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softspiderling · 3 months

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catch me or i go (houdini) | r.c.

summary: rafe witnesses a skilled burglar in the middle of the burglary. also, he can’t quiet seem to stop putting his foot in his mouth when it comes to you

pairing: rafe cameron x reader

word count: 6,6k words oops

warnings: mention of peterkin and what rafe did to her, cursing

author's note: i was listening to houdini by dua lipa and somehow got inspired to write this. also kind of lost myself in this fic bc i enjoyed writing it so much. pls leave a comment/like if you liked it and reblog to share. ily!!!

“Are you sure you want to sell it off? We can put it in storage for you.”

Rafe waved the guy off, pushing a fifty in his hand. “It’s fine, just sell it for me, I don’t want to see it again, it’s gaudy as fuck.”

The guy, Jacob or whatever, scratched his head, but seemed pleased enough with the tip that he got into the car with the rest of his team, the trucks pulling off the property.

“Fucking finally,” Rafe sighed, running his hands over his buzzed hair. The renovation of the house was his first step of distancing himself from Ward and he started by getting rid of the ridiculous furniture Rose had chosen. While Rafe knew that it was going to be a pain redecorating, he’d live in the comfort of his own space, instead of being reminded of his psychotic stepmother whenever he sat in the living room. Rafe was about to go back inside when he heard a loud crash coming from Mr. Jenkins’ property. He hesitated for a split second. Rafe never really liked Mr. Jenkins, he was a nosy motherfucker and always liked to call the sheriff’s department when the parties got a little louder than usual. But if that old fuck died right now only to be found like a few weeks later? That stench would probably sit in his nose for months. So might as well be proactive now.

Ducking between the bushes - he really needed to call the guy who trimmed their greens - Rafe jogged over to Mr. Jenkins’ property, slowing his pace when he reached the property line.

“Mr. Jenkins?” he called, trying to sneak a glance into the house, without being spotted at the same time. It’d just be his luck that Mr. Jenkins shot him in the face for evading his property.

Nothing.

Served him right for trying to do the right thing.

Rafe turned on his heel, ready to return home when he caught movement in the second story window: Someone was climbing out of the window.

Reacting quickly, Rafe ducked beneath the bushes, hiding as he watched a girl shut the window behind her, tiptoeing across the patio roof and then scaling down the gutter, all the while carrying a huge backpack. She must’ve robbed Mr. Jenkins’ house, based on her dark clothing and the red bandana covering half of her face.

Rafe’s curiosity was piqued, and he didn’t even hesitate to follow her as she snuck off the property through the yard. He kept in the shadows, not wanting to alert her to his presence as she kept a rather slow pace to keep the attention off of her. Rafe followed her a few blocks down the neighborhood, until she took a left turn into a small, dark alley, but he hid behind the corner of a house when she stopped, pulling the bandana off. Rafe stared at the side of her face, knowing he’d seen her somewhere before, but not quite remembering where from. The lighting was also not helping, as he barely could make out her features in the shadows, while she tugged a floral shirt out of the backpack, throwing it over her black top. After having fixed her outfit, she kept walking, and right as Rafe stepped out behind the house, his foot caught onto an empty glass bottle, making an unnecessary loud noise.

Rafe froze, noticing how her shoulders tensed, barely looking over her shoulder, before taking off in a sprint.

“Wait!” He called, probably the dumbest thing he could have said, running after her but even before rounding the second right corner, she disappeared.

“Fuck,” he muttered to himself, looking around, hoping to catch a glimpse of her, but nothing. One of his neighbors was outside tending to her flowers, giving him a weird look. Rafe only let out a polite chuckle, giving her a wave before he turned on his heel, making his way back home.

“How the fuck did she just disappear into thin air?” He muttered to himself. As he walked through his gate, he couldn’t help to peek over to Jenkins’ house if the old man was home already, but the house was still dark. Rafe tried to get back to work looking at new furniture, but his mind kept going back to the thief. As the sun started to set Rafe finally heard Jenkins’ Aston Martin pull into his drive way, and he figured it wouldn’t take long until the sheriff’s department showed up.

Minutes went by, then hours, and Rafe started to wonder if there was some other case Shoupe had to attend to, must be a real big case if he couldn’t even spare one deputy to check out Jenkins. Then again, Rafe would’ve had heard about it. Kildare wasn’t that big. It was already dark by the time the sheriff’s car pulled up on the street. Shortly after, the bell rang and as inconspicuously as possible, Rafe opened the door, feigning surprise.

“Shoupe. What brings you here at this hour?”

The sheriff only looked at Rafe unimpressed. He was pretty sure that Shoupe still resented him for the entire Peterkin thing, but innocent until proven guilty, right?

“Rafe… There was a break in at Mr. Jenkins’ house and I’m just here to ask if you saw anything suspicious,” Shoupe said, flipping open a small notepad.

Rafe rubbed his chin, sighing. “A break in huh? That sucks. I haven’t heard anything, though, sorry that I am of no help. What was stolen?”

“Jewelry that belonged to his late wife. The thief broke into the safe and completely emptied it. Took all the cash, too,” Shoupe said, scribbling something down on his notepad before looking at Rafe again.

“Bummer… I’ll let you know though, if I happen to remember something,” Rafe added.

Shoupe let out a grunt, stuffing his notepad away and turned to leave. Rafe stood in the doorway, hesitating, before calling out.

“Hey Shoupe.”

He turned around, raising a brow at Rafe.

“What took you guys so long?”

“What do you mean, son? We got here as soon as Mr. Jenkins called us.”

Huh.

“Really?” Rafe said, thinking. “Sorry, I just thought Mr. Jenkins has been home for a while now and you’re just now questioning me. Was wondering how fast you would get here if I had a problem.”

Shoupe eyed him suspiciously. “Mr. Jenkins didn’t notice the break in until an hour ago, his security system was active when he got home, so he had no reason to suspect anything…. You sure you didn’t see anything?”

“Positive,” Rafe insisted. “Have a good night, Shoupe.”

The sheriff stood on the porch for another second before he left with a small headshake, leaving Rafe with his thoughts as he shut the door. The thief must have been a pro. Bypassing the security system and taking just enough to delay the sheriff’s department from investigating? That wasn’t an easy feat. To say that Rafe was intrigued was an understatement. The way she moved with such stealth and precision proved how she knew her way around sneaking in and out. There was no way this was her first hit. He wondered what motivated her to rob the house, if she was just a plain poor Pogue, or a Kook, doing it for the thrill of it.

Rafe had to find out more about the thief. Even two drinks in, he still had to think about her. And when he set his mind on something - or someone - there was no getting past it. He knew it was going to haunt him until he figured it out. Figure her out. Problem was, how the fuck would he? Right, Kildare wasn’t that big, but it wasn’t like he could just waltz around looking for her either. And chances are she was just some tourist, looking for some fun. Before he could start forming a plan to find out who she wa, his phone buzzed, distracting him.

Top: scarlet’s throwing a party tonite. u in?

Rafe thumbed at his screen, having half a mind to decline the invitation, but when he looked up, taking in the empty room, he almost got depressed. Why was he sitting on the fucking floor, thinking about some random girl he was probably never going to see again? Downing the last of his drink, he texted Top that he’d see him at Scarlet’s.

By the time Rafe arrived, the party was already in full swing. Weaving through the crowd, he greeted the familiar faces, gravitating towards the living room where he knew Scarlet’s father kept the expensive stuff.

“Hey Rafe!”

Lifting his head, he saw Topper on the couch with some girl, waving him over. Rafe took his time walking over, because what was he, a dog?

“’sup Top,” he greeted his friend with a light slap to the shoulder. “Give me your drink.”

“Alright, damn bro,” Topper said, handing Rafe his drink, before gesturing over to you, introducing you to him. Rafe gave you a nod as you smiled shyly at him, not bothering to exchange pleasantries. The last thing he needed right now was you simpering over him, no matter how pretty you were.

“Right, so where were we…” Topper said, apparently picking up the previous conversation you were having before Rafe joined them. “Are you leaving for university anytime soon?”

“Uh… No. I could go, but I don’t want to leave my mom all by herself, you know,” you answered, tucking your hair behind your ear. You looked like you’d rather be anywhere else but at this party. Rafe gave you a quick once over as he sipped on Topper’s drink. You were pretty, he figured. Maybe a bit mousy for his taste, with the shirt under your dress and a denim jacket on top? Other girls your age would have worn only the dress and maybe even cut a slit in it, just for the sake of it. Rafe’s brows furrowed as he looked at you more closely, pausing.

“… I know you?”

Topper gave him a very unsubtle look as he chuckled awkwardly, trying to play his friend’s rudeness off, while you just sat there, your back ramrod straight, smiling at him bashfully.

“She used to go to school with us? Then uh… Transferred during her senior year.”

Squinting his eyes at you, Rafe tried to think back to his school years, before realizing.

“Right, your dad embezzled like millions of dollars from his company right?”

Topper cleared his throat, looking up at the ceiling and you only smiled tightly at Rafe, the corners of your mouth not quite reaching your eyes.

“Um.. I think I’ll grab a drink, Topper,” you said, excusing yourself, quickly disappearing between the people. Topper waited until you disappeared to elbow Rafe into the side, who only smirked into his drink.

“What’s her deal?”

“Are you joking?” Topper asked with a sigh, pinching his nose. “You can’t just say shit like that man, it’s obvious she’s embarrassed. Why would you bring up her father?”

“Get off your high horse, it’s not like I embezzled a bunch of money,” Rafe huffed, shoving Topper off of him with an eyeroll. He knew that Topper was frustrated with him, but honestly, why would he care if he hurt your feelings. Topper inhaled deeply and Rafe just knew that an lecture was incoming.

“She’s a good kid. Lives just on the outskirts of the Cut now with her mom. I guess they can still afford to live on Figure 8, but her and her mother are too embarrassed to come back after all of their money was seized and her father got locked up in jail. Which is probably why we never see her around. Now, we’re definitely going to see her less because you’re such a dick.”

Rafe was only half-listening to Topper, processing what he had just been told, the gears in his head turning.

“Wait, what?” he asked, sitting up straight and looked at Topper, finally taking the conversation seriously. “How would they still be able to afford living on Figure 8 when all of their assets were seized?”

Topper shrugged his shoulders. “How the hell should I know? I’m just telling you what she told me.” He glanced to the back and paused, before looking back to Rafe. “She’s coming back. Just… Think before you speak.”

If this was any situation, Rafe would’ve probably bit Topper’s head off for being told what to do, but for once, Rafe decided to lean back and listen. A short while later, you slipped past a kissing couple, joining them on the couch, holding onto a red solo cup with both hands.

“What kind of toxic waste did Scarlet mix you?” Rafe asked as some sort of peace offering.

“Oh this?” you lifted your cup, laughing awkwardly. “It’s juice. Don’t really like alcohol.”

Rafe almost choked on his whiskey, and he let out a cough, trying to hide his surprise while Topper only leaned his head back with an exasperated look on his face, you only stared at him with an open mouth.

“Sorry, went down the wrong pipe.”

After that, Rafe didn’t ask you that much, letting Topper lead the conversation and instead just soaking up information about you. In the brief interaction he had with you, Rafe somehow got the feeling that you didn’t like him that much. He didn’t even know why.

Okay, he knew why. But honestly, he was just asking what everyone would ask, right?

When Rafe got home from Scarlet’s, he didn’t know that much more from you. After he really started paying attention to you, he realized that you never really divulged that much information about yourself, despite answering all of the questions. You were much smarter than Rafe had previously assumed. He wondered how many people you had fooled. But all of this was still a theory, and he had to put that to a test.

The next day, Rafe spent his morning asking the neighborhood about your family, disguising it as friendly neighborhood chatter and it was really far too easy. If there was one thing one needed to know about the people living on Figure 8 is, that they loved to yap.

“- just dreadful. That poor girl. Her mother took her out of the academy in her senior year and now they live next to Franklin Stewart on the other side of the island…” Susannah shook her head as she feigned distress, but Rafe didn’t believe an ounce of the compassion she was showing. She used to be best tea buddies with Rose, that really said it all.

“Oh man… I really hope her family is doing alright,” Rafe said stuffing his hands in his pockets. “Anyways… Thanks for the chat, Mrs. Cooper. I’ve kept you long enough.”

She only waved him off with an obnoxious laugh, “Please, don’t you worry about it. Give Rose my best wishes, okay?”

Rafe gave her a smile, which immediately dropped as soon as he turned to leave. “What a bitch,” he muttered under his breath, walking back to his house. At least it paid off having to talk to Susannah, since he now knew where you lived. He didn’t ponder over it long before he got on his bike, riding over to the Cut. As the mansions and well groomed front yards slowly turned smaller, one might say modest, he couldn’t imagine downgrading from Figure 8 to the cut. Though, now that he thought about it, he figured his family was pretty close from having to give up their life on the north side of the island. Rafe let his bike roll to a stop when he reached Franking Stewart’s house, laying his eyes on the only neighboring house.

It was pretty okay for a house on the Cut. Still on the cut, though.

He took off his helmet, placing it on his bike and getting off, walking in front of his house, contemplating his next move, when the door suddenly opened and a person exited. For a split second, he thought it was you, but upon closer inspection, he realized that it was your mother. She tugged a sun hat on, before pausing when she saw Rafe on the street.

“Can I help you?”

Rafe rubbed the back of his neck.

“Uh, sorry. I didn’t mean to bother you… I’m Rafe, a friend of your daughters…” He said, approaching the house to avoid yelling all over the street.

Your mother beamed at him. “Really? I barely get to meet any of my daughter’s friends. She’s not home right now, but would you like to come in for a glass of lemonade?”

Rafe hesitated. On the one hand, it would be a perfect opportunity to find out more about your situation, and if you really were the thief like he suspected. On the other hand, if you happened to come home while he was still there, you’d immediately know that there was something going on. Then again, high risk, high reward?

“Sure, I’d love to.”

Rafe followed your mother into your quaint home, and while your mother was blabbering away, he took the time looking around the kitchen.

“- she’s a good girl, bless her. A bit too serious, though. I always try to encourage her to live a little, you know?” your mother handed Rafe a glass of ice cold lemonade, which he gladly accepted. He was a sucker for a good old homemade lemonade.

“She is a bit shy,” Rafe agreed with your mother, only making her laugh.

“And very headstrong. Which is why it’s so hard for me to get her to change her mind on anything. I’m just so upset that she took the whole thing with her father so hard… The burden of that really shouldn’t fall on her shoulders. Ever since we moved out here, she got more withdrawn, angry. I know she’s still upset, but I really feel like she’d be happier if she got out of her shell again.”

Hm. Maybe you were stealing to help your mother pay the bills, help your family stay afloat.

“Yeah, I’d know a thing or two about that.”

Your mother laid her eyes on Rafe, smiling sadly.

“I was very sad to hear about your father’s passing. I didn’t know him very well, but I’m sure he was a good man.”

Rafe almost scoffed, because only if she knew, but the noise died in his throat when your mother gave him a shoulder squeeze, rubbing his back.

“I hope you’re alright, honey. It’s hard to lose a parent at such a young age.”

His hand tightened around his lemonade glass, the coldness somewhat settling him down. He hasn’t felt the touch of a caring parent for a long time. “Thank you,” he pressed out, giving your mother a stiff smile. “Um… I should go. Don’t want to cause any more of an inconvenience,” he said, standing up.

“Oh please, don’t worry about it, I always love to meet my daughter’s friends.”

Your mother led him out of the house, and when Rafe passed the staircase that lead upstairs, his eyes caught a very familiar floral shirt tossed carelessly on the bottom of the stairs. Your mother followed his eyesight, palming her forehead, embarrassed.

“Oh god, please forgive the mess. I always try to tell her to keep her things in order,” she quickly said, picking up the shirt and hanging it over her arm. Rafe however only waved her off, giving her a charming smile.

“Don’t worry about it, it’s just a shirt.”

After bidding good bye to your mother, Rafe drove to the nearest beach, shutting his bike off to take moment to process. The shirt confirmed his suspicion, you were the thief he saw breaking into Jenkins’ house. He still didn’t know what your motives for stealing were. It was clear to him that your mother was very open about what your father had done, and you still seemed to be doing fairly well, all things considered. Where you paying the bills with the shit you stole from other people’s houses? Rafe stared at to sea for a second, before he got an idea, pulling his phone out of his pocket.

rafe: anything going down tonight?

top: uh

top: i think there’s a party at the boneyard.

top: pogue party, tho

rafe: thats fine.

rafe: you think you can get your friend to come?

top: … why? so you can embarrass her some more?

rafe: just want a second chance, maybe apologize

top: i’ll see what i can do. no promises, tho

“So, why did you really want her to come?”

Rafe was aware that Topper didn’t even have to say your name for him to realize who he was talking about. Rafe took a sip from his drink, wincing a bit. While he did say that he didn’t care about the fact this was a pogue party, they did always buy the cheapest shit. He could feel Topper’s gaze on him, scrutinizing and a little suspicious.

“I didn’t really make a good first impression. Just thought it’d be nice to make amends,” he finally said, his eyes set on the crowd around the bonfire, studiously not looking at his friend.

“Amends, huh?” Topper replied, sounding not at all convinced. “You’ve never been the type to care about stuff like that, Rafe.”

Rafe shrugged, feigning nonchalance. “People change, Top.”

“Or they have ulterior motives,” Topper shot back almost immediately, and Rafe couldn’t help but grin at the accusation.

He finally looked up to meet Topper’s gaze, his eyes gleaming with amusement. “Can’t a guy try to be better without being accused of having a hidden agenda?”

Topper held his gaze for a moment longer before breaking into a grin himself, shaking his head in disbelief. "Just...don't mess with her, okay? She's been through enough."

Rafe raised his hands in surrender, his grin still in place. "Promise, Top. No messing around."

He did intend to make amends, but not for the reasons Topper thought. There were still so many questions Rafe needed answers to, and he was willing to play nice to get to them.

Topper only rolled his eyes at him, looking to the side for a bit. “Head’s up,” he muttered, before straightening his back, greeting you when you joined them.

“Hey guys,” you said, waving at them sheepishly.

Topper gave you a brief hug. “Hey, I was hoping you could make it. You remember, Rafe, right?”

“Yeah of course,” you replied, your voice light, but Rafe couldn’t help but think that your gaze somewhat hardened when you laid your eyes on him. He hoped that he was still able to salvage the relationship.

“Hey. Nice to see you again,” Rafe told you, giving you a charming grin. “You got anything to drink yet?” He looked pointedly at Topper, who stared back at him, his expression unmoving. Rafe inclined his head, raising his brow and Topper bit back a sigh, standing up.

“Let me get you something to drink. No alcohol, right?”

“Uh no, you don’t have to,” you insisted. “I’m not really thirsty anyways.”

Topper waved her off, lifting his own cup. “It’s fine. I need a refill anyway.” With that, Topper turned to leave, leaving you with Rafe.

“I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable the other night,” Rafe started and you looked at him in surprise, your eyes widened. “I might have been a bit insensitive, maybe a bit too forward. I’m really sorry.”

It felt like swallowing gravel, the over the top apology, but he hoped that it came across as sincere.

You let out a breath, your forehead pinched, like you were holding something back. He saw a flicker of something in your eyes, and he realized you didn’t buy a single thing he just said.

“It’s fine,” you then said, smiling at him and Rafe raised an eyebrow, seeing past your facade, though he had to admit that you were a good actor. If he couldn’t get close to you by being nice, it seemed like he had to resort to his back up plan

“We good, then?” he said, offering you his hand, which you shook, after hesitating for a brief second.

“Sure.”

You leaned back against the boulder Rafe was sitting on, and an uncomfortable silence settled over the two of you. Rafe considered throwing himself into the black water, when you finally spoke up.

“My mom told me you came by this morning.”

“Yeah, I was in the neighborhood and your mother saw me outside your house,” Rafe explained, glancing over at you. “Hope you didn’t mind that I called myself a friend.”

“It’s okay..” You trailed off, like you were about to add something else, but hesitating. Usually, he’d be fed up with people not speaking when they want to, but he was intrigued and figured he’d give you the time you needed to spit it out.

“What did you and my mom talk about?” you asked lightly, but Rafe knew how loaded the question actually was. He waited for a beat, sipping on his drink before he answered, enjoying playing with you.

“Not much, really. Just said how happy she was to meet one of your friends… She’s really nice,” he added and you gave him a wry smile.

“Thanks.”

Rafe paused for a beat.

“You guys are doing okay, right? Financially, I mean?”

You narrowed your eyes at him and he was praying to god he was pressing the right buttons.

“Yes. Why?”

“Was just wondering,” Rafe answered nonchalantly, shrugging with his shoulders. “I remember when Ward’s company hit a rough patch and we almost lost our house. But now, we’re better than I ever, and really appreciate my home and everything in it. I can’t even imagine how it feels like to lose everything just like that.”

He turned to look at you, catching how you were clenching your jaw and like the perfect friend he was, Topper returned with two cups in his hand.

“Hey, so they didn’t have juice, but I go-”

“I’m so sorry, Topper,” you said, interrupting him with a small smile. “I have to go. I forgot that I promised my mom I would help her with something early in the morning. But I really appreciate you inviting me out.”

“I- What?” Topper asked, confused but you only gave him a quick wave, almost ignoring Rafe entirely, before you left. Rafe would almost feel bad for pushing you, if he didn’t exactly know where you were going. Topper on the other hand, turned to his friend, glaring at him.

“Bro, what the fuck?”

Rafe drank the last of his drink, clapping Topper on the shoulder.

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll explain soon. I gotta go, text you later, okay?”

He didn’t wait for a reply, tossing his empty cup into a trash bag and walking up the dune to get to his bike. Rafe took the straight way home, but decided to turn the engine off a few blocks before he got home, walking the rest of the way. The estate stood in darkness, not a single sound coming from it as he approached it, deciding to heave himself inside through a window, before deciding to wait.

It didn’t take long until he heard tinkering on the backdoor from the kitchen, then the unmistakable sound of the door clicking open. The door shut almost silently, and then quiet steps echoed over the marble floor. The moonlight shone through the window and that was the only reason Rafe saw you when you walked through the arched doorway of the living room. You froze mid step as you took in the complete lack of- well, anything.

When Rafe turned on the light, you barely reacted.

“How long have you known?” you asked with a sigh, pulling down the bandana, uncovering your face.

“Not long,” Rafe answered, as he leaned in the door way, his arms crossed. “You’re good at what you do, I’ll give you that. I was just paying attention.”

A range of emotions played on your feature - surprise, irritation, realization and then resignation.

“You saw me while I was in Mr. Jenkins’ house, didn’t you? You’re the one who was following me.”

Rafe merely raised an eyebrow and you groaned, pinching your nose.

“And you saw the shirt at my house. Damn it.”

Rafe smirked at your reaction. “So. Why are you doing this?”

Your eyes met his and Rafe actually saw a spark of defiance in them and for the first time, he actually believed you weren’t putting up an act. This was the real you.

“What’s it to you? It’s not like you’re planning on turning me in. Shoupe hates you more than he could ever hate me.”

“Well,” Rafe started, pushing off the door frame and walking over to you, “Let’s just say I’m curious. Clearly you’re a pro, but the question why is really bothering me. You need to pay the bills? Are you doing this for money?”

“What?” You asked, exasperated. “No, I told you, we’re doing fine financially.”

“Yeah ‘cause you’re such an honest person to come by.”

You gave him a look and only scoffed, turning on your heel to leave, but Rafe was quick to grab you by the wrist, holding you back.

“Don’t fucking touch me.”

“Fine,” Rafe snapped, releasing your wrist, his eyes burning into yours. “But you’re not just getting off this easily. You tried to fucking rob me, you at least owe me an explanation.”

“I wasn’t going actually fucking rob you!” You bit at him, glaring at him with a challenging look in your eyes. Then, you sighed and ran a hand through your hair, a weary expression taking over your face. “Okay! Okay. You want an explanation? Fine.”

Rafe was taken aback by your sudden cooperation, but he wasn’t going to let his surprise show. Instead, he raised an eyebrow at you, waiting for you to continue.

“I’m not doing this for money,” you started, your gaze fixed on a point somewhere over Rafe’s shoulder. “I’m doing this because… Because it’s the only way I can get back at the people who ruined my family.

You finally looked at him, your eyes hard. "The people we used to call friends, the people who claimed to care about us, they were the first ones to turn their backs on us when my father was arrested. They didn't waste a second before they started spreading rumors, tarnishing our family name even further."

Rafe was silent for a moment, processing your words. "So you're... what? Stealing from them as some sort of revenge?"

You shrugged, looking away.

“What about the stolen items? If you’re just keeping them, you’re not really that different from your father, are you?”

“What did you just say to me?”

Your nostrils flared and you glared at him, your eyes burning. Interesting. You stole from people who spread gossip about your family, but at the same time, you resented your father, and his actions, Rafe assumed.

“I sell that shit. I’m not getting caught with stolen items,” you then explained, rolling your eyes at him. “And then I give the money away.”

“Hold up, what?” Rafe paused you, frowning. “What you mean you’re “giving the money away”?”

“I don’t have time to tutor you in English.”

“Shit, you really were putting up a shy girl act, weren’t you?” Rafe huffed in disbelief, shaking his head. You rolled your eyes at him and he was speechless for a moment, not having expected your motive. Personally, he would never steal money just to give it away. Why go through all that trouble to gain nothing from it? He had to begrudge you though, you really had a pair of balls on you.

“I’m giving it to people who need it, people who live on the cut,” you elaborated with a sigh.

“You’re actually insane,” Rafe pointed out. He then froze, thinking. “So what were you planning on doing with the stuff you stole from me?”

“I don’t know,” you said with a shrug. “You were pissing me off and I just wanted to see how far I could get.”

Rafe rubbed his jaw, at loss for words. “You really are something, you know that?”

Your lips twitched in a small smile. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“Figured you would.”

Rafe glanced over at you, taking in your figure, clad in dark clothes, red bandana still in hand. “So what now?”

You seemed to wonder the same, your gaze falling to the floor. “I don’t know,” you admitted. “I never thought I’d get caught, let alone by someone like you.”

Rafe tried to not get offended by that.

“Maybe I should get out of the game while I still can get away unscathed.”

“Sounds like a smart idea,” he said and you looked at him, biting your lip.

“Guess that’s my cue to leave, huh?”

Shrugging with his shoulders, Rafe made no move to stop you and nodded slowly, playing with the bandana in your hand.

“Cool… This was great,” you said, walking backwards. “Let’s not do it again.”

Rafe snorted and you turned around to leave, not before pausing, looking back at him.

“You’re not as bad as I thought you were, Rafe.”

With a grin, you disappeared into the hallway, no doubt leaving just the way you entered the house, leaving Rafe in the empty living room. That was the last time he saw you for a long time. Topper bombed him with questions, wanting to know what happened, but Rafe waved him off, not wanting to spill secrets that weren’t his to tell, but assured him that the two of your resolved your problems. For a while, Rafe though that you had gone against your words and just kept robbing people, but he hadn’t heard any chatter about any unsolved cases. For a while, Rafe thought that you had moved to the main land, but he happened to bump into your mother on a random afternoon, where she promptly thanked him for being such a good influence on you - which left him really bewildered. Because him? A good influence? He really didn’t want to know what that even meant.

When three months passed without a single sight of you, Rafe started to believe that you were avoiding him. Sure, you lived on the other side of the island, but again; Kildare wasn’t that big. He was bound to see you around at least once a month. Rafe wasn’t even exactly sure why it bothered him so much that he hadn’t seen you. Like, okay, he was curious about your story and the motives behind your burglaries at first, but he figured it all out, right? Rafe shouldn’t be wanting to see you anymore. Maybe he should ask Topper about you. But then again, the last time he did, it ended with you walking off.

“What, run out of girls to torment?”

Rafe lifted his head, surprised to see you grinning at him. He blurted out your name in shock like an idiot. He was so deep in thoughts, he hadn’t even notice you approaching him as he was sitting outside on the patio at Kelce’s party.

“What are you doing here?”

“It’s a party, what does one do at a party?” you answered, plopping down on the couch next to him, throwing your legs in his lap like you’ve done it 100 times before. You looked different, too, your outfit wildly contrasting to the nice girl from next door outfit you were wearing at Scarlet’s party. Rafe tried to hide his perplexity by plucking the cup out of your hand, taking a big swig, expecting juice or maybe a coke and nearly choked when he realized it was vodka cran (more vodka than cran).

“The hell?” Rafe coughed, giving you a side eye. “I thought you didn’t drink alcohol?”

“Whatever made you think that?”

You reclaimed your cup, drinking from it like it was water, giving him a coy smile. Rafe ducked his head, smirking. So this is what your mother meant by good influence? You seemed less angry, more comfortable in your skin, like you had unburdened yourself from protecting your family’s reputation.

“Well, you definitely should get your liver checked out if you’re making this a regular occurrence.”

“Yeah, pot, kettle,” you shot back, holding your cup out of his reach when he lunged for it again. If Topper happened to walk out to the patio to see Rafe and you bickering again, he didn’t mention it.

And just like that, you fit yourself into his life like you had always been part of it.

There was rarely a morning when you weren’t in the kitchen when Rafe came downstairs in the morning, never questioning how you got in, building stacks and stacks of pancakes with ingredients from his pantry. You even helped him pick out the new furniture for the house, as the rooms of the Cameron estate slowly filled with interior.

The biggest work in progress was the living room, and Rafe scrolled on his laptop looking for a couch that was big enough and fit in with the rest of the decor of the house. You were sitting on the outdoor sofa next to him, your legs thrown over the arm rest like a damn pogue.

“What about this?” Rafe said, flipping his laptop around to show you the white couch with gold lining. It looked classy and he thought it fit right in with the new wall colors.

You glanced at it, shrugging, before doing a double take, frowning.

“That’s tacky as hell.”

“You know, I think I liked you better when you were acting like you were shy,” Rafe sniffed with a dirty look in your direction, keeping on scrolling. You only snickered, picking up another piece of pineapple on the fork, eating it.

“I don’t think you do.”

Rafe ignored you, frowning at his computer screen as he continued his search. It was harder than expected, and at this point he wondered if it would be easier to hire an interior designer.

“Hey Rafe.”

“What?”

Rafe kept his eyes on the screen, not moving an inch, when you suddenly leaned over, leaning your hands on his thighs and pressing your lips against his in a soft, but very decisive kiss. He let out a soft grunt, not having expected the kiss, before he kissed you back, momentarily forgetting his search for furniture. You licked into his mouth briefly, before pulling away, grinning at him as he furrowed his brows at you.

“Still like me better shy?”

author's note: did you like it?🥹

#rafe x reader #rafe cameron x reader #rafe cameron #rafe #rafe x you #rafe cameron x you #rafe cameron fanfiction #rafe cameron fanfic #rafe cameron fic #outer banks #obx #drew starkey

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franglishetchocolat · 13 days

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Started the project of renovating Riverview , lot by lot , without using Store items nor custom content - except for RH rugs -. Once done (which should take a while, I’m taking it slow), there should be a save file with all of the makeovers, in the meantime here is the latest one.

POMERANIAN HYBRID

Renovated on patch 1.67 -Originally in Riverview so best placed there - (Size: 40x30) - Uninhabited Residential lot

4th makeover in the Dogwood district in Riverview. Added a fenced-in backyard. The house is even emptier than the previous one (Teacup Chihuahua) but with one more 'room' /big hallway. That could possibly be turned into a sorta bedroom à la Jenny 💚 Woods's way ^^ . Starter home: § 8,127

There will be a smaller version (20x30) in the Save file

youtube

Using Items from:

No Store Item, No CC

EPs: At least Ambitions (wall), Showtime (archway) and University Life (windows). I also own WA, Late Night, Generations, Pets, Supernatural; Seasons and Island Paradise.

SPs: I’m pretty sure I haven’t used anything from any Stuff packs as the interior is not decorated.

DOWNLOAD

I use markers on my lots: skip level, hidden room, public room… So to be able to modify any of these buildings you need to have cheats on: ‘testingcheatsenabled true’, then ‘restrictbuildbuyinbuildings false’ To see/remove the markers you need ‘buydebug on.

#sims3 #builds #download #letsrenovate #riverview #Youtube

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shadowqueenjude · 7 months

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Five years after the destruction of the Inner Circle

Five years after the destruction of the Inner Circle, Lucien and Elain took over the Spring Court and Nesta and Eris took over the Autumn Court, Feyre's POV.

Feyre couldn’t believe the progress that had been made at the Night Court.

The Illyrians had several female generals now. The Court of Nightmares had been dissolved; Velaris was open for everyone to come live. Feyre had converted two of her homes: one had become an orphanage, the other had become a refuge for all domestic and sexual assault victims. A third house was currently being renovated into a homeless shelter. All in the span of five years.

Rhysand had claimed it impossible; that such change took decades, centuries even, due to their fossilized nature. Yet, Feyre had accomplished it in five years. Turns out, Rhysand was just an exceptionally shitty ruler.

Her mate. And husband.

It no longer hurt to hear his name, or the fact that he was dead. In her time of recovery, she went over all his actions and came to realize he was, in fact, far worse than Tamlin. That he had brought out a worse version of her. She had done horrible things while she was with him. She was ashamed; that couldn’t wholly be blamed on Rhysand. She had been complacent in it, doing all those horrible things, blocking out any criticism of her actions. In other words, she had been a wretch. But she was learning to forgive herself. It was an uphill battle, but one she was currently winning. Helping improve the lives of her people was really helping. As were her friends. The replacements for the “Inner Circle.” Only, there was no Inner Circle anymore. That group had only bred entitlement and mistrust. They had looked after their own interests but not of their people. That was no longer the case.

At least part of her guilt was assuaged by the fact that the Spring Court was now thriving. Lucien and his wife and mate, Elain, had been doing an incredible job. The Autumn Court was also a much better place under the rule of Nesta and Eris.

It was incredibly surreal. Once upon a time, they were just three little human girls in a tiny cottage, sleeping in one bed and wondering when their next meal would be. Now, all three of them were High Ladies ruling over different courts of the Fae. How far they had come. Two of them were married. Feyre had a baby. And Nesta was with child.

She was glad her sisters, at least, were in domestic bliss. They had found the perfect males. Feyre, on the other hand, had had the most despicable male in the world as her mate. It didn’t sting quite so much anymore. But sometimes, she wondered about what could’ve been.

“Penny for your thoughts?” Dierdre, her court overseer and a Valkyrie, walked over to her. She was a beautiful female, with large dark eyes and black hair so shiny it reminded her of the starlight pool back at the Spring Court.

“Just thinking about my sisters,” Feyre said.

Dierdre smiled. “They’re really amazing. Each of you is your own character, but all equally lovely.”

Feyre scowled. “Equally?”

Dierdre’s smile faded. She raised a brow at Feyre. “What is wrong with that?” And then something registered in her mind. “Oh. Oh.”

“What?” Feyre asked irritably. She watched as her young son played with a mini carriage set.

“Do you like me, High Lady?”

Feyre froze. It had been a while since her last relationship. Her past two had ended in a disaster. “Maybe.”

“I thought you were into males.”

“Who said I can’t be into both?” Feyre replied. “Besides, after my past two relationships, I’m rather tired of males.”

Diedre smirked. “But not females?”

Feyre shook her head, a bit breathless. Wow, she was really pretty. Her feelings for this female had crept up on her, but all of a sudden, they were fit to burst as surely as the Cauldron spit out her sisters. She had been there for her throughout the entire debacle of her husband dying. Elain had personally assigned her, and she had done an incredible job, pulling weight when Feyre was still not well.

“You’re a force,” Feyre said. “You’re the reason I’ve survived this reign.”

Dierdre blushed, shaking her head. “You’ve done an incredible job ruling, Lady. That’s all you.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“Just shut up and kiss me already.”

Dierdre laughed. “As the lady wishes.”

I imagine after Tamlin and Rhysand Feyre is just sick of men and starts going after the women instead 😭 and who doesn’t want a valkyrie let’s be fr.

#pro feyre archeron #pro nesta archeron #pro elain archeron #pro archeron sisters #pro lucien vanserra #pro eris vanserra #vanzaddies #vanserra brothers #elucien #neris #feyre x dierdre

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stwritings · 3 months

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𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑩𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒂𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝑳𝒐𝒗𝒆 & 𝑯𝒂𝒕𝒆

𝑹𝒐𝒄𝒌𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓!𝑬𝒅𝒅𝒊𝒆 𝒙 𝑭𝒆𝒎!𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒓 - 𝑫𝒂𝒊𝒔𝒚 𝑱𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔 & 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒊𝒙 𝒂𝒖

𝑻𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝑰 - 𝑹𝒖𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒏 𝑬𝒎𝒑𝒕𝒚

𝑾𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔: 𝘢𝘭𝘤𝘰𝘩𝘰𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘮𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨.

May, 1988

The sun beamed through the chipped windshield of Eddie's 1971 Chevy as he made his was through the city of Chicago. Taking quick glances at his map every chance he got, his eyes honed in on the big red pen mark circling his new address.

Truth be told, Eddie wouldn't have believed it if he were told a few months back that he would be uprooting his life one state over. He wasn't much of a plan kind of guy, so this move was rather spontaneous. The town of Hawkins no longer felt like home but a prison, it's tight shackles a reminder of the simpleton lifestyle he was bound to lead if he stayed in this godforsaken place. He dreamt of a bigger life, for it to have meaning. And if he couldn't attain it in Indiana, perhaps Illinois was the place to be.

He finally pulled over to the side of the road next to a dilapidated building. He put the car in park and glanced at his map once more, then back at the rough looking structure. Eddie caught a glimpse of a golden plate on the brick wall reading '242' and sighed. The number, unfortunately, corresponds with the address on his lease. He could only hope for a nicer interior as he climbed out of the driver's seat and walked towards the building.

Upon entering his new residence, his prior optimism was shattered by more unfavorable characteristics. The building had a distinct smell that Eddie couldn't quite place, but it certainly wasn't a pleasant one. It reminded him of his great aunt's home that reeked of cigarettes and peppermint, only so much worse. He tried not to think about too much, making his way up the flight of stairs. As he came to his apartment door, he noticed a small note taped to the door. He squinted as he attempted to read the scribbled writing:

'See 87 for key' the note read.

Assuming this was the work of his landlord, he began looking for the number eighty seven. The apartment was relatively easy to find, given that the building only had 2 flights of stairs. Eddie noted that his landlord lived directly above him before knocking on the door. He took a step back as he waited for a response.

A few seconds passed, then a whole minute did and still... No answer. Not wanting to seem too eager, he decided against knocking again. This decision was forfeited once 2 minutes elapsed without any sign of life inside that apartment. Eddie knocked once again, this time more forcefully which, luckily, yielded results. An older gentlemen with large bi-focal glasses opened the door, smiling, though he did look a tad frazzled.

"Can i help you?" he asked, pushing the bridge of his glasses up his nose.

"I think so... Uh, i hope so." he nervously chuckled. "I'm moving into 82...." he trailed off, pointing at his feet in reference to the vacant apartment below them.

"Oh, yes. Eddie, is it?" the man asked, eyeing him up and down curiously.

Eddie nodded, feeling slightly uneasy under his landlord's inquisitive gaze.

"Brian, pleasure." the old man extended his hand while smiling.

They shook hands and Eddie was taken aback by Brian's strong grip, especially considering his small stature. He handed Eddie the key and gave him the rundown of the building. Despite it's dodgy appearance, this appeared to be a great place to live. Rent was affordable, his landlord was nice and the interior of his bachelor pad was newly renovated.

After two hours and several tedious trips up and down the stairs, Eddie was finally settled in. He sat on the window seat overlooking the city, feeling excited for the morning to come. When it eventually did, he embarked on then next task at hand; finding a job. He figured it wouldn't be too difficult in a city this size, and began wandering the streets, walking into all shops and bars in sight within walking distance from his home.

Eventually, he found a shoe store that was hiring. Now, this wasn't the kind of excitement he was hoping for, but given his circumstance and dire need for cash, it would have to do for now.

Following a closing shift one Saturday night, he decided to venture down the bustling street, figuring a night out on the town would lift his spirits. Luckily the shoe store wasn't strict on attire, so Eddie rolled out of there wearing his nicer pair of jeans along with a Van Halen band tee and his trusty leather jacket. He eventually stumbled upon a small rock junction with a flashing neon light reading 'LIVE! SHOWS! EVERY! SATURDAY!'

Obnoxious advertising aside, he was intrigued, and decided to give this place a chance. He felt right at home once her entered, noting that it was very clearly a dive bar similar to the one he used to play at with his former band back in Hawkins.

Given it's size, it didn't take much time for him to find the bar and order himself a beer. His usual go to of Pabst Blue Ribbon was anything but his favorite, but it was the cheaper option. He thanked the bar tender and found a spot to stand within the small crowd gathered near the stage. Eddie noticed almost instantly the lead singer's inebriated state as he swayed and screeched the lyrics into the mic. Eddie quickly took a large sip of his beer in an attempt to hide the grimace forming on his face. He hoped that maybe after a few drinks himself, the drunkard would sound better.

He didn't.

The band carried on for another 10 excruciating minutes, the crowd filing out of the bar as they tried to escape the horrendous performer. Eddie stayed put though, amused yet feeling sorry for the rest of the band mates who looked absolutely horrified.

Without warning, the man hurled the mic down to the ground, causing a shrill ring to blast through the sound system. He then stumbled off the stage, yelling words at his bandmates that Eddie couldn't quite make out before stumbling out the back door.

Eddie downed the rest of his beer, placed it on a nearby table waiting to be bussed and headed out the front door. Once outside, he leaned against the brick wall, sighing as he looked for his pack of cigarettes.

'What a night.' he thought to himself.

His attention was diverted to the front door swinging open and an agitated woman storming out. Eddie avoided eye contact, trying to mind his business and not irritate her further.

"Got a light?" she blurted out, staring directly at him.

Eddie froze at the sudden interaction, eyes widening. He quickly snapped out of it, hurriedly digging in his pocket to retrieve it. He pulled out the small blue lighter, flicking it before the cigarette placed between her lips.

Once he successfully lit it, they stood together quietly, Eddie not daring to speak a word. From experience, he knew better than to try to feign encouragement to make someone feel better about a clearly shitty situation. The antsy woman paced around for a bit, before turning to face him once more.

"You don't happen to know any available front men, do you?"

Eddie chuckled at her desperate, unexpected plea. "Uh.. none that you'd be interested in". he responded while putting out his cigarette.

She perked up. "What do you mean by that?"

"None in the city, i mean..." he quickly corrected himself.

"Shit..." she muttered under her breath, her disappointment very evident.

Eddie felt bad for bending the truth... He would be a front man, hell he was one once! But this band was different than anything he had ever played before, and he knew better than to try to live up to an expectation he knew he couldn't live up to.

"Well, thanks for the light." She offered a kind smile before retreating inside the bar.

"Good luck!" Eddie called out, truly wishing her the best.

June, 1988

It had been a month now since Eddie had moved to the city, and he had become quite comfortable here. He finally ditched the shoe store, finding work at a record store where he restored donated instruments, a gig that proved to be urgently needed given how many busted up Les Pauls' ended up in his care. He had yet to make any friends, apart from his co-workers, but that felt like plenty for now. Especially since his time off was mostly spent wandering the nearby shops or visiting friends and Wayne back in Hawkins.

The only real complaint he could think of was with his landlord, Marvin, who had a nasty habit of falling asleep at the drop of a dime. This would often result in the tap being left on causing flooding in his apartment. This, in turn, would lead to the flooding of Eddie's apartment as well.

Despite Eddie's patience and understanding for the older gentleman, he had reached his breaking point one morning when he was awoken by the uncomfortable feeling of damp sheets surrounding him.

"...what... the fuck..." he mumbled while sitting up from his drenched mattress. He instinctively looked up just as a droplet of water splatted on his forehead. "God dammit!!" he screeched, the covers flinging off of his body and onto the floor from the motion of him launching out of bed.

He hurried to his closet where he practically ripped his house coat off the hanger, shoving his arms through the sleeves and tying the loose belt around his waist. He stormed up the staircase and hurried over to apartment 82.

After knocking several times with varying amounts of force, the brass door creaked open. Marvin appeared in the doorway looking rather disheveled, wearing a similar house coat to Eddie's. The older gentlemen chuckled at the sight of his young tenant, not used to seeing him look so.. flustered. "I'm sorry Eddie, you know how i get after I've had tea." was all the gentleman offered as he looked at him apologetically.

Eddie often wondered if the tea in question happened to be laced with some type of sleep agent. Nevertheless, he no longer wanted to deal with it, deciding right then and there to look for new places to live.

His search for one bedroom apartments proved to be a challenge, as most of the places he was interested in were way out of his budget. He was forced to look for bedrooms to lease, even though he wasn't keen on the idea of having roommates.

After a slew of disappointing visits to sketchy buildings with even sketchier people, he had but two ads in the paper left to respond to. One was on the far side of town, and the other was a room a few blocks away from his place. He figured he'd start with the further option since the description of the place sounded a lot nicer than the latter.

After a lengthy cab ride, the car pulled up to a building stained with light blue paint lazily applied onto the brick wall. He exited the cab after paying the driver and made his way into the building. Despite the unkept exterior, the lobby was very nice and even came equip with an elevator, something Eddie wasn't so lucky to have where he currently resided.

He eagerly got into the elevator, pressing onto the number four until it illuminated, signaling it's final destination before promptly shutting the doors. Finding the listed apartment was fairly easy given the small amount of homes per floor. He knocked on the door and waited patiently for his potential roommates to answer. He only had to wait a couple of seconds for the door to swing open, a stark contrast from how long it takes for Marvin to respond.

"No shit!" a familiar voice exclaimed.

'"Oh, hey!" Eddie replied, surprised to find the keyboard player from the bar standing before him.

"What? What is it?" came a muffled voice from another room.

"Just some guy i know." the woman responded, smiling amusingly. Eddie couldn't help but smirk at her response. 'Some guy i know' was generous given their brief interaction a month ago.

"Eddie." he said introducing himself.

"Well, Eddie, you come to see the place?" she began before extending her hand. "I'm Steph."

"Uh, yeah! I saw your ad in the paper..." he shook her hand in return.

"Why you moving, Eddie?" the voice called from afar. "You get evicted or something?" he questioned challengingly.

"Don't mind him." Steph responded while smiling warmly, a stark contrast to her annoyed tone. "He assumes the worst in people."

"Because people are the worst!"

She rolled her eyes in response. "Well, come on in! It's a two bedroom, but we converted the living room into a bedroom, which don't worry! Is not the room you'll be staying in!" she spoke rapidly while making her way through each room. Eddie followed along, though he struggled to keep up.

Steph guided him to the bedrooms, urging Eddie to enter the larger vacant one. "This is the master," she stated. "perks include more space and access to the fire escape!"

Eddie stepped inside to have a look. Although he liked what he was seeing, he wanted to make sure it wasn't too good to be true.

"And you said 200$?" he asked while inspecting the room.

"A month, yeah. Usually we'd get you to pay first and last's but... We're kind of desperate..." she admitted, trailing off.

"Desperate, huh? Well, when could i move in?"

"Tomorrow's good!" she eagerly responded.

Eddie raised his eyebrows, unable to prevent the chuckle from escaping his lips. Just then, a man appeared behind her, presumably the voice that rang through the apartment earlier.

"You're really dropping the ball here, Stephanie." he teased as he put both hands on her shoulders. She quickly shrugged them off of her, turning to glare. "Eddie, is it?" the man continued.

Eddie hummed in acknowledgment.

"Tom." he said dryly.

"Or Thomas if he's being a real prick." Steph chimed in, clearly retaliating for his prior use of her full name.

"Don't call me that." Tom said in a stern manor, pointing a threatening finger at Eddie.

"Noted, Steph and Tom." Eddie reassured, raising both hands up defensively. He had to admit, Tom's attitude was slightly off-putting and he certainly found his and Steph's dynamic odd, but amusing nonetheless. Despite this, Eddie felt that he was a pretty good judge of character, and apart from this small quirk, the lack alarm bells sounding off in his brain helped him make a decision.

He took a leap and agreed to move in, which in tern, caused Steph to leap as well.

Literally.

September, 1988

Despite everything that resulted in Eddie seeking a new apartment and Steph's eager offer for him to move in so soon, he chose to give Marvin a few month's notice out of respect. After all, he wasn't a bad guy, he just had a bad habit.

Luckily, there were no more incidents leading up to him leaving and soon enough, moving day came. Much to his surprise, his new roommates offered a helping hand, though Tom seemed less than pleased. What would have normally taken Eddie a full day, only took two hours.

Once all of his belongings were set in his room, Eddie walked around his new place, taking in small details he hadn't noticed before. For example, the collection of shot glasses neatly placed on a hanging shelf near the kitchen. He couldn't help the smile that formed on his face, the arrangement reminded him of his uncle's collection of mugs back at the trailer.

Steph appeared behind him, gazing up at the shelf. "Oh, yeah! Just a.. silly little thing i like to do." she stated, seeming proud of the display.

"My uncle's got a bunch of mugs he collects, too."

"Does your uncle steal them from bars and restaurants, too?"

Eddie turned to face her, eyes wide and fully invested in what he thought was just mindless chit chatting. He glanced back at the collection, then to Steph one more. He nodded, his lips forming into a pout while his eyebrows raised. "Impressive."

October, 1988

The trio had gotten closer in the small amount of time spent living together. Tom finally warmed up to Eddie, allowing him to see the good side of him that wasn't always snarky and judgmental. He opened up to Eddie one night following a smoking session, speaking of his tumultuous upbringing. The pair bonded over shared experiences, and realized that they actually had quite a lot in common. Thus, a friendship blossomed where Eddie didn't think it would.

As for Steph, they became close almost instantaneously, all thanks to her bubbly, in your face personality. Their banter, though not as intense as hers and Tom's, was always cause for entertainment. Unlike the men, Steph had lead a simple life, some might even call it easy. Her lack of trauma was almost unbelievable to Eddie, but it made him very protective of his new friend. In his eyes, if she was lucky enough to have gone through 24 years of life without experiencing hardships, now was not the time for that to happen.

Eddie as well as his roommates had varying work schedules, which often resulted in at least one person being left alone at the house.

This time, it was Eddie's turn for some much needed me time. He spent the afternoon reading and smoking in his favorite spot: the fire escape. Though, spending more than an hour at a time in there resulted in him being covered in dust and debris, most likely becoming airborne from the speeding cars passing by.

This slight annoyance caused him to cut his reading session short, heading inside in desperate need of a shower. With everyone out of the house, Eddie didn't feel as bad blasting his music through his stereo as he occupied the bathroom. He sang along loudly to the Black Sabbath album playing through the apartment without a care in the world. He lathered his hair in foamy shampoo, enjoying every minute of this warm shower when suddenly, the bathroom door swung open and a wide eyed Steph came gawking in.

"JESUS CHRIST!!" he exclaimed, quickly covering his bottom half with his hands.

"You sing?!" she shouted over the music still blaring, paying no mind to his naked body.

"Uh, yeah...Do you knock??" he blurted out, now blushing from her presence.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she pushed on.

"Can we have this conversation some other time? Maybe when i'm not naked, THREE FEET AWAY FROM YOU."

Steph rolled her eyes, storming forward and pulling the transparent curtain aside causing Eddie to yelp. "Like this thing covers anything anyway. Besides, i don't care about that right now. Why didn't you tell me you can sing, you could have joined our band ages ago!"

"Because, you... Could you at least hand me that towel?" he asked pleadingly.

"No." she responded without missing a beat, causing Eddie to sigh.

"I didn't think you'd want me to join... Our styles are so... different. Plus, don't you need a bass player?"

"And a singer!" she corrected.

"Right... But i don't play bass, remember?" he asked rhetorically, knowing Steph had seen his guitar hanging up on his bedroom wall.

"I know, jackass." she said, throwing the towel at him. "But if we have you as our lead, it'll be way easier finding a bass player rather than someone who can do both! You've heard of two birds, one stone? Well this is one stone and you're the bird!"

Eddie paused, blinking slowly while trying to decipher her jumbled metaphor. "What...are you talking about...?"

"Forget it, can you just do me this one favor, and please join the band?" she pleaded, bringing her hands up to intertwine her fingers.

"If i say yes will you get the hell out of here?" he asked, wanting nothing more than for this interaction to be over.

"No backsies?" she urged, narrowing her eyes.

"Yeah, fine!!" Eddie blurted out, growing frustrated as the foamy shampoo began trickling down his forehead and into his eyes.

Steph shrieked excitedly while exiting the bathroom. "Alright! Let's find that other bird!"

𝑻𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝑳𝒊𝒔𝒕 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 2

#eddie munson #eddie munson x reader #stranger things eddie #eddie munson x fem!reader #eddie munson fanfiic #daisy jones and the six au #rockstar!eddie x reader #rockstar!eddie munson #rockstar eddie munson

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danceswithsporks · 1 year

Text

Warm- Part 5

Part 1 of 6 in the Complete Series!

Parts 1 2 3 4

Tech x Reader

Warnings: Assault, implied attempted r*pe, this one’s gonna hit a bit hard. I’m sorry in advance and if you’d like to know what happens without reading this part let me know and I’ll cliff notes ya. 🖤

Authors notes: Ok so besides the warnings, you’re gonna be seeing a lot of retconning going on. I just…don’t like allllll of our fav clones being dead or MIA. Also, there are some decisions I had to make that we don’t have canon information on. If that gets changed anytime soon I’ll update this part with the new information.

Luke warm, the temperature of the cup of tea that sat unattended on the counter. The owner was now on his way to the next stop of his journey to freedom. With a happy sigh, you pick the cup up and dump it into the sink behind you. You’d lost count of how many clones you’d helped at this point. It made you happy to know they were all off to hopefully better lives away from the empire. Off to families of their own. Actual homes with normal jobs where their lives weren’t put on the lines all the time.

Zeffos wasn’t the first stop on their journey, more like the third. Here they would get new identities and chain codes. They’d be set up with some money and clothing and moved through the underground tunnels of Ord Mantell. You helped them however you could as they waited for the next leg of their journey. From changing their hair, teaching them about colored contacts, and giving them a place to stay.

Phee had bought the entire building for a fair price and in turn, you’d completely renovated the three floors above the shop. Different apartments with emergency exits were available to any on the Path in need. While your shop mainly focused on helping clones on the run, you’d had a family with a young force user stay with you just a week ago. You’d never believed the whole ‘Jedi were the real traitors’ thing that had been blasted across the Galaxy. You’d seen firsthand how much they cared about the public and the clones. It just never made sense to you.

When Phee approached you about helping those in need escape the Empire, you didn’t hesitate. Now you were two months deep into being a part of…well the resistance. It was going on six months since Tech's death and while you still had moments where your heart ached for him to walk through the doorway, you were surviving. Dreams of him still filled your sleep every night, but instead of waking up in tears, you woke up with a soft smile. In a way, it was like he was rewarding you from the afterlife. Letting you know that he was proud of the hard work you were doing to help his brothers. At least that’s what you told yourself.

“Wolffe just contacted me. Slips on his way to the next leg.” Echo moved across the space behind the bar and next to you. “Ya did well today. Know that one wasn’t easy.” He watched as your fingers stilled against the teacup. “Wanna talk about it?”

“You guys helped him survive an assassination attempt. He talked a lot about helping Tech figure out the access codes to prove Kamino was an inside job.” You shrugged carefully as you placed the cup into the dryer. “Wasn't hard to hear about Tech before Pabu. It was when he asked where Tech was.” A lump formed in your throat for a moment before you cleared it away. “Don’t worry. I filled him in.”

“You shouldn’t have had to. You could have asked one of us to do it.” He was impressed with how you’d been handling yourself in all of this. But every once in a while, he’d see your lip tremble for a moment.

A sigh left your lips as you pulled on your leather jacket over Tech's shirt. “I’m a big girl. I can handle telling people he’s dead. Thanks though.” You didn’t mean for it to come out so sharp, but you also kind of did. “Looks like we’re out of some stuff I need for tonight’s dinner. I’m heading to the market.”

Echo only nodded as he watched you pull your satchel over your shoulder. “ I’ll have WA-7 keep an eye on the place. Gotta work on some more chain codes.” Using the program he and Tech had developed. Echo missed his brother more than most. At times he felt like Fives had sent Tech his way as if knowing he needed that second half. Fives…Tech…felt like he always lost brothers that became too close to him.

“Sounds good. Have her clean around the bar, think someone spilled some milk. Don’t need more pests.” You heard Echo agree as you walked out the door and into the dim alley outside your shop. Even with the new streetlights you’d had installed, the alley was still too dark for your comfort. You checked your boot for the Vibroblade that Crosshair had given you and once satisfied that it was there, you made your way to the grocery stalls.

As it stood you had three extra clones staying in the building. They had been higher-level clone captains and commanders. As such they were heavily wanted by the Empire which meant it took longer for the heat to die down. Someone named Quinlan Vos was supposed to be securing a safe route out for them, but that seemed to be taking more time than you’d expected. Which meant you had three more mouths to feed on top of Echo, Howzer, Phee, and Kix, plus yourself.

A commotion near one of the gambling bars drew your attention and you casually made your way over. The crowd was massive and hard to see over, so instead you tapped the shoulder of the person in front of you. “What’s going on?”

The species turned to you and you realized that you didn’t recognize it, which meant you didn’t speak the language. They uttered unrecognizable words to you in a deep guttural tone as their tentacles waved around excitedly.

“I’m sorry I don’t understand.” You fumbled in your satchel for your datapad, hoping they at least wrote in Aurebesh.

The tentacle went up quickly to their throat and tapped at the translator device. After a moment of fizzing static, a computerized voice answered you. “Racer of Riot Pods Champion, Automan, has been spotted! Most believe death for his absence.” The translation wasn’t exactly perfect as their kind did not have words for the true name of the racer, nor did they possess the ability to make the necessary sounds required to say his name. But it would hopefully be enough to get the point across. Three yellow eyes watched the female before she made a face, uninterested. Confused? Who knew with humans?

“Oh, I don’t know anything about Riot Racing, or Pod racing for that matter. But thank you for the information.” You nodded carefully to the species before you and watched as they returned the gesture with an odd smile. Maker, you really hoped you didn’t just agree to marry them or something. When they turned from you and back to the crowd you took that as a sign that you were in fact safe from an accidental engagement.

-*-

“Excuse me? Can I get a cup of tea? Anything you’d recommend?” John sat at the bar of the comfortably lit tea shop Gonzo had found. He wasn’t sure exactly what kind of tea he was looking for, but hopefully something would jog his memory. The last two months had been spent in preparation for this trip. Research on Ord Mantell City and its many shops. Research on how to safely leave Eriadu and not draw attention to the village.

“This is a one-way trip, John. We can’t go with ya. Can’t risk too many ships goin in and out. We’ve stayed out of the Empire way this long.” Gonzo had handed him a satchel with supplies to survive on his own for a while. A decent amount of credits had even been placed in the bag. “Entire village chipped in. Ya find your family, John.”

John watched as the droid in front of him shook her head awkwardly. “I am not programmed to recommend beverages. Please make a request from our menu.” With a clatter, a menu was placed in front of him before the droid moved away to help another patron.

Tanned fingers moved across the datapad as something pulled at his mind. These were…familiar. The design was something he’d seen before. John groaned softly as his head began to ache. Flashes of distant memories clawed their way to the front of his mind. A woman smiling at him as she worked on the menu. A cup of tea next to her leg as she sat on…something. He couldn’t make it out. John closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose as he tried to focus.

“Be better if ya came back when the lady of the shop is here.” A stranger at the end of the bar spoke carefully to the newcomer. Seemed the man was suffering from some kind of head problem. “She’s a smart one. Always knows exactly what ya need.”

“Not too bad on the eyes either.” Another voice echoed from across the room.

“Not too bad?” The man at the bar scoffed loudly before looking back at the newcomer. “She’s positively a goddess. Ya wait around long enough and you’ll see.”

“Do you know when she’ll be back?” John wasn’t sure who this woman was, but if she was good at recommending tea then hopefully she could help him.

“Stepped out to get some supplies for the shop. Said she’ll be back in a bit. She’s never gone for more than an hour.” A regular from a table in the corner spoke to the mysterious new man.

John made a face for a moment before standing. “Think I’ll come back later then.”

“Suit ya self.”

-*-

Your trip to the stalls had been eventful as always. There always seemed to be something new popping up and you’d managed to grab some lovely fish that came from Naboo. Or so they said. During your time here you’d quickly learned to take what some people said with a grain of salt. The only thing you knew for sure was that the Mantell mix that Wrecker and Omega were oh so very fond of, was indeed delicious.

It was at said stall that you heard something that almost made you drop your bag of groceries.

“Did you hear? That Riot Racing champ was seen here in the city!”

“That cute one? What was his name again? It was so plain.”

“Started with a T. Tom? Tim? Tech?”

You stared at the Mantell Mix stall owner as the voices became harder to hear. Couldn’t be him. They had to be confused. A lot of names sounded like Tech…right?

“Here ya go, firecracker. Ya sure ya don’t need help?” The stall master watched as you came out of whatever daze you were in. When you shook your head, he nodded before passing you an extra container of mix. “Send that to my favorite customers. Miss seeing them around.”

“Will do, Thanks.” You grabbed your supplies and began to head back toward the shop. Usually, you rushed, your feet naturally moving quickly. Today you decided to take your time for once. Take in the streets lined with stalls, the children running around, and the magnificent smells of fresh spices and herbs. You allowed your mind to drift, to think about what life would have been like if Tech had survived.

He would have come back to Pabu, probably with a new cut or bruise. He wouldn’t run to you and scoop you up as they did in the holovids. That wasn’t like him. He’d be the last of the ship, and would say something along the lines of “I needed to make sure this part of the ship had settled properly.” Something like that, you weren’t good with ships. But you’d smile and tell him it was ok and then you’d lead him down to the sea wall. Together you’d sit on top and watch the waves roll in as he told you about their adventure. Not sparing a single detail. His hand would find its way wrapped around yours and then he’d kiss you softly.

You’d fall into a happy rhythm with each other, like before. But now you were something more than friends, a couple. He’d hold your hand at every chance he could. There was no doubt that he loved to touch you, to hold a part of you, or be as close as possible. Your warmth and happiness were all he’d need to get through the day. Every day you’d sit on the sea wall together and watch the sunset and every night he’d say the same thing to you before you’d part ways. “ I hope I did not offend you.”

In which you’d smile and rest your head against his shoulder as your eyes closed. A hun would leave your lips as you enjoyed the warmth of him being near you. With a gentle whisper, you’d tell him in a teasing tone. “ You could never offend me.”

-*-

John wasn’t sure what he was looking for as he wandered the damp streets and alleys of Ord Mantell. Maybe someone would recognize him? Or maybe a familiar scent would find its way into his nose and he’d remember something useful. Perhaps a familiar sound would trigger something? Whatever it was, he hoped it would come soon.

All of these alleys looked the same and he was sure he was lost. That dumpster looked familiar from earlier, or did it? This area was a maze and down each alley, there seemed to be countless illicit activities going on. A spice dealer down this one, a worker of the night down another. It was all more than he’d expected to deal with. He just needed to find the right one back to that tea shop.

-*-

“Now look who it is. Little miss too good for a Trandoshan.” A large figure loomed over you as you stood outside the back entrance to your shop. WA-7 must have locked the damned thing again and your hands were too full to enter your code. It was high time you updated her to stop that. His large hand rested against the door behind you preventing it from opening.

“Fang. Seems your last fight with Wrecker didn’t teach you anything. Leave me alone.” You adjusted your container of groceries and tried to slip under his arm but found the items thrown to the ground instead.

“There’s a difference now. He ain’t here. Saw him leave the planet three days ago.” Fang licked his mouth sickeningly as he looked down at you. Such a frail thing, you’d be a fun toy to play with.

You scoffed loudly as you began to slide down towards the ground, your hand slipping towards your boot and your weapon within. “Doesn’t mean I’m not able to protect myself from someone as ugly as you.” Just a little bit farther and you’d have your vibroblade.

Stars, he loved how you put up a fight. Reaching down he grabbed your chin and easily lifted you back up. “That big mouth of yours is gonna get ya in trouble, human..” Growling deeply he pressed against your body and chuckled darkly. “Perhaps you should put it to better use.”

“Gag! As if!” Swinging your leg, you aimed for his crotch but found resistance instead.

“After your little stunt last time, I came prepared.” His other hand moved away from the door and gripped your side tightly. “Now stop resisting and just enjoy yourself.”

A scream escaped your lips as you fought his hold. Your fists swung down on his shoulders in hopes of breaking free somehow. Wrecker and Hunter had insisted on teaching you self defense, you should have accepted their offer. You felt his hand cover your mouth in an attempt to silence you. But that instead worked in your favor and allowed you to bite down firmly against him.

With a growl, Fang dropped you to the ground. Crumbling against the wet cold pavement, you feigned curling into a ball to protect yourself. The movement hid you pulling your vibro blade out.

“Stupid Bitch!” Fang swung his thick leg into your side forcing your body towards the wall. A smirk crossed his scaled lips as he approached you. Awake or unconscious, it didn’t matter to him, he’d take you either way.

You heard his large foot take its place next to your head before the feeling of your hair being pulled ripped through your body. Another scream left your lips as he lifted you. Like hell, you’d go down without a fight. Swinging the blade quickly you felt it make contact with his thigh. You were dropped to the ground with a thud and you listened as a growl of pain left him. Good.

Fang stumbled back as his leg began to bleed. Fucking human bitch, he’d kill you first then screw your corpse. It didn’t matter to him anymore. In front of him, you scrambled to stand and make your way to safety.

Turning your back towards him had been your biggest mistake. A large hand gripped the back of your neck and with just barely enough time to throw your arms up, your head was thrown into the wall. A gasp was ripped from your body as pain and something wet clouded your vision.

“Gonna teach ya a lesson,” Fang smirked as he used his foot to shove you into the wall. “Don’t know why my brothers claim human count is the best. You’re too much damn work.” Kneeling behind you, his hand wrapped around your throat tightly. “Better be fucking wor-“

His words were replaced with the sound of electricity followed by a thud. You couldn’t make anything out as you scrambled to turn around. Whatever was on your face had completely blocked your view. “S-stay back.” Your hand scrambled across the wet pavement for your vibroblade. It had to be here somewhere.

Something…familiar, gripped your hand carefully and placed your bald back into your hand. Quickly you wrapped both hands around it and raised it in whatever direction you thought the other person was in.

“It’s ok, miss. I won’t hurt ya.” John kept a safe distance from you but also tried to reassure you he wasn’t going to attack you. He’d stopped for directions to the tea shop and on his way in the right direction, he heard your screams and acted on an instinct he didn’t know had.

Your heart stopped at the sound of his voice. A voice that you’d heard so many times from so many faces but was also so painfully unique. This day hadn’t been fair to you, first, you’d heard his name more times than you’d wanted to, and now? Now you could swear that was his voice. Maybe you’d been working too hard? Or maybe you’d fallen asleep to his audio logs one too many times. Whatever this was, it was a cruel game being played on you by the universe. “W-what happened? Who are you?” It wasn’t him, you knew it wasn’t. The way he spoke wasn't how Tech used to. Whatever hope was building inside you was squashed with that singular thought.

“Names John. I tasered your attacker.” At least he hoped he was your attacker or else you two were into some interesting role-play. “Can’t say how long he’ll be down though. We should probably get moving.” Carefully he placed his hand on top of yours and lowered them to the ground. “Promise I won’t hurt ya.”

You chewed your lip for a moment, the taste of copper exploding in your mouth as you did so. Blood was what was running down your face. This was a gamble you’d have to take. “Shop behind us is mine.” You hissed as you tried to stand, it felt like a rib was broken. Maybe two. You blinked a few times trying to clear your vision, but failing in the process.

John moved quickly to help you stand, still trying to keep a safe distance from your blade. “Here, let me help ya.” When you nodded, he moved in front of you and went to grab your elbows, instead his hand missed and brushed across your breasts. “Shit, I’m sorry.”

Leave it to man to try and cop a feel. A scoff came from your lips as she tried to find the hem of your shirt that was dry. Step one was to clear your eyes, step two was to slap whoever this was. But then he said something that made a lump form in your throat.

“Sorry if I offended you.”

No, it couldn’t actually be him. Your hand scrambled against the wall trying to find the panel for your door. New plan, get inside, clean your eyes, and if it is Tech. Kill him.

“Here. Let me help.” John paused as he looked at the panel. “Sorry to ask this but what’s your code.”

Your hands paused against the wall, changing the code was easy, but saying it out loud was hard. Swallowing, you pushed the lump down and allowed the words to come out. “ 9902”

John’s hand froze over the panel as something else pulled at his mind. That code was…familiar. Tapping in the code, John carefully maneuvered you into the back room of your shop before closing and locking the door. “Where’s your first aid kit?”

“Main Kitchen. Top shelf near the dried fruits, three to the right in a brilliant blue box marked five zero one.” A gift from Kix after Echo and the others had saved him from the Obrexta III.

“From what the boys have told me, you're a bit of a clutz. Probably good to have this on hand.” He’d passed it to you with a wink and a smile.

John moved you to the main kitchen carefully before helping you sit on the counter. “I’ll be right back.” Then he was off, into your kitchen to find the familiar-sounding box. Everywhere he looked he could see containers of tea leaves, fruits, and herbs. A marked container of dried berries let him know he was close.

“Mistress? You are currently bleeding from your right eyebrow. I recommend immediate medical action.” WA-7 loudly made her way over to you.

“Obviously, WA! Do me a favor and go get Echo. Quietly please.” The sound of a box scraping across the ground let you know she had turned.

WA-7 tilted her head at you for a moment before turning and making her way toward the office. “Of course mistress.”

“She goin' to get help?” John had found the kit and was now making his way back to you. It was a surprisingly heavy kit and with just a quick glance, he’d seen it was filled to the brim with supplies. It seemed like a lot for a simple tea shop. But who was he to judge?

A long sigh came from you as you heard the kit placed down. “Yeah. Trust me. She’s more useful doing that than helping us.” The sound of water turning on, hit your ears. Hopefully, that meant he was getting you something to clean your eyes.

“Not a fan of droids?” John carefully took your hand in his and placed the warm towel. Behind him, the water continued to run. “Let me know if ya need that rinsed.”

The hot water on the rag cut through the blood on your eyes easily. “Not that droid.” Two swipes and you felt your left eye becoming easier to open. “She’s more useless than anything. Can’t even begin to count how much time I spent trying to reprogram her.”

“You know how to program droids?” The cloth was passed back to him and John carefully rinsed it into the sink. The water ran red for a bit as he waited for you to answer.

“Kinda, my…” What had Tech been to you? Your lover? No, you’d never slept together and had only just kissed before he left. Your teacher? It felt like it was obviously more than that. “My…friend was teaching me before he died.”

John paused as he began to pass the cloth back to you. “I’m sorry for your loss.” Was that the right thing to say?

“Thanks.” Was all you could seem to say as you heard hurried boots coming towards the kitchen. The cloth ran across your eyes once more and finally, you could open them.

The moment Echo had heard you were bleeding, he was gone. The comm he’d been on with Rex remained open as he left the room and tried to figure out how you’d been hurt. Turning into the kitchen his feet stopped as he took in a man taller than you. A mess of brown curls hung to his ears and his slim form carefully moved to the side to reveal you on the counter. Who the hell was this?

John heard the sound of someone approaching and he figured it was one of your employees. Turning to introduce himself he heard a gasp from behind him.

You and Echo spoke in unison as the face of your helper was finally clear to see.

“Tech?”

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