Tumgik
#switch-a-roo!
askoswaldandmicky · 1 month
Text
Tumblr media
(BTW this is the first time I drawn with Krita. If you don't know what that is , look is up)
1 note · View note
funkbun · 7 months
Text
this image is a weapon, whenever some random post i make that i really dont care about starts getting notes for no reason i can just replace it with this
Tumblr media
the ultimate strategy
106 notes · View notes
stardust948 · 4 months
Text
Twins AU
Sokka: I know you Azula.
Sokka: Your brother has the same face, but I know you.
Azula: 😳
43 notes · View notes
tiddie-taylor · 3 months
Text
Hear me out on an io human AU where joy comes from a sad family and sadness comes from a happy family
32 notes · View notes
madelynraemunson · 7 months
Text
anyways, until noah gets his head out of his ass i vote we recast the love of my life ty doran as will byers 😌🖤
14 notes · View notes
meeko-mar · 2 years
Text
Spoilers ahead, obviously:
Horikoshi's a mad man, not only did he do THAT, but he did THAT right before leaving for a week break, apparently!?
So I just know that this man is gonna be relaxing all cool, meanwhile, all of the fans and Baku-Stans are gonna go through these next 2 weeks descending into madness, looking like THIS:
Tumblr media
trying to figure out how Baku could possibly get out of this alive (tbh tho we're already there XD)
Tumblr media
What a fucking power move.
Meanwhile, Horikoshi for the next week:
Tumblr media
92 notes · View notes
youredreamingofroo · 4 months
Note
8 and 47
HI LORI!! sorry it took me forever, todays been a lazy day 😴😴
Tumblr media
og post in case anybody else wants to ask questions
~ under the cut to save the dashes from being too lengthy ✋ ~
8 - How loose is their use of the phrase, "I love you"?
Roo uses ILY loosely only because he tends to be very uncomfortable when people say I love you to him because... well, it's a "I can't accept a compliment" sorta thing ykwim? He does truly mean it but it's just that he doesn't quite feel comfortable saying it back or reciprocating the feeling (less so in the case of a lover) and will just kinda say it to say it.
47 - Who have they forgotten about that remembers them very well?
This might be a long one, but i'll try to keep it short. So around the age of late 15 - early 16 (about when Roo was learning to accept himself as Gay), there was a Canadian Girl, by the name of Makayla Brant, who had recently moved to Roo's school, and Roo never really cared for her because well, he was too busy trying to fend himself off from the bullies and shit, but it was Makayla who really fancied him, she would talk to him as she could (and as much as Roo would let her/respond to her), but Roo was... very uncomfortable with being around others and talking to people, so she never got much outta him. She progressively got more and more frustrated, she was just being nice and trying to help him! So Makayla would begin breaking his boundaries, sitting too close to him, poking and prodding at him, trying to give him things he didn't want or ask for (something he specifically asked her not to do) and would just continue to ask him and question him about things he's shown discomfort in answering before (like what his type is). Mind you, he's unsure of if he even likes the opposite sex, but he tried to be optimistic about her, one day he decided "yea let's just be nice to her," and would talk to her more and more, she turned out to be super, super sweet and caring (at least to him), but something about the way she acted towards him itched him the wrong way. Come the following week and she asks him out, she brought him all kinds of treats and gifts, almost as if she were bribing him into loving her, but he rejected her, he just... didn't see her that way, Makayla was frankly disgusted. What were they then? "Just friends... sorry" Makayla actually began to second-hand bully Roo from here on out by telling other students about him and things he trusted her to keep a secret 🙃🙃 After the confession, Roo officially knew at this point that he was not interested in the opposite sex at all, between this point (late 16) and being late 17 - early 18, he was actually slightly repulsed by women just because of this experience, he grew out of it as he aged.
Now to actually answer the question, for such a significant moment in his life, he has completely forgotten about Makayla, and often just recalls his realization for his sexuality as having a slip-up with some students, considering the person he could've become, I think we're all glad he's forgotten about Makayla. Of course, Makayla hasn't forgotten about him, she thinks about him frequently and remembers every detail about him like a book she rereads every day. Unfortunately for Makayla, Roo now is not her type at all, she also still remembers him as Harvey and doesn't know his name is Roo now.
2 notes · View notes
weremustelidae · 9 months
Text
how the fuck are you supposed to depict a text conversation in a fic
4 notes · View notes
hopefulharpy · 7 months
Text
"Switch-A-Roo" TADC Swap AU!
Tumblr media
Oops, my hand slipped! Now I have whatever this is to be slightly proud of! I might make swaps of the other characters for this AU soon, but I dunno.
Will I elaborate on this AU or even draw it ever again? Guess we'll never know...
Okay I'll admit I do sorta like it
2 notes · View notes
chaoticlad · 9 months
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media
I played the sword and shield DLC for days-
I decided to combine 2 of my current obsessions 👍
6 notes · View notes
soulsxng · 1 year
Text
I took a whole hour long nap simply because Roo was holding my arm, and I'm not the type of monster that can ruin the sleeps of a good boy just so I can be productive. If he says he needs some mom snuggles, then that's it. I'm stuck there until he deigns to release me.
4 notes · View notes
funkbun · 7 months
Text
Tumblr media
47 notes · View notes
occecation · 1 year
Text
forgot to say that i switched my name from cybernetic-genos to this current one lol
1 note · View note
lambtotheslaughterr · 1 month
Text
One Way Or Another
A Rafe Cameron Oneshot
[THIS STORY WILL CONTAIN THEMES OF NON-CON/DUB-CON, MENTAL-EMOTIONAL-PHYSICAL ABUSE, ETC. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK. 18+. MINORS DO NOT INTERACT]
Tumblr media
WC: 16.5k (just for a second, holy fuck. spent all day writing this. from 10 am to 8pm. i am feeling good & feel like i'm on a writer's high. thank you to all of you who made this happen: 62 pages of pure dark fiction)
Dividers provided by @firefly-graphics
OONA'S MASTERLIST
request for anon
requests are currently CLOSED
Summary: Reader's life couldn't be any better. She's working her dream job, living with her best friend, & may have met the one... but none of those things matter when her bestfriend/roommate begins seeing a volatile man from reader's past...
Tumblr media
            It was Coyote Ugly night at your work, & you made sure to request the night off weeks in advance. There would be nothing to stop you from singing your heart out to the soundtrack of the movie as it played in the bar or dancing on the bar with your friends, not even having your coworkers & boss witnessing it all unfold. Ever since you were a little girl, you wanted to be a bartender all because of the film. It inspired your fashion choices, your music tastes, & most importantly, your attitude.
            As soon as you turned 21, you applied to every single bar in your area. And before that, you practiced your cocktail making, just enough to at least get hired. You knew without experience, it was difficult to land a job as a bartender. If you had to accept a position working at a hotel bar or fine dining bar, you’d take it, anything to get the experience, but your long-term goal was to find a bar with the same energy & vibes as your favorite movie. Your wish came true a year later.
            The Garage was just that. It was inside an old auto-shop with three large garage doors. During summer nights, those doors would be raised & they led out into the enclosed patio area where a stage had been built for nights when live music would be happening. The owner, as much as you wanted it to be a tough-as-nails woman like Lil in Coyote, was an older man in his 50’s named Rosie. Yes, Rosie. His full name Roosevelt but he had been going by Rosie since he entered the bar business. It was your first favorite thing about him.
            Rosie ran a tight-knit crew at The Garage. He was a no-bullshit haver but knew how to have a good time. It was him who trained you behind the bar, switching you up from making prissy, fancy shit & teaching you how to make a real drink, as he said. You loved him. And you loved your family there. Everyone accepted you & welcomed you with open arms & cold beer. It was all you could have ever dreamed for. And now, you were going to live out your ultimate fantasy.
            It thankfully didn’t take a whole lot of convincing on your part to get Rosie to agree to a Coyote Ugly night. You advocated for how it would bring in a good crowd, good money, & good times. Moreover, you promised to do all the leg work. You would take it upon yourself to work alongside the social media handler, Rosie’s daughter Angie who worked in the office alongside her father, to get word out & generate interest. A week before the event was supposed to happen, you had a guaranteed 100+ people wanting to attend. There was no RSVP, but just an event page on Facebook, & your work had paid off. The night was happening, & you would be at the center of it all.
            At your apartment that night, you got ready for the night. You admired your look in the mirror, scenes from the bar film playing through your mind. You smiled proudly at yourself. You look damn good.
            But your night would only be complete if you convinced your best friend, & roommate, to come with. As far as that morning, she was still on the fence. But the time was now. She was either coming or not, & if you had anything to say about it, she would be forced along.
            Leaving your room, you skipped down the hallway before turning a corner & entering the living room. Jules’ room was just off the living room, kitty corner from your room on the other side of the apartment. You were grateful for the distance, but only because you both were sexually active women & didn’t need to hear each other get your kicks in.
            Jules’ door was open & you swung around the frame, poking your head in.
            “Tell me you’re coming!” You hollered, noticing the door to her en suite bathroom was open & the light on, but she was out of sight.
            “Uhhh.” Jules laughed awkwardly, “No?”
            No? N O ?Well. You wouldn’t be having that.
            Entering her room, you marched up to her bathroom entryway, prepared to bribe her into coming, but before you could get a word out, you felt your jaw drop onto the floor.
            Jules stood in the center of her bathroom, posing with her hand on her hips & hiding her coy smile behind a lifted shoulder.
            “Wow.” You grinned, impressed, “You look fucking hot.”
            She was wearing a torn cropped lack crop top, the sleeves & hem shredded, & a mini, mini black leather skirt. To bring the whole look together, she wore a pair of black cowgirl boots & a black cowgirl hat. You giggled at the bolo tie around her neck.
            “Do I look like someone not to be fucked with?”
            “Hundred percent.”
            Jules scrunched her nose cutely, turning to look at herself in the mirror, “Good.”
            You joined her in the mirror, double checking your own look. You definitely didn’t look as man-eater as she did but you were still happy with what you wore. The two of you would undoubtedly be some of the hottest women there tonight.
            “Ready?” You questioned as you applied some of her lipstick to your mouth.
            Jules winked at herself in the mirror, “As I’ll ever be.”
Tumblr media
            The night was in full swing as you danced among people. Dirrty by Christina Aguilera vibrated the room as you swung your hips & ran your hands along the length of your torso. Never before have you felt more like yourself than you did in that moment. Everywhere you looked there was women in backless tops, leather pants or denim skirts, a plethora of country rock fashion choices, & plenty of good-looking men. The only thing that would make this night better was bringing a stranger home for the night.
            Sweat coated your skin as you moved off the dance floor between songs. You had curated the playlist for the night. There was over 150 songs on the queue, all of which were either from the soundtrack or had a similar, fitting feel for the night. You knew that any moment Pour Some Sugar On Me by Def Leppard would come on & you were determined to drag Jules onto the bartop with you.
            Sliding between the sea of people, you eventually spotted Jules standing at a tall table near the patio entrance. She was facing you but hadn’t noticed you yet as she spoke flirtatiously with the man standing across from her. He had his back to you & was leaning over the table to hear what your roommate was saying. Jules laughed, smacking him gently on his arm. You knew that you wouldn’t be the only one bringing a man home tonight.
            As apologetic as you were to break up their conversation though, you had a goal in mind, & no potential suitor for your roommate was going to stop you.
            “Jules!” You greeted happily as you jumped towards her, “It’s almost time.”
            “Oh, hey, _____.” Jules smiled at you, “_____, this is Rafe.”
            But before she had even said his name, you were already looking him over & felt your world slow down at the familiar face standing before you.
            It had been a couple years since you last saw Rafe Cameron. You two were in the same grade in high school & attended a lot of the same parties, but you two never spoke to one another. He had a reputation in the halls as a cokehead & was known to snap at a moment’s notice & get into a brawl over the smallest of things. Definitely wasn’t the kind of person you wanted to hangout with. But you had to admit he knew how to throw good parties.
            “Rafe, this is my roommate _____.”
            Rafe smirked at you before offering his hand, “Nice to meet you.”
            You took his hand, ignoring the static shock you received when touching your palms together, “Likewise.”
            Jules was about to say more but the opening instrumentals to your most-anticipated song of the night began playing over the speakers.
            “Sorry, Rafe. I gotta steal her for a couple minutes.” Before Jules could resist, you began dragging her towards the bar.
            “Hey! I was talking to him!”
            “Talk to him later, this is way more important.”
            Jules then realized what was happening & started shaking her head knowingly, “You’re lucky I fucking adore you.”
            “The luckiest.” You smiled back.
            The two of you were quick to climb onto the bar where a few other women were already dancing to Pour Some Sugar On Me. Jules & you were naturals at dancing, having many dance nights in your living room. You danced sensually to the song as it blared over the speakers. Your cheeks hurt from smiling as hard as you were, enjoying the ooh’s & awe’s of men & women alike as they cheered all the women on. You spotted a few of your coworkers behind the bar filming you on their phones. You’d be sure to get those videos sent to you before the night was out.
            Jules slowly fell to her knees to whip her hair around her as she bumped & grinded the air to the music. You reached behind the bar to grab a pitcher of water & did the honors of pouring water on her as the first chorus blasted. Jules’ dancing & your pouring elicited an eruption of cheers. When the first chorus was over, Jules returned to her feet & the two of you danced seductively against one another. All eyes were on the two of you as you stole the show. Your lifelong dream of being a Coyote was coming true before your own eyes.
The song continued & by the time the final chorus came it was your turn to have everyone cheer for you. Jules’ was handed another pitcher of water & as the famous Pour Some Sugar On Me chorus began, you modeled yourself atop the bar. Your butt was down & your legs extended out the length of the bar. You were facing up, your arms holding you up behind your back, your legs bent at the knees. Then as the titular moment of the song happened, Jules poured the ice cold water over you.
A wave of cheers & enthusiasm erupted throughout the bar. When Jules finished pouring the water, you repositioned yourself to crawl along the length of the bar, catching eyes & stealing hearts. You spotted one man sitting at the bar, his eyes never leaving your own. He was cute, more than cute, he was Kevin O’Donnell cute. Your Coyote Ugly dreams were demanding you to end your performance in his lap.
The man grinned to himself as you swung your legs around to dangle off the bar on either side of him. He leaned back in his seat to stare up at you, a closed smirk across his handsome features. As the song closed, you slid off the bar & into his lap. With no introductions needed, you tangled your fingers in his hair at the nape of his neck & brought his mouth to yours, sealing the night with a kiss from a perfect stranger.
Tumblr media
            His name was Jack. He was new to town. You were happy to be his welcoming committee.
            “What you did up there was…” He laughed, raising his brows in knowing.
            “I know.” You giggled, nursing your drink.
            After your kiss, Jack insisted on buying you a drink & you couldn’t say no. Jules’ hugged you once before returning to her object of desire. You were too distracted by your own man to question her own.
            “So, you work here?” Jack asked, looking around the place.
            You nodded proudly, taking in the environment, “It’s my second home.”
            “I like the energy. Seems fun.”
            “It is.” You confirmed, “Couldn’t have asked for a better place to work.”
            The two of you talked for a bit longer before you were interrupted. Jules slid in beside you at the table you & Jack were sat at, & her man for the night, the reputable bad boy from your high school, took the spot opposite her. You didn’t miss how his eyes lingered on your face for some time. You frowned internally but ultimately ignored it as you turned to your best friend.
            “Are you drunk?” You asked incredulously. It took a lot to get Jules drunk, she was a prime time heavy weight, & she was fine when you saw her only ten minutes ago.
            Jules pressed her lips together, smiling knowingly up at you, “Maybe.”
            “What the hell did you drink?” You chuckled as she rested her head on your shoulders.
            “We took a couple shots at the bar.” Rafe added to the conversation. You flashed your eyes towards him, taking in his appearance.
            “You look fine.” You pointed out, yet your heavy weight best friend was growing more drunk by the second.
            “I just hide it better.” Rafe smirked. His face was flushed. And after working in the bar industry for the last two years, you did know men’s bodies handled liquor better than women’s. So, you let it go.
            “Do you wanna head home?” You shook Jules.
            She shrugged but her eyes were fluttering closed.
            You felt disappointed but didn’t show it. The night was still young, you had yet to even partake in the karaoke aspect of the night, but Jules wasn’t going to last much longer, chugging water be damned.
            “Jack,” you glanced across to him, “I’m sorry, I’m gonna have to get her home.”
            “I understand.” He nodded, pulling out his phone, “Let me at least get your number. Maybe you can give me a tour of town.”
            You smiled at that, sharing your number to him out loud. Once he entered it into his phone, you told him you looked forward to his call & began to get out of your seat. But as you did, your world began to spin.
            “Whoa.” You mumbled, catching yourself on the table. You must’ve had more to drink than you thought.
            “You alright?” Jack asked, rising to his full height to help stabilize you.
            You nodded but you weren’t, “I’m a lightweight. Guess I drank more than I thought I had.”
            Jack grabbed your jacket, “Do I need to order you a Lyft?”
            You shook the offer away. But you couldn’t drive. Jules didn’t have a car so it was you who got the two of you there tonight. You glanced over your shoulder at the bar, wondering if maybe you could convince one of your coworkers to give you a ride but they were still slammed. The bar wouldn’t die down for a couple more hours.
            “I’m sorry, Jack. Would it be shitty of me to ask you to drive my drunk ass & my roommate’s drunk ass home?”
            Jack chuckled at that but ultimately shook his head no, “I don’t have a car. Don’t really need one here, ya know.”
            You nodded at that. It was true.
            “Fuck.” You moaned. Your head was growing dizzier by the second.
            Most times you would bite the bullet & cough up the money to pay for an expensive Lyft, but with rent due in two days, you didn’t have the funds. And you didn’t work tonight so no tips would help.
            “I can drive you.” A voice sounded from the other end of the table. Both you & Jack looked towards Rafe as he pulled out his keys.
            “I thought you had a lot to drink, too?” Jack questioned. You were relieved he wasn’t too trusting of Rafe immediately either.
            “Not really.” Rafe returned, his eyes on you though, “You want the ride or not? She looks like she’s gonna be sick any minute.”
            At that statement, you bent over to look at Jules. He was right. Her skin was looking ashen & she was frowning in her sleep. The last you wanted to worry about was her puking before you got her to her bed with a bowl on the floor.
            “Okay.” You nodded, accepting your jacket from Jack’s hands. “Thanks.”
            Jack helped you gather the rest of yours & Jules’ things. He attempted to help you carry her outside but your legs were beginning to grow weaker, your strength quickly dissipating.
            “I got it.” Jack reassured you as he lifted Jules into his arms cradle style.
            “Hey, uh.” Jack looked towards Rafe.
            “Rafe.” He shared his name. Jack nodded then gestured to where you stood leaning against the wall, “Wanna help her?”
            You raised your head at that. Rafe approached you, offering his hand.
            “I got it.” You faked, forcing yourself to stand up. Rafe made an unimpressed face but you ignored it. Just outside the door to the parking lot though you felt your knees buckle. Before you could hit the ground, you felt a strong & firm arm catch you around the waist.
            “Just lean on me. My truck’s right there.”
            As much as you didn’t want Rafe’s help, still unsure why you were feeling hostile towards him, you knew you needed to. Accepting his help, you leaned into his side as he kept you on your feet. A truck a few feet away beeped & the headlights flashed. Jack was ahead the two of you, waiting for Rafe to help him get Jules’ into the back seat.
            Rafe first brought you to the passenger side, helping you up into the cab. Your movements were slow & languid, like you were already half asleep. You shook your head, trying to clear your mind enough to fasten your belt, but before you could, Rafe reached across your front to secure the protective strap.
            “Thanks.” You mumbled, avoiding his eyes.
            “No problem.” He shut your door gently before joining Jack on the other side. You vaguely listened as the two men got Jules into the backseat before the door shut.
            By the time they finished, Rafe was quick to hop into the driver’s seat. You were holding your head in your hands, trying to keep your vision from swimming. Fuck, you really needed to keep better track of your drinking, but you were just having too much fun.
            The door to your side opened & Jack was there, “You gonna be okay?”
            You hummed in response, not trusting yourself to speak, worried that your speech would be slurred.
            “Okay. Text me when you make it home safely. I’ll text you right now.”
            All you could manage was to give him a thumbs up.
            “Alright.” Jack nodded then he looked towards Rafe, “Make sure they get home safe, man.”
            “Yup.” The engine roared to life as he pressed a button on the dashboard.
            “I’ll see you later, _____.”
            You wanted to return the parting but Jack closed the door. The truck jostled beneath you as Rafe drove through the gravel lot.
            “What’s your address?” Rafe asked.
            Pulling out your phone, you languidly types in your address into the maps app. You hit ‘start’ & handed your phone to Rafe.
            The ride was mostly silent until the final couple minutes of it.
            “I remember you, ya know.” Rafe commented. You forced your eyes open at that. It wasn’t that you thought he would remember you or not, but you didn’t want to have one of those walk-down-memory-lane conversations with someone you knew was problematic in high school. Times changed everyone, you supposed. You weren’t always the confident & extroverted woman you were today. Perhaps Rafe had changed, too.
            “Yeah?” You responded. Thankfully, you didn’t sound as drunk as you felt.
            “Yeah, you dated that Junior kid for a while.”
            “Mm.” You had forgotten about Junior. You weren’t one of those people that considered high school boyfriends as real relationships. After all, the two of you only dated for two months your senior year.
            “What I remember most is your guys’ dramatic breakup at Phil’s prom after-party.”
            You frowned at that. That whole night was a messy blur in your memory. You remembered prom fine but the after-party was another story. You had always been a lightweight, but as you thought on it, you vaguely remembered catching Junior dancing with another girl that night.
            The memory resulted in a light chuckle from you, “Oh, yeah. Well…he was an asshole.”
            Rafe shared in your chuckle, nodding in agreement, “Yeah, he was.”
            “So, Jack, huh?”
            His sudden change in conversation made you finally look at him in the dark. The streetlights you passed under were doing little to light his face.
            “Jack?”
            “Think he’ll be any better than Junior?” Rafe questioned.
            What did that even matter?
            Searching for the right words through your addled brain proved difficult, but you eventually found them, “I don’t know… not like I’m going to date him seriously.”
            “No?” Rafe flicked his eyes to yours, “Why not?”
            Okay, you were not going to have this conversation with Rafe of all people.
            Ignoring his question, you were relieved when Rafe pulled into the parking lot of your apartment complex. But the night wasn’t quite over. You knew you wouldn’t be able to get Jules upstairs & into your apartment on your own.
            But as if he was reading your mind, Rafe switched the truck off & unbuckled his belt. He hopped out & you watched through the windshield as he rounded to your side. When he opened the door, you moved to get out but was stopped by the belt you still wore. Oh, right.
            Rafe beat you to it though, reaching around your front for a second time to release the buckle. You felt a chill riddle up your spine when his thumb grazed against your front, just above the top of your shorts. Rafe then placed a hand on your hip & guided you out of the truck. Even though it wasn’t a lifted truck, it sure felt like it as Rafe helped you climb out & down.
            “Good?”
            You nodded in response, wanting to keep your words few & far between.
            Next, you followed him around to the other side of the truck. You noticed that you weren’t as drunk as you were when you left. Your head was still pounding & your vision was still swimming, but at least you could hold yourself up now.
            Rafe swung open the door to the back & began gently pulling out Jules. She mumbled in her drunken sleep as he slung her over his shoulder.
            “If you want to lead the way, I can carry her.”
            “Thanks.” You sighed, desperate to get inside & crash into your bed.
            Inside the secure building, you used your key fob to alert the elevator of your presence. When the three of you loaded on, you pressed the lit up button for 5.
            “Thank god for elevators, right.” Rafe joked as he shifted Jules to piggyback him. Fortunately, she hung on.
            Once you reached your floor, you sped walked ahead to your door & swung it open. Rafe passed you by.
            “Take a right at the corner & her bedroom is at the end, off the living room.”
            Rafe followed your directions in the dark. You turned on the lights behind him as he went, hoping he didn’t bump into anything or accidentally drop Jules because of it. He managed to swing her door open & enter her room, you were right behind them.
            Rafe turned to face you before bending his knees to lower Jules closer to the bed. Once she was close enough, Rafe let her go. Jules groaned again at the sudden drop, her eyes fluttering open briefly before closing again. You entered her bathroom to dampen one of her hand towels.
            When you re-entered her room, you paused, watching silently as Rafe tucked Jules’ legs under the covers of her bed. He glanced up, likely having feeling you watching him, & shrugged.
            “I can’t sleep without a blanket of some sort when I’m drunk.”
            You nodded, mustering a smile. Approaching Jules, Rafe moved out of the way. You placed the damp rag on her forehead, hoping it’d help her feel less sick if she did end up throwing up in the middle of the night.
            “Would you mind doing me a favor?” You asked Rafe, glancing at him over your shoulder.
            “Sure, what’s up?”
            “Above the fridge in the kitchen are big bowls. Can you bring one?”
            Rafe nodded & left the room. You listened intently until you heard him in the kitchen.
            “Grab a glass of water, too, please!” You hollered.
            The faucet began running in the distance, so you took the time to lift Jules’ sheets. You overlooked her body, ensuring that Rafe didn’t do any weird shit when you were in the bathroom. But nothing looked out of place. Even her cowgirl boots were still on. Chuckling lightly to yourself, you quickly removed them from her feet before tucking her legs back under the covers.
            It wasn’t that you were a man-hater, you loved men. But recalling all the rumors surrounding Rafe in high school, & how even despite that he was a stranger, you didn’t want to take any chances. So far he had been helpful & friendly enough so you didn’t want to be quick to stuff him into a box labeled ‘creep’, but you’d certainly keep your eye on him.
            You heard his footfalls coming nearer so you stood up. When he entered the room again, he carried a large bowl in one hand & a glass of water in the other.
            “Thank you.” You offered him a small smile when taking the objects from him.
            Once you got Jules settled, you turned to face him, gesturing for the two of you to leave the room. You closed the door quietly behind you. In the living room, you eyed the kitchen on the opposite end of the space.
            “Did you want anything to drink? It’s the least I can do for helping.”
            Rafe sighed, contemplating your offer, “An energy drink if you got it. Feel like I’m gonna fall asleep behind the wheel if I keep going like this.”
            “I don’t have any of that, but I can make you a coffee?”
            “Yeah, sure, thanks.”
            You nodded, walking towards your kitchen. Rafe followed behind you, taking a seat at your small two person table in the corner. You felt him watching you as you pulled out the coffee grounds & began putting them into the coffee maker.
            “Thank you again.” You repeated, tossing him a look over your shoulder, “For helping.”
            “No problem.” He repeated, “Again.”
            You laughed quietly & softly at that. Once the coffee began brewing, you pulled out two mugs & left them by the pot. Then you turned back to face him.
            “How are you feeling?” He asked.
            You felt your brows crease, “What do you mean?”
            “Well, you couldn’t walk at the bar, but now you seem totally fine.”
            “Oh.” You straightened up that, also then realizing how much better you were beginning to feel, “Better, yeah. Must’ve just been a wave.”
            Rafe nodded at that but said nothing.
            “So.” you began, shrugging your shoulders. Small talk wasn’t your forte. It made you feel awkward.
            “So…” Rafe repeated.
            The two of you shared an uncomfortable laugh.
            “You looked really hot on the bar tonight.” His sudden & unsolicited comment surprised you. There was no hiding the shock on your face.
            “What?” You laughed, really believing you misheard him.
            “You heard me.” He smirked at you, his eyes trailing the length of you. You shifted under his gaze, shaking your head, “Thanks? I guess.”
            Fortunately, the coffee pot finished & you were able to distract yourself with pouring the two of you a mug of coffee. You brought Rafe’s his before returning to the fridge to pull out some French vanilla creamer.
            “Want some?” You shook the carton. Rafe waved his hand in dismissal.
            After flavoring your coffee, you joined him at the table.
            “So, what have you been up to since high school?” You finally asked, forcing yourself to partake in a dreaded topic of conversation.
            “Not a whole lot.” Rafe blew out air, “Working for my dad mostly.”
            “And what’s that?” You blew on your coffee before taking a sip.
            “Business. Real estate development. That sorta shit.”
            You nodded, “That’s good money though, right? You rolling in dough?”
            “Why? Want me to take you out on a date?”
            He was teasing but you still laughed uncomfortably, “Not exactly.”
            “No? Not the dating type?”
            Shrugging, you made a face that confirmed his suspicions, “Not really, no.”
            “Why’s that?”
            You sighed, leaning back in your chair, “No reason, really. Just haven’t met the right person, I guess.”
            “Having too much fun stealing & breaking hearts at the bar?” Rafe smirked.
            You rolled your eyes, “Something like that.”
            “You stole mine. Watching you up there…”
            The way he looked at you made your skin erupt with goosebumps. You bit your lip & Rafe’s eyes flicked to the movement. You shook your head, unable to hide your embarrassed smile, “You’ve always been a flirt, ya know?”
            Rafe’s eyes widened at that, “What does that mean?”
            You shook your finger at him, “We may not have talked in high school but you had a reputation. You were ‘the bad boy’. Breaking hearts and faces.”
            Rafe scoffed at that but chuckled nonetheless, “I won’t confirm nor deny.”
            A silly giggle left you but you immediately reeled it in the second you heard it. Were you…flirting with Rafe Cameron? Jesus. If someone had told you earlier that day that you’d end your night flirting with Rafe Cameron in your own apartment you’d say bullshit. It was funny though sometimes how the world brought people in & out of your life.
            “Oh, c’mon.” You shook your head, “All the girls wanted to date you & all the guys wanted to either be you or beat you.”
            Rafe laughed at that, nodding in agreement, “Maybe.”
            You lowered your eyes, memories of high school passing you by.
            “What about you?”
            You raised your eyes to meet his, “What about me, what?”
            “Did you want to date me?”
            There was no helping the sudden burst of laughter at his question. You bit your lip again, shaking your head, “Actually, no. If anything, I was scared of you.”
            Rafe’s eyes glinted playfully, leaning across the table, “That so?”
            “Mm.” You nodded, “I saw a few of your fights. You’re pretty hot-headed, ya know. All I wanted to do was not piss you off.”
            “You couldn’t even if you tried.” Rafe eyes lingered to your lips.
            A part of you was undeniably enjoying his apparent attraction to you. You didn’t care if it was the alcohol or whatever it was that was sexually charging the energy in the room. After all, you did want to take a man home tonight. Rafe isn’t who you had in mind, especially since he started out as Jules’, but Jules’ was lax. If you did end up sleeping with Rafe, she wouldn’t care. All she’d be interested in was how he was in bed. And now, you couldn’t help but wonder yourself.
            Inhaling sharply, you pushed your coffee to the side so you could place your elbows on the table, leaning forward so there was only a few inches between you.
            “But I’m sure I can make you happy.” You flirted suggestively.
            “I think you can, too.” Rafe stared at you through hooded eyes. Yeah. He wanted you, too.
            That being the only confirmation you needed, you rose from your seat, offering your hand to Rafe, “C’mon then. Let’s go to bed.”
            Rafe grinned up at you with that. Then he rose to his full height, but he ignored your hand. He towered over you, your head only reaching his shoulders. Before you could say or do anything, Rafe suddenly had his arms around your butt, lifting you until you were forced to wrap your legs around his middle.
            “Let’s.”
Tumblr media
            A week passed before you saw Rafe again. And you honestly never expected to see him again. After the night you two spent together rolling around in your sheets, you passed out. When you woke the next morning, Rafe was gone. It wasn’t the first time, & likely wouldn’t be the last, that one of your hook-ups escaped into the night, but you’d be lying if you thought Rafe would be different since you two went to high school. But alas, Rafe only proved to be like most men. You weren’t miffed though. You moved on fast.
            As far Jules, her reaction to learning about you two hooking up wasn’t what you quite expected. She laughed it off at first but you could see that she felt something about it. You eventually got it out of her. She said that she actually liked Rafe. Unlike most of her conquests, she felt a natural draw to him & had thought that perhaps Rafe could be someone she’d date. It all surprised you.
            Jules, of course, didn’t blame you whatsoever since she had only met Rafe that night, & after you explained your history, or lack thereof, with him, she understood. But you could tell that she was disheartened to not get to know him more. But as the week passed, she got back into her usual good spirits.
            As for you, you heard from Jack a day after you met him. He started out giving you a hard time for not letting him know you made it back home safely that night, & you thought it best to lie & say that you passed out as soon as you got into bed rather than telling me the truth. The two of you texted for the whole day & before you knew it you had scheduled a date.
            The date itself was fun. You took Jack to some blacklight mini golf then the two of you had a couple beers at one of your favorite bars. The night ended with a hot make-out session in your car. After that, you two saw each other practically every day. Tonight would be no different. In fact, Jules was going out to the bars & you were staying in, wanting Jack to come spend the night with you. It wasn’t like you to wait to have sex with someone you were interested, so Jack was a rare case.
            But with Jules being out of the apartment for most of the night, you thought it an opportune time to have him over & you two could be as loud as you wanted.
            It was almost nine at night when Jules finally left. Jack was supposed to be there around that time, as well. But before she left, she poked her head into your room. You did a little spin for her as she tried to pick her jaw off the floor.
            “Damn, _____. Jack isn’t gonna know what hit him.”
            You smiled happily at that, admiring your lingerie in your full length mirror.
            “I hope so.” Jack was quickly becoming your Rafe. By that, you meant that you enjoyed his company beyond more than just the sexual tension. He made you laugh, carried a conversation, showed interest in your life but also wasn’t afraid to share details of his own. Plus, he was hot as fuck. The more you hung out with him the more he reminded you of a young James Franco. And Franco was always cute to you.
            “So, I wanted to talk to you about something really quick.” Jules revealed, stepping further into your room.
            You tossed her a confused but wary look, “…Okay. Everything alright?”
            “Yeah, at least, I hope so.” She laughed sheepishly, “I’m going to bars tonight, as you know, but…I’m not going alone.”
            You reeled back at that, but were smiling nonetheless, “Okay, babe, if it’s a date you know we trade info incase the guys are creeps.”
            “Yeah, I know.” She sighed, avoiding your eyes, “That’s kind of why I didn’t say anything to begin with. You already know him…”
            Done admiring yourself in the mirror, you sat on your bed, staring up at her in waiting.
            Jules moved forward to join you on your bed, “It’s with Rafe.”
            Oh.
            The revelation wasn’t what you expected but you nodded hesitantly, “Okay… that’s okay?”
            “I don’t know, is it? We’ve never really navigated these waters before.”
            You rolled your eyes at that, “Oh, my god, Jules, it’s okay! I have no claims to him. If you want to see him then see him.”
            She frowned at that, not entirely buying what you were selling, “Are you sure? I know we have a pretty lax friendship, but it’s not weird. I’ll admit, I did feel weird after you told me you guys hooked up last weekend.”
            A pang of guilt hit your chest, but you dismissed it with a forced smile. You had no interest in Rafe. He was a decent fuck, but that’s all he was. If Jules was serious about him, the last you wanted to do was have her thinking you were standing in her way.
            “God, I’m sorry. I’m such a slut sometimes.”
            Jules giggled at that but shook her head, “That’s not what I’m saying. I just want to make sure that you & I will be okay. And, obviously, if it gets weird or messy having Rafe around then I won’t mind kicking him to the curb.”
            You laughed at that, “It won’t come to that. Besides, I have my own man coming over tonight. Rafe…feels like it was ages ago at this point.”
            “Okay.” Jules grinned, her dimples appearing. You could tell she was really excited about this date. You only hoped that Rafe didn’t disappear in the middle of the night on her like he did you.
            “Okay!” You exclaimed, standing up. Jules stood with you. You hugged her, “Thank you for telling me. I’ll make sure Jack & I are all finished by the time you get home.”
            “No worries.” Jules pulled away, grinning at you, “If we do end up wanting to hook-up I’m going to try to get it done at his place, that way you two can be alone all night.”
            “Well, thanks, I appreciate it.” You smiled, letting her go, “But if you do go there, you know to text me where the address is.”
            “Yes, mom.” Jules rolled her eyes.
            With that, you exited your room & walked with her to the door. Jack would be there any minute & you still wanted light some incense & candles.
            You were unlatching the door & swinging it open, preparing to wave Jules off but a yelp escaped you at the tall, looming presence just on the other side.
            “Rafe!” Jules shrieked. The both of you were not expecting him on the other side, let alone anyone.
            Rafe’s eyes danced amusingly between the two of you as you both recovered from the jump scare but when his eyes stopped on you, staring at your chest, you glanced down. It was then that you realized you were still only wearing your lingerie.
            “Oh, fuck.” You muttered, quickly standing just behind the door out of sight as you tied the thigh length silk robe around your body. Jules realized what was happening by the time you finished & glanced up.
            “Sorry ‘bout that.” You laughed sheepishly as Jules stepped out.
            Rafe said nothing but was staring at you like he was trying not to respond.
            “Oh, jesus, let’s just get this over with.” Jules finally spit out, “You guys fucked. It’s nothing he hasn’t seen before. Right?” She looked at you to which you nodded quickly.
            “Right?” She focused on Rafe. He only mustered an awkward smirk.
            “Great. Now that that’s over with, _____...” Jules eyed you, “Have fun with Jack. I’ll see you either tonight or tomorrow.”
            At the mention of Jack’s name, you felt Rafe’s eyes flash to yours in curiosity. You blatantly ignored his wonderous gaze & waved at Jules, “Bye, have fuuun!”
            Then you hurriedly slammed the door. As much as you loved Jules for her direct nature, you sorely wished she hadn’t mentioned the two of you hooking up while you were standing there in practically nothing. But, fortunately the moment was over & you could focus on the task at hand: Jack.
Tumblr media
            It was nearly three in the morning when you tip-toed into the kitchen to heat yourself up some leftovers. Jack had passed out. You had tired him out. You had always considered your endurance your best quality in the bedroom. It wasn’t often when a man could keep up with you. Jack was no exception, but he was fun, nonetheless. The sex was rushed at first. The second he saw you he couldn’t keep his hands off you. The after having sex that lasted for roughly fifteen minutes, you two relaxed & laughed about it.
            Then you ordered the two of you some food & while waiting for the food to come the two of you hung out on the couch watching an episode of The Boys. After eating & another episode, Jack gathered you in his arms & carried you into your room for second round. The second round was a lot more sensual. Now that the two of you had had sex in a hurry, you two were able to slow down & really learn each other’s bodies. You were winded by the time that session ended. You fell asleep as he scratched your back & when you woke up an hour later, he was still awake watching videos on his phone. You knocked his phone out of the way & straddled his lap. The third time was even more mind-blowing than the first two—being the perfect mixture of animalistic & intimate.
            After that, it was Jack’s turn to pass out. He had commented on your skills in bed & you kicked your feet about it. It wasn’t that you felt validated by hearing a man’s thoughts about what you could do but you also wouldn’t deny how good it still felt to hear.
            You tried sleeping yourself, getting only ten or so minutes when your stomach growled you awake. There would be no good night’s rest until you ate. So, that’s when you decided to go heat up some leftovers from yours & Jack’s order.
            Your apartment was quiet save for the metallic hum of the microwave. You stared at Jules’ closed bedroom door, & it was only then that you realized you hadn’t checked your phone whatsoever since Jack arrived. There was still a minute left on the microwave. You decided you’d go snatch your phone from your room really quickly then give Jules a call while you ate. But just as you entered the hallway, you heard the familiar sound of her keys in the door.
            As quietly as you possibly could, you backed up back into the living room then raced across the room to the kitchen, trying to look as natural as possible. But as you listened for Jules’ footsteps, you picked up on another.
            She wasn’t alone.
            You glanced down. You were in your robe but only your robe. Jack made quick work of discarding your matching bra & underwear. There was a throw blanket on the back of the couch. You made to move towards it, hoping to get it wrapped around you since the robe did little to really cover you, but just as you did, two figures appeared on the other end of the room.
            “Jules?” You frowned. She was slumped against Rafe.
            Your eyes flashed to his, your state of dress forgotten, “What the hell happened?”
            “Yeah, I don’t think she’s much of a heavyweight anymore. She was falling asleep at the bar.”
            Shaking your head, you approached the two of them. Rafe still held her up as you patted her cheeks, “Jules, babe, wake up.”
            But she only moaned & swatted your hand away, “Sleepy.”
            “Okay, okay.” You couldn’t help the glare you threw at Rafe. Whether or not it was his fault, she had only gotten this drunk in the last week while in his presence. You hoped it was just a coincidence but you wouldn’t settle on it quite yet.
            “Can you get some water, I got it from here.” You told Rafe before slipping her into your arms. Jules managed to use her feet to assist you in assisting her as you brought her back to her bed. Jules sighed happily at the sight of her bed before throwing herself down on it.
            You knelt beside the bed, tucking her hair behind her ear, “Did you drink a lot again?”
            “Mmm. Probably.”
            You sucked on your lip, “Jules, you can’t be drinking like that. You gotta be safe.”
            “Safe…very safe.” She mumbled, turning her head away from you as she curled into herself.
            The air in the room shifted as Rafe entered behind you. You stood up, taking the glass of water from him none-too-gently & putting it on her nightstand.
            “You can leave.” You told him without looking at him, “Thanks for getting her home.”
            Rafe scoffed behind you but said nothing. You listened as you heard his steps leave the room. Releasing a breath of air, you stared at your best friend as she slept soundlessly.
            “Jules…” You whispered to no one. Taking her shoes off, you threw one of her loose blankets over her & switched her light off. You’d be talking with her in the morning. You had to make sure that her getting so drunk was her doing & not Rafe’s.
            A muffled gasp escaped you as you closed her door, not expecting to see Rafe leaning against the wall just on the other side.
            You had your hand over your mouth to keep from waking Jules or Jack, but you glared hotly at Rafe over your hand.
            Closing Jules door, you stepped closer to him, hissing, “I told you to leave.”
            Rafe frowned, “Okay, sorry. I thought you just meant the room.”
            “You knew exactly what I meant.”
            You turned away from him, quietly stomping towards the kitchen. Rafe followed behind you.
            “What’s your problem? I thought you’d thank me.”
            “And I did.” You bit back. You were struggling to contain your anger. You had no proof that Rafe actually did anything, after all, he was helpful just last weekend & brought Jules back home tonight, but it still didn’t sit well with you. And your mom always taught you to trust your gut.
            “So why the hostile attitude? Did I do something wrong?”
            Inhaling sharply, you yanked open the microwave door. The food was steaming. But you had lost your appetite.
            “No.” You replied shortly, uncaring if you sounded convincing or not.
            You touched the plate but as you did, you hissed in pain. You were too caught up in your frustrations to remember to grab the plate of food with a hand towel.
            “You okay?” Rafe moved closer, peering down at you as you stuck your thumb in your mouth, sucking on it.
            You grunted in response. But Rafe just stared at you in disbelief.
            “If you run it under cold water it’ll help better.” He told you, his voice flat.
            “I know that.”
            Instead of approaching you, he backed up to the sink, flicking the faucet handle. Then he gestured to the sink, “Well.”
            Biting your lip in mild irritation, you neared the sink & stuck your thumb under the water. It wouldn’t burn, not visibly anyway, but it still hurt like a bitch. The cool water helped though.
            As the water cooled the sensation of your pulsing thumb, so did your anger. Shaking your head, you finally looked at Rafe over your shoulder, “I’m sorry. Thank you for helping her home.”
            “You’re welcome.” He returned, but the nicety has left his voice. He was as irritated as you had been.
            “It’s just, she doesn’t get drunk like this.” You told him, “I mean, she does! But it takes a lot. Like a lot, a lot. So, seeing her get this drunk twice in one week, just has me concerned.”
            “Well, I was there, & I’m telling you, she didn’t drink a lot. I don’t know, obviously, what her ‘a lot’ is, but it wasn’t a lot to me. A beer, three cocktails, & two shots.”
            You thought on it. That was still excessive, at least in your opinion. Jules could normally handle a bit more than that but perhaps Rafe was right. Maybe her tolerance was just changing for some reason all of a sudden.
            “Guess it makes sense.” You mumbled. Your thumb felt better at that point so you turned the faucet off.
            “So, what’s a lot to you?” You asked him, wanting to shift the negative energy between the two of you.
            Rafe glanced at you in momentary confusion before shrugging, “More than that.”
            “Guess that makes sense, too.” You chuckled softly, “You were a big partier in high school.”
            Finally, Rafe’s stone expression cracked as a smirk tugged on the corner of his lips, “Yeah, true.”
            The room was silent for a beat until your stomach growled. Your appetite had returned. Turning your back on Rafe, you went to the microwave & tapped the plate, testing the heat. It was grabbable now. You removed your food from the appliance then took your plate to the table. Rafe watched you silently before slowly approaching you.
            “So, you & Jack, huh?”
            “Hmm?” You flicked your eyes to his, before realizing what he had asked, “Oh, uh, yeah.”
            Rafe nodded, slowly dragging out the chair opposite you before sitting down.
            “And you & Jules.” You added, not wanting you or Jack to be the focus at that point in time.
            “Mhmm.” Rafe pursed his lips, cocking his head as he peered at you, “And you & me.”
            You scrunched your nose in discomfort, but offered an awkward smile nonetheless, “Yup.”
            “Does Jack know?” His question surprised you.
            You glanced away to cut into your enchilada, blowing on it, then placing it in your mouth. You chewed, staring back at Rafe. Then you shrugged.
            “I take that as a ‘no’.”
            “Well, it’s not like we’re together, him & I. He doesn’t need to know about my hook-ups. I don’t ask about his.”
            “But you want to date him.” It wasn’t a question but you still treated it as such.
            “Um, no? I don’t know. Why do you ask?” You took another bite, a lump forming in your throat at Rafe’s invasive questions.
            “Ah, well, Jules was saying that she thought you really liked this Jack guy, more than normal. Said you guys have been seeing each other pretty much everyday since last weekend.” For some odd reason, you felt like you were being interrogated, like a parent trying to get to know their teen daughter’s boyfriend before ultimately deciding that they weren’t good enough for her.
            You shrugged, “Yeah, I guess. But, same could be said about you & Jules.”
            Rafe raised his brows at that, “Yeah?”
            You nodded, “She almost lied to me tonight. Didn’t tell me who she was seeing. She’s never done that before. Plus, she admitted as much that she liked you more than just for hooking up.”
            “Hmm.” He looked away, deep in thought.
            “How does that make you feel?” It was your turn to interrogate him.
            “Not a lot.” Rafe returned quickly. His cold response had your earlier anger become lightly reignited.
            “And that means…?”
            Rafe leaned forward, his elbows on his knees as he gazed at you, “She’s nice, hot, fun. But…she’s not you.”
            The sound of your fork clattering against the plate as it slipped from your fingers made you jump slightly. Your body felt tense at Rafe’s confession. But you had to play it off. Quickly snatching the fork back up, you brushed off his comment with a sheepish chuckle, “Funny.”
            But Rafe didn’t share in your amusement. His unwavering stare was only evidence of his seriousness.
            “What are you trying to say, Rafe?”
            He sighed, his eyes dropping to the opening of your robe. You glanced down & quickly snatched the fabric closer to your chest. He smirked at that.
            “I’m saying that I know you’re wearing nothing under that & I want to see what you’re trying to hide from me.”
            You sputtered in shock, staring at him wide-eyed, “Are you fucking serious?”
            Rafe raised his eyes to yours, “Deadly.”
            “Alright, okay.” You stood up, your half-eaten food forgotten on the table, “I don’t know what the hell you think—’
            But Rafe stood too, quickly invading your space as you stood there attempting to talk him down. He pressed his chest against you & you didn’t have time to create space before he gripped one of your hips. A surprised hiss escaped your lips at his abrupt manhandling.
            “I think that dumbass in there can’t please you like I can.” Rafe spoke lowly, his voice even but firm.
            You swallowed, putting your hands on his chest in an attempt to push yourself away from him, but Rafe was quick to snatch both your wrists in his other hand.
            “What are you doing?” Panic flooded you. If Rafe was fucking with you, you weren’t finding it very funny.
            “I told you.” Rafe then quickly yanked on the ties of your robe & your robe fell open.
            You gasped as cool air suddenly brushed over your exposed front. You instinctively made to cover yourself help but Rafe still held your wrists in his hand. You were breathing heavily, watching in a daze as Rafe’s eyes darkened, staring at your body.
            Then, just as quickly as it happened, Rafe looked back up at you & smirked. Then he let you go.
            “Have a good night.”
            Like whiplash, Rafe was there one second then gone the next. You stood there in the center of your kitchen staring into the direction of the hallway where Rafe disappeared to. The front door to your apartment closed in the distance & you finally released a breath of air you had been holding.
            Then everything that just occurred finally hit you.
            “What. The. Fuck.”
Tumblr media
            The next couple months were weird, to say the least. After Rafe revealed yourself to him he was around way too much. He & Jules began spending a lot of time together & before you knew it, they were dating. DATING.
            You sat on what he had done for a couple days before you finally told her about it. Or least, a little bit about it.
            First, you started by asking her if she was really serious about Rafe, like had real feelings for him. When she admitted that she did, you felt torn on telling her the whole truth or just a version of the truth. You eventually settled on just telling her variation of it.
            What you ended up telling her was that he came onto you again but you had rejected him & then he left. That was basically what happened, but you didn’t mention him undoing your robe, & you weren’t sure why. Rafe was no friend to you so you had no need to protect him, but Jules was your friend, & you had never seen her hung up on someone the way she was about Rafe.
            You had seen Rafe multiple times in the window between his harassment of you in the kitchen to telling Jules about it, & in that time he never said or tried anything again. He hardly even looked at you. You reminded yourself that he was an asshole in high school & that he likely viewed what he did as just a humiliating prank. But it wasn’t. Had you not already hooked-up with him you likely would’ve told Jules the whole truth, but since Rafe had already seen you naked & was just pulling one of those idiotic Alpha moves on you in the kitchen, you figured as long as it never happened again you could deal with seeing him & Jules together all the time.
            But it still ate away at you. It bothered you that he had the audacity to not only do that but then move forward & decide to date your best friend. But Jules was happy, more so, she was drinking less. It was the least you could ask for in her questionable relationship with Rafe Cameron.
            On the bright side, Jules wasn’t the only one to enter into an official relationship. After a few weeks of hanging out with Jack & having some of the best sex of your life, you & Jack progressed into a relationship. It felt like ages since you last had a boyfriend, but it felt nice. He was quickly becoming one of your favorite people. Even better, he & Jules got along great. She’d often join you guys on the couch when you watched a movie or show or even help out in the kitchen as the two of you made dinner. They were all good times, but they were often soured by the presence of Rafe.
            Now that you & Jules were in relationships, there was an ungodly amount of times when all four of you would hangout. It was like double dating all the time. If Jules & Rafe wanted to go out to the bars, they’d always convinces Jack to convince you. And then on nights when you worked, Jack would sometimes come in to see you, & right behind him would be Jules & Rafe. Your apartment with Jules was quickly becoming a home to your respective boyfriends.
            Your relationship with Rafe was interesting, too. Though he never made comments or did anything like he did that night in the kitchen, he still always found a reason to talk to you. It was never about anything especially important or engaging, but always just enough to have you two at least carry a conversation for some time.
            Jack still never knew about you & Rafe hooking up the night you all met & you wanted to keep it that way. In fact, you made Jules promise that she would tell Rafe to keep his mouth shut because if ever said anything, even eluded to it, you would make sure he’d regret it. And so far, Rafe never peeped a word about it. The only downside to Jack never knowing about your tryst with Rafe was that they too became good friends.
            Oftentimes, you’d see them laughing loudly with one another, like slapping each other laughing, & always having each other’s back on nights out if for some reason they came across a belligerent asshole. A small part of you was relieved that everything was seemingly working out, but a majority of you knew everything was too good to be true. It’d only be so long before the other shoe dropped. And what kind of shoe it would be had you constantly on the edge…
            But that was the least of your worries as you rushed to get ready. That morning, your mom called you to remind of the charity gala that was being hosted in her name & how you promised to be there. The event had completely slipped your mind. So, all day you were frazzled with that now being your mission. You were forced to call Rosie & explain everything to him, apologizing that it slipped your mind & you would be able to come into work. Fortunately, Rosie said he’d take care of it & that he would see the following night.
            After that, you drove to the shopping district hoping you’d find a dress that would be appropriate enough for the gala. These gala’s your mom attended were high class. No ball gowns or anything extravagant like that (though some people did wear stuff like that), but it was definitely an excuse for those in attendance to show off some of the nicer items in their closet. You had none.
            You got lucky when you found a dress that you could keep & wear again. It was equally elegant as it was just the right amount of sex appeal. Unfortunately, due to the short notice, Jack would not be able to come with you. You learned early on in your relationship that Jack moved to town to open his own café. It had a rough start but once the warmer months came it became a huge hit so he was spending a lot of his time there to help out. And tonight they were having an open mic night for comedians, poets, musicians. It was their first one so he couldn’t miss it.
            You were going to ask Jules next if she wanted to be your date but when you went to her room earlier that day, you could hear her throwing up in the bathroom. She had come down with the flu. So, she was a no go. It bummed you out that you wouldn’t have a date but it was your own fault for completely forgetting about it.
            It was thirty minutes before the gala started & you had just finished getting ready. You still had to drive 20 minutes to the venue so you would be cutting it close but at least you’d be on time. Before you left, you sped-walk to Jules’ room to check on her. She was sound asleep in her bed, a humidifier next to her bed billowing warm, wet air. You quicky stepped into the room & kissed your fingers before placing them on her forehead. You couldn’t afford getting sick after bailing on Rosie tonight.
            Then, you were out the door.
            You recognized the address as being somewhere in the industrial district on the north side of town. That thought made you groan, you hoped they had valet parking.
Traffic was a bitch but you made it with two minutes to spare. Thank you, Valet.
            Once you were inside, you sought out your mom. You found her in the middle of greeting guests as they entered the building.
            “Oh, honey!” She exclaimed, “I’m so happy you could make it.”
            “Of course, Mom. Is there an open bar?” You asked once she pulled away.
            Your mom rolled her eyes knowingly, “So much of your father in you. Yes, yes. The venue is up those stairs there, the bar portion is in a separate room across from it.”           
            “Great, thank you.” You kissed her on the cheek, antsy to at least get a glass of wine in your system.
            She waved you off to continue welcoming guests while you went to go retrieve a drink. After you succeeded in getting your wine, you entered the gala. You nodded impressively. There were a few faces you recognized as close friends of your mom’s & forced yourself to make small talk as you mingled your way over to a table by the windows. Once you made it through, you took a moment to yourself to relax. Your whole day had felt rushed & chaotic so you were happy to finally be off your feet with some sort of alcohol before you to keep you going.
            The charity event started soon thereafter, & before you knew it, you were enjoying your drink, watching as a couple hundred middle aged rich folk raised their hands for the auction portion. Once the auction was through, the host announced that dinner was served & to help yourselves & to enjoy the night while it was still young. You checked the time on your phone, noting it was only 8 in the evening. Your mom begged you to stay at least until 9 that way she can finish making her rounds then she could focus her time on you. You begrudgingly promised you would.
            When she disappeared, you decided to get your glass refilled. You were snaking your way between bodies, aiming for the doors that would lead you to the bar when you abruptly ran into another person.
            “Sorry!” You exclaimed, feeling embarrassed for not watching where you were going. But when the person you ran into turned around, the apologetic expression on your face fell.
            “Well, well. Fancy seeing you here, huh?” Rafe grinned, clearly not expecting to see you either.
            “Fancy.” You deadpanned, turning away to continue on your way. What the hell was he doing there?
            Once you made it to the edge of the room though, you felt a slight tug on your elbow, deterring you from your destination. A curse died on your tongue as you glared at Rafe dragging you through a set of glass doors & onto a patio. You didn’t even know there was a patio. Had you, you would’ve hidden out there all night to avoid Rafe,
            “What are you doing here?” He asked, admiring your outfit.
            “You first.” You battled.
            Rafe chuckled but answered, “Networking.”
            “For?”
            Rafe rolled his eyes, sighing, “My dad’s business?”
            You pursed your lips. You supposed it made sense. But Jules hadn’t mentioned it.
            “Why isn’t Jules here then?” You knew well enough that she was sick & resting at home, but since she had never mentioned it, you wondered if Rafe had even bothered to mention it to her.
            “Because I didn’t ask her.” Rafe responded like it was the most obvious answer in the whole world. But you wouldn’t accept.
            “God, you are such an asshole. She’s crazy about you, ya know. And you treat her like crap.”
            Rafe bit his lip in though, narrowing his eyes at you, “You sure about that? Pretty sure I actually spoil her. More than she’s worth.”
            “Oh, you—” All the possible offensive terms you could think of threatened to spill out but this wasn’t the time or the place, “That’s it. When I get back home, I’m telling her everything.”
            You spun on your heel then, prepared to go find your mom & apologize but you had to leave early. You couldn’t stand to be here for a second longer knowing Rafe asshole Cameron was present.
            But when you left the patio & entered the hall, where there was conveniently no one was around, Rafe snagged you by the waist before shoving you into a bathroom.
            “Rafe, goddamnit!” But Rafe shook you to your core when he pressed your back against the wall & covered your mouth. His hand going to the handle on the door & locking it.
            “I’m gonna take my hand off now, think you can shut the fuck up for two seconds?”
            You glared at him but nodded once. Rafe removed his hand but only stared at you.
            You slapped your hands together, waiting for him to get it over with.
            “I don’t know what the fuck you want, _____. You’re so annoyingly confusing. More than most women.”
            You frowned at that. What was he talking about?
            “You come onto me the night we meet then you suddenly want nothing to do with me. I never asked you out on a date because you said you weren’t interested in dating. I was fine with that, though. I could live with just hooking up. But then come to find out you’re dating Jack, fucking him, too. So, now I look like an idiot because you told me you don’t date. And that’s a lie. So, when I found out & tried coming onto you again that night in your apartment, you rejected me. All for that dumbass in your bed. I mean, what is a guy supposed to think? I’ve been very patient, waiting for you & Jack to get through whatever it is you guys think you’re doing but nope, nope, Jack’s here to stay, Jack’s such a good guy, Jack’s the one.”
            All of his words were becoming jumbled together in your brain. You could do nothing but stare at him wide-eyed & in shock.
            Rafe was huffing, his lips in an upside down smile as he stared through you, “What do you have to say, huh? Because now, all this time, pretending to be into Jules, I’ve just been trying to get close to you. To show you that I’m who you want. That you regret rejecting me. And you can’t say I haven’t been good because I have been. I don’t touch you, flirt with you, make it obvious that I want to fuck your brains out, that I want to beat Jack to a pulp every single time I see him put his hands on you. It should be me, _____. You know that.”
            A surprised but unamused sigh left you. Everything you thought about Rafe was true, but just much worse. He was only dating Jules because of you. Only hanging around because of you. You needed to snuff this man out.
            “Rafe…” You licked your lips, struggling to find the words, “I don’t know where, at any point, you got into your head that we were something more than just a spontaneous, convenient hook-up but that’s all it was. Okay? That’s it. There was sexual tension & I acted on it. Simple as that. I mean, you were gone the next morning! We had nothing more than just casual, one-time sex.”
            Rafe’s eyes narrowed as you spoke.
            “And as far as Jack goes, that’s none of your damn business. I meant what I said when I told you I don’t date but things change, & I don’t care how fast they change, I don’t owe you anything. I’m not some fucking prize that you are competing against Jack for, & even if I was, let me tell you, he is by far a better man you will ever be. A real man doesn’t use a woman to get closer to her roommate, to try & make her roommate, I don’t know, fall for him? That’s some psycho sociopathic shit, right there. Okay?! So, what you’re gonna do now, is you’re gonna call Jules & you’re gonna break up with her. I don’t care how you do it, but you’re gonna get it done. I would love nothing more than to tell her myself about how much of a piece of shit you are, but she’s my friend. My best friend. And I don’t want to hurt her. So, the least you can do is soften the blow.”
            It looked as if he wasn’t listening anymore, his eyes glazing over, but you knew he was. He was hearing every single world.
            “Man up.” You stepped forward, “And give her what she deserves.”
            His eyes finally shifted back to yours, “Careful what you wish for.”
            The look in his eyes sparked a bout of fear within you.
            But then Rafe was unlocking the bathroom door & next thing you knew he was gone. Your heart was racing, the interaction an explosion of emotions. But with him gone, you were finally able to relax against the wall. You placed your hand on your chest, willing your heart to slow down. Jesus. This day just wouldn’t give you a break, would it?
Tumblr media
            Unfortunately, your night never improved. When you got home later that night, you could hear Jules crying in her room. As relieved as you were that Rafe called her, you were still disheartened to hear her sobs from the front door. Stopping by your room first, you kicked off your heels & tossed your keys on the bed. Then you hesitantly walked towards her room. Her door was cracked open.
            You were about to enter her room but another’s voice stopped you.
            “I’m sorry, Jules.” Rafe.
            What the fuck was he doing here?!
            Not waiting to get answers from Jules, you slapped her door open, standing angrily in her doorway. Jules & Rafe were on her bed & Rafe was holding her as she cried into his chest.
            “What the hell’s going on here?”
            Jules looked up then but her solemn face quickly turned to one of anger as she set her eyes on you. She stood up, looking you directly in the eye, “I should be asking you that! I trusted you!”
            You stared at her in confusion before glancing at Rafe who sat smugly on the edge of her bed.
            “Jules, look, I don’t know what that fuck told you but he’s ly—”
            “Lying?!” Jules questioned, her voice growing louder, “Yeah, he said you’d say that. But he told me everything!”
            You crossed your arms over your chest, glaring at the unapologetic look on Rafe’s face, “And what was that?”
            “That you’ve been coming onto him for months!” Jules screeched, “I knew bringing him around was going to be weird but if you still had feelings for him then you should have told me! Now you’re telling him to break up with me so you can have him. I can’t believe you would do that!”
            “What?!” You raised your voice, “No, no, that is not what’s happening. He’s the asshole, the creep!”
            “Oh, shut up, _____!” Jules glared at you through her angry tears, “He has proof of you saying so!”
            You stumbled at that, “Proof? What? What proof, Jules?”
            She spun around, snatching a phone that wasn’t hers off the bed before raising it up between the two of you. She clacked on it & then turned the volume up. It was your voice that came out.
            So, what you’re gonna do now, is you’re gonna call Jules & you’re gonna break up with her. I don’t care how you do it, but you’re gonna get it done.
            “Motherfucker…” You whispered in disbelief. But then the recording stopped. Jules played it again.
            You shot your eyes between the two of them before settling on Jules, “That’s all he recorded? You don’t think that’s weird, Jules? There’s nothing before, nothing after, it’s all out of context. Yes, I told him to break up with you but so I could have him! He’s a fucking psycho!”
            Jules shook her head, chuckling darkly as she tossed the phone back on her bed, “I want you out of this apartment. Tonight. And then I never want to see you again.”
            “Jules! No, what? Wait!” But she was shoving you out of her room & before you could get another word out, she slammed her door in your face.
            “Rafe, you fucking asshole! Tell her the truth!” You beat against the door but all you could make out on the other side was Jules bitching about you before her room started blaring music.
            You couldn’t believe this was happening. Rafe had gotten to her. Turned your closest friend against you. Well. Fuck him. He wasn’t going to win. Not that easily. Jules wanted to never see you again, that’s too damn bad. Because you weren’t going anywhere, not as long as Rafe was in her ear feeding her lies.
Tumblr media
            You walked into work angrily the following night. Your coworkers greeted you but you could only manage a grunt. Jules was far from happy to see you when you came out of your room that morning but you needed to show her that you weren’t going anywhere.
            “My name’s on the lease. I pay rent. I’m staying.” You told her to which she sneered at you before grabbing her coffee & disappearing in her room.
            Her door was closed but you told her through the door that you would never betray her like that. That the person who was lying to her was Rafe. She never responded, & you never saw her again before you left for work. But you wouldn’t give up.
            You threw on your outfit for your shift then left in poor spirits. Working helped you distract yourself from the bullshit of your disastrous home life & potential friend break-up. It was busy & your regulars listened to you as you told a few of them about few details of your dilemma. They all held hope for you & Jules to figure things out. That left you feeling slightly better. But around midnight, an unexpected guest appeared at the far end of the bar. You smiled for the first time in 24 hours but your smile quickly fell at the furious expression on Jack’s face.
            “Hey.” You said warily, flipping over a 16oz to pour his usual beer.
            “I’m not staying.” Jack told you, his voice hard.
            That wasn’t a good sign.
            “I just came to tell you that Jules told me everything. The recording, everything.”
            “Jack.” You sighed exhaustedly. After last night’s intense fallout, you didn’t think to call Jack & tell him what happened. But you never thought Jules would reach out to him herself.
            “Save it.” He held up his hand, “I just wanted to tell you in person.”
            Before you could try to defend yourself or even explain a little bit, Jack was out the door. You watched tiredly through the windows as he sped off.
            Jack didn’t understand either. He would, but not yet. First, you had to get Jules to know the truth, get Rafe out of the picture, then after all that, you & Jules would tell Jack the truth together. You just had to be strong.
            “You alright, kid?” Rosie’s voice sounded behind you.
            You pressed your lips together, feeling them shake. You felt like crying but you forced yourself not to. Rafe couldn’t get away with this.
            Turning around, your head hung low, you simply nodded to Rosie.
            “Why don’t you take a ten. I can man the bar, start closing duties.”
            You didn’t have the energy to debate it. You exited the bar & went to sit at the far end. Pulling out your phone, you hoped to see any messages from Jules but there was nothing. You tried calling her but your call went straight to voicemail. She likely blocked you. Good thing you lived down the hallway from her.
            Holding your head in your hands, you thought about how you got here. How the fuck did you get here? Everything was fine & then suddenly it wasn’t. You realized you should’ve told Jules about Rafe from the beginning. Told her about how he came onto you in the kitchen that night. If you had, Rafe wouldn’t be in the picture, you & Jules would still be friends, & Jack would be drinking a beer less than 10 feet from you.
            “Fucking Rafe…” You muttered out loud.
            Could this night get any worse?
Tumblr media
            Unfortunately yes, yes it could.
            You kicked at the tire of your car, frustrated that it suddenly wouldn’t start. Rosie had already left. He closed up The Garage with you & walked with you to your vehicles. But while he started his up & pulled out of the parking lot, you sat behind your wheel staring mindlessly out the windshield. You so desperately just wanted to talk to Jules, to just tell her everything. It had only been 24 hours & all you wanted was your best friend back.
            So, when you finally broke out of your thoughts & went to start your car, it only added to your shitty night that the engine sputtered then died.
            “Fuuuuuuck!” You screamed, beating your hands against the dashboard. Your hands were throbbing afterwards but you could barely feel it. And if you thought it still couldn’t get any worse, pulling out your phone & finding it dead only proved you wrong.
            “’Course.” Tossing your phone back into your bag, you glared at the bar across from you. There was chargers inside, but Rosie had the keys to get in & you had no phone to call him.
            Getting out, you locked up your car before rounding to the front. There was no point in checking under the hood, you would have no idea where to look first. You had always said that one day you’d learn car stuff for shit exactly like this, but you had yet to do it. It would be next on your agenda. After getting Jules back.
            You glared into the darkness of the road. The Garage was on a long stretch of a two-lane highway. During the day it was used regularly, but as soon as night came, the only reason people were on it was to come to your place of work. There would be no one. It was then that you decided you were going to be forced to walk back home. It was only a mile or so walk, most of it being spent on the highway, but you weren’t stoked about walking down a dark, desolate highway in the middle of the night.
            But what choice did you have?
            Facing your car once more, you kicked at her tire, “See you in the morning, princess.”
Tumblr media
            You were only about ten minutes into your walk, your jacket wrapped securely around you as you stomped along the pavement, when you heard an engine in the distance. Now, you weren’t one of those girls who thought to yourself ‘oh, kidnapping wouldn’t happen to me, that’s only in the news’. So, you had no plans to put your thumb out & hitching a ride. Even if it was a nice elderly woman. You had seen too many true crime documentaries. It was better to be distrusting then it was to trust the wrong person.
            Unlike Jules, you thought bitterly. But it wasn’t her fault. It was all Rafe’s.
            When the engine grew closer, you moved off the highway. There were no streetlights on this stretch of the highway, so the driver wouldn’t spot you until they passed you. It also helped you were wearing darker clothes. Otherwise whoever it was might get some sort of idea. And if they did spot you whether before or after they passed you, you were mentally preparing yourself to launch yourself into the woods & make a run for it.
            You glanced over your shoulder as you walked, spotting two headlights in the distance. You hoped they would hurry & pass you by so you could walk freely again without worrying about getting snatched off the road. You already had enough stress on your plate.
            The engine grew closer but as it did you could hear begin to slow down.
            Great.
            Still walking, not wanting to let whoever it was get closer, you spun around expecting to see a middle-aged man giving you a toothy smile. But the lights were so bright you couldn’t make out anything. All you could see was the silhouette of someone sitting in the drivers seat. They didn’t move closer, they didn’t signal for you, they didn’t do anything. Just idled there in the middle of the highway.
            “Alright…” You could feel panic begin to grip you. “That’s not a red flag.”
            But it didn’t stop you. You just kept walking. And as you did, you heard the truck begin to roll closer. As it did, you moved further off the highway until you were forced to walk on the dirt along the tree line.
            You breathing fast at that point. As subtly as you could, you reached into your bag, looking for your taser. You had never had to use it before but you always kept it charged in the off chance you’d need to. And now seemed like it would potentially be that time.
            “_____.”
            The sound of your name horrified you, but more than that, it was the voice that carried it.
            You spun around on your heel, staring wide-eyed as Rafe hung an arm outside his window, his eyes dead set on you.
            “What the fuck do you want?”
            “Need a ride?” He asked, ignoring your question, but there was no sense of wanting to help you in his tone.
            “Fuck no.” You spit, glaring hotly at him, “I am walking home. Carry on.”
            “I’m heading there anyway.” Rafe smirked, “Booty call. You know how it goes.”
            You made a face of disgust. He still had the audacity to talk poorly about Jules even after convincing her that you were the bad guy. But were you surprised? No, no you weren’t.
            “Just fuck off, Rafe.” You dismissed him with a flick of your hand before marching ahead. Much to your chagrin, Rafe only followed alongside you in his truck. You made sure to keep a good distance between where you walked & where his door was. If he decided to jump you again like he had at the charity gala the previous night, you wanted a head start into the woods.
            “We can talk.” He stated, “Work something out. I can get Jules to forgive you.”
            You shook your head in disbelief, running your tongue along your teeth in annoyance. He was just egging you on, wanting to get a rise out of you. Like always.
            “C’mon, you know you’re tempted.” His voice grew lower.
            “The only thing I’m tempted to do is rip your fucking throat out & shove it up your ass so you can taste your own shit.”
            “Well,” Rafe chuckled darkly, “I’d need my throat to taste it, wouldn’t I?”
            Stamping your foot against the pavement, you finally stopped to face him again, “God, can you just leave me the fuck alone?! You got Jules, you won, she fucking hates my guts. I’m the bad guy in this story, I get it. Your narrative is working out great for you, Rafe. So if you’re done boasting, please! Leave. Me. Alone.”
            He peered at you through heavily hooded eyes, an unimpressed smirk appearing on his face, “I didn’t win, _____. Jules isn’t who I want. You know that.”
            His words chilled you to your core. It was then that you were reminded of where you were, or weren’t, which was pretty much in the middle of nowhere. Just you & Rafe.
            “I just want to walk home, okay?” You felt your voice shake with fear. Rafe smiled then. He heard it, too.
            “Ad I’m offering you a ride.”
            You felt your eyes begin to water as you stared past him into the cab. If you got in the cab, there was no saying what he would do to you. Your chances were better outside of the truck.
            “Rafe—”
            “I’m not gonna ask again. Get in the truck, or I’ll fucking make you get in the truck.”
            You shook your head, taking a step back. His eyes flashed to the movement before flickering back up to yours. His gaze hardened, “Fine. My way it is.”
            Before he could shift his truck into park, you were already diving into the trees & running at a full sprint. It wasn’t a second or two later when you heard Rafe’s door slam shut before the sound of foliage being crushed sounded behind you.
            “_____!” Rafe yelled, “Get back here!”
            His voice, full of anger & determination, bounced off the trees as you ran past them & further into the woods. You couldn’t see shit in the dark & you could feel your ankles stumbling & whining in discomfort as you tried to keep your feet ahead of you on the uneven earth. Scared tears coated your cheeks as you pumped your legs, begging to any god anywhere to please get you out of there. But no divine intervention intervened.
            It was the worst feeling you could imagine when you felt a hand grip the fabric of your jacket & yank you backwards. The wind was knocked out of you when Rafe threw you to the forest floor.
            “We coulda worked this out.” Rafe huffed as he stood over you.
            You rolled onto your side, desperate for your lungs to open so you could breathe. But Rafe circled around you like a vulture getting ready for the kill. You weren’t sure you’d even get another breath of air before he stole whatever you had left.
            “We coulda talked, came to some sort of agreement!” He yelled in frustration, “But you’re just so fucking stubborn, so fucking defiant. You like that with Jack?”
            Rafe laughed darkly to himself, “Something tells me you’re not. You’re probably the most perfect woman with him.”
            You gasped sharply, painfully, when your lungs finally opened. Then you were coughing. But as you were coughing, you were searching for your bag in the dark. The taser. If you got your hands on that, you may have a chance.
            “Looking for this.” Rafe questioned.
            In the dark, you peered over at him as he held your purse by a single finger. He shook his head knowingly before gathering it in the palm of his hand & chucking it into the forest. You heard it thud somewhere in the distance. Fresh tears escaped you as Rafe used his shoe to roll you over onto your back.
            “Please, Rafe, don’t. I’m sorry for running.” You weren’t, but it was survival now to kiss up to him.
            But Rafe just stared down at you, “It’s too late for your apologies.”
            He bent at the knees then before grabbing a fistful of your hair & forcing you upwards into a sitting position. A pained whimper parted your lips, forcing you to bite your lip to stifle them.
            “What do you want then?” You cried out, your hands clinging to the grip he held on your hair.
            “Same thing as before.” Rafe responded, his voice flat & emotionless. You stopped crying to stare at him. He only gazed at you unfeelingly.
            “No.” You shook in his hold. “No!”
            You screamed & thrashed, trying to kick at him but Rafe easily overpowered you, forcing you back on your back as he climbed on top of you.
            “No! No! No!” You screamed, cried, begged over & over again. But all of your fight was falling on deaf ears. You beat your fists against his chest & back as he wrestled with you to get your jeans off. The chill of the forest erupted your skin with goosebumps & you felt like your heart was going to burst outside of your chest.
            Rafe was quick to remove his own jeans, shoving them down his thighs. Once he did, he focused on your upper half, yanking your arms out the sleeves of your jacket before pulling the top of your tube top down. You were practically fully naked in the middle of nowhere with Rafe Cameron on top of you.
            But that didn’t matter. You never stopped resisting him, never stopped trying to get him off you or hurt him. Everything you did though, it was like it didn’t register to him. Like he didn’t feel any of it. You knew Rafe was scary but this was a new level. He was a fucking monster.
            His fingers hooked around the fabric of your underwear & tugged on it until you heard the seams snap & tear. You desperately reached for the back of his hand, grabbing two handfuls of his hair before yanking as hard as you could.
            It was the first reaction Rafe gave. He hissed in response, ripping his head out from under your grasp. It was a short-lived win before you saw him raise the back of his hand & whip it across your face. A sharp gasp left you at the assault, & you tasted blood on your tongue as your lower lip burned.
            “This is what you said, _____.” Rafe snarled as he finished tearing your underwear from your body, “’Man up & give her what she deserves’. Those are your words.”
            Sobs racked your body as he repeated back to you your own demand of him.
            “That’s exactly,” He snatched you by the throat & raised you up enough until his face was only an inch away from your own, “what I’m doing. I’m giving you exactly what you deserve. What I should’ve done from the beginning.”
            He released you, & your head smacked against the soft earth but it did little to comfort the blow.
            You whimpered like a beaten & abused dog as Rafe wrestled your legs apart to fit himself snugly in between them. You placed your hands on his chest, using all your strength to prevent him from crushing you with his body but your strength was nothing compared to his. He forced your elbows to bend as he lowered himself on top of you until your chest were pressed against one another.
            “Don’t cry.” He kissed you on the side of your mouth, forcing you to whip your face away from him, “It’s nothing we haven’t done already.”
            A sharp pain shot up your spine as Rafe forced himself inside you. He chuckled darkly to himself as one of his hands caught you by your chin, forcing you to look at him. You desperately searched for anywhere else to look that wasn’t him but he was all you could see. That smug & evil smirk, the glint & prideful glow in his eyes. It only grew worse when he began to groan as he snapped his hips against yours.
            Your fingers dug themselves into the earth as Rafe raped you on the forest floor. You were hyperventilating beneath him, unfeeling from the waist down, but it was a nightmare you couldn’t wake up from. You wished you could do what some women had reported happening when they were raped & how they were able to shut off their mind & go anywhere else, but yours wasn’t doing that. It was happening & you couldn’t stop it.
            Rafe tucked his face into your neck as he moaned loudly & freely, like a predator having caught his unwilling prey in the world of beasts. No one was coming. No one could hear your cries. This was Darwinism at it’s finest. Only the strong survived.
            Your tears had stopped but you were still panting, staring past Rafe’s head at the tops of the trees. You couldn’t make out the night sky beyond them. Everywhere you looked was pitch darkness, & you saw it most whenever Rafe forced you to look at him while he fucked you to his hearts content.
            It felt like hours before he finally came. He growled like the beast he was as he thrusted himself inside you as deep as he could go. You groaned in pain as your hips flared at the stretch of them. Your body shook beneath him as he stilled completely above you. But you could still feel his cock spitting his seed inside of you. The fact of that made bile rise in your throat.
            Rafe rolled off you a second later, hissing as his own body shook with the aftershocks of his orgasm. An ungodly burning & stinging pain originated from between your legs & you were terrified to see what he did to you.
            Then he started laughing. It wasn’t the loud, jovial kind you often heard in your bar, but the snarky, cocky kind that reminded you exactly of who he was in high school. You had heard it plenty of times.
            “God, that was good.” Rafe breathed out, “My imagination whenever I fuck Jules doesn’t even come close to that.”
            Jules’ face flashed through your mind & you rushed upwards. You turned to the side, holding your stomach as you bent over & vomited. Tears returned to your eyes, blurring your already dizzying vision as you emptied what little contents were in your stomach. As you continued to only throw up stomach acid & a few bites of food, you felt a hand on your back.
            A fit of fury came over you & you lashed out at Rafe as he attempting to comfort you. After he just raped you! It was a joke.
            But Rafe yowled as you swung your arm at him. This stole your attention & you peered through your dirtied hair as Rafe held his face. When he removed his hand to inspect his hand, you marveled at the three scratch marks going from his forehead down over his right eye & ending on his cheek.
            All you could do was start laughing. And then you couldn’t stop. You were laughing hysterically, pointing at Rafe like he was a kid on the playground who just got humiliated in front of everyone. He snarled at you, knocking your hand away & catching you by the throat.
            “You think that’s funny?” He sneered.
            You grinned, still laughing despite your air being restricted. Rafe growled before throwing you back to the forest floor.
            “I’ll tell you what’s funny, _____.” He yanked on your shoulder, turning you over to face him, “Here’s the deal. And its your only two options so I’d listen real fucking close.”
            You glared up at him, wanting nothing more than to finished what claws did & tear his skin completely from his face.
            “You’re gonna get in my fucking truck, we’re going to the apartment, & you’re going to go to your room. I’m going into Jules & I’m either going to A. break up with her & tell her we’re together or B. do to her what I just did to you. And I’ll do far worse to her.”
            The threat forced your panic riddled body to leap upwards, “Don’t!”
            “I won’t, unless you make me. That’s your choice, _____. I either stay with her & hurt her every fucking day, or I get you & I’ll never lay a finger on her.”
            You shook your head, staring up at him, “Please, Rafe, you got what you wanted. Just leave us alone.”
            He sighed, kneeling down to be eye level with you, “I want you. All of you. All the time. And for everyday I go without that, Jules will suffer.”
            Imagining Rafe doing to Jules what he just did to you forced fresh sobs from you. You covered your mouth to stifle the cries. You couldn’t let him do that to her. You didn’t care if it meant she’d hate you forever. You just couldn’t let him hurt her. No one deserved that. Not even you. But were strong. You may have been Rafe’s prey that night, but you were a survivor. But if you knew what Rafe was doing to Jules every day in & night out, you’d never be able to live with yourself. One way or another, someone was getting hurt. You knew it had to be you.
            “So?” Rafe tucked a strand of your hair behind your ear, “We have a deal?”
            You leaned away from his touch, but peered up at him through your wet lashed.
            Rafe saw the resolve in your eyes. He grinned devilishly.
            Only the strong survive, you repeated to yourself.
            Only the strong survive.
Tumblr media
i'm fuckin' whipped, babes. like whhhhhiiiipped. i cannot believe i cranked this out in less than 12 hours but fuck. i. did. it.
this is 3/10 requests from my 500 followers celebration request opening!
as always, please share your thoughts w me via commenting, reblogging w reviews, or talking to me in the ask box. i'm super antsy to here what ya'll think of this ridiculously lengthy one shot.
thank you for reading! & thank you for the anon who requested, i hope they are happy!
oona<3
Tumblr media
Read this post on why doing more than liking a tumblr writers work is essential to our content creation.
[my love language is words of affirmation, it would make my day if you could comment your thoughts, reblog with tags, or drop an ask that shows your support. thank you for reading tumblr writers, we appreciate you]
taglist: @jsrafesgirl @bunnycvnts @ditzyzombiesblog
to be added to a taglist read rule 11 here. requests will be dismissed otherwise.
259 notes · View notes
roosterforme · 7 months
Text
Always Ever Only You Part 19 | Rooster x Reader
Summary: Before Bradley leaves for the top secret mission, you manage to send him on a special mission of your own. You want a little taste of how Bradley might have operated in the past, and he's willing to indulge your role playing fantasy. He's prepared for the possibility that you might laugh in his face, but he's not prepared for the other roadblock.
Warnings: Swearing, angst, self doubt, fluff, smut, spanking, role playing, bad pickup lines
Length: 6600 words
Pairing: Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x Female Reader
This was written to accompany my series Is It Working For You? along with a bunch of my one-shots and other series, but it can be read on its own! Check my masterlist for the reading order. Always Ever Only You masterlist. Gorgeous banner by @mak-32
Tumblr media
You were practically giddy from nerves on Thursday night as you sat curled up on Bradley's lap on the couch while you talked on the phone with your mom. Your husband was running his fingers up and down your bare thigh and underneath his shirt that you were wearing, and your head was resting on his shoulder. 
"When are you thinking about coming out?" you asked, switching the call to speakerphone so Bradley could hear everything. You looked up at him and smirked; he loved your parents and they loved him, but he hated when they stayed at your house. Last time they visited, he lied to your mom and told her he had hotel points that were going to expire before booking them a room at a five star hotel on his credit card. That way you and he could still have loud sex wherever and whenever you wanted to. 
You kissed his cheek as your mom said, "Maybe the beginning of July? Just for a few days?"
"Oh, we could go to a Padres game like dad wanted to last time," you said, already thinking about getting tickets.
Bradley cleared his throat and said, "I think I have more hotel points. I could book you a room at that nice hotel again."
You had to clap your hand over your mouth before you started to laugh, and he just grinned at you. 
"Oh, that hotel was lovely," you mom crooned. "But don't go out of your way, Bradley. Only if you have points that will expire."
"I always have points that are about to expire," he said quietly before you elbowed him in the ribs. "Ow!"
"That actually sounds great, mom. How about you get back to me with exact dates next week sometime? Bradley will be away on a short deployment, but he should be back by the start of July."
"Sure. Let me check with your dad, and we can let you know. Love you both."
"Love you," Bradley said the same time you did, and then you ended the call.
"You're the worst," you told him as you tossed your phone aside and straddled his lap. He looked so satisfied with himself, all you could do was shake your head. "Your ego is huge now, too. You're going to become a nightmare for me."
"My ego isn't huge, Sweetheart," he whispered. "Maybe other things are, but not that."
You rolled your eyes and kissed him softly. "Don't even try to deny that you've been strutting around since you got home from work and told me that Cyclone said you were 'one of the best pilots to ever come out of Top Gun'."
Bradley shrugged and bent his elbows, tucking his hands behind his head. "He said it, not me."
You scooted a little closer, nudging his cock intentionally with your thigh. You could feel him twitching for you, already getting a reaction. "That's why they picked you for the mission. You're the best, Roo."
"We should talk about tomorrow night." His voice was deep with that biting rasp that made your skin feel hot. "Go over the details since you won't let me see you after work."
You bit your lip and braced your hands on his shoulders. You bought a tiny dress and some new heels for tomorrow night, and you didn't want him to see you in them before he met you at the bar. You didn't want him to know anything about that until he saw you. "Well..." you started, scooting a little closer still. "You're going to meet me at One Trick Pony in North Park at 8:30. Don't forget to leave your wedding ring at home."
"I told you, I don't like taking it off unless I have to," he murmured, and you nearly moaned at his words. But he didn't touch you at all; he kept his hands behind his head. 
Your body was practically vibrating at the possibilities for tomorrow night. You would be getting the full experience of what Bradley was like before he met you. Part of you had been dying to know how he would have tried to pick you up if he only wanted to sleep with you. But mostly you were thrilled that nearly two years ago, he wanted a whole lot more than that when you met him. 
"Well, if you want to fully role play as strangers, you'll have to leave it behind. Just for a few hours. I'm taking both of mine off tonight before bed so I don't forget in the morning."
"You're not wearing them to work?" he asked, looking a little upset. 
"It's just for one day. And you can't come home after work. You'll have to get ready in the locker room so I can get ready here."
His cheeks were a little pink now as he examined your face. "I already told you, this is just going to be embarrassing. There's no way I could have pulled you if we met at a bar, Baby Girl. I'd have taken one look at you, and I don't think I would have even tried it. If you and I hadn't been assigned to work together when we met, I would have absolutely never stood a chance."
You kissed the tip of his nose and whispered, "You have literally no appreciation for just how hot you are, Bradley. And that doesn't even begin to delve into all of the other wonderful things you have to offer."
Finally he brought his hands to your hips, but instead of removing your shirt like you were hoping, he scooped you up and carried you to the bedroom. "We should get some sleep so I can be well rested when you're laughing in my face tomorrow night."
When you pulled him down on top of you in bed, you said, "Or, we could stay up and have sex."
"No," he said, shaking his head as he stood next to the bed with his semi hard cock poking his shorts. "Not tonight. I want you good and needy tomorrow. I'm hoping that'll make things easier for me."
You whined his name and said, "There's no way I'm not leaving One Trick Pony with you, Roo. That's a given."
"I know, but I guess I kind of want to feel like I earned it." He was blushing again as he walked into the bathroom. "Like I impressed you or something."
You groaned and rolled over so you were face down on your pillow. He really had no idea.
------------------------------
You had Bradley all tied up in knots. He hadn't even seen you at lunch or anything, and now he was showering after a long day in the air. His body was sore. He was exhausted. He was leaving on Monday for South Korea before heading somewhere classified. And he had less than two hours until he was supposed to meet you at some civilian bar you told him you went to one time with Cam and Maria. 
In theory, tonight should be fun. Role playing with you? He fucking loved it. Getting to take you home from the bar and sleep with you? He lived for it. You were his wife, of course he was excited about that part. But his bad lines and terrible moves of yesteryear were something he hadn't thought about since... well since he met you. The best part about being with you was that he never had to pull that shit out to try to impress you. He was just himself around you, and you seemed to like that from the start. Sure he was nervous the first few times he talked to you, but that was because he was already infatuated with everything about you. Not because he was looking to fuck you in the backseat of his Bronco and then forget about you the next day.
He took an extra long shower, and luckily everyone else had cleared out by the time he finished up. He made sure his mustache looked good, and he shaved the rest of his face. He fixed up his hair so it looked tidy, and then he dressed in his black slacks that were a little snug in all the places you liked. And then he slipped on his black shirt with the tropical white and gold floral print. As he did up the buttons, he wondered why you wouldn't let him get ready at home. Maybe you bought a new dress. Now he was getting excited. Maybe it was short. He quickly packed everything up in his locker and headed out to the Bronco. 
After he killed some time by stopping for food, he realized it was nearly 8:00. North Park was trendy, so he wanted to have time to find parking and get to One Trick Pony on time. He found a spot a few blocks away, on a quiet residential street, and he checked himself in the mirror one last time before locking the doors and making his way to the bar. 
There were students and artists and musicians out, and he felt like he stuck out like a sore thumb. He was used to the Hard Deck, not a trendy civilian bar with dim lights and music that was recorded post 1978. 
He was too old for this. He'd just zip in here, let you laugh at him, and then take you home to bed where he'd teach you a lesson and beg you never to make him do this again. The bar was already kind of crowded, and when he checked the time on his phone, it was 8:28. Showtime. He just needed to figure out where you were. 
He did a lap around the room as he ran his thumb along his bare ring finger with a grimace. There were some girls looking at him. They looked like they could have been in college, and he wasn't sure if they were going to laugh at him or try to buy him a drink. He just nodded in their direction when they waved to him. He missed his ring. He missed his own bar. And he missed his wife in his arms. 
Where were you? Bradley didn't even see you anywhere as he started his second lap. Then the color red caught his eye. He saw the back of someone sitting on the last stool at the bar through the crowd of people that looked like it could be you. That looked like your hair. That was definitely your hand, and when you turned to look up at the man who was standing next to you, Bradley could see your beautiful profile.
He took off in your direction with a grin threatening his lips as he tried to keep himself calm. When he got closer, he stumbled. You were spinning sideways in your seat, still looking at the man standing there, and his eyes were looking straight down your dress. If that sexy little thing even qualified as a dress. 
"Shit," Bradley gasped, because you were wearing a tiny bit of wine red fabric that clung to your body and left almost nothing to the imagination. And you had on black heels that laced up your calves and tied in cute little bows that he wanted to run his lips all over. When your eyes skimmed the crowd in his direction, they paused on Bradley for the briefest beat, but you gave no indication that he was familiar to you, let alone that he was your fucking husband. 
No, you were every bit of the smoking hot stranger you wanted to be tonight, and Bradley's cock was already throbbing at the sight of your straw pressed to your bright red lips as you drank. And then it all clicked into place for him. That other guy bought you a drink. But of course he did. You and Bradley agreed not to break character, and Bradley was stupid enough to not even realize through his own nerves what that meant: that you'd appear one hundred percent single. It meant you'd have other guys all over you!
You were out of his league when he met you, and you definitely still were now. And this fucking wall street douche bag wannabe in a gray suit bought you what looked like a dirty Shirley Temple which kind of matched your dress. Bradley had no doubt in his mind what the douche bag was thinking. He had to be imagining your tits and how perfect they'd look with your dress on his floor later. But he was never going to have that distinct pleasure. Bradley would make sure of it. 
Be took a deep breath and closed the distance to your stool. You knew he was here now, so there was no sense in delaying this any further. He wanted your undivided attention, and he wanted it now. 
"What did you say your name was again, sexy?" gray suit asked you as he inched closer. 
You told him your first name, and Bradley's skin crawled. 
"Fuck, that's so pretty," he replied. And then he had the nerve to repeat your name a few times as Bradley came to stop right near you before the douche bag added, "I just want to make sure I get your name right for later, doll. You know, for when you come home with me." Bradley gave him a bland look as jealousy rose to the surface. Yeah, that wasn't about to happen. 
You didn't look too impressed by this guy as you sipped your drink and glanced at Bradley out of the corner of your eye. And holy shit, you were even more exquisite up close. Every curve of your breasts and thighs was just right there for him and everyone else to see. Your makeup made your eyes look even more animated than usual, and your red lips were dying to be kissed by him. It had been almost two years since Bradley had done this shit, but he supposed he could do it one last time.
"Hi," Bradley rasped, and you turned to look at him with a soft smirk. The asshole in the gray suit just glared in his direction and sized him up with his tumbler in hand. But if there was one thing Bradley wasn't afraid of, it was a skinny blond guy in a designer suit with bad taste in whiskey. So he kept his eyes on you as he said, "You're gorgeous."
Your smirk grew into just the tiniest smile as you said, "Well, hello there. Are you going to tell me your name?" you asked. "Ethan here already told me his before he bought me a drink." You gestured to the other guy, to Ethan, and then uncrossed and recrossed your legs. On any other evening, Bradley's hands would be all over your body. He'd already be suggesting the two of you head home for the night. 
"My name's Bradley. And I'm fighting the urge to make you the happiest woman in this bar right now."
Your laugh was so genuine and surprised, Bradley cracked a smile too. He held out his right hand, and you shook it as you told him your name. He added on your last name hyphenated with Bradshaw in his mind, reminding himself that you were already his. Then he nodded toward the exit with one eyebrow raised. 
"Nice try, Bradley. But I'm not going anywhere with you," was your response as your hand slipped out of his with a grin. Then that straw returned to your lips as you finished your drink, your eyes skimming over Bradley's outfit like you'd never seen it before. In reality his clothes were all hanging up next to yours in the bedroom closet in the home that you shared. 
"Can I get you another one?" Bradley asked, letting his eyes settle on your empty glass. 
Ethan stepped a little closer to him and said, "Hey, man. I was buying her drinks first. Why don't you go find someone else?"
Bradley snorted and squared his shoulders. "That's not gonna happen, man. This one's the only one I want."
Your smile grew as you set your empty glass down for the bartender to take. "Can I get you another one?" she asked you, and both Bradley and Ethan said yes immediately. 
You looked a little overwhelmed as you adjusted your dress, and Ethan had the audacity to moan. Bradley's hands clenched into fists as the other man leaned in and brushed his fingers along your neck. Another man was touching Bradley's wife, and there was nothing he could do about it unless you broke character. He felt short of breath as he thought about all the ways he'd love to pound Ethan into the ground. Nobody else should have intimate knowledge of your soft skin right now.
Then the douche bag spoke, and Bradley's stance faltered at the obnoxious line he used. "Doll, if you look this good in your little red dress, I don't know if I'm going to be able to handle you out of it later. But I can't wait to give it a try," he crooned in what Bradley was sure he thought was a charming voice. 
"I can guarantee you can't handle her, Ethan," Bradley rasped as he watched you remove his hand from your body yet again. There were some nights you were so needy, Bradley could barely handle you himself, but he'd die before he saw someone else give it a shot. "And you're never gonna find out for sure." 
Bradley never fought over a girl in his life. In the past, he'd just find a different one and head in that direction instead. But right now, he was going to have to guarantee that he was better than Ethan. So he reached over and handed his credit card to the bartender when she dropped off two more drinks for you. "Here you go, gorgeous," he murmured just for you. "Make me jealous of that straw again."
Once again, Bradley got a genuine laugh out of you as he stood to his full height. You looked up at him with your straw resting on your lip and said, "Thank you, Bradley," before taking a sip. His cock twitched in his pants as Ethan stood there impatiently, jockeying for position with you. 
And then you stood up from your bar stool, still sipping your drink. Your heels were so high, your height hit a different spot on Bradley than he wasn't used to. And now you were kind of sandwiched between him and Ethan in the crowded space. When you looked up to your right through your long eyelashes, Bradley was there. But Ethan was on your left, and it appeared as though he was thinking about touching you again. 
Bradley glared at him as you paused sipping your drink and asked, "Are you really jealous of my straw, Bradley?" 
You wanted to hear more of his lines as you looked up at him, he could tell. He knew they were corny, but when he hesitated too long, he could feel your attention drifting to Ethan. So he told you, "I'm jealous of the straw and the glass and the whole damn drink, Sweetheart."
Your soft laughter made Ethan grab for the other fresh cocktail on the bar top in frustration. "Here's another one. The one I paid for," he reminded you. 
"Nah," Bradley said, never taking his eyes off you. "She seems like a one drink kind of girl." Your straw was marked up from your lipstick, and he took a deep breath before feeding you another line. "And that's a nice shade of lipstick you're wearing. I wonder what it would look like on me."
But the thing was, it didn't feel like a line when he said it to you. Yeah, it was ridiculous, but he really did want your lipstick all over him. And he really was jealous of your straw, because on a normal night, he'd have had his lips on yours by now. 
"You'd like to find out, wouldn't you?" you asked, clearly enjoying teasing him right now. "I think red might be your color."
"It's my favorite color," Bradley said softly. "Your lips and your little dress are just confirming that fact for me, Sweetheart."
You giggled and ducked your chin to the side. "I have a red car, too."
Bradley wanted to ask if you were wearing those red panties he was obsessed with, but he could tell that Ethan wasn't going to be deterred. "Did I mention that I'm an investment banker? And that I'd love to take you for a ride in my Ferrari?" Ethan asked, trying his best to nudge Bradley out of the way.
Bradley wanted to laugh; this poor guy had no idea that you drove an absolute relic and couldn't give a shit about his overpriced import. "Investment banking?" you asked him. "I have a degree in engineering. You must be very good at math."
Ethan shrugged with a smirk, because he finally had your attention now, and Bradley was the one getting antsy. Your body was still close to his, but he couldn't touch you yet. He hadn't earned that right yet. Ethan's hand was on your elbow as he told you, "There are very few things I'm not good at." Then he leaned in close to whisper something in your ear, but your eyes were on Bradley, daring him to win you in this match.
--------------------------
Ethan's breath was on your neck, and you were frozen in place, your dirty Shirley Temple gripped in your hand. Maybe this tiny dress was a bad idea after all. But Bradley had been doing so well, getting you laughing unexpectedly with his stupid lines. You knew he'd keep you safe right now, and if you lunged at him and told him you were done with this whole game and wanted to go home, he'd get you out of here immediately. But you wanted to finish this. You just hadn't planned on someone like Ethan being part of the scenario. 
Bradley's fists were clenched as he stood just inches from you and watched things unfold. The shade of pink rising high on his cheeks left you biting your lip as you firmly pushed Ethan a few inches away from you. He didn't have a mustache or pretty brown curls or eyes that you wanted to look at all night. He wasn't yours. You decided to help Bradley out as you asked him, "So, what do you do?"
Ethan looked annoyed as Bradley perked up again. "I'm a pilot," he said, his voice deep and dangerous. "For the Navy." Even if you didn't know that voice by heart, you'd be ready to throw your arms around his neck and beg him to keep talking. Your nipples were hard in your tight dress, and you could feel Ethan's gaze on your body. But Bradley was looking you right in the eye as he smiled softly.
Ethan scoffed. "The Navy? Don't you have your own bars full of tag chasers to hang out at?"
Bradley swallowed hard, the scars on his neck bobbing with his Adam's apple. "The chance of finding a woman like this in a Navy hangout would have to be one in a million. That's why I came here tonight. Because there's no chance of that ever happening again."
You practically moaned for your husband, standing there feeding you subtle lines about the early part of your relationship with him. You wanted him to touch you, but he wasn't yet. And you wanted to touch him, but you were waiting for him to take things to the next level when he was ready for it. You sipped your fresh drink, your head feeling a little lighter as you squeezed your thighs together in need. 
"One in a million?" you asked Bradley, your new straw already covered in your lipstick marks.
He nodded and ran the backs of his fingers along your cheek, and you wanted so badly to melt into him. "Yeah... you're one in a million."
"Listen, doll," Ethan interjected loudly. "Maybe you don't know what a tag chaser is, but there's no way this guy doesn't have them all over him on the regular. He looks the type."
Bradley's cheeks were red now as he looked down at the floor. Somehow Ethan managed to touch on one of the topics your husband was most sensitive about without even knowing it. "I wouldn't be surprised," you told Ethan. "He's built like a brick shithouse, and he's got a mustache." You ran one hand up Bradley's forearm and bicep to his paper plane tattoo. Then he met your eyes, and you added, "And his lines aren't crude."
It was obvious how Bradley was able to pick up women with such ease. He wasn't handsy or gross or over the top. If this was his tactic years ago, it probably worked every single time. You wanted to kiss him in the worst way right now. 
"I mean, I'd at least let you spend the weekend after I fuck you," Ethan said, returning to his drink in defeat as you held your straw out to Bradley. "Not so sure about him."
You rolled your eyes as that deep blush returned to Bradley's cheeks, but when you asked, "You wanna try my drink?" your husband nodded and bent a few inches. And then there was a smudge of your lipstick on his bottom lip that was making you giddy.
"Thought you were hot and smart," Ethan mumbled. "Tag chaser. Just a dumb bitch."
Then Bradley's hand was on your back, pulling you a little closer to him as he snapped. "She's way fucking smarter than you, asshole." You watched your husband take several deep breaths, and you were a little nervous he might go after Ethan. But then he turned to you with soft eyes. "You have a master's degree, Sweetheart? You seem like you probably do."
You nodded and bit your lip as you tried not to laugh at the question he already knew the answer to. "I do, actually."
"See? She's smart. Fuck off, Ethan," Bradley grunted, his eyes on your face as the other man finally wandered away. "Do you want another drink?" he asked, his hand still at a respectful spot on your back. You were about to give him a filthy kiss, and then you caught yourself. You were still role playing. This wasn't over just because Ethan walked off leaving you alone with your husband. 
You felt excited goosebumps on your arms. "No. I think I've had enough," you replied, easing yourself back onto the bar stool and crossing your legs so that you were seated sideways. 
Bradley leaned in close to your face with one hand braced on the bar top and one resting on your knee. "Then how am I supposed to show you my big move?" he asked, stroking your skin with his rough thumb. 
You bumped your nose with his as you asked, "What's your big move, Bradley?"
He was all smiles now as he said, "I always have good luck when I bump a pretty girl's bar stool and accidentally spill her drink all over her legs." 
You were laughing softly at his description of what happened to you at the Hard Deck that very first night. "I don't think that's even necessary now," you whispered. "You have my full attention."
"Well that's only fair since you've had my full attention since I arrived."
You felt wild, like your skin was electric. Every stroke of his familiar hand further up along your leg felt brand new in a way that you couldn't explain. This was your Roo right now, touching you so intentionally, but it also wasn't. You needed to find out what all of this would feel like. 
You brushed your lips against his, and your whole body clenched for him. He chased you for another kiss as soon as you started to pull away. And you let his hand slide up inside your short dress as he brought his other one up to stroke your cheek. 
"You're exquisite," he whispered between kisses, watching his own fingers trace your cheek as you melted inside. "One of a kind."
"Bradley," you whimpered, afraid you and he were both about to break character. "Do you use that one on all the girls?"
He ran his thumb down along your lips as he shook his head. "That's not a line. It's just the truth." 
You giggled and kissed his thumb before his hand trailed down to your neck. He didn't stop. He was stroking the tops of your breasts as you gasped, but his eyes remained on yours. He looked cocky and so sure of himself now. As he should, because he already knew exactly what you liked and how to make you lose your cool. "Bradley," you moaned. 
"God, I love the way that sounds," he murmured, and you wrapped your calf round his thigh. "You make my name sound so good."
You kissed him before running your lips along his mustache. "I bet you could keep me saying it." Your fingers were in his hair, and you were already wet for him. You knew you'd never react to a random guy at the bar like this, and something told you Bradley wasn't out there a few years ago telling women they were exquisite. But it didn't matter. None of it mattered as you made out with your husband at the bar and pretended you had just met him. 
He broke the kiss and let his forehead rest on yours. You were on the edge of the bar stool and precariously close to letting him find out you weren't wearing underwear as you moaned his name loud enough that you were afraid someone else might hear you over the music that was playing. 
"I know for a fact I can come up with at least a dozen ways to make you scream my name, and that's if I'm only using my mouth, Baby Girl." 
You gasped and rubbed your knee along his hard cock. "Baby Girl, huh? Is that what you call all the girls you hit on at the bar?" 
"Absolutely not," he growled, pressing himself against you for more pressure. "Only the one I want to call me Daddy."
Fuck. Okay. You were ready to go. When you looked at him, your new shade of lipstick was smudged across his mouth, and it really did look great. You knew for a fact it would look great on his cock, too. 
"I want you right now, Daddy," you whispered. 
"I'm all yours," he replied immediately, carefully taking your calf in his hand before letting his fingers slide up your leg as he helped you down from the stool. As you stood and recovered from your daze, you watched him collect his credit card from the bar and quickly sign the slip for the bartender. But his other hand remained on you the entire time. "You coming home with me? I promise to take exceptional care of you."
The way your pussy clenched as you moaned was absolutely ridiculous. 
"I'll take that as a yes," he murmured, bending to press his lips to your shoulder before he took your hand in his and led you toward the exit. You caught sight of Ethan as you passed him, and Bradley's hand dipped down to your butt. "You gonna say goodbye?" he asked with a smirk.
You waved and called out, "Bye, Ethan! I'm going home with Daddy here. He promised to take exceptional care of me." The other man looked annoyed as he turned away from you, still sipping his whiskey. "Let's go, Daddy," you told your husband, cupping his cock through his pants as you stepped out onto the sidewalk, leaving One Trick Pony behind. 
"This way," he grunted, turning left and lacing his fingers with yours.
"Bradley," you gasped, trying your best to keep up with his long strides in your outrageously high heels. "Daddy, wait!"
"No," he grunted, simply picking you up in his arms and continuing down the sidewalk. You were giggling and wrapping your arms around his neck as you kissed his ear. His right arm was around your back, and your knees were bent over his left arm. He was rushing down the sidewalk like it was nothing. 
"I'm not wearing underwear," you whispered, keeping your legs smashed firmly together and praying nobody could see anything. But it was dark, and soon Bradley was turning down one of the quieter streets. 
"I know," he replied in that raspy voice. "That fucking dress looks like it was painted on you. Do you have any idea how little work I'll have to do on my backseat to get my cock inside your pussy and my mouth on your bare tits?"
"Bradley!" you nearly shouted, your mouth agape. "Do you say that to all the girls?"
He set you down next to the Bronco and wedged his thigh between your legs. You were absolutely panting as he unlocked the doors and said, "What do you think, Baby Girl? Nobody else looks like you or sounds like you or tastes like you. You're top tier."
"Oh my god," you whined as you rubbed yourself on his thigh. "I need you to fuck me immediately." Thank goodness it was so dark over here as he cupped your butt in both hands. Then Bradley hiked your dress up to your hips and opened the back door for you. 
"Get in the fucking Bronco."
---------------------------
The fly of his pants was open, his cock was rock hard and hanging out, and you were slipping down around him with that perfect pussy. Bradley had the bottom of your dress hiked up and the top of it pulled down, and you were riding him on the backseat. 
He had one big hand around the back of your neck, and the other was squeezing your tits as you whined, "Daddy."
Fuck, you had him so turned on, you and he were going at in on a residential street in the city at 10:00 pm on a Friday. He was always this feral for you, but you just had to go and add another layer to things. You just had to make him earn this privilege tonight. Because that's just how fucking hot you made him when he had to work for it. 
As you bounced up and down on his cock and whined for him, he realized that tonight had in many ways been a great example of how he used to be with women. But it was also nothing like he'd ever encountered. Sure, he'd used some of those lines and his hand on a knee with other women before, but most of what he did and said was uniquely his reaction to you. 
"Top fucking tier," he growled, leaning down to suck on your nipple as you rolled your hips against his. 
"This is so hot," you gasped, head back and tits practically shoved in his face. He was trying his best to ensure that nobody was nearby who could potentially see what you were doing, but it didn't even matter. You and he wouldn't have made it home in this condition. Not tonight. 
"Daddy," you whined a little louder now. You were bouncing on his cock hard and fast. Dirty. Raunchy. Like this was a one off. Like you and he were about to hit it and forget it. He shouldn't be this hard right now. He shouldn't be wrapping one hand around your neck and smacking your ass with the other. But he needed to hear you whimpering for him. "Oh my god!" you nearly shrieked.
Your eyes were wide as you tugged on his hair, and that dirty roll of your hips grew more languid as you made all those noises he loved as you came around his cock. "Jesus, Baby Girl," he gasped, pressing his lips to your tits and holding you tight as your orgasm left you a mess on his lap. 
"Roo," you moaned, your hips rocking slower and slower, and that was it. One word and he was coming, too. Now you were all smiles and soft giggles, kissing his entire face as he squeezed your hips and fucked up into you until he was spent and you were filled with his cum. 
If you broke character by calling him Roo, then he could too. He squeezed your leg and dug around in his pants pocket, his hips still rolling up against yours. You just felt too good as you kissed him. He took all three rings out of his pocket and broke the kiss. "Hey," he whispered. "Put these back on."
Bradley opened his palm and you looked at the collection of rings. You took both of yours with a smile and slid them on your finger while he did the same. "Did you take them to work with you today, Roo?" you asked him softly.
"Yeah," he grunted, still toying gently with your tits as you let your head rest on his shoulder. "Hated that you took them off last night."
You sighed. "You're so romantic. Tonight was so romantic."
He chuckled and shook his head, his cock still buried inside you. "You thought tonight was romantic? I had to outmaneuver that douche bag Ethan to get you. I had to work very hard for this."
"You did great, Daddy. But I must say, I'm not sure those lines really worked on other girls. You're just really, really hot."
"Hmm," he hummed against your forehead before kissing you. "Then it's a good thing you were already in love with me tonight. And it's a good thing I made you spill your beer on yourself that first time we hung out at the bar." He let his fingers trail down your legs to play with your high heels.
You pushed yourself off his shoulder and sat up as you murmured, "Like I said you're very romantic." Bradley watched you slide the tiny straps of your dress back up your arms as he gave both of your nipples one more kiss, eliciting more giggles from you. "Did you like my dress, Daddy?"
He grunted and lightly slapped your bare ass so you were biting your lip as you shimmied your dress up over your breasts. "Baby Girl, you look like Daddy's little slut in this thing. And that is not a complaint. It's a compliment. Yes, Daddy likes this dress. A lot."
Bradley should have been alarmed by the look in your eye and the way you were gently rolling your hips again, making him stir. "Please?" you asked softly. "Again? As Daddy's little slut this time?"
He stilled your hips with his hands and shook his head as you pouted. Jesus, he couldn't believe you were up for more role playing right now. "Hey. If you're gonna dress like a slut, then I'll fuck you like a slut. But I'm doing that at home in our bed. Because we're married. And I love you. And I need the drive home to recover." 
Then a bright smile spread across your face, and you reached for the box of tissues on the floor. "Don't get cum on the upholstery," you whispered, and then Bradley was treated to the sight of your bare ass and pussy as you climbed into the front seat and pulled your dress down over your rear end. You turned around and looked at him expectantly as he cleaned his cum off of his cock. "Hurry up and buckle me in so we can get home. I need my Daddy."
Bradley smiled. "On my way, Sweetheart."
-----------------------------
We are full steam ahead with these two role players. I hope you enjoyed this, because I was so happy to finally get to write it. Special mission and Bradley's birthday gift coming soon. Thanks @mak-32 and @beyondthesefourwalls
PART 20
@hotch-meeeeeuppppp
@chassy21
@solacestyles
@avoirlecoupdefoudre
@daisyhollyxox
@awesomebooklover17
@wintercap89
@rosesinmars
@blog-name6996
@bcon24
@backinwonderl4nd
@gingerbreadandpaper
@emptyloverofmine
@chaoticassidy
@missmirandafe
@changlingkhat
@sugarcoated-lame
@avada-kedavra-bitch-187
@katiebby04
@marantha
@averyhotchner
@abaker74
@heli991113
@k-k0129
@noz4a2
@tallyovie
@shanimallina87
@little-wiseone
@ccbb2222
@lilyevanswhore
@o-the-o-grim-o-reaper-o
@xoxabs88xox
@thedroneranger
@bradshawsbitch
@cherrycola27
@fanboyswhore9
@xomrsalliej4787xo
@desert-fern
@sylviebell
@wkndwlff
@horseslovers2016
@gennyanydots
@pieceuvmind
@mattyskies
@hookslove1592
@blahehblah
481 notes · View notes
fanaticsnail · 2 months
Text
That Thing I Like
Masterlist Here
Word count: 2,100+
Tumblr media
Synopsis: You are ships counselor to the Polar Tang. For the past four days, you had been called into Law’s office over the Den-Den transponder speakers. The crew assumes you two had began a relationship, but what actually occurs is far more intimate than any romantic encounter.
Themes: Law x gn!reader, platonic yearning for more, crying, angst, swearing, hurt with comfort, processing grief, professionalism and duty getting in the way.
Notes: @feral-artistry said she wanted some comforting Law. Man needs a hug. Go comfort your captain, he needs you. I hope you enjoy your gift!
Tag list: @sordidmusings @since-im-already-here @i-am-vita @gingernut1314 @writingmysanity
Written with two songs in mind: Lora Lai Lo - Patty Gurdy, Baby Mine - Sharon Rooney
Tumblr media
Fingertips brushing with the tanned pages of your novel, focussing on the cleverly articulated poetry depicted on the pages. You began blindly reaching in front of you, your index finger meeting with the ceramic edge of your rapidly cooling teacup.
Your eyes continued to mull the same sentence over and over again, the masterful penmanship scorching into your memory as you rose your cup to your lips. Halting, you narrowed your eyes on the final two words of the sentence: “My boy.” You spoke aloud those words in a hushed whisper, brow knit and focussed.
Finally raising the teacup to your lips, you choked on the fluid within. Where you expected to taste the bitter tang and subtle sweetness of liquorice tea, your palate was assaulted immediately by the overwhelming flavor of seawater.
“Damn it, Shachi!” you immediately yelled, placing down the cup loudly on your saucer. A loud gaggle of laughter had your eyes burning with a violent rage over the spine of your novel. The redhead smirked at you, his brother in arms, Penguin, clutching his own chest alongside grasping Shachi’s bicep.
“I couldn't not!” he confessed between cackles, “It was right there!” You shook your head at him, rising to your feet and readied yourself to berate your fellow Heart-Pirate crewman, only for the drone of your Captain to spark over the Den-Den speakers.
“Ships’ Counselor, to my office,” your anger immediately cooled, huffing away your exasperation with a puff of breath.
“Saved by the captain, as per usual, Orka,” you snarled at him. His smirk only widened as you shook off the flavor of seasoned water with a shrug of your shoulders and a rotation of your neck.
“Ooooh, Counselor to the Captain’s office,” Penguin taunted you with a higher pitch to his regular drone, “How many times does that make this week, hm Shach?”
“That makes the fourth day in a row, Pen,” Shachi taunted back. You placed your marker within the pages of your novel and tucked it within your satchel. Shaking your head at the both of them, you eyed them off cautiously.
“Four days of not so secret, secret meetings,” Penguin continued in his teasing tone, “What do you get up to in there? Want to share with your two bestest friends?”
“After that little stunt?” you quipped at him, gesturing to the ceramic teacup, “Absolutely not."
“It was just a little switch-e-roo,” Shachi chuckled, “A little switch up to make things interesting.”
“I will get you back for that little switch up, boys,” you threaten them with narrowed eyes and a wide smirk, “When you least expect it, I'll enact my revenge.” The seriousness in your tone had both men on edge beneath your icy tone. 
“Jokes on you,” Penguin snarled your name in a hushed whisper, “I'm always on edge.”
“A terrible coping strategy, Pen,” you remark with a soft chuckle, “When you're ready to work through that, make an appointment with me, okay?” He hummed a soft acknowledgement at your comment, both men watching as you turned to make your way through the Polar Tang. 
As you left the common area and wove your body down the hall, Shachi turned to Penguin and bumped his shoulder against his. 
“You reckon Cap and Sel are a little friendly?” he asked his dark-haired crewmate. 
“More than that, I think,” Penguin smirked in return, scrunching his nose up, “Why else would he call ‘em into the office so much?”
Both men looked at one another with a small shrug before returning to their own recreational activities in the mess hall, leaving thoughts of romantic dalliance between you and Law alone while their hobbies occupy them. 
As soon as you knock, your practiced routine for the last few days has your momentum carrying you to the desk Law remained sat behind. 
“Counselor,” Law addressed you with a soft nod. 
“Captain,” you mirrored his expression with a nod of your own. Your soft, melancholy smile rose up to your lips. 
“I need you to do that thing I like,” he confessed with an even tone. You shook your head, your brows furrowed to a low frown. 
“Captain,” you begin, shaking your head, “This is the fourth day in a row that you've-.”
“-I need it,” he spoke over you, a small growl in his tone, “I need you to do it again.” You sighed in response, weaving your way over to his position behind the desk. 
He swivelled his chair, his knees parted and hands gripping the denim over his thighs. His teeth clenched behind his tightly clamped lips, his brow deepening in a frown of his own. 
“Are you certain?” you asked him, reaching out and smoothing your hands over his shoulders before cupping his chin beneath your fingertips. 
“I know it's a request not common in your training,” he confessed, his inked fingertips tentatively and soothingly brushing over your own, “And it's well out of your job description and comfort zone. But I need you to do this for me.” 
You smile softly at him, his eyelids falling into a cresent shape with his small smile. His hat lay askew on his desk, his documents all neatly compiled in a catalogued heap beside him. 
“Alright, Captain,” you smiled at your captain, turning your hands and capturing his within your digits, “Let's go do that thing you like.”
You led Law by the hands, tugging at his wrists and slowly moved yourself to a seated position over the suade sofa in his office, patting the empty space beside you to indicate for Law to sit. 
Immediately, he fell in a heaped mess beside you. His head hit your thighs, his face hidden against your stomach as your hands gently began caressing his hair. He lay himself down, tucking his lanky legs against his chest as you began the routine you had been practicing for the past four days. 
“My boy, dry your eyes,” you sung melodically to him, your voice not professional by any means, but well enough to carry the simple melody. He immediately became transported back into a memory. 
“Tomorrow will soar, as the dove flies,” you massaged his scalp, hands soothing over the unruly strands. He tucked his head further against your stomach, using your body as a shield to muffle any uncharacteristic whimpers from falling from his lips. 
“You are loved from your head to your toes,” you continued, your own emotions almost betraying you as you felt his shoulders shuddering, “May my words spread light over woes.”
“For you are my best boy,” you repeated your lilted chorus, “My only boy.” 
As your words hung thick in the air, you attempted to ignore the dampened streaks of fresh, hot tears soaking through your shirt. You knew Law needed to linger in this space, process this state of grief and use you as a lightning rod to draw in his thundering strike of raw emotion. 
For the past four days, he needed a space to linger in his grief. When you noticed him making simple mistakes navigating the Polar Tang through still waters, you immediately set an appointment up with him to talk through it. It took you the first month to get him to open up, the following two to reassure him that nothing ever said here would leave.
It only took two months after that one to have him process his childhood with you there as an ear, a council and a guide to usher him through. You had become friends through this, sometimes using the opportunity to discuss hobbies and jokes. But lately, he would use your time together to remember all those lost to him. 
For the past four days, that focus was on his mother. 
After clutching against you within this state of vulnerability for several, you chose not to make a sound. Disguising your breath by taking lengthy inhales and exhales, your heart soared, and relief washed over you when you felt your captain match your intentional breaths. 
“Thank you,” he whispered against your naval, withdrawing his face from your body and wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. 
“You've done well,” you acknowledged him, withdrawing your hands from his hair as he moved to sit upright, “Less time than the last few sessions we've done this together.” 
He hummed, his heart feeling lighter and less overcome beneath the strangling waves of oppressed sorrow. His eyes were red and glossy, the streaks of tears now drying on his cheeks. 
“Do you want to talk about it this time, or do you want to leave it?” you offered him, feeling his bare grief still lingering, “We've spoken so much about Dressrosa, Corazon and Doflamingo. Do you want to tell me why this melody means so much to you?”
He sighed, his tattooed fingers drawing over his eyes as he scraped them over his cheeks and down to his whiskered chin. 
“My mother sang that song to me every night,” he confessed in a voice just above a whisper, “She would change the lyrics for my sister when it was her turn. I would often catch her humming it when she thought nobody was around.”
You nodded along, ushering him to continue with your eyes supporting his release of pent up emotion.
“I was a child when my whole country perished with the poisoning, or the extermination,” he continued, a wave in his voice causing him to gulp back a dry lump forming, “I don't think I had the opportunity to process this before, and now that her birthday is coming up-...”
“...You miss them,” your hands subconsciously sought out his knee, giving the cap a gentle squeeze in acknowledging his emotions, “And there is nothing wrong with experiencing the gravity of such a loss well after experiencing it. You've been through so much, Captain.”
His hand reached down to cup yours over his knee, his head shaking a soft denial to your words. 
“You likely think me weak,” he confessed with a dark smile, “You have the ability to dismiss me from duty and take command, should you no longer see me fit to lead.”
“For experiencing human emotions?” you quirk your brow up, a soft smile elevating to your lips, “Hardly a valid reason for mutiny, sir.”
He chuckled at your answer, his rare smile once again drawing over his face. The moment of the memory had left him once more, his mind now fully present beside you. Your smile was one he had seen a thousand times before, but this particular one penetrated his cold heart and swelled it with an engulfing warmth. 
“I appreciate you so much, Counselor,” he admitted, his body moving against its will in a hypnotic trance as his forehead met with your own, “I will be forever grateful that Bepo convinced me that our crew needed one.”
“For what it's worth,” you whisper, closing your eyes and lingering against him, “I think you are an excellent captain,” you used your thumb to brush against his knuckles, “Your parents, your sister, your country, and Rosinante would be proud of the man you've become.” 
Lingering against each other, Law fought back the urge flooding his chest to release more of his stress physically. He wanted to lunge forward and press himself against you, cry into you and show his appreciation with embracing you.
But he remembered who he was, where he was, who you were, and who you were to him. You were an equal, a colleague, a friend, and someone who acts as both therapist and deepest confidant to him as your superior.
He could never betray that to seek out a physical dalliance, no matter how much his body screamed at him to clutch against you.
You were plagued with a similar plight, desperately wanting to join your lips with Law’s and demonstrate how safe, secure, and loved he is with you. To become a person far greater than a mere colleague to him.
These past few months had drawn you both close - but these past few days had propelled you even closer. You could never betray your station and your standing as his confidante and counselor.
As the night lingered on, you both opted to remain like this for several moments: enjoying the soft, emotional touch and the world you had carved out behind the safety of the office door. Both yearning and craving the touch to deepen between you, like a swelling rush of water behind a rapidly caving dam wall.
You just needed one more, simple push before that wall would shatter for you to give into this craving. But stubourness, duty and your minds often stood in the way of you both giving in to he desires your heart screamed for.
267 notes · View notes