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rafeysbangs · 5 months ago

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lachesism , rafe cameron ( series ) 07

pairing ; brother's!bsf!rafe x kook!female!reader

content ; mdni !! outerbanks au, eventual smut, angst, violence, underage drinking, family issues, substance abuse, s/a.

summary ; rafe cameron is everything you can’t stand; reckless, infuriating, and too self-assured for his own good. as your brother’s best friend, he’s always been a constant presence, one you’ve done your best to ignore. but the tension between you has always simmered just beneath the surface, sharp and impossible to ignore. you’ve spent years resisting his pull, refusing to give him the satisfaction. but in a world where lines blur and control slips away, you’re forced to face the truth: rafe cameron isn’t so easy to hate after all.

status ; ongoing .ᐟ

✺ navigation ; 006. 007. 008.

SEVEN, finally collision.

YOU WERE THE FIRST TO WAKE,

the morning light creeping softly through the blinds, filling the room with a pale glow. you moved quietly through the kitchen, pulling out ingredients and starting the familiar task of making breakfast. pancakes; comforting and simple, with chopped fruit on the side. nothing special, but it felt like a small way to regain some control after the chaos of the night before.

rafe wandered into the kitchen a little later, his footsteps slow and unsteady from sleep. his bare chest caught her eye before he even spoke, he was shirtless, his messy hair falling in his eyes as he rubbed at them, half-awake. he paused in the doorway for a moment when he saw you, standing at the stove in your small pyjama shorts and a simple t-shirt. your hair was still in two messy braids, the strands falling out of place as you flipped pancakes. rafe stood there for a beat, caught off guard by how you looked so... familiar. something about the way you moved, the way the morning light made you seem like you belonged here, it made him linger just a second too long. it took him a moment to snap out of it, his gaze pulling away awkwardly as he made his way to the stools at the counter.

"hey," he muttered, voice still thick with sleep, his words muffled in the quiet of the room.

"hey," you responded shortly, your voice distant. you didn't look up from what you were doing, not yet. it was too soon for that.

rafe shifted on the stool, clearing his throat. "i'm sorry... for yelling at you last night." his voice was low, hesitant.

you paused, your hand hovering above the pancake mix in the pan. you didn't meet his eyes, staring at the bubbles in the batter as it cooked. it wasn't that you didn't want to forgive him; it was just that you weren't ready to act like everything was fine. not yet. "it's fine. i'm sorry too," you said, your words clipped, tone hard to read.

you both lapsed into silence, the weight of what had passed between you hanging in the air. the sound of pancakes sizzling was the only thing breaking the quiet.

finally, rafe spoke again, quieter this time, his gaze unfocused as he thought back. "you used to always wear your hair in braids... when we were all kids. i remember. you'd always wear it like that when we played together... before everything."

the mention of your childhood hit you unexpectedly. your heart gave a little lurch, a memory you hadn't thought about in years flashing across your mind. you felt a flicker of something- nostalgia, maybe. something soft. "yeah... i guess i did," you replied, the corners of your mouth lifting into a small, reluctant smile. "i wear it in two braids every night now... you just wouldn't know." you turned your head slightly to glance at him, catching his eye for a brief second. it wasn't the first time your gazes had met, but something felt different about this moment. almost like you'd let him in just a little too much.

rafe blinked, a little stunned by your words, the air between you suddenly feeling thicker. but he didn't respond right away. he just watched you for a moment longer before turning his gaze down, trying to ignore the shift that was happening in the space between you.

you went back to flipping pancakes, focusing on the task at hand. the soft sizzle of the batter hitting the pan filled the quiet, both of you lost in your thoughts. neither one of you willing to name what was starting to grow between you.

you served up the food quietly, your movements automatic as you try to ignore the tension in the room. carter comes downstairs, his usual upbeat energy filling the space as he grins at the waffles. he goes to sit next to rafe at the counter, the air thick with the slight unease you feel about the two of you being in the same room.

"these look amazing," carter says, his voice light and full of the usual cheerfulness. he digs in, talking about nothing in particular; workouts, some random stuff he's planning to do later. but you can barely focus on his words. you're too aware of the way rafe keeps sneaking glances at you from the corner of his eye. it's subtle, but you catch him every time, his gaze flicking to you, then away, like he can't quite help it.

it's a weird feeling, knowing that he's watching you, and you don't know how to respond to it. he's not being outright rude or distant anymore, not like before, but there's still something heavy between you that you can't shake. you shift uncomfortably in your seat, staring at your plate as you pick at the food. when you're finished, you fiddle with your fork, feeling awkward, the silence around you amplifying everything you feel. after a long moment, you glance over at rafe. he's looking at you with a little grin, like he knows exactly what you're thinking.

you look away quickly, your face flushing, and you shift your attention back to your plate, pretending you didn't notice. carter's still talking, oblivious, when he finally wraps up his story. he talks about something about hitting the home gym, and rafe grins in agreement, but all you can think about is how he's still staring at you.

"you should really try the new protein powder," you say, breaking the silence as casually as you can. your words come out more nervous than you meant them to. "i bought some the other day. it's in the cupboard."

carter nods, grateful, and thanks you before getting up to go get changed. rafe shrugs next to you, pushing his empty plate aside and leaning back in his seat.

"i'll just wear what i've got on now," he says, looking down at his gym shorts.

there's an odd calmness to the way he says it, almost like he's resigned to the idea of not trying too hard anymore. you can't quite put your finger on it, but it doesn't feel like he's avoiding you anymore, either. you watch him as he stretches, and for a moment, the space between you doesn't feel so full of silence. it's strange. almost... normal. but not quite.

you wonder if it's always going to feel like this; two steps forward, one step back, this weird limbo between the two of you.

carter came back downstairs, now in a top and athletic shorts. rafe, not to be outdone, disappeared for a minute and returned wearing a gym shirt that clung to him slightly, his shoes untied. they bumped shoulders as they walked through the house, joking about who could lift more, their voices echoing like they were kids again.

you leaned against the kitchen counter, arms crossed, rolling your eyes at their flexing and fake bravado. boys. you muttered something about how obnoxious they were as they disappeared into the home gym downstairs, but your voice lacked bite. your attention was elsewhere, still caught on the way rafe had been looking at you earlier. it was unsettling, confusing. too much. you pushed the thought away and grabbed your book from the side table, deciding a quiet morning by the pool would be the perfect distraction.

the sun was warm, and the air smelled faintly of salt and chlorine as you sank into one of the loungers, the book resting on your lap. the pages pulled you in, the words weaving a world far removed from your own, though not completely. every so often, your mind drifted back to the house, to the way rafe's gaze had lingered on you, to the grin he hadn't tried to hide. it unsettled you in a way you didn't want to admit.

you were so lost in thought you didn't hear the footsteps until it was too late. a sudden splash broke through the stillness, sending a spray of cold water over your legs and the edge of your book. you flinched, your voice rising in surprise as rafe surfaced, his grin wide and unrepentant. water dripped from his hair, running down his face and shoulders, and he looked at you like he'd just pulled off the greatest prank of his life.

"what the hell, rafe?" you said, your voice sharp but not entirely serious.

"you looked like you need a swim," he said, still grinning as he floated lazily in the pool, his arms resting on the edge.

you shook your head, muttering something under your breath about him being insufferable, and turned back to your book, only for him to pull himself out of the water in one swift motion. his wet footprints glistened on the pavement as he walked over to you, his smile softening into something teasing.

"you're too uptight," he said, standing over you now. before you could protest, he snatched the book from your hands and tossed it onto the nearby table.

"rafe-" you started, but you didn't get the chance to finish.

in one smooth motion, he scooped you up into his arms. you squirmed, laughter bubbling out of you despite yourself, your protests half-hearted as you tried to free yourself.

"don't you dare," you managed, but it was too late.

he jumped back into the pool, pulling her down with him. the water was cold, shocking her senses as they went under together. when they resurfaced, you wiped your face, sputtering and laughing despite yourself.

"you're the worst," you said, splashing him lightly.

"maybe," he said, chuckling as he wiped the water from his face.

for a moment, the air between them shifted, the laughter fading into something quieter. his grin faltered, and his expression turned serious. you noticed the way his eyes softened, the way his voice lowered slightly when he spoke again.

"about yesterday..." he began, his words slow and deliberate. "i shouldn't have yelled at you like that. i'm... sorry."

you hesitated, feeling the weight of the words hanging between them. you didn't want to dig into it, didn't want to risk dragging them back into the mess they'd barely stepped out of. so you nodded quickly, your voice light.

"it's fine. seriously," you said, brushing it off.

but the way he looked at you told you he didn't entirely believe you. the moment stretched, quiet but not uncomfortable, until rafe splashed you again with a small, mischievous grin, breaking the tension like it had never existed.

carter wandered out to the pool his eyes narrowing just slightly at the sight of you and rafe laughing together in the water. his gaze lingered on rafe for a moment, something sharp and unspoken flickering there. but he didn't say anything. instead, he plastered on an easy smile and asked, "what's going on here?"

feeling your face grow a little too warm, you climbed out of the pool in a rush. the water streamed down your legs, cool against your flushed skin, and you muttered something about needing another shower. you grabbed rafe's towel from the chair without so much as a glance in his direction, ignoring his small protest, and scooped up your book from the table. you didn't dare look back as you walked toward the house, but you could feel it, rafe's gaze heavy on you, tracing every step you took once again. by the time you reached your room, you were practically out of breath, your heart pounding in your chest for reasons you couldn't quite name.

inside, you shut the door firmly behind you, then sank down onto the floor, your back pressing against the wood. your thoughts were like waves crashing against each other, chaotic and relentless. you couldn't make sense of it. rafe was impossible. one moment he was cold and biting, the next he was teasing and warm, and now... now he was looking at you like you were something he couldn't quite figure out. it made your chest feel tight, like you couldn't catch her breath.

you groaned softly, burying your face in your hands, trying to will the heat in your cheeks away. it was infuriating. he was infuriating. shaking your head, you forced yourself to your feet and went to the bathroom, hoping a shower might wash away the tension knotting in your chest.

later that evening, you were stretched out on your bed, your damp hair sticking to your neck as you tried to focus on your book. but the words swam before your eyes, refusing to settle into anything coherent. your phone buzzed on the nightstand, breaking your focus, and you grabbed it, seeing cora's name lighting up the screen.

"hey," you said, trying to sound normal.

"why aren't you here yet?" cora asked, a little teasing but mostly confused. "carter and rafe have been here for a while. i thought you'd come with them."

you frowned, sitting up straighter. "wait, what? they're at topper's?"

"yeah, they didn't tell you?" cora sounded genuinely surprised.

"of course not," you muttered, annoyance bubbling up. "i'll come by."

"you better," cora said with a laugh before hanging up.

you tossed your book onto the bed with more force than necessary, the irritation twisting inside you like a spring. you braided your hair quickly, tugging on denim shorts and a tank top before slipping on your shoes. topper's house wasn't far, but the walk felt longer than usual, the cool night air doing little to calm your swirling thoughts.

when you knocked on the door, your fingers automatically went to your braids, fiddling with the ends. topper answered with his usual wide grin, stepping aside to let you in.

"hey! didn't think you'd make it," he said cheerfully.

you gave him a small smile, mumbling something about being late, and followed the noise of voices and laughter to the back porch. the firelight danced across familiar faces, and cora immediately jumped up, wrapping you in a quick hug before pulling you over to sit.

your gaze flicked briefly to carter and rafe. carter looked pleasantly surprised, his grin easy and warm. but rafe... rafe's jaw tightened the second he saw you, his brows drawing together for just a moment before he looked away. the shift was subtle but enough to make your stomach twist uncomfortably.

the first hour passed awkwardly, the tension between you and rafe like an invisible thread pulling tight every time you crossed paths. but as the night wore on and the drinks flowed, the atmosphere loosened. topper handed you another beer, your fourth, and you took it without thinking.

"don't you think you've had enough?" rafe's voice cut through suddenly, sharp but low enough that it could go unheard by others.

your head snapped up, your brow furrowing. "excuse me?"

he didn't back down, his gaze steady. "you don't need another one."

you bristled at his tone, the heat rising in your chest. "since when do you get to decide what i need?"

"since you're always in my business," he shot back, his voice edged with frustration. "maybe it's my turn."

your laugh was short and bitter. "oh, that's rich coming from you."

the argument escalated quickly, words snapping like sparks in the air. carter tried to interrupt, his voice cutting through with forced cheerfulness, but you were already on your feet, muttering under your breath as you walked inside. the house was cooler, quieter, but the tension followed you, clinging to you like static.

you barely made it a few steps down the hallway before you heard him behind her. "hey, wait."

you spun around, your frustration boiling over. "what is your problem, rafe? why can't you just leave me alone?"

"because i don't want to see you get hurt!" he snapped, stepping closer. his voice was sharp, but there was something raw beneath it, something that made your breath catch.

"what are you even talking about?" you demanded, your voice trembling.

"i'm talking about what happened," he said, his voice quieter now, but no less intense. "what happened to you. with that guy."

your chest tightened, your heart pounding in your ears. "how do you even know about that?"

his jaw clenched, and he looked away for a moment before answering. "carter told me. he was worried, and he thought—"

"he had no right," you interrupted, your voice breaking. the humiliation and anger twisted together, making your throat ache. you turned away, heading for the door.

"no, wait—"

"no," you said, your voice barely above a whisper. "just... don't."

you stepped outside into the night, the cool air hitting your face as you started down the road. your steps were quick and uneven, your emotions a storm you couldn't control. but then his hand was on your shoulder, turning you around.

"please." rafe said, his voice softer now, almost desperate. "i'm sorry. i didn't mean to- i just..." he trailed off, running a hand through his hair. "i care about you, okay? more than i should."

your breath hitched, your mind struggling to catch up. "why?" you whispered, your voice barely audible.

he hesitated, his eyes flickering with something raw and unguarded. "because... god. because i have feelings for you.," he said, his voice low and unsteady. "i've had them for a long time. and that's why-" he paused, his jaw tightening, like the words were fighting to stay buried. "that's why i've been so annoyed. so angry with you. because you're... you're too perfect for me. you always have been. and i knew it. i know it. and i'm probably fucking this up even worse by telling you."

his confession hung in the air between you, heavy and electric. your breath caught in your throat, your heart pounding as the weight of his words settled over you. you searched his face, the tension in his jaw, the way his eyes refused to leave yours, like he was bracing for the impact of your rejection. and in that moment, you realised you felt it too. all of it. the anger, the confusion, the longing; it had always been there, just waiting for you to see it.

"rafe..." you murmured, your voice barely above a whisper, trembling with the truth you hadn't let yourself admit until now.

before he could say anything, you reached out, grabbing the collar of his shirt with both hands. you tugged him down, standing on your toes as your lips met his. it was sudden, a collision of emotion you couldn't hold back any longer. the world seemed to tilt, the stars above you spinning, the ground beneath you slipping away. all that existed was the warmth of his mouth on yours, the way his hands instinctively found your waist, steadying you.

when you finally broke apart, you were breathless, your chest rising and falling as you stared up at him. his expression was stunned, his lips slightly parted, and for the first time, you saw him completely; no walls, no anger, just the boy who had been hiding behind them all along. everything you'd never let yourself feel before now surged to the surface, and for the first time, it all made sense.

notes ; sorry i havent been active! things are hectic, im moving into a new house in two days with my roommates and so i've been busy but thank you for being patient !!

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