damp. but what you wanted — more than anything — was to hold him. you wanted to kiss him. you wanted to talk. you wanted to understand why he said you hadn’t missed him.

you reached out, wrapping your hand lightly around his wrist — a touch so soft it felt almost like a silent plea. your eyes, glassy with unshed tears, locked onto his, as if somewhere in that look there might still be a chance to save something.

"if it ever gets too much... hold my wrist and tap twice..." he had once told you, breathless, as he buried himself deep inside you, one hand tightening carefully around your throat.

it wasn’t a safeword. you two never had one.

but it was a signal.

a small, fragile gesture — and yet it seemed to be the only thing that could still call him back from wherever he went when he lost himself.

when he felt your two hesitant taps against his wrist, rafe froze.

for a moment, the silence between you screamed louder than any sound.

his chest heaved against yours — heavy, burning, like he was waging a war inside himself. his eyes — so lost, so shattered — found yours.

slowly, he moved off you, pulling your dress back down with a care that broke your heart, as if he were handling something too delicate, too sacred for this broken world you both inhabited.

rafe sat down beside you, burying his face in his trembling hands.

"i... i never wanted to hurt you," he said, his voice broken, frayed by guilt. "i would never do anything you didn’t want," he repeated, over and over, like a tortured prayer.

you dragged yourself slowly toward him, your body still trembling — but your feelings, even more. there was too much love inside you, love that hurt like a blade twisting in your gut.

you wanted to hate him.

you wanted to scream.

but more than anything, you wanted to understand.

"why, rafe?" your voice came out hoarse, shaking. "why do you think i didn’t miss you?"

he let out a bittersweet laugh, running his hands through his hair, making the mess even worse.

"your father..." he began, hesitantly, as if the words themselves were poison on his tongue. "the night he took you away... he called me. he... he said that you thanked god for getting you away from me. said you... you couldn’t stand to be under the same roof with me anymore."

rafe turned his face toward you, and in his eyes, there was only pain, despair, abandonment.

"he said you hated me. that you were relieved to be free of me, too. that all you wanted was distance — that i was just another prison to you."

you felt your heart collapse inside your chest. every word he spoke was a dagger sinking deeper.

"that’s not true, rafe!" you gasped, sitting up to face him, cupping his face between your hands, forcing him to look at you. "that never happened! i never said that! i... i never wanted to be away from you!"

his brow furrowed, confused, wounded like a cornered animal.

"i loved you... i still love you," you whispered, tears now streaming freely down your cheeks. "i was just... scared. i didn’t know how to handle it all. you. everything i felt."

rafe squeezed his eyes shut, as if the pain was too much to bear, and collapsed into your arms, resting his head against your chest.

you felt his body tremble against yours — and only then did you realize: rafe cameron was crying in your arms.

"i thought you had left me," he murmured against your skin. "i thought you hated me."

you ran your fingers gently through his hair, smoothing the messy strands.

"i never hated you, i never wanted to leave you," you said, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. "never."

for a long time, you stayed there, just holding each other, breathing in sync, allowing yourselves to feel the pain, the fear, the guilt... and the devastating love that still pulsed between you.

rafe lifted his face, his eyes red and heartbreakingly vulnerable.

"will you forgive me?" he whispered.

"only if you promise never to doubt what i feel here," you replied, guiding his hand to your chest, right over your heart. "here, inside."

he pressed his hand over your heart, as if he needed to feel it to believe it — as if that heartbeat was all he needed to keep existing.

"i promise, love," he vowed, his voice rough with emotion.

"rafe..." you began again, your voice thick with feeling. "you have to promise me one more thing."

he nodded immediately, as if your words were law to him.

"promise me you’ll never do that again... that thing... to me," you said, swallowing hard, struggling to find the right words. "the thing where you knocked me out... without me knowing. i was really scared, rafe. i..." the confession made you tremble, new tears springing to your eyes.

rafe looked at you like his entire world was crumbling just from imagining that you had felt fear because of him.

"i promise, love," he said without hesitation, his voice low, almost reverent. "i don’t know what came over me... i was just so scared to talk to you like a normal person and find out that everything your father said was true."

you nodded, and for a moment, both of you sat there, serious, absorbing the weight of that promise.

and then, out of nowhere, a laugh escaped your lips — nervous, light, real.

rafe blinked, confused at first, but when he saw your smile breaking through the tears, he laughed too — a rough, beautiful sound that made your chest ache with relief.

you slapped his chest lightly, with no real force. "you idiot," you said through your laughter, sniffling. "you almost gave me a heart attack!"

rafe laughed harder, pulling you into his lap, squeezing your hips like he never wanted to let you go again.

"i would never do anything you didn’t want, love," he murmured against your ear, his voice still thick with emotion but now full of tenderness. "never. i just... i got lost without you."

you curled up against his chest, listening to the strong beat of his heart against yours.

"we’re both a little lost, aren’t we?" you whispered, offering a small smile.

"then let’s get lost together," rafe answered, kissing your temple with a desperate, aching tenderness.

and there, in the middle of the wreckage that was the two of you, you found something precious: the certainty that, no matter how twisted the road, you would always find each other in the end.

together.

always together.