#wanted a beachy sort of look

[mrcutz]

messin around with some PD Mickey

[be4chywritez]

red red wine | quinn hughes

quinn hughes x fem!reader

the week leading up to Quinn proposing to you, and the chaos that follows him.

recs are open + prompt list

beachy’s masterlist🐚

One Week Before

You stand in the kitchen of the lake house, absently scrolling through your phone while Jim and Ellen sit at the table, chatting over their morning coffee. Quinn is perched on a stool at the kitchen island, Jack and Luke beside him, all three listening in as you think out loud.

“I think I’m gonna get my nails done,” you say, mostly to yourself, glancing up from your screen. “I found this cute place nearby on Instagram. Might go check it out.”

Quinn freezes. Luke and Jack do the same, exchanging quick glances before all three of them force identical, strained smiles.

“Here?” Quinn asks, a little too casually.

You nod and turn your phone to show Ellen the pictures. “Yeah, thought it’d be nice to get a little pampered. Ellen, want to come with?”

For a split second, her eyes flick to Jim before she shakes her head with a warm—if slightly nervous—smile. “Oh, no, sweetheart. I think I’ll stay back, got a few things to tidy up around the house.”

You frown slightly, glancing between them. “I mean, I don’t have to go either. I could just hang—”

“NO!”

The entire Hughes family responds in unison, voices overlapping in a loud, comically panicked outburst. Even Jim, who’s been silent all morning, leans forward, wide-eyed like you just suggested setting the house on fire.

Quinn is the first to recover. He clears his throat and plasters on a quick, reassuring smile. “No, honey, you should definitely go. Treat yourself.” He waves a hand toward the door, trying—and failing—to sound nonchalant. “Have a nice day out.”

Your eyes narrow. “Okay…?” You drag the word out, suspicious, but slide your phone into your bag anyway. Grabbing your keys, you head for the door, throwing one last curious glance over your shoulder before stepping out.

As soon as the door clicks shut, Luke lets out a long breath. “Close call.”

Jim shakes his head, grinning. “She almost caught on already. We need to be more careful, boys.”

Downtown is quiet, the main street lined with flower boxes and little local shops. Lakeside Nails sits nestled between a café and an old bookstore, its windows decorated with delicate white lettering.

A nail tech waves you over with a friendly smile. “Hi! You must be my one o’clock.”

“That’s me.” You settle into the chair as she sets up.

“I’m Maya. What are we doing today?”

You pull up a photo. “Something like this? Just a clean, neutral look.”

Maya nods approvingly. “Pretty! So, just a little solo pampering trip?”

“Sort of. I’m staying at the lake house with my boyfriend and his family. Thought I’d take a little break and explore.”

Maya hums, focusing on your nails. “How’d you two meet?”

You smile, thinking back. “Through mutual friends. He was quiet at first, but then he made me laugh when I wasn’t expecting it. I don’t know… I just felt comfortable with him.”

“Those are the best ones,” she says with a grin. “Sounds like a good guy.”

“Yeah,” you say softly, warmth blooming in your chest. “He really is.”

When you walk back into the lake house, Quinn is stretched out on the couch, scrolling through his phone. He glances up as you come in, a lazy smile spreading across his face.

“Hey,” he says, sitting up. “Let’s see the nails.”

You plop down beside him, holding out your hand. He takes it, running his thumb lightly over your fingers. “Looks good,” he says, approving.

“Glad you think so.” You lean into him as his arm wraps around you, the warmth of his touch settling you into an easy quiet.

The rest of the evening is simple—pasta and salad for dinner, laughter when Quinn drops a handful of cherry tomatoes and watches them roll across the counter. Later, you curl up under a blanket with an old movie on, his fingers absentmindedly running through your hair. The house is peaceful, filled with the soft flicker of the TV and the steady rhythm of his breathing.

You don’t notice the way he looks at you. The way his gaze lingers, like he’s memorizing everything. Like he’s counting down.

Five Days Before

You wake slowly, the warmth of morning light filtering through the curtains. Quinn’s arm is draped over your waist, his hand resting lightly on your hip, his breathing steady and close. He stirs, his nose brushing against the back of your neck as he pulls you closer.

“Morning,” he mumbles, voice thick with sleep.

You smile, rolling over to face him. His eyes are still half-closed, messy hair falling over his forehead. You trace your fingers along his cheek, feeling the scratch of stubble. He leans into your touch, eyes fluttering shut for a moment.

“Good morning,” you whisper.

He catches your hand, lacing his fingers through yours before bringing it to his lips, pressing a kiss to your knuckles.

You don’t realize how he looks at you—like you might disappear if he blinks.

“Honey, we’re on breakfast duty,” you remind him.

Quinn groans, shoving his face into your collarbone, stubble tickling your skin. He mumbles something, voice muffled.

You laugh. “No, we can’t let your brothers do it. Unless you want the house to burn down.”

Another grunt, but this time, he shifts, reluctantly getting up. You follow, falling into your usual morning routine.

As you pull on a sweater, he watches from the bathroom mirror, hoping you don’t dig too far into his sock drawer.

Hoping you don’t find the velvet box.

You don’t, thanks to a the higher power, but it only puts more pressure on Quinn to pop the damn question.

Four Days Before 

The lake house hums with its usual morning energy—Jack and Luke bickering over who gets the last pancake, Ellen moving around the kitchen with effortless ease, and Jim sipping his coffee while reading the newspaper like he’s immune to the chaos around him.

Quinn, however, is focused on one thing.

He leans against the counter, arms crossed, watching as you sit at the kitchen table, scrolling absently through your phone. Every few seconds, you look up to add something to the conversation, laughing as Luke launches a grape at Jack’s head. Quinn should be listening, should be jumping in with a comment of his own, but instead, his mind is caught on a single thought: How do I get her to buy the dress?

The dress—the one he wants to see you in when he finally asks the biggest question of his life. He saw it a few days ago when you were flipping through your phone, showing Ellen some boutique you wanted to check out. You hadn’t bought anything yet, just admired a few pieces before getting distracted by something else.

Now, with only four days to go, he needs to make sure you pick the one.

Quinn exhales through his nose and glances toward his brothers. Perfect.

Jack notices first, eyebrows furrowing as he watches Quinn silently glare at him. What? he mouths.

Quinn jerks his head toward the living room, signaling them to follow. Jack and Luke exchange a glance but don’t argue, trudging after him as he disappears down the hallway.

Once they’re out of earshot, Quinn turns to them, hands on his hips like he’s about to give them the most important assignment of their lives.

“Alright, I need you two to do something for me.”

Jack immediately groans. “Oh my god, what now?”

“It’s important,” Quinn says, leveling them with a look.

Luke raises an eyebrow. “Like, life-or-death important? Or are we talking Quinn-important, which means it’s about the love of your life?”

Jack snorts. “Yeah, do we need to prepare a eulogy?”

Quinn ignores them. “I need you guys to get her to buy a dress.”

Both of them stare at him.

“A dress,” Jack repeats flatly. “You dragged us away from breakfast for that?”

“Not just any dress,” Quinn says, rubbing the back of his neck. He feels stupid saying it out loud, but if there’s anyone who can pull this off without making it suspicious, it’s these two. “She was looking at this one the other day. It’s perfect for when I—” He stops himself before finishing the sentence, clearing his throat.

Luke catches on first. His eyes widen slightly before he grins. “Ohhh. You mean the dress.”

Jack still looks lost. “What—Oh. Ohhh.”

Quinn nods.

“Okay, so you want us to, what? Trick her into buying it?” Jack asks, crossing his arms.

“Not trick her,” Quinn corrects. “Just… steer her in the right direction.”

Luke grins. “You want us to gaslight her into thinking she needs it.”

“I didn’t say that.”

“You basically did,” Jack says.

Quinn sighs. “Can you two just do it?”

Luke claps a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t worry, Q, we got this. She’ll be buying that dress by the end of the day.”

Jack cracks his knuckles. “Time to be annoying.”

“Just don’t make it obvious,” Quinn warns.

Luke grins. “No promises.”

–

You hadn’t really planned on buying anything today.

The town’s little boutique district is charming, with its cobblestone paths and flower boxes hanging from the windows, but you were mostly browsing—taking in the sights, enjoying the crisp summer air, and, apparently, getting bombarded with very strong opinions from Jack and Luke.

“I’m just saying,” Jack starts, walking beside you with his hands in his pockets, “you’ve been talking about wanting a nice dress for a while.”

“Have I?” you ask, raising an eyebrow.

Luke, walking on your other side, nods solemnly. “Oh yeah. All the time. Constantly.”

You snort. “I’m pretty sure I haven’t.”

Jack ignores you. “And look at this!” He gestures dramatically toward one of the boutique windows. “A whole store dedicated to dresses! What are the odds?”

“Crazy,” Luke deadpans.

You give them a suspicious look. “Are you guys okay?”

“We’re great,” Jack says. “But you’d be even better if you had a new dress.”

Luke nods. “The best version of yourself, really.”

You shake your head with a laugh. “What is wrong with you two?”

“Nothing,” Jack says quickly. “We just care about you. And your wardrobe.”

“Especially that one dress you liked the other day,” Luke adds casually. “That was a good one.”

You narrow your eyes. “How do you even know about that?”

Jack elbows Luke. 

He gives you a pained smile, “intuition?” 

Luke sighs dramatically, turning toward you. “Look,, all I’m saying is that you should try it on. No pressure. No commitment. Just try it on and see how you feel.”

“Yeah,” Jack agrees. “Worst case? You hate it, and we all move on with our lives. Best case? You look amazing, and you thank us forever.”

You roll your eyes but, against your better judgment, let them lead you inside. The boutique is small but elegant, with soft lighting and carefully arranged racks of clothing. A sales associate greets you warmly, and before you know it, Luke and Jack are pushing you toward the exact dress they’ve clearly been scheming about.

You sigh, running your fingers over the fabric. It is beautiful.

“Just try it,” Luke urges. “For science.”

“For science,” Jack echoes.

You huff a laugh. “Fine. But if I don’t like it, you both owe me coffee.”

“Deal,” they say in unison.

Ten minutes later, you step out of the dressing room, smoothing your hands over the fabric. The dress fits perfectly, hugging in all the right places, flowing just enough to feel effortless. You glance at your reflection in the boutique mirror, tilting your head slightly.

“Well?” Jack asks, leaning forward eagerly.

Luke grins. “Yup. That’s the one.”

You shake your head, but you can’t help the small smile that tugs at your lips. “You guys are the worst.”

“And yet, we just helped you find your new favorite dress,” Jack points out.

You sigh. “Fine. But you’re still buying me coffee.”

Luke claps his hands. “Worth it.”

Meanwhile, back at the lake house, Quinn gets a text.

Luke: Mission accomplished.

He exhales, a slow smile spreading across his face.

Three more days.

Three Days Before

The morning sun spills through the windows of the lake house, casting warm golden hues over the kitchen. You hum softly to yourself as you pour a cup of coffee, the scent of roasted beans filling the air. Ellen is at the stove flipping pancakes while Jim reads the newspaper at the table, occasionally sipping his coffee. Jack and Luke sit across from him, bickering over who gets the last piece of toast.

Quinn stands by the fridge, looking unusually tense as he scrolls through his phone. You don’t think much of it—he’s always been the quiet, deep-in-thought type—but there’s something about the way he keeps glancing at you that makes you pause.

"Morning," you say, leaning against the counter as you take a slow sip of coffee. "What's up?"

Quinn's head snaps up like he’s been caught doing something he shouldn’t. His fingers tighten around his phone, and for a second, he looks almost guilty.

"Uh—nothing. Just checking something." His voice is too quick, too casual, and you narrow your eyes.

Before you can push him further, Ellen calls over her shoulder, "Sweetheart, could you grab the syrup?"

You nod and step toward the pantry, but just as you do, Quinn leans closer to Ellen and whispers something.

You freeze mid-step.

It’s barely audible, just the faintest murmur of his voice, but you catch it. Ellen’s eyes widen for a fraction of a second before she quickly schools her expression into something neutral.

Jim, who’s been mostly uninvolved in the morning chaos, suddenly folds his newspaper with a snap and clears his throat. Jack and Luke immediately stop arguing and sit up straighter, the air shifting ever so slightly.

You narrow your eyes. "Okay, what was that?"

Quinn immediately shakes his head. "What was what?"

"The whispering. The weird glances. Why do you all look like you just got caught committing a crime?"

Jack lets out a bark of nervous laughter. "Pfft, what? No crime here."

Luke elbows him, and he winces. "We were just—uh, talking about, um—"

"The weather," Jim supplies, nodding sagely.

"The weather?" you repeat flatly.

"Yup," Quinn says, grabbing a banana from the fruit bowl and peeling it aggressively like that’ll somehow sell the lie.

You cross your arms, skeptical. "And what, exactly, about the weather required a top-secret family meeting?"

Ellen waves a hand dismissively. "Oh, just—just how lovely it's supposed to be this weekend! Perfect for, um, outdoor activities."

Jack nods. "Yeah, so perfect. Like, suspiciously perfect."

Luke elbows him again.

You squint at them, taking a slow sip of your coffee, watching as they all sit a little too still, looking a little too casual.

Something is definitely going on.

But before you can press further, Quinn suddenly steps forward, wraps an arm around your waist, and presses a kiss to your temple.

"Hey, didn’t you want to go into town today?" His voice is soft, his thumb rubbing soothing circles against your hip.

You blink up at him. "I mean, yeah, but—"

"Perfect," he says quickly. "You should go. Take your time. Enjoy yourself."

Jack and Luke nod in unison. "Yes. Enjoy. Take hours if you need."

Your eyes dart between them. They are terrible liars. But you sigh, deciding to let it go—for now.

"Fine," you say slowly, grabbing your bag. "But if I find out you guys are hiding something from me—"

"You won’t!" they all chorus at once.

You stare for another long beat before shaking your head and heading for the door.

As soon as it closes behind you, Quinn lets out a breath, running a hand through his hair.

Luke whistles. "That was way too close."

Jim chuckles. "You boys need to step up your game. She's sharp."

Quinn groans, rubbing his face. "I know. And we still have two more days of this."

Jack claps a hand on his shoulder. "Good luck, bud. You're gonna need it.

Two Days Before 

The lake stretches out before you, calm and glassy under the moonlight. It’s late—too late to still be outside, but the warmth of summer lingers in the air, and neither of you wants to go in just yet.

You sit beside Quinn on the dock, your legs dangling over the edge, bare feet skimming the cool water. The night is quiet, save for the occasional chirp of crickets and the distant rustling of trees.

Quinn hasn’t said much in the last few minutes.

He sits close—so close that your shoulders press together, his warmth seeping into you. His hand is resting between you, his fingers twitching like he wants to reach for you but is too lost in thought to do it.

You nudge him gently. "Penny for your thoughts?"

He exhales, a soft, slow sound. "Just thinking."

You tilt your head, watching him. His profile is illuminated by the glow of the moon, sharp angles softened by the night. His jaw flexes, and his fingers tighten slightly against the dock.

"About what?"

He hesitates, then turns to you. "The future."

Your chest tightens, a warmth blooming there. "Yeah?"

"Yeah." His voice is quiet, thoughtful. "I was just thinking about... where we'll be, years from now." He swallows, his throat bobbing. "What it'll look like."

You smile, leaning into him. "And? What does it look like?"

He glances down at his hands. "Us," he says simply. "Still together. Maybe a house. Maybe a dog." His lips twitch. "You always talk about wanting a golden retriever."

Your heart stutters.

"You actually listen when I say that?"

His brow furrows. "Of course I do."

There’s something so earnest about the way he says it—so completely sure.

You take his hand in yours, threading your fingers together. "I like that version of the future," you say softly.

Quinn looks at you then, his eyes dark and unreadable, something heavy sitting behind them. For a second, you think he’s about to say something—something big.

But instead, he squeezes your hand.

"Me too."

He presses a lingering kiss to your knuckles, then rests his forehead against yours.

You close your eyes, breathing him in, feeling the steady thump-thump-thump of his heart.

Neither of you says anything else.

But Quinn’s already made up his mind.

Tomorrow, he finds the perfect spot.

And in two days, he asks you to be his forever.

One Day Before 

The lake stretches endlessly before you, a shimmering expanse of deep blue beneath the warmth of the afternoon sun. A gentle breeze tugs at your hair, and the rhythmic rocking of the boat lulls you into a peaceful state. The water is calm, only disturbed by the occasional ripple from a passing jet ski or the soft lapping against the side of the boat.

You inhale deeply, letting the fresh air fill your lungs as you lean back against the cushioned seat. The warmth of the sun kisses your skin, and for the first time in a long while, you feel like time has slowed down.

Jim sits at the helm, hands steady on the wheel as he navigates through the open water. His expression is relaxed, a rare sight considering the chaos that usually follows whenever all three of his boys are together.

Ellen sits beside you, sunglasses perched on her nose, a soft smile on her lips as she watches the water shimmer.

“This is nice, isn’t it?” she muses, her voice light with contentment.

You nod, shifting slightly to soak in more of the sun. “Yeah, it really is.”

It’s not often that you get moments like this—just the three of you. Usually, Jack and Luke are wreaking havoc, Quinn is rolling his eyes fondly at their antics, and everything is a blur of chirps and laughter. But today is quiet. Peaceful.

You glance around the boat, taking in the emptiness where Quinn should be.

Your chest tightens slightly.

This morning, when you asked him if he was coming, he had been vague—mumbling something about needing to run an errand and promising he’d see you later. You hadn’t pushed, but now, with the afternoon stretching on without him, you can’t shake the feeling that something is off.

“You okay, sweetheart?” Ellen asks gently, tilting her head toward you.

You blink, realizing you had been staring at the empty seat beside you. Forcing a smile, you nod. “Yeah, just thinking.”

Ellen hums knowingly. “Quinn will be back soon, don’t worry. He’s probably just making sure whatever he’s doing is absolutely perfect.”

Jim chuckles from the driver’s seat. “Sounds about right.”

You frown slightly, narrowing your eyes. “Do you guys know something I don’t?”

Ellen and Jim exchange a quick glance, but Ellen’s smile doesn’t waver.

“Oh, honey,” she says, reaching over to pat your hand. “We always know something you don’t.”

You roll your eyes, laughing despite yourself.

The rest of the afternoon passes in a blur of warmth and comfort. You soak up every moment—the way the sun reflects off the water like scattered diamonds, the sound of Jim’s easy laughter, the way Ellen insists on reapplying sunscreen to your shoulders even though you swear you’re fine.

And for a little while, you let yourself forget the strange feeling in your chest.

Meanwhile, deep in the woods, Quinn is on a mission.

Your absence is a weight he feels in his chest, but he knows this is worth it.

His boots crunch against the forest floor as he makes his way through the secluded clearing he stumbled upon earlier. The air smells like pine and fresh earth, the quiet only disturbed by the rustling of leaves in the wind.

It’s perfect. Tucked away from the main trails, surrounded by towering trees, with a small opening where the lake peeks through.

This is it.

Carefully, he unrolls the string of photos he printed last week, each one capturing a frozen moment in time—the two of you at your first hockey game together, laughing with noses pressed close; a blurry snapshot of you mid-laugh, taken when you weren’t looking; a quiet moment in bed, tangled in the sheets with sunlight painting your skin.

Every single one tells your story.

His hands shake slightly as he fastens them to the branches, adjusting them until they drape just right.

“Dude, this is insanely romantic,” Jack mutters behind him.

Quinn steps back, hands on his hips as he surveys the clearing. The photos sway gently in the breeze, catching the fading sunlight. Everything is almost perfect.

Except for Jack, who is standing in the middle of the setup like he’d rather be anywhere else.

“This is so weird,” Jack complains, shifting uncomfortably. “I don’t know why I have to be her.”

Quinn sighs, rubbing his temples. “Because I need to make sure everything looks right, and you’re the closest to her height.”

“That’s actually so offensive,” Jack deadpans. “I don’t even know how, but it is.”

Luke snorts from behind the camera. “Just shut up and stand there, man. You’re ruining the vision.”

Jack groans dramatically but doesn’t move. “You owe me for this, dude. Big time.”

Quinn ignores him, stepping closer to adjust the positioning. He takes a deep breath, trying to picture you standing there instead of his little brother, who is doing a horrible job of being still.

“This is where I’ll kneel,” Quinn murmurs, mostly to himself. He drops down, testing the angle, the feel of the moment. His heart races, imagining the way you’ll look—eyes wide, lips parted in surprise, the way your breath will hitch right before you say yes.

Jack stares down at him, unimpressed. “I feel like I should be flattered, but mostly I feel like an idiot.”

Quinn huffs, looking up at him. “Can you at least pretend to be in love with me?”

Jack stares blankly for a second before bursting out laughing. “Dude. Dude. I cannot take this seriously.” He turns to Luke, who’s adjusting the camera settings. “Are you getting this? The absolute desperation in his eyes?”

Luke barely glances up. “You’re making it worse.”

“I’m making this worse?” Jack gestures at the setup. “Quinn is professing his undying love to me right now, and I’M the problem?”

Quinn groans, running a hand over his face. “Just shut up and look moved or something.”

Jack schools his expression into something vaguely serious and stares dramatically into the distance. “I can’t believe this is happening,” he says, voice overly soft. “We’ve been through so much together.”

Luke nearly drops the camera laughing. “Oh my god,” he wheezes.

Quinn pinches the bridge of his nose. “I hate both of you.”

Jack smirks, but he does settle down a little, standing a bit more still as Quinn makes the final adjustments.

After a few minutes of adjusting the lighting and the placement of the photos, Luke finally lifts the camera. “Alright, let’s get a test shot.”

Jack sighs dramatically but stays put. Quinn watches as Luke moves around, snapping photos from different angles. He frowns slightly, tilting the camera to check the preview.

“It looks good,” Luke says slowly, adjusting the focus. “But I think we need—Jack, stop standing like that.”

Jack scoffs. “Like what?”

“Like a dude who is about to ask another dude to prom,” Luke deadpans. “You look so uncomfortable.”

Jack throws his arms out. “Because I am uncomfortable! I am literally standing in the middle of a fake proposal, playing the role of my brother’s girlfriend.”

Quinn shakes his head. “Fine. Just—stand normal.”

Jack exhales sharply but follows instructions, his posture finally settling into something less stiff.

Luke snaps a few more photos before nodding. “Okay, that’s it. That’s the shot.”

Quinn steps back, taking in the clearing one last time. The photos, the lighting, the atmosphere—it’s all exactly how he pictured it. His heart pounds as he exhales, the reality of it hitting him all at once.

Tomorrow.

Tomorrow, you will be standing here.

Tomorrow, you will be the one in front of him when he kneels.

And tomorrow, you will say yes.

Jack claps him on the back, snapping him out of his thoughts. “Alright, Romeo. Can we go now? I have literally never felt more single in my life.”

Quinn rolls his eyes, but there’s a fondness behind it. “Yeah, we’re done.”

Luke stretches, shoving the camera back into his bag. “You better make this the best proposal of all time, bro. Because if we went through all of this for nothing—”

Quinn grins, confidence settling in his chest. “She’s gonna love it.”

Jack sighs dramatically. “You owe us.”

Quinn just laughs, already imagining how perfect tomorrow will be.

That night, you’re curled up in bed when Quinn finally slips into the room. The warmth of his body presses against yours as he slides beneath the covers, pulling you into his arms.

“You have fun today?” he murmurs, pressing a kiss to your shoulder.

“Mmm,” you hum, half-asleep. “Missed you.”

His chest tightens.

He buries his face in your hair, arms tightening around you. “Missed you too.”

You sigh softly, relaxing into him.

Quinn stays awake long after you drift off, heart thudding with anticipation.

One more night.

Tomorrow, everything changes.

Proposal Day

The morning sun filters through the kitchen windows, casting a golden glow over the lake house. The scent of fresh coffee lingers in the air as you lean against the counter, watching the Hughes family settle into their usual breakfast chaos.

Jack is the first to steal the last piece of toast off Luke’s plate, and Luke retaliates by flicking a grape at his forehead. Quinn sighs, stirring his coffee like he’s debating whether it’s worth intervening. Ellen is at the stove, flipping pancakes with practiced ease, while Jim nurses his coffee at the table, reading something on his phone.

Ellen turns toward you with a smile. “I was thinking,” she starts, “since everyone’s here, we should do a nice family dinner tonight.”

Luke perks up. “Ooh, like a fancy dinner? Do I have to wear a button-up?”

“Yes,” Ellen says firmly.

Jack groans dramatically. “Can I at least wear my nice hoodie?”

Jim barely looks up. “No.”

You laugh, shaking your head as you sip your coffee. “A dinner sounds nice.”

Ellen nods. “Good, because I already bought all the stuff.”

Quinn finally speaks, glancing at you. “You should wear that dress you got.”

You arch an eyebrow. “The one you definitely weren’t scheming to get me to buy?”

Jack and Luke both snicker, and Quinn glares at them before turning back to you, feigning innocence. “What? I just think you’d look really nice in it.”

Luke leans in conspiratorially. “You should do it. Mostly because if you don’t, Quinn will spend the entire dinner sulking and staring at you like a sad puppy.”

You roll your eyes, but a smile tugs at your lips. “Well, we wouldn’t want that, would we?”

Jack smirks. “Nope. That’s how we end up with emo Quinn, and nobody wants that.”

Quinn groans. “I hate all of you.”

Ellen hides a smile as she flips another pancake. “You love them,” she corrects.

Quinn sighs, shooting you a hopeful glance. “So, the dress?”

You shake your head, amused. “Fine. But if I do, Luke and Jack owe me dessert.”

Luke claps a hand over his heart. “Done.”

Jack nods. “Easiest deal of my life.”

Quinn smiles to himself, satisfied. One step closer.

Dinner starts out promising enough. The table is set, the food looks amazing, and the sunset paints the lake in warm hues. It should be perfect.

And then… things start to go sideways.

First, Luke—being Luke—tries to help bring the dishes to the table and nearly drops the salad bowl. In his panic to save it, he elbows Jack, who’s carrying a basket of rolls. The bread goes flying, one roll landing directly in Jim’s drink.

“Nice,” Jim mutters, plucking it out with a sigh.

Ellen shakes her head, clearly unimpressed but used to this kind of chaos. “Can we go one meal without something ending up on the floor?”

Jack, unfazed, shrugs. “Technically, it landed in Dad’s glass.”

You try to hold back a laugh as Quinn pulls out a chair for you, but the moment you sit, you realize something is… off. The seat wobbles, just enough to be noticeable, and before you can react, one of the legs gives way entirely.

“Shit—”

You barely manage to catch yourself before fully hitting the ground. Quinn moves fast, steadying you before you can completely fall, but the damage is done. Luke is doubled over laughing, and Jack is wheezing so hard he can’t breathe.

“I—” Jack tries, but he’s laughing too hard to finish. “I swear—we didn’t—touch—that chair—”

Quinn glares at them before looking at you. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” you say, face burning as you straighten up. “Just my pride taking a hit.”

Ellen sighs. “That chair was wobbly this morning. I told you boys to fix it.”

Jack wipes a tear from his eye. “Well, now we know it was definitely broken.”

Dinner resumes, and for a few blessed minutes, everything is normal. The conversation flows, the food is delicious, and you almost forget about the earlier chaos.

Until Luke, in all his wisdom, decides he needs more steak sauce. He reaches across the table, miscalculating just how close his elbow is to your glass of wine.

The second the glass tips, it’s over.

Red wine splashes everywhere—your dress, the table, Quinn’s sleeve.

“Oh my God,” you exclaim, pushing back from the table as the cold liquid soaks into the fabric.

Luke freezes. “Oh—oh, shit. Oh, no—”

Ellen is already up, grabbing napkins. “Luke.” Her voice is the kind of exasperated that only comes from years of dealing with sons who can’t sit still. “Seriously?”

“I didn’t mean to!” Luke looks at you with pure panic. “I—I can fix this—”

Jack leans back, shaking his head. “Man, you just ruined her dress.”

“I know!” Luke groans, looking like he genuinely feels terrible. “I’ll—uh—I’ll pay for the dry cleaning.”

Quinn, who’s been silent through all of this, takes one look at you and then turns to Luke with the calmest voice imaginable.

“Get up.”

Luke blinks. “What?”

“Get. Up.”

There’s a long pause before Luke, sensing the very real possibility of Quinn throwing him into the lake, slowly pushes his chair back and stands.

Quinn doesn’t hesitate—he grabs Luke’s napkin and dabs at your dress, his brows furrowed in frustration. “I told you not to sit next to her.”

Luke throws his hands up. “How is this my fault?!”

Ellen sighs again. “Alright, alright, it’s just a little wine.” She turns to you. “Honey, let’s go see if we can salvage your dress.”

You follow her inside, but despite her best efforts, the stain refuses to come out.

You sigh, looking at Ellen through the mirror. “Ellen, I think it’s unsalvageable.”

She looks up at you, guilt evident on her face. “I’m so sorry, honey.”

You shake your head with a small smile. “It’s fine, really.”

When you return downstairs, Luke looks like a kicked puppy, eyes glued to the floor. Quinn scans your dress, his jaw tightening.

“Goddammit, Luke,” Quinn mutters.

You step beside him, nudging Luke lightly with your foot. “It’s fine, really,” you say softly.

Quinn exhales, rubbing his jaw before looking at you. “Come on. Let’s go for a walk.”

You blink at him. “Right now?”

“Yeah,” he says, his voice quieter now, more certain. “Right now.”

You hesitate, then nod. “Okay.”

The night air is crisp, carrying the scent of pine and the lingering warmth of the lake. The sound of crickets hums in the background as you and Quinn walk in comfortable silence, his fingers laced through yours. The chaos of dinner fades into the background, replaced by the rhythmic crunch of gravel beneath your feet.

“You okay?” you ask softly, glancing up at him.

Quinn exhales through his nose, a small smile tugging at his lips. “Yeah. Just… today didn’t go exactly how I planned.”

You squeeze his hand. “You had a plan?”

His smile grows slightly. “Believe it or not, yeah. Kind of.”

You smirk. “Well, that was your first mistake.”

He huffs a quiet laugh. “Tell me about it.”

You keep walking, but the farther you go, the more familiar the path becomes. It’s only when the trees thin, revealing a quiet clearing, that you realize where he’s leading you. Your steps slow as you take it in.

Strung between the branches, illuminated by the soft glow of the moon and the fairy lights Quinn must have set up earlier, are dozens of photos—memories captured and preserved in time.

Your breath catches as you step forward, reaching out to gently touch one of them. It’s a picture from your first hockey game together, noses nearly pressed together as you grinned at the camera. Another of you mid-laugh, eyes crinkled with joy. One from a lazy morning in bed, sunlight spilling across your tangled limbs.

Every single one tells your story.

You turn back to Quinn, your chest tight with emotion. “You did all this?”

He nods, rubbing the back of his neck. “Yeah. I—I wanted you to see what I see. Every time I look at you, it’s just… it’s all of this. Every moment, every memory, everything that makes us, us.”

Your eyes burn with unshed tears.

“I wanted everything to be perfect,” he continues, voice quiet but steady. “I had this whole idea in my head—this big, perfect moment. The dinner, the dress, the way tonight was supposed to go.” He shakes his head, laughing under his breath. “And then Luke knocked wine all over you, and Jack wouldn’t stop chirping, and everything kind of fell apart.”

You smile, tilting your head. “Sounds about right.”

Quinn looks at you, his blue eyes searching yours. “Yeah. But then I realized… this is perfect.” He lets out a small, breathy laugh, almost like he’s realizing it in real time. “The chaos, the interruptions, the fact that nothing ever goes exactly how we plan it. That’s us. That’s our life.”

Your breath catches slightly.

He takes a deep breath, then lets go of one of your hands, reaching into his pocket. And suddenly, he’s kneeling before you, a small velvet box in his palm, slightly illuminated by the moonlight.

“I don’t need the perfect moment,” he says, looking up at you. “I just need you.”

Your heart pounds, your vision blurring as you try to take in everything at once—the way he’s looking at you, the way his fingers tremble just slightly around the box, the way the entire world feels like it’s tilting on its axis.

“Marry me?” he asks, voice soft but sure.

You let out a shaky breath, a laugh breaking through the tears already forming in your eyes. “Quinn, of course I’ll marry you.”

A breath of relief escapes him before he grins—grins in that rare, open way he only does when he’s truly happy. He stands quickly, slipping the ring onto your finger before wrapping his arms around you, holding you close.

You bury your face in his shoulder, laughing through your tears. “God, I love you.”

His grip tightens around you, his voice warm against your ear. “Love you more.”

By the time you and Quinn make it back, hand in hand, the Hughes family is waiting—Jack and Luke perched on the couch, Jim leaning against the counter, and Ellen practically bouncing in place.

Jack spots the ring first. “Oh my god—”

Ellen claps her hands together, her eyes shining. “You said yes?”

You hold up your hand, and the room erupts.

Jack groans dramatically, flopping back onto the couch. “I can’t believe this. Quinn won at life.”

Jim claps Quinn on the shoulder with a proud nod, and Ellen pulls you into a tight hug, murmuring how happy she is for you both.

Luke hangs back, hands shoved in his pockets, his eyes darting toward you before dropping to the floor. His face is tight, like he’s been debating something in his head.

You don’t give him the chance to overthink it. Without a word, you step toward him and wrap your arms around his shoulders, pulling him into a hug.

Luke stiffens in surprise before slowly relaxing, exhaling a breath. “I—I really didn’t mean to ruin your dress,” he mumbles, voice small.

You smile against his shoulder. “I know, Luke. It’s just a dress.”

He hesitates before hugging you back, his grip a little tight, like he’s still worried about the whole thing. “I felt really bad.”

You pull back just enough to look at him. “Well, you can make it up to me by giving a really good speech at the wedding.”

His eyes widen. “Wait—I can do a speech?”

Quinn sighs, but there’s no real annoyance behind it. “I never said that.”

Luke smirks. “You didn’t have to.”

Jack groans. “Oh god, this is gonna be unbearable.”

Quinn shakes his head, pulling you back to his side. “I should’ve proposed in private,” he mutters under his breath.

You laugh, squeezing his hand. “Nah. This is perfect.”

And as the Hughes family falls into their usual rhythm of chirps and laughter, as Quinn’s hand tightens around yours, you know that nothing—no chaos, no spilled wine, no wobbly chairs—could have made this moment any better.

beachy’s notes: hello babes please please, please send me fic requests

[auroralwriting]

west coast finnick odair headcanons

part one can be found here!

i touched on this in part one, but i wanted to add more to the fact that finnick would be a marine biology major

he would probably spend all his time at the beach when he wasn't working or in school

he's great with ocean animals, but he's also really good with knowledge about the sea itself

"did you know there's enough salt in the ocean to cover the whole planet?"

"actually, no, finn. that's really cool."

he's a strawberry ice cream fanatic

he strikes me as the kind of guy to get ice cream no matter what. a celebration, boredom, a way to hang out with friends

and he always gets strawberry

he would love storms

the way the clouds roll over the ocean, the smell of the rain in the air, the sound of rain

it's even better when it's just a shower with no lightning and he can go outside in it

you'd better believe he'd be dragging you with him, too

"finn, i'm gonna get wet!"

"that's the point, honey! dance with me!"

he has a golden retriever

i imagine its name is something sea related. sailor, triton, caspion. those sorts of names

said dog would go with finnick to the beach all the time

finnick brings a ball or a frisbee and throws it as far as he can and the dog would bring it right back. they could probably do this for hours upon hours

rosie would be his little stay-at-home queen dog. not the beach kind, buta great cuddle kind

when he was a kid he probably played mermaids

would binge any sorts of beachy-ocean themed shows and movies

golden hour is his favorite part of the day

worked a part time job at some point teaching kids how to swim

he would be sooo good with kids, so it isn't surprising that he would be a swim instructor

probably also was a competitive surfer as a teenager

bonfires on the beach every night

"you look bored."

"i'm.. reading?"

"well, you should read by a bonfire."

"... only if you make s'mores."

"that was already going to happen, love."

he probably naturally smells like sun and saltwater, but i imagine his shampoo and conditioner to smell like coconuts

he doesn't like still water

finnick has no good answer for that one. it's creepy, unnatural, whatever

trails sand into the house, but you never mind cleaning it

he's always up before the sun but only goes to sleep when the moon is high in the sky

a polaroid boy at heart!

he takes a lot of polaroids of beautiful things, especially you. you in the ocean, you on the couch, you sunbathing, you with his dogs, you eating ice cream

he's probably got a box full of pictures of just you

"finn, the sea looks so much better than me, right now."

"that's not true!"

"i have seaweed in my hair."

"... and it brings out the color in your eyes."

i feel like for a while, when he was a kid, his family moved somewhere east

maybe midwest even

he hated it. the only reason they moved back six months later was because finnick was utterly miserable and it made everyone else miserable

[moon-and-candlelight-0501]

Five Times Daisuke Didn’t Fall for her Touch (and the one time he did)

Daisuke x Reader | NSFW!! | ooc | Reader is AFAB and uses She/Her | Friends with Benefits | Plot HEAVY | Car sex | P in V | Cunnilingus | Inexperienced Daisuke (lol) | Blowjobs | Handjobs | Cum mention (?) | Dirty talk if you SQUINT (not rlly though) | Weed | Sex under the influence (weed) | Kissing/making out | Swearing | Implied Art Student!Daisuke | Alchohol mentioned | The curtains are NOT just blue | Angsty

A/N: The warnings make this look so much scarier than it is lol I promise this is VERY vanilla. Yeahhh these were supposed to be just a couple smutshots but I got way too into the story. I’m a sucker for fwb.

story is supposed to have a kind of beachy setting, but picture it as you will.

Wc: 4.3k

One - Remembering the important things. Such as (but not limited to): Dates, places, names, articles of clothing, jewelry, words that were distorted by pleasure

He had met her at a party, or she was watching from the sidelines of the baseball field. Actually, it might have been through a mutual friend on instagram. Whatever, whenever, wherever it had been, he knew he wanted her.

He knew he wanted her when her tanlines peaked out from the green halter-top she wore (or maybe it had been orange?)

He knew she wanted him when her fingers ghosted over his for longer than needed— just to pass a water bottle, or something of the sort. Her fingers left dripping condensation on the coke or sprite bottle, and Daisuke knew she wanted his warmth too.

Daisuke’s assumptions were proven correct when she pulled him into her apartment to “make a change of clothes”, and in all fairness they do technically get halfway there by the time they reach her unmade bed. [Name] is mumbling apologies into his lips — something about her strewn clothes across the room — but Daisuke is feeling much too hot and bothered to care or even notice.

They needed to meet their friends at a bar in an hour, but the way they got down you’d think they were already running thirty minutes late. He couldn’t help it (he also couldn’t deny that he wanted nothing more than to spend hours exploring every inch of [Name]’s sun-kissed skin), they only had so much time together and he needed to get off, like, now (and, fuck, she’s so warm. Maybe it’s the high temperatures, but whatever it is, it’s getting him there fast).

“Shit. you’re tight. Fuckkk, g’na cum quick”

“Dai, pull out-”

And he does nothing less than to oblige immediately. He finishes himself with his hand, cursing under his breath as he does so. When he looks back towards [Name]’s bed, she’s looking straight through him whilst leaning back against her forearms.

“You uh… you didn’t like, finish, huh?” Daisuke asks softly.

“Nah, but you’re good. I don’t have to- shit!”

He’s on his knees faster than she can register it, gently spreading [Name]’s legs apart for easier access.

He’s far from experienced, tongue only just missing her clit every time he ran it up and down. [Name] is quick to guide his head though, right over where she needs him.

Experience he didn’t have, and it was evident, but eagerness? That he did. And it was working for [Name].

Lost in pleasure, [Name] didn’t even notice his hand tracing its way under her thigh and towards her entrance. He slipped a finger in, moaning softly at the warmth he had missed. [Name] on the other hand was practically singing for him, choking out moans into the back of her hand when he slipped another finger in.

“Fuck! fuck, fuck, fuck…”

He snaked his unoccupied arm under [Name’s] thigh, pushing it up and allowing him to hit new spots inside her. His choices were met with the sweet reward of her gasps, followed by barely coherent words.

“Shit Dai, keep doing- keep doing that… oh my god… don’t change anything jus- just keep doing that.”

When she finished with a squeal, Daisuke pulled away quickly, giving [Name] some space to cool off. Wordlessly, she sat up and scanned the messy bedroom while Daisuke collected himself, shoving his cargo shorts and t-shirt over his body.

“m’gonna change before we leave” [Name] finally stands up, snatching an orange floral bikini and some mini shorts on her way to her bathroom.

It’s a small apartment, and Daisuke finds that simply stepping outside of the room, he is met with her living room that he had not had the time to appreciate earlier. It wasn’t an eyesore or anything, but it definitely had personality that he was too busy (for lack of a better word) earlier to notice before. A large cork board with photos of [Name] and friends, more clothes scattered over the sofa (He’s starting to add up that [Name] is very picky about her outfits), an ashtray in the shape of a sun resting atop a dark oak side table. On the table, there's what seems to be the first strokes of green paint over it, as if she had started the project but ultimately decided it wasn’t worth the time. His analyzing is interrupted by [Name] finally leaving her bedroom, now in a pink and orange striped tank-top and light-blue jean skirt.

“You have a nice apartment.” Those are the first words he says after having sex with her within less than eight hours of meeting?

“Uh… thanks? You ready to go?” [Name] asked, grabbing her keys and wallet off the less-than-half-painted side table.

When she takes the lead out the apartment, Daisuke pinches his nose bridge in embarrassment and shakes his head at his own words.

The walk to the beach bar was silent, Daisuke preferred listening to cars and bikes passing by, the birds flapping their wings, and music fading in and out as they strolled past different shops and restaurants. He was burning up, and couldn’t tell if it was because of the high UV or current situation he was in. Granted, it was a short walk. Before he could reach to open the bar doors, [Name] reached for his wrist.

“Daisuke, we’re, like, cool? I mean, it was a nice time but I don’t want to make anything weird or… different… we’re cool?”

Her warm fingers were still on his skin, no different than before. So, Daisuke pulled his hand away from hers and gave her a thumbs-up with a smile.

Two - Following Alcohol Runs and Nicknames, Fogged up Windows are to be Expected

In his cheap Toyota, they have cheaper small talk. The weather, school shopping, all the works. Daisuke hopes that [Name] doesn’t notice the soda stains on his gray microfiber seats, or the smell of weed disguised by his “Caribbean Colada” scented tree hanging from the rearview mirror.

“Dai.” [Name] breaks the silence, and Daisuke freezes up in the driver's seat. “I’m glad I saw you tonight. It’s been a while, I was starting to miss you.”

It’s not like he was trying to avoid her. As the summer died down, the memory of that end-of-June (maybe it was early July?) afternoon did too. Different one-night-stands and complicated almost-somethings made that day seem to just be another drop in the pile of summer flings building for the both of them.

“Shit.” It’s like something snapped in him, Daisuke makes a quick turn behind a Walmart that had already closed for the night. He parked in the middle of the large space, and immediately rested his head against the steering wheel, eyes shut. “Uh, Dai?” [Name] called, but he only groaned against the steering wheel and ran a hand through his dyed hair, “fuckkkk”

“Daisuke. You’re freaking me out a bit.”

He mumbled a few more curses under his breath before raising his head to look at her with those deep brown eyes. Even in the dark lighting [Name] looked so hot. Yeah, she had opted for a zip up hoodie, but by now it had fallen off her shoulders, and Daisuke noticed the very low cut purple tank top she wore under.

“M’sorry” He said against the steering wheel.

“For what?” [Name] leveled her face to meet his eyes.

“Nothing was supposed to be different. It’s just, I dunno. You said my name, and like, everyone calls me Dai, but you just say it some type of way. Fuck. I’m sorry.”

By now Daisuke had turned away from her, but [Name] knew what he was feeling. He got fucking turned on from her saying his name. Well, his nickname. And in all fairness, she understands. The only time she had ever called him “Dai” was when he was between her legs.

Well, she thinks, they’re behind a Walmart after-hours, it’s dark, and no one’s around anyways. What’s another sexual encounter before school starts?

Daisuke felt a hand gliding up his thigh, and he whipped his head around to face [Name].

“I think I need to return the favor from last time” She did her best to speak seductively, but had to bite back a cringe at the fake voice. For Daisuke though, he was way too into it to care.

“What do you mean?” He has to resist the urge to hit himself on the head for this question, but [Name] just chuckles and shifts her body to face him from the passenger seat.

“Dai, just put the seat back.”

Deciding it’s best to not speak, he listens and lies back against the seat, waiting for [Name] to make her move.

“So pretty, you know that?” She praises him as her palm only ghosts over the denim covering his bulge. Daisuke let out a shaky breath, and [Name] decided they really didn’t have any time for teasing. With Daisuke’s help, his jeans and boxers were pulled down in a blur, and [Name] grasped his cock from the base, gently of course. As she leaned over the console, she gingerly kissed his tip and was rewarded with a strewn moan from Daisuke— who was clearly very sensitive, judging by how quickly pre had collected on his tip. [Name] doesn’t waste any more time and takes all that she can of him in her mouth. Daisuke swears he’s died and gone to heaven, completely lost in bliss.

“Fuck, [Name], you’re so good. Feel so good. God, just like that, you’re so good. So pretty.”

He doesn’t say it, but [Name] could feel Daisuke twitching in her mouth and knew that he was about to finish, so she pulled off and looked at his wrecked face. He had a hand tangled in his own hair, mouth open and eyes screwed shut as he whined out, “No, no no.”

He looked almost betrayed at her, eyes glossy like he was about to cry. “Why’d you stop?”

[Name] only chuckled and pressed his chest down onto the carseat, crawling over his legs and going in to kiss him, “Close your eyes, Daisuke.”

The kiss was anything but slow, Daisuke nearly shoving his tongue into her mouth and whimpering against her lips. He only pulled away to moan when her hand found its way back to his cock, stroking him softly. His hips bucked up into her hand, causing her to bounce, giving Daisuke a nice view of [Name]’s tits in that low cut tank.

[Name] sped up her strokes, and Daisuke was practically arching into her touch, the only word he could repeat was “Please, please, please, please.”

When he finally came, most of it dribbled down to his thighs, but a particularly far shot splashed onto [Name]’s tank top, causing Daisuke to ramble apologies as he was still coming because she was still working him through it. when all calmed, [Name] slipped back into her seat and properly zipped her hoodie up.

Daisuke also got himself decent, and they both just sat in the heat of the car.

“Your windows fogged up.”

“Yeah…” He scratches the back of his head in embarrassment

“Nothing's different right?”

And this time, Daisuke was confident in his words,

“Nothings different.”

Three - Ashtray is Put to Good Use (And so is an Art Major)

“Shit, Dai.”

[Name] had her bare back draped over the arm of her couch, the cool leather sending shivers down her spine. Daisuke was above, her waist in his grasp as he placed open mouth kisses trailing from her collarbone down to her abdomen.

“Who taught you about foreplay?” She chuckled and reached for the sun-shaped ashtray on the side table behind her, pinching a near burnt-out blunt between her fingers.

“I’ve gotten some experience in since last time” Daisuke mumbled against her skin, and looked up at her with a coy smile. [Name] rolled her eyes and blew smoke towards him, to which he responded by pressing two fingers against her core through her lounge shorts.

“Fuck.”

Normally she would never be this sensitive, but the weed and the way she was practically on display for him made every nerve spark ten times brighter everywhere his touch lingered.

It was Thanksgiving break, and [Name] had a fat blunt that might as well have been rolled to share. All friends were home or on their way home, except for Daisuke.

It’s not like he didn’t miss his parents, but maybe he didn’t dwell too hard at the first google search revealing that there were no flights home available. Maybe another month to prepare before dealing with the inevitable questions about his future, followed by food being shoved in his face, wasn’t the worst thing to happen.

Not when he could be here instead, between [Name]’s legs. And when she unravels while calling out for him, fingers gripping harshly onto his grown-out roots, for a moment everything is just the same as the first time he went down on her, his head is void of deadlines and applications.

“Damn. Definitely better than the last time.” She teased while pulling up her bottoms, as Daisuke leaned over her to take a last drag from the joint. He hovered for a moment, before she guided his jaw towards hers and spread it slightly to shotgun the smoke. When he pulled away, [Name] tapped his chest lightly, as to signal that he give her some room to sit up, “Thanks.”

“I mean, it wasn’t for you…”

“Hey not that this wasn’t great, but are we gonna keep taking turns going down on eachother or are we actually gonna fuck again at some point?” [Name] disregarded his statement, and Daisuke scoffed before sitting back comfortably against the couch,

“I mean I would. But I’m like actually hungry. Munchies, man.”

[Name] rolled her eyes and grabbed a t-shirt off the floor, making her way to the kitchen (it was only on his way home the next morning that Daisuke realized it was his t-shirt she had picked up, and forgotten to return, resulting in an awkward shirtless drive in the middle of November)

“Not that your decor isn’t great or anything, but your side table kind of throws it all off.” Daisuke chatted to her from the couch.

“Eh, I didn't see the point in finishing it. Didn’t have the right supplies, or patience to see it through. Like you said, great decor.”

“You have the paint still?”

“Yeah, Why? Gonna put that Art Major to work?” [Name raised an eyebrow at him from the kitchen, as she grabbed a couple different varieties of chips.

“I dunno. Maybe.”

Four - Broken Heaters and Absent Roomates Aligned

“Thanks for letting me crash, Daisuke.” [Name] sighed, as she threw her duffel bag to the side somewhere beside his second-hand couch. Daisuke nodded, “Yeah of course. They said the freeze is supposed to be pretty bad. Wouldn’t want you sitting in your apartment with a busted heater.” Without words, [Name] acknowledged that any traces of roommates were missing. It was still only just after New Year’s, and Daisuke was clearly the only person who made a beeline to get back on campus.

1:25 AM, and [Name] had only managed an hour-or-so of sleep. She groaned and pulled the thin blanket Daisuke had oh-so graciously provided her with over her shoulders and made her way towards his bedroom.

Her fingers were shaking as she pushed the door open, she could just barely make out Daisuke’s sleeping silhouette, and the edge of his bed. Deciding she had little to lose, [Name] crawled into the bed and shook him by the shoulder slightly.

“Dai. Dai, wake up. Don’t freak out.”

She was only met with a groan, signaling that he was only slightly conscious. “I’m freezing out there, all you left me with is this thin-ass blanket,” she feigned sadness to get his attention.

“No one told you that you had to sleep out there.” He muttered into his pillow.

“I was trying to be appropriate!” She can’t see it, but Daisuke raises an eyebrow at her remark, as if to say, ‘Seriously?’

“Look, my fingers are basically gonna freeze off”

“Let me see,” Daisuke takes her fingers into his grasp and thinks for a moment, “Feels the same.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Dunno. Your fingers are like, always warm. No different now.”

“Well I feel cold.”

“I know what’d warm you up” He rested his head on the palm of his hand to face her, trying to analyze her face with the little moonlight that hit her just right. She only smiled and lowered her voice,

“Are you serious?”

“If you are,” Daisuke let his head hit the pillow again, and sighed “I’m too tired to move though.”

“God, you’re such a tease. Here, roll over. I’ll get on top.”

Daisuke did as she asked and gave her a loopy smile when she climbed over him.

“So pretty like this.” He ran his hands up and down her clothed sides as she reached into his sleep shorts and gently pulled his length out.

[Name] began to softly stroke him, until he was hard enough to slip in. Daisuke was already huffing out and tightening his grip on her waist. She lifted herself up a bit to slip her bottoms off, and when Daisuke went to assist, his hand was met with thin silk.

“No shorts?” He chuckled and she playfully slapped his chest,

“Shut up. Are you ready?”

“Mhm.”

[Name] inhaled and sunk herself onto him slowly. Daisuke was groaning at every inch of her core that he felt. When her hips finally met his, [Name] gasped and entangled her fingers with his, pinned beside his head.

Yeah, the sex felt great. It always had. but the view Daisuke had right now, [Name]’s bottom lip caught between her teeth, hair in every direction. He thought she was more beautiful than any beach sunset, late night drive or joint shared between two lonely people. Here, in her oversized tee, was the most gorgeous work of art Daisuke had ever seen, sat on his dick.

When her hips started rocking to a steady pace, he brought her right hand to his lips and mumbled praises into her fingers.

“So good for me.”

“You’re gorgeous here.”

“Just like that, keep going.”

They finished at the same time. [Name] rolled onto her back beside him, still catching her breath. Daisuke turned his head to meet her eyes, but she wasn’t looking back.

“It’s different.”

“What do you mean?” She asked, slightly panicked.

“We’re at my place this time, you were on top, and you’re staying over. In my bed.”

“Yeah. In your navy blue sheets. Nice.”

“Do you feel different?” He pushed, but her eyes still wouldn’t meet his.

“You told me how I feel, Daisuke,” she sighed “the same, right?”

He nodded and looked back up at the ceiling,

“Warm.”

Five - Finding Comfort in Activities Other than Sex; Baking, Reading, Calling up a friend, Painting, etc.

The biting chill of winter had long dissipated, April showers had passed and May flowers were blooming as they do every year. Pinks, oranges, greens, they bloom before [Name]’s eyes, and it’s almost as beautiful as the days and nights spent with Daisuke.

Almost.

Finals season.

This afternoon pens are scattered around her living room floor, along with forgotten notebooks and sticky notes with words scribbled on that mean nothing to either of them, what matters is their connection, where they connect. Between each other's legs, on [Name]’s brown leather couch. The familiar summer breeze made for a sweaty study-session-turned-hookup, but [Name] is in her element. She’s almost too lost to notice the puffiness on Daisuke’s face, how his eyes are screwed shut, lips tucked in. Almost.

“Wait- Daisuke, stop.”

He halted any movements immediately, all hands off her skin. He was trying to catch his breath and search for any signs of discomfort on her face.

“Is it, um, are you-“

“Daisuke, are you crying?”

“You’re making this a bigger deal than it is, you could’ve at least let yourself finish”

The second [Name] saw the smallest tear pricking at his eyes, she pulled herself away from him immediately, and suggested that they both get decent.

“I couldn’t possibly in good conscience hook up with you when you’re clearly upset.” She explained, whilst handing him a coke and taking a seat next to him. Daisuke muttered just a small ‘Thank you’, opened it, and took a drink immediately as if to show that he didn’t feel like furthering the conversation.

[Name] sighed and propped herself up on her palms, “If you don’t want to talk about it, that’s fine. But you’re more than just some fuck-buddie to me, okay? I’m not gonna send you home after you clearly had an emotional experience.”

Daisuke took another sip of coke.

“Hey, since we have the time, think you could finish painting my table for me?” She nudged him.

And paint he did. At some point Daisuke wondered how little patience [Name] must have to not complete such a project. Her side table was a standard square one, the hardest part being the wait between each coat of paint. On the third and final, Daisuke finally decided to speak up about the earlier situation,

“My mom got me an internship.”

[Name]’s eyes lit up, “Oh my god! Daisuke, that’s really awesome. Where at?”

Daisuke painted over the last small area that needed its final quote. As he put his brush down, he turned his body towards her,

“Space.”

She laughed.

One - No excuses.

July 27th.

The air was still sweetly sticky with Summer, every fan unit blowing in [Name]’s apartment.

Today, there was no meetup to attend. No late night convenience store runs, no smoke to share, no broken AC unit, and no finals to pretend to study for. There wasn’t an excuse, just an “I’ll be there in 10” text. [Name] dressed herself up without knowing why. It’s another outfit that will be thrown on the floor the moment that boy walks through the front door. She glossed her lips, and rolled her lashes with mascara, but she knew that the gloss would be kissed off within the hour, and she has to hope that the mascara won’t run by the end of the night.

Without much surprise, no words are exchanged when he walks into her apartment. In fact, the door isn’t even closed before her lips are on his. It’s messy. As a matter of fact, she might have missed his lips the first time because pink lipgloss smudged against his cheek, but neither of them seemed to notice.

When they make it to her bed, all clothes are off. Daisuke pressed his lips against her neck as he lined himself up with her. When he pressed in, he started off with strings of praises. But the closer he was to finishing, his words began to sound like whispers of goodbyes.

“I’m gonna miss you, fuck, so much.”

It was slow, and careful, and nothing like the first time. And when he kissed her, it was like he was trying to make up for every individual day he would be gone on that goddamn ship.

“I love you.” Daisuke whined as he came with her. [Name] pretended like she didn’t hear.

They didn’t exchange words that night. Both of them took turns cleaning themselves in the bathroom, and then crawled into her queen bed. It’s not weird to hold a friend who you won’t see for a while, so that’s what they did.

Daisuke woke up first the next morning, [Name] still in his arms. The sunlight had already begun filtering in through her blinds, and it made her look majestic. He took this time for himself, to trace shapes on her bare back. To brush the hair from her face, and memorize her features. When she stirred awake, [Name] did her best to avoid eye contact, a common tactic she used in these situations. Surprisingly though, Daisuke believed this was his first time seeing her anywhere near bashful. He kissed the top of her head before speaking,

“It’s all different now.”

And [Name] almost winces. “It doesn’t have to be.”

Daisuke chuckled and pulled back from her a bit, “No, it’s different.”

“Why though?” [Name] sat up now. She was trying to salvage anything left of what they had. Trying to salvage the year they had, as if she could make it extend, and they could stay 22 forever.

“Because I don’t expect you to let life pass you by, waiting 382 days for your friend-with-benefits,” he explained, “but up there, It’s like I’ll be frozen where I am now. When I come back down, I’ll still feel 22. I’ll still want to leech off my parents and drop important things just to do stupid shit like painting a table.”

“It’s only a year.”

“A year that I will only be able to think about you the entire time. As long as I see the sun I’ll think of the summer I met you, and as long as I see the moon I’ll think of how you took me in my own car, or how you crawled into my bed that January night.”

Silence fell between the both of them now that there were no more words to say but goodbye. Leave it to Daisuke to find something else though,

“Why’d we do this anyways?” He asked, more directed towards himself than anything. Still, [Name] replied,

“Why’d I keep the side table I was never gonna paint?”

[writingmeraki]

ribs — a rafe cameron series.

i. and the ocean is still the same. disgustingly blue and terrifyingly deep.

❝ In which your cousin thought it was a great idea to basically deceive you and here you are, spending one month at Outer Banks. Perhaps, meeting new people could interest you more into the 'beach' lifestyle? Well then, only one way to find out.

pairing : richboy!rafe cameron x tourist/newbie!gn!reader, brief one-sided enemies to acquaintances to friends to lovers. genre : fluff, humour, angst, romance, friendship, coming of age, realisations and epiphanies, contemplations and questioning, summer seasonnn!! also ft. rest of the obx characters and ocs too! chapter warnings : cussing, nothing alarming in particular but lmk if i missed anything! not proofread. series inspo : ribs by lorde. | series playlist : here

w.c : 4.2k | NEXT

“Are you being serious right now?!” 

You turned to look at your cousin as you stepped out of the car, immediately regretting it the moment your feet dug deep into the hot sand. Hissing in annoyance at the feeling of sand between your toes, you glared at your now sheepish yet delighted cousin. 

 Joshua or as you preferred to call him Josh and sometimes Joshie, just to spite the hell out of him, rolled his eyes at your dramatic antics. 

“Oh come on, we got this one chance to spend a vacation finally out of our damned hometown, of course it should be a beachy one!”

“I’ll show you who the real bit-”

“Please, try to think of it!”

Sighing out, you shut the car door and leaned on it. The sun was blistering hot as you looked ahead. Goddamnit. You knew you should not have tried to get some shut eye in the car. Perhaps if you stayed awake then you’d know you were in fact, not heading towards the chilly mountains as you’d have thought you were and then you would have disagreed with Joshie and went by your own. 

But no, he just had to be the only person you happened to be great friends with throughout your life that stuck to you like he was somehow etched to your side by fate since you could speak.

Hearing movement, you saw him come and stand beside you, looking at you with that look. The one that would always manage to get something out of you exactly how he’d want.

“Come on! This is like the only summer ever that we’re getting this chance. Do you really want to spend summer,  a season meant for sunny beaches and the vibrant ocean, in the mountains?”

Scoffing at him, you clicked your tongue and spoke in a sharp tone, “You know damn well, how much I hate the beach! The ocean in itself! It’s all so…so cliche and honestly a little terrifying, the ocean is scary.” 

If someone else would have heard you, they would have probably mocked you, but Josh was the one who knew you, he knew everything and yet he went ahead and did this.

“Okay how about this, we make a deal?” You raised your eyebrows at him in question, wondering what sort of ideas must be running behind his cunning doe eyes. Doe eyes that seemed to always somehow make you do as he pleased if he just as much flashed them at you widely.

“One month here, in Kildare and the rest wherever you want, okay? Besides, I already rented us a villa with half of our allowance as deposit and uh…yeah it’d be a waste.” 

Face palming yourself, a groan slipped past your lips as you rubbed the bridge of your nose, “You-how-wow just wow. I am not sure whether to be even more pissed or honestly slightly impressed you planned this out so well.”

Looking up, you looked back at the view that raised up more emotions, falling more to the negative side than anything, and thought about it. 

It had been a while since you smelt that familiar signature aquatic scent, since you saw just how truly blue water could be, just how much the sand always seemed to find itself into each nook of your feet, making it impossible to remove it. 

It had been a while since…since everything.

Maybe this was another chance. 

“Fine. One month. I’m counting and by the end, we’re out.”

[ A few moments later ]

The villa turned out to be nothing like you’d expected.

In a way, it was way beyond your zero expectations and if you had any, it was also above that. Other than the fact it was nearer to the ocean than you’d have preferred, it was simply heaven on Earth. 

“You can take the bigger bedroom.”

“Yeah you don’t need to tell me that.”

Josh scoffed at you but smiled when he saw you looking around in amazement. He was glad you agreed more quickly to this than he thought you would have. He was worried you would have gone back home instead of even thinking of going somewhere else. 

Then again, you would have likely gone even here than be stuck in the summer back there.

“Are you sure this was like what, only half the money we have?” You touched the antique vase that laid in the middle of your bedroom hallway. It was a mix of indigo blue and white that made it look like those fancy artworks you’d seen in expensive stores.

“Yeah it was! But also, this is sort of a friend’s too.”

“You have friends? Well other than me of course.”

“I do and also fuck you.”

Grinning in victory, you tugged your luggage to the front of your new temporary bedroom.

“Well, I am sorry “Mr.I can’t socialize for the life of me” I didn’t exactly think you’d have such friends, not ones who owned such villas at least.”

“Technically, it’s not hers but her father’s. She sort of hooked me up with the discounted rent.” 

Opening the door to your bedroom, you wondered if your jaw could drop any lower as your eyes took in the closest you’d ever get to living in an actual bedroom straight out of a magazine room in front of you. Oh wait, you were going to live in this! Only for a month, but it counted!

The large bed in the middle had the prettiest shade of blue sheets, with the same on the curtains that covered a large window which looked out into the sea. There were even those cool sitting arrangements in the far left before the window, with the two white sofa chairs and marble table between with a golden showpiece on top. You thought those only existed in rich people’s life but this seemed like your life for once. 

“Her?” Your brain snapped back to your cousin’s voice as you threw your luggage, a little carelessly to the side, and turned towards him.

He looked at you weirdly as he stood at your door, and raised an eyebrow in question at your tone.

“Yeah ‘her’, her as in Sarah, Sarah Cameron.” You still looked at him skeptically and asked,

“Well this Sarah…she’s real right?” Your voice carried mockery and you tried not to laugh. Even more so at the offended look on his face.

“Yes! She’s real, I- I can’t believe you’d think I’m making someone up-”

“My bad dude, your rep isn’t exactly again, the socializing kind let alone the romantic kind-”

“Sarah is just a friend!”

Raising your hands in defense, you gave up, “Jeez alright, alright!” 

He didn’t believe your words, he knew you and knew you were still doubting him.

“And I know your ass still doesn’t believe me but tonight you can meet her, there’s this bonfire party thing by the beach she told me that’s like a basic norm here, she invited me.”

“Great, have fun then.”

“And you as well.”

Your attention had gone back to your suitcase as you laid it down and opened it to find clothes that would help you rot away for the rest of the day because you were already drained, but upon hearing Josh’s last words, your head snapped towards him again.

“Me? Oh, oh no no no, I can’t- I don’t have the energy to function let alone socialize like a proper human being for today.” 

It was serious for you, with the whole fiasco of finding out your entire trip was a sabotage to the way the smell of the sea didn’t seem to comfort you but make you want to throw up every few moments with the thoughts you were having, it was draining. 

“Listen, we’re staying here for practically a month, if we familiarize ourselves, at least we can make the best of it from people who live here!” 

Deadpanning him, you went through the options in your head. In the end even though it was beginning to feel like this trip was more fun for your cousin than you, you reluctantly agreed. 

“I didn’t even pack suitable clothing for this type of place, see this is why you should have just told me beforehand!” Resorting to arranging your clothes, you retorted in annoyance when you thought of how all you had were clothes meant for cold weather and barely anything loose meant for such places. 

“I’ll ask Sarah to lend you some after we meet her?”

“And are you sure this ‘friend’ of yours will agree?”

“She will, she’s pretty sweet you know, give her a chance.”

Eyeing the look he had on his face when he talked about his ‘friend’, you realized there was definitely more to it than he said, but you wouldn’t intrude more than needed.

Finally, you found some suitable-ish attire for the night, it was still a bit on the warmer side but you figured you’d just avoid going in the general area of the bonfire so as to not end up overheating. 

“Fine, we’ll see.”

[ time skip to the night ]

It was not like you had any expectations but certainly it wasn’t this. 

This bonfire party was more lively than you thought, everyone chatting around, drinking concerning levels of alcohol and overall having probably the greatest time that would become a core memory for their future selves. 

You on the other hand?

The moment you saw where it was situated, you just stayed just at the back, not even wanting to go near the fire nor the sea. 

However, at night, you will admit the sea looked different. The moonlight reflecting on parts of it made it seem like a black sky full of twinkling stars. It felt less…less scary to think of it like that. But you know it was an endless void that could quite literally suck you up, never to be found again. 

“Come on,there she is!” Josh waved over someone and your attention turned to her. 

Your jaw slightly dropped but you kept it cool even though you definitely had a look of disbelief.

Her blonde hair flowed freely from the slight breeze that passed by, and her eyes seemed to spark from the reflection of the fire. Her face itself seemed lit up and you could tell, it was just how she probably was. A bright person. She was simply put in one word,beautiful. 

“Since when the fuck did you have such pretty friends and why do I not know about it-”

“Shut up.”

You were whispering to Josh as you continued to look at her, her smile also seeming to put you in a trance. She finally stood in front of you, you noticed she was shorter than you both. 

“Hey! You made it!” You already knew her name, Sarah said enthusiastically as her eyes darted between you both. 

“We just came a while ago, and oh also-, Sarah this is my cousin Y/N, the one I told you about and Y/N, this is Sarah.”

You did not know what to say so you just muttered out, “Nice to meet you.” and awkwardly smiled with a small wave of your hand.

A wave?? Who the fuck waves???

Internally, you hated how your social side basically had decided to ditch you. Normally, you would be able to make conversation easily but it seemed that it malfunctioned when you were surrounded by pretty people.

Josh snorted at your behavior and raised an eyebrow at you while Sarah’s smile seemed to have gotten impossibly wider. You swore your heart skipped a beat. 

 “Nice to meet you too! Joshua’s told me a lot about you!” 

“Good things I’m assuming.” You finally spoke normally, your voice finding its way back to your mouth.

She laughed at that, and you really wondered if you could be almost smitten by someone in the first few minutes of meeting them but you felt a small smile tug up your lips. 

“My friends are just around here and also feel free to have anything! In fact, some of my friends are helping out with the drinks and stuff, I’ll take you there.” 

Before you could even give an answer she turned around and began to walk towards the main area. Joshua began to follow the same but you stayed glued to your spot, your gaze shifting to the bigger background. It wasn’t like you could avoid it forever anyway.

You nodded at him to continue as you slowly began to follow. 

Turns out, pretty people came along with even more pretty people. They were like a package it seemed. Because the rest of Sarah’s friends were on that scale. 

There was John B with his messy hair, sun-tanned skin and freckles that was the definition of the typical island boy. Then there was Kiara, who was just as pretty with her warm gaze and smile, her curls seeming to have a direction of their own as they moved around her face from the breeze. Then Pope, whose eyes seemed to scrutinize you and a jawline you could probably cut your finger on and the fact that he was smart too? Cherry on top. 

JJ Maybank. He was something alright. His demeanor in itself was laid back but he was just as mesmerizing. His blue eyes seemed bluer than the sky in the day and just as bright as the ocean at the same time. He made you even more nervous than you thought you could get. And he was just as charming, slipping in compliments that made your face even warmer than the alcohol was making you feel.

It seemed this island was where all unrealistically attractive people stayed. 

But all the socializing that you’d done was making you even more tired, plus the unhealthy amount of ‘punch’ you’d downed along with beer did not help. Your senses appeared to have heightened and everything was overwhelming, your tolerance for being close to the one thing you despised thinning. 

“I-I’m just gonna go there for sometime, I-i need to breathe a bit.” You pointed to Josh as you poked his side to a place you could that was further from the sea but had rocks you could sit on. It was a good distance. 

“You alright?” Another voice came from your side and you’d forgotten how JJ was sitting to your right. You nodded at him as you stood up.

“‘M good. Just- just need some air.” His blue eyes shone with concern. Even if he’d only met you a while ago, it was like you’d taken his attention from then. He couldn’t quite figure out why but hey maybe he’d find out eventually. 

He decided not to follow you, so as to not overstep any boundaries considering you’d just met. The rest of the group were talking around, while Joshua also nodded at you in understanding when you glanced at him.

Stepping away, you stretched your body a bit, not realizing you’d been sitting around for so long in the same place and just talking. It was indeed true that time passed by when you were lost in fun. 

As you walked away, you noticed a figure sitting there already, wondering how you didn’t see them before but probably due to the darkness and the distance, they weren’t visible. You paused in your steps, contemplating if it was a good idea to go there when it is clearly pre-occupied. 

In the end, you just shrugged and continued your way, figuring there was enough space for another. 

The sound of sand crunching beneath feet snapped Rafe out of his daze as it shifted from the scene in front of him to where the sound came from. 

You froze when his eyes landed on you. 

From the way the moonlight shone, he wasn’t very visible but it was enough to give you a glimpse of the person in front of you. And if you thought you couldn’t be more surprised at how attractive everyone around here seemed to be, well you were proven wrong.

He had a surreal beauty, with piercing eyes that seemed to captivate you. His hair fell effortlessly and just like the others, the breeze seemed to tousle it around and framed his face in a way that was both perfectly tousled and impossibly neat with strands framing his forehead.  His features were sculpted with an almost ethereal precision, being highlighted by the moonlight : high cheekbones, a strong, straight nose, and a jawline that looked like it was carved from marble. He was the kind of pretty that didn’t quite seem real, as if he’d stepped out of a painting.

Yet what interested you most was the emotions that shone in his eyes. He appeared to be more annoyed than surprised along with another one you couldn’t quite understand and you really wished you didn’t assume it was right to come there. 

“Uh…can I like, sit here, if you don’t mind…?” Asking it felt sort of stupid, wondering if you were really going to go ahead and annoy this pretty guy even more. And even though his face didn’t twist in anyway, his eyes told everything as if they couldn’t hide his true emotions. 

He contemplated. For one, he came to that place to distance himself from others, making sure to choose a spot no one would easily find him at because it was as though everyone just wanted his attention, his presence everywhere and it got too much. 

Then again, another part of him was curious. He didn’t think he’d ever seen you anywhere. And Rafe Cameron, for all of him, didn’t like not knowing. 

Nodding, he turned his head back to the scene in front of him as he folded his arms above his propped knees. You seemed skeptical, but again, just followed your instinct and thought what harm could possibly be done anyway. You just hoped he didn’t turn out to be some serial killer. Otherwise it was probably okay. 

Sitting with a good distance from him, you looked in front of you. It was a nice scene, the night ocean really did seem more…better. In the day, it was disgustingly blue and all the more made you truly think about how deep it was. Then your eyes wandered a bit to the boy beside you, his body language intriguing you, more specifically his gaze that made him seem blanked out.

“You look like you’re more miserable than I am, right now.” Sometimes, the filter you had on your mouth momentarily disappeared even more so when you’ve had a little more to consume than you can handle. 

Rafe’s attention shifted to you fully, even though he was paying attention to you from the corner of his eye. He frowned a bit at your words, brows in creasing as well. You thought about the hell someone could do that and still manage to look attractive. 

Scoffing as he registered your words, he muttered under his breath, “Of course, another annoyance.”

“Hey! I wasn’t trying to be mean or anything, ‘just-just trying to make small talk or something.”

“Well I don’t want small talk, I didn’t come here for that.”

His tone and words shut you right up. You blinked at him in disbelief, but realizing what exactly did you expect from a stranger, plus your words were very…something. His attention on you made you even more nervous, feeling warm even more than the alcohol and clothes made you feel. 

“...my bad. I didn’t mean to say that.” You apologized and looked away, deciding if he didn’t want to be bothered, you would not even look at his way. You turned around, away from him creating further a distance and now faced completely away.  

It was silly to feel hurt but then again, your usual emotions were completely botched by the liquor in your bloodstream. You would punch yourself in the morning when you realize the level of idiocy you had the previous night. 

It was idiotic of him to feel a tinge of guilt as he heard your words. For fuck’s sake he didn’t even know you, he wasn’t the sort to feel sorry for people he knew let alone a damn stranger. 

Sighing out, he spoke a little loudly over the sound of waves to make sure you’d hear, “I-well yeah I do feel miserable, you’re right about that.” 

His voice was clear, considering you weren’t too far. You thought over if you should even reply to him after his…rudeness but hey, what’s another possible bad decision added to the already questionable ones?

Looking at him, you scoffed, “I think that’s obvious.” 

The way you said it, almost made him feel less miserable than he was, his lip twitching as he turned his eyes from you. 

“Sooo…fight with your girlfriend?” You wanted to throw yourself in the ocean…you just met the guy and you’re already asking personal questions as if you were friends. This is why you need to talk with people more and improve your people-talking skills. You failed to notice the guy next to you looking at you in amusement as he finally let himself smile for a brief second.

Wincing, you choked out, “Yeah no. Uhm you-you don’t have to answer, I don’t know why I asked that, sorry I tend to not know what to say and when to say and just yeah I’ll uh- I’ll shut up now.”

When you suddenly heard the sound of a chuckle, your eyes widened when your gaze met the sight of where it came from, Rafe just shook his head and spoke with amusement, “I can tell you aren’t much of talker.”

You couldn’t even look offended when he said that because you knew it was right so you just shrugged and agreed, “I think now this is more obvious.”

When you heard him laugh a little at that, you couldn’t stop your own smile and the way your cheeks seemed to warm up. You were unsure if it was from what was in your system or was it him. You hoped it was the former because for everyone’s sake, you did not want to even go near what would imply otherwise.

“I’m Y/N.” Randomly saying it was awkward but it made you realize you didn't even know his name. So throwing out yours like this was the only way you hoped would get him to say his.

“Rafe, Rafe…Cameron.” You turned your head in knowing towards him, the name familiar to you.

“Wait Cameron as in Sarah Cameron right? Is she related to you? You couldn’t quite make out his expression but it was as if a thought hit him and it instantly fell down. Of course, you’d somehow know his sister.

“Yeah, she’s my sister…unfortunately.” The last word was more of a mumble and you couldn’t hear it but upon knowing she was his sister, you raised your eyebrows in wonder.

They definitely did look the part of being highly attractive.

“Well it was nice to meet you Rafe, but I think I should call it a night before I eventually embarrass myself even more by passing out here.”

For Rafe, it had been a while since he’d heard someone feel nice to meet him, even though he knew you were a little out of it, he couldn’t help but let the smile on his face fully show.

Maybe he could forget why he came there in the first place for the brief moment, even if he’d have to face it soon enough.

“Are you sure you can handle yourself?”

“Pfft, you don’t know me Rafe, I’m perfectly capable of handling myself-”

With those famous last words, you stumbled as you stood up, nearly falling over because you forgot you have to balance your weight on both legs.

Following a concerned and amused look from him that you chose to ignore, also ignoring the fact that he now stood up and was closer, making you realise just how much taller he actually was compared to you, you cleared your throat as you finally stood straight.

“See, I’m good.” Your smile was wobbly and your eyes even more glossy, which only made you appear more sincere. It should not have affected him the way it did as his gaze met your own. 

And when he was closer than before, you could see the colour of them, bluer than you ever could imagine. Maybe even more than the very ocean you despised, yet somehow you could not manage to find that same distaste with his eyes. They were dreamy. 

Or it was just the beer, definitely the beer. You convinced yourself.

“Night. Rafe. Don’t be…miserable alone out here. You should head home soon.”

You miss the way he shook his head at you as you turned around and began walking back to the group. 

It wasn’t often that there was someone intriguing to catch his attention right from the beginning, so to say the least, Rafe Cameron was more than intrigued. 

And you for the hate of all things marine, could not get his deeper than the ocean blue eyes out of your mind. 

Perhaps, a second meeting would set you right.

a/n : well this is finally out!! i want to start of by saying i have been putting this aside for way too long and i still do feel like this could have been better but again it's an intro, so hopefully it makes sense. and yes reader's hate for the ocean is sorta...self indulgent i suppose. i mean i'm more terrified than disgusted but anyways, i hope you aren't sick of all the ocean/beach/marine etc references ahaha and do let me know if you wanna be tagged for other parts? i'll be uploading them soon as i'm motivated to write for this atm :)

well as images and edits (unless credited) belong to pri. do not plagiarise, repost, re-edit or claim as yours. pics mostly found on pinterest.

writingmeraki Ⓒ 2024

feedback is always appreciated 💌 ! links : main navi ! | obx masterlist | info !

[hometoursandotherstuff]

Very bright and colorful 2007 Albuquerque, NM home. 4bds, 5ba, 3,800 sq ft, $1.275m.

Look at the architectural feature and floor. This is different.

All sorts of cut-out walls. It's so interesting.

The kitchen is right next to the living room and it's open, but not extremely open concept. I prefer a less open floorplan.

The kitchen is so bright. Look at the sun reflecting off the appliances.

The dining room is thru an arch on the other side of the kitchen. Nice layout.

Then, there's a family/TV room that is carpeted to give it a warm feel.

And, look at this feature- a little bar/kitchenette with colorful tile counters.

Roomy guest powder room.

The primary bedroom has a beachy feel.

Large beach-themed ensuite.

This room is very large, too. It could be the primary bedroom if you want doors to the terrace.

Beautiful private terrace.

I like the laminate in the ensuite and the blue sinks. It's like a cornflower blue.

Large pantry and laundry room.

Big garage with an office. Looks like there's an auto repair shop in here.

This is very nice- a guest suite with a private entrance.

Covered patio with a full outdoor kitchen.

The hot tub is private and placed apart from the pool.

Look at the nice footbridge.

.89 acre lot.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/10504-Richfield-Ave-NE-Albuquerque-NM-89oo7122/87979462_zpid/

[forgetmenotnympho]

ₓ˚. ୭ ˚○◦˚.˚◦○˚ ୧ .˚ₓ

𐔌 . ⋮ hi ty .ᐟ ֹ ₊ ꒱

hiii hiii beachy black girl beachy black girl with blonde hair (literally me... once I dye my hair)

notes?ᐟ˙⋆✶ TW

rafe cameron x reader, needy!rafe, rafe x pearly!reader, comforting reader, angst, tw seeing/talking about scars, mentions of suicidal ideation, arguing

perspective?ᐟ˙⋆✶

second

𐔌 . ⋮ ty talks .ᐟ ֹ ₊ ꒱

a/n hi guys this is NOT done.. I'm really inpatient and wanted to post it so bad but I'll finish it and reblog when she's all done !!

ₓ˚. ୭ ˚○◦˚.˚◦○˚ ୧ .˚ₓ

you werent paying attention to him. how could you? you were sitting next to him on the bed, your legs cross nearly drowning in that navy blue sweater you stole from him. what were you doing? scrolling through your phone? unbelievable.

rafe sat there staring at you with his arms crossed and pouty. he was bored. he was feeling neglected. when you giggled at something on your glowing screen that's what made his skin itch. the young man shifted uncomfortably before he moved. his fingers trailed up your back, you hummed in response thinking he was going to say something, but he didn't. his hand rested on your side and he placed a soft kiss on your shoulder. one, then two, then three. kiss, kiss, kiss.

"hm!?" You grunt as his long fingers tangle in your curly blonde hair and quickly yank your head back. he stays there for a second before untangling his fingers just for you to turn back with an angry expression.

a flat "sorry," leaves his lips as his expression doesn't read much of anything.

"What was that for?"

"got curious," he raised his brows, shrugged lazily and waved his hands dismissively trying to defend himself, but also not at all. he just wanted you to look at him, and you were.

before he could say anything else, you scooted off the bed, your boy shorts riding up on your thighs and ass as you did so. "yer gonna mess up my hair." You grumble and turn to the full body mirror and leaned in close to assess the damage. rafe tilted his head, his eyes scanning over your body- well, what's visible. most of you is engulfed in that monstrous sweater. Your ankles were covered by those frilly white socks you loved so much but your thighs. Well, they were well within sight. he rolled out of the notical sheets and snaked his arms around your waist, squeezing your soft tummy after sliding his hands under the sweater.

you sucked your teeth in response to his wandering hands, your fingers carefully twirling through your honey blonde curls. you didn't mind rafe. he was tall, very wealthy, and pretty damn strong. but he had a temper. a scary mouth, and a bad habit or two. He was pretty though, real nice to look at, and when he was in a good mood he was pleasant company to keep. his steel blue eyes were intense, his hands were almost soft, his dirty blonde hair was sun bleached because he was always outside and very often smelled like weed and clean linen.

“rafe-” you gasped softly as he gripped onto your thigh and kissed your neck.

“don't worry, m'not gonna pull yer hair again,” he mumbled, his fingers digging into your thigh hungrily like some sort of threat.

“rafe- rafe what are you..?”

“pearly, shh look,” he points in the mirror, he's grabbing your thigh and angling it in the mirror. your shorts rode up too much. “What is that? hm?” His tone was just barely careful. more demanding than anything.

your silver bracelets hit against each other, sliding from underneath the deep sweater sleeves, you reached for his wrists and pulled him off of you. forcing him off of you and getting out of his hands that suddenly felt so grimy. “nothing rafe.” You tugged at the bottom of the white shorts fell back on the plush mattress with a heavy sigh. this was supposed to be a cute vacation for the two of you.

“pearl. what are those marks?”

his voice was so low. he didn't turn around, just watched your reflection in the mirror. how the sunlight streamed into the room through the thin curtains with the polite sea breeze. how he could see the tan on your legs, an inch or two below your lacey shorts being lighter than the rest of your legs. your curls thoughtfully maintained and… the pout that rested on your lips.

‘baby, you know I'm here for you, right? I know im… I can be a little shit, but you can talk to me about anything. S’why im here..”

‘I know” your dark eyes fell to your lap and didn't look up once even when you saw rafe facing you out of the corner of your eye.

“I know” He mocks “okay pearl if you know then fucking talk to me,”

“What? is it my fault? what's wrong with you?”

“nothing..”

“what?”

“nothing!”

nothing technically. nothing your medicated for, nothing that provided you with a prescription. no real rhyme or reason.

“What the fuck do you mean?? people don't just slice themselves open for nothin!”

this was counterproductive.

[richeeduvie]

Roman could and would want to give Baby an extra over the top ‘push present’

Imagine him so obsessed with he’s new born baby girl once the madness of her birth calms down, like he’s just holding her completely mesmerized and telling Baby he’s gonna get her an island.

Maybe, he’s not joking.

Island Time

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.

Roman's holding her like she's the world. But maybe that's the wrong reference. Roman doesn't think that highly of the world. He's holding her like she's the most beautiful thing the both of you have ever seen.

"If you do anything like what you did here - like claw your way out of Mommy, I'll get someone to chuck you. I wouldn't be able to do it myself."

And he stares. And stares. You smile, you don't think he ever takes his eyes off of her.

"M' gonna get you an island. Thrashy. Trashy."

"...What?"

"You did have a tiny, tiny...very small baby claw her way out of you and she's kinda perfect. So...you'll get an island. I'll figure it out later."

It's silence for a bit, just until his brows raise when your daughter makes a little noise before a yawn.

"You're so cute, you have Daddy speaking nonsense."

You mm when you kiss her tiny little head. Roman doesn't move or make a quip - it's this stupid sort of seriousness on his face when looking at her, but there's no focus in your joking, just her. His baby.

The baby you gave him, the perfect, chaotic baby he gave you. You don't think you need an island, even though Roman hasn't given way to that. It almost scares you as much as it humors you.

"It won't be a tomorrow thing, I don't know how isle real estate works but it'll be beachy."

"Most ones are."

He's tired and mesmerized, the humor comes differently in Roman's voice. You run your hand in his hair and he keeps his eyes on your blanket-wrapped girl.

How else am I gonna fucking repay her?

Roman presses his thumb on a little baby cheek. He didn't know a cheek could be so fucking perfect.

How? For this, how but a beachy island?

If he looks at you and you're smiling...he can't barely handled the way she yawns. So, Roman will just take to watching her.

You try not to laugh at a small choke from Roman when she wiggles and coos.

He can take to watching her for the rest of time because fuck anything else that could be "important". Roman can do that.

[therealharajukubarbie]

how to make your summer one to remember ☀️🎀🍦

in todays digital diary entry...I'm be giving a step by step guide on how to make your summer one to remember! (inspo: @honeytonedhottie)

its summer...be spontaneous!

school's out. no homework. no exams. no stress. summer is about having fun and going with the flow! gather your friends, hop in the car, and just drive to wherever. i promise you that you're going to have an unforgettable 24 hours! (❤︎ p.s bring a bathing suit and a digital camera with you!)

bucket list, bucket list, bucket list!!!

if you're someone who doesn't like to go with flow and prefers to be on a more structured schedule, then i totes recommend making a bucket list with your besties! not only are bucket lists fun to make you can add all types of stuff to them, by making one it allows you and your friends to pick what to do each day while also still having fun!!!

you only live once!

you only get one life ... so why not live it too the fullest? this summer should be all about taking risks and stepping out of your comfort zone! trust me you'll realize that taking just one extra step will be a lot of fun. prank calls, ding dong ditching, trolling, all this may sound corny now ... but in the moment it'll be funny asf and you'll have something to look back at and laugh with your friends! (❤︎ just make sure your risks don't involve breaking the law!)

summer love ❤︎

ok ok i know i know ... "riley summer isn't about boys and finding a boyfriend" yeah but ... it never hurts to try! like I said you only live once, so don't be scared to get a few boy instas, snapchats, numbers, etc. and who knows ... maybe your summer love will turn into something more? 👀 plus even if nothing works out, you'll have a crazy story to tell once school starts again!

summer fashion to the fullest!

if you previously read my fashion philosophies, it'll help you with your SUMMER look! when you think of summer fashion just think ... short shorts, mini skirts, wedges sandals, hibiscus claw clips, and tube tops! trust and believe if you make an outfit with any of this, you'll be set all summer long. (❤︎ make sure to pick out a few cute swimsuits as well!!! show of that body girl!)

sleepovers!

there is nothing like having a summer sleepover with friends! don't spend your summer nights alone ... try and have as many sleepovers with friends as possible! I promise that you'll all make amazing memories that you can look back on in the future.

record EVERYTHING and ANYTHING

being in the moment is one thing ... but being able to look back on the moment is another. take videos and photos of everything all summer long!!! even if its something small, take videos and photos is way to look back on everything you and your friends did! it also helps you decide what to do for next summer as well. (❤︎ I recommend a digital camera and a summer scrapbook!)

lastly, you should smell like summer 24/7

this sort of plays into summer fashion as well, but pick a scent for the summer and wear it ALL summer long! if you want to smell sweet and edible ... I recommend coconut and pineapple smells! 🥥🍍 but if you're leaning more to a beachy smell then I would recommend anything tropical 🌴☀️🍉

[marksoftheevilones]

Perfume Headcanons

Part 3 to the series of Ghoul fragrance headcanons, all inspired by the dragon-esque perfume hoard I have. Maybe there will be a fourth part dedicated to the Papas? Who knows at this point lol

Lake as Vanilla Vibes by Juliette has a Gun

Top notes: sea salt. Middle notes: natural vanilla absolute, orchid absolute. Base notes: Absolute brown musk, benzoin absolute, sandalwood, tonka bean.

A beachy, yet sensual and fresh fragrance. Long lasting and perfect for summer. Reminds me of the sun glimmering along the breaker waves. Lake just has that sensual vibe to me that I cannot describe, but it's certainly there.

River as Sandalwood in Oak by Scents of Wood

Notes: Sandalwood, guaiacwood, burnt sugar, smoked sage, pink pepper, iris and vanilla bean.

While it sounds as though it would be a more woody scent, to me the burnt sugar and sage shine through most. It reads rather mysterious, a feeling I have towards River. A Ghoul who keeps his mind rather squared away from others, aside from his mate.

Delta as Plum in Cognac by Scents of Wood

Notes: Caramel, tobacco, cinnamon, nutmeg, plum, cognac, vanilla, and vetiver.

Delta, the first Ghoul to make an Elemental transition. Another scent with a more mysterious personality, which makes sense for a Quintessence Ghoul of Delta's making. Notes of tobacco and vetiver, both used in spiritual practices. The spice notes seem to deepen the scent of plum. Intense and leaves a trail, much like the Magick of a new Quint.

Mist as Juliette by Juliette has a Gun

Top notes: Dark cherry and pink pepper. Middle notes: Cashmere flower and Jasmine absolute. Base notes: Ambroxan and tonka bean.

I'd be remiss if I didn't give Mist the signature fragrance of this perfume house, one that's in my top 5 of all time. Cherry is a scent that many men find repulsive, for reasons unknown. However, I feel Mist would use it significantly to her advantage, as one who does not yearn for male attention. But also, this fragrance is powerful, one for someone who wants to stand out- and the First Ghuleh does stand out.

Pebble as Milk (Personal) by Commodity

Notes: Marshmallow, toasted sesame, tonka bean, mahogany wood, skin musk, and white cedar.

The first Earth Ghoul to be given such a delectable, sweet gorumand. Yet it just feels so.... fitting. Not in an infantalizing way. But in a more, cautionary aspecct. Pebble, a Ghoul who looks to be sweet, innocent, demure, can be anything but when the moment calls for such. The scent luring one into a false sense of security, because after all, he can be sweet. (Also one of my top fragrances and I'm almost out)

Cowbell as Not A Perfume by Juliette has a Gun

Top, Middle, and Base note: Cetalox.

Cowbell, the first Mutli-Ghoul, one who disappeared as suddenly as he appeared. Mysterious, unknown, yet deeply alluring. The singular note in this fragrance makes it such a fitting choice, an odd perfume for an odd Ghoul. Cetalox has an musky, woody, ambery scent, that gives on that fresh skin scent. Rather than to cover or alter, it merely enhances.

Ifrit as Casa Blanca by House of Bo

Notes: Creamy minerals, white tea, labdanum, copal, desert fig, white suede, tobacco, white oud, and vanilla bourbon

Admittedly, I had a hard time deciding if I should give this fragrance to Ifrit. Yet there is something so inherently Fire Ghoul to it. A different sort, yet it shares notes with both fragrances I have chosen for Dewdrop and Alpha. An intense, long lasting fragrance that too, leaves a trail everywhere you turn.

Ivy as Gold (Personal) by Commodity

Notes: Juniper berries, vanilla, sandalwood, amber, benzoin, and iso e super.

To my nose, on my skin, Gold smells vastly similar to Milk, yet more skin like. Which is why I have chosen it for Ivy, as I picture he and Pebble as a packaged deal, Ivy dragged to the surface as Pebble was summoned. The Earth Ghoul secure in his differences, ever so slightly from his closest companion.

Zephyr as Angel Dust by Fugazzi

Notes: Cashmeran, Calabrian bergamot, pepper, cashmere, and white amber.

This is my most complimented fragrance in my collection, a scent that will leave a trail everywhere you go. One that has everyone around you obsessing with you, and how good you smell. Light, floral, yet with a depth that will turn anyone into a fan of bergamot. This one leans Zephyr in a way that personifies just how alluring and captivating he is as a performer. Invading the minds of those around him.

[neiacrockets]

OC posting again!! (just veronica’s friends idk)

the other two players who are sort of mid..? (idk probably like like B to A teir players) they are suppose to balance out veronica’s stats if put on the same team

veronica would invite these two sometimes to play baseball/other sports for fun if they are down for it

Rhoda!!

her main weakness is pitching because she throws the ball softly to avoid other players being hurt, her batting is below average and only works 45% of the time by chance

but she is a top teir runner & fielder the second where she sees a piece of trash or a small animal in the middle of the field, she doesn’t play about her environmental actvism🙏

i would describe her as kind-hearted and gentle to the other backyard kids, rhoda tries her best to be friendly and approachable. her main passion in life is helping animals and the environment, another pastime of hers is spending time outdoors.

othef info & headcanons :

• rhoda is 14 yo so this makes her like the 2nd oldest in the “trio”

• the nickname “daisy” comes from how she loves anything about plants & how nice she is

• she throws with her right hand and bats with her left

• her proportions make her look super lanky and tall but in reality she is like the same height as jocinda

• rhoda’s ethnicity is african american

• its not that noticeable but she is the only character to have more spaced out wide-set eyes

• rhoda’s best sport is baseball while her worst is soccer

• every time when rhoda bats she uses her most lucky eco friendly wood veneer bat and prays that she actually hits the ball for once

• feel like she would run the exact same way that edd from ed,edd n eddy runs

• she has a pet turtle named sprinkles who is her pride and joy

Important Relationships/ headcanons (they contribute to buffing her if on the same team)

• i feel like rhoda and annie would actually be besties since they have similar interests (i feel like annie would also own a eco friendly wood veneer bat)

• rhoda is already veronica’s friend, they both share respect and deep understanding of one another

Negative relationships? (would debuff her and buff another character instead)

• rhoda is like unproblematic but she would clash with lisa sometimes, lisa is suspicious of her and might think that rhoda is putting on an act of being nice

atari rhoda!

i went for a more beachy/summer theme for her since i thought it was cuteee also i was slightly inspired by the mamba gyaru style, also in this version she has braces!!

Clyde!!

his main weakness is pitching due to his god awful eyesight and his weak right arm when pitching

for a boy who mostly stays home and plays video games his fielding and running stats are above average cause he is an absolute unit compared to everybody else so of course he would be decent in those 2 categories

the reason why he is cracked at batting is that clyde channels all of his pent up anger and frustration into hitting the ball, from his power alone he broke like 4 different baseball bats in half

i would describe him as a social recluse who has trouble with being sympathetic towards others, this causes him to act entitled and irritable if things don’t go his way

the only positive to him is that he is somewhat determined to do his best, with him being more calmer it balances our rhoda’s eccentric personality and veronica’s more childish one

other info & headcanons :

• clyde is 15 yo and is the oldest in the trio

• his nickname “sparky” refrences the explosion simple graphic on his shirt and how he has random bursts of aggression when he is to carried away when playing on the field

• he is the same height as billie-jean, he could basically dropkick 75% of the kids if he wanted to

• clyde’s best sport is football while his worst is hockey

• clyde’s right hand is practically useless, clyde only knows how to throw with it while his dominate hand is his left when batting

• clyde’s ethnicity traces back to him being french & spanish

• his mom forces him to go outside and touch grass

• he only showers once a week

• he is quite dorky, his hidden special interest is reading comics

• he definitely lies about being smart and having a 225 point iq

Important Relationships/ headcanons (they contribute to buffing him if on the same team)

• im gonna be so foreal right now when i say this boy had no attachment or relationship with those kids, but at the bare minimum he would talk to reese or dimitri i guess

Negative relationships? (would debuff him and buff another character instead)

• his negative relationships is pretty one sided when it comes down to pete, gretchen and mikey, i just know clyde would genuinely have a mental breakdown when he tries to explain something to them

atari clyde!!

bro omg drawing his bodytype was the hardest part cause i had no reference, but i decided to take more inspiration from how older brothers in the 2000’s dressed like when i was redesigning him ^^

ANYWAYS THANK YALL 4 READING!! This post is like the longest to read through on my whole blog 💀

[stranglethorn-bonfire-bash]

The STVBB23 Tiltify for Campaign for Southern Equality, Charity Raffle, and STVBBSummerwear Patch are all now LIVE!

Take a look at our wonderful prizes here!

Raffle and Patch information under the cut!

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⦁ In order to be eligible for our raffle, you MUST be in the STVBB discord. ⦁ It is 1 ticket per $8 donated, up to $35 which is a special discount for 5 tickets total. It is MAXIMUM 5 ENTRIES PER PERSON regardless of how much donated beyond $35! If you attempt to purchase more tickets by selecting the "reward" through repeated donations via our Tiltify, they will not be honored as additional entries beyond 5 total, but the additional donations will always be appreciated! ⦁ If you win one of our prizes, you will not be eligible to win our other prizes. ⦁ If you win a prize you do not want, for whatever reason, you can forfeit your prize. However, you are not entitled to an alternative prize. ⦁ If you are one of our prize winners, please allow us some time to contact you and work out the details of receiving your prize. That means you must remain in the discord server until we get everything sorted! Leaving the server too early may mean you forfeit your prize and it will be awarded to another entrant. ⦁ You must be present and available between 8PM and 9PM EST on 08/26 to contact for your prize or else it may be forfeited and awarded to another entrant. ⦁ Attempts to circumvent our rules and gain more entries than allowed per person (using multiple email addresses, names, or discord accounts to try and purchase over 5 entries) will result in ineligibility and a ban from our server and event.

STVBBSummerwear Patch info:

For over 6 months, our co-host Rage (Obasi) has been crafting a custom patch that introduces 200+ pieces of beachy cosmetics, including swimwear, accessories, and more! Please download and take a look at what she's put together, and if you like it, consider donating to our fundraiser for Campaign for Southern Equality.

[starstruck-void]

The Hearts of The Many, Chapter 1 ♡

(I'm going into this assuming you've read the character introduction, if you haven't this will probably make no sense)

___________________________________

9:37 pm, 05/07/2008, Midge's POV

"Midge! For fucks sake stop staring at him, I have three orders I need out in the next fifteen minutes or those customers will literally hunt me down." My lanky best friend Sam lightly whacked me with a tray table as she stomped into the kitchen, snapping me out of my stupor.

"Alright, alright, keep your hair on, they're coming now." I rolled my eyes and continued frying the cheap, greasy chips Richard insisted on ordering rather than letting me make my own. Ugh, I could make so much better. Selling this slop to people made me feel physically ill.

"So, who's the lad you were staring at? I thought your heart was set on Benjamin Bardot." Sam teased, leaning over the counter, twirling her acid green hair and smirking at me in her cheeky way.

"Pft, like I'd get over Benny that quick. No, I have a feeling this one will be...a one night sort of thing." I licked my lips nervously. I'd been eyeing up this particular fellow for a while. He was no Benny, but his tousled brown hair and chisled jawline led me to believe he would do as a night of fun - and a quick snack. According to his ID, he was 27, which meant he (or, more importantly, his heart) was young enough to have a tender, juicy flavour, but old enough to taste smoky if prepared the right way.

Oh, don't look at me like that. I know what I'm doing is completely amoral. They don't exactly preach the ways of cannibalism in Sunday School. But I need to do this if I want to be happy with Benny. Sometimes I gotta put me first, yknow?

"Helloooo? Midge? The chips?" I looked up from the fryer to see Sam stood beside me, waving a plate with a suspicious look in her caramel eyes.

"Right, yes, sorry, I just lost myself a little." I laughed and started scooping chips onto the plate, watching them in utter disgust as they dripped oil everywhere.

"That's happened a lot today, are you sure you shouldn't just go straight home after your shift? I'm sure Mr Beachy Waves will be back another day. You need to get more sleep, girl." While I appreciate Sams concern, she couldn't be more wrong. 'Mr Beachy Waves' had to go tonight, I needed him tonight. I operate under a tight schedule.

"I appreciate your worry, Sammy, but seriously, I'll be fine. I cannot miss my opportunity with him! Now go give out these orders before I have to deal with an angry mob. Go on, shoo!" I ushed Sam out of the kitchen in what I sincerely hope was a playful fashion. I need to appear ok. If Sam was to find out what I'm up too...God, I don't know what I'd do. She's the most important person in my life, besides the Lord. Benny is a close third.

The rest of my shift went on as usual - Cook the bullshit food, banter with Sam, steal glances of 'Mr Beachy Waves' (dammit, that name is going to stick now), watch the door for Benny like a lost puppy...repetitive, but predictable. Just how I like it.

It hit 11 o'clock, just the time Mr Beachy Waves usually orders his last drink, and I clocked off, hurriedly saying my goodbyes to Sam before running to the bathroom to change. This is my usual Friday routine - clock off as early as I need to catch the man at a point where he's already thinking of heading home, and he's a little tipsy. Again, amoral, but I do what I have to.

Once my grubby chef uniform was replaced with a thigh high, low cut leather black dress (his dates usually wore that sort of outfit) and 9 inch heels, with my makeup done to perfection and my hair carefully coiled, I set my sights on him.

Mr Beachy Waves.

Deep breath in, deep breath out.

Business as usual.

___________________________________

That's it for chapter 1, I really hope you enjoyed it and if you have any suggestions/one shot things you want me to do, or just any opinions in general, then the comment section is always open! Bye bye and remember to drink water!

[solar-halos]

ask game for fic writers: 2, 7, 19!

hallo! ty for the ask <3 <3

2. talk about a notable time a narrative or character has looked you dead in the eyes and said “fuck your plan, here’s what we’re actually doing.”

i feel this way whenever i write annie. rn the most notable moment in my head is when i wanted to name her son something beachy and boho but then she was like “well actually i really like the name ebenezer” and i was like “ebenezer? that’s not beachy or boho that’s literally from the bible” but i just COULDNT shake that off for some reason so now her little tiny bitty child is named fucking ebenezer halcyon ronan cresta-odair. because i guess it’s always been that serious

tbh sorry that doesn’t rlly answer the question bc that wasn’t so much of a plan as it was an idea i couldn’t let go of so im just gonna add that in the halloween au i was gonna have annie take out the killer but then suddenly her mom was there with the gun and i was like “…okay. why not?” turned out to be kinda more poetic that way so im not mad

7. tell us about the plot of the first fanfic you ever wrote

omg haha so it was a percy jackson fanfic and the narrator was a girl who was a demigod… kinda. her mom was human and her godly parent was always referred to as a “monster” so i made it so it was very hard for her to get into camp half blood and stuff like that. who was her dad? um… eros. he’s literally a greek god he’s only called a monster in the books in like a metaphorical sort of way bc he can (and will) use love to manipulate the fuck out of everyone. but i remember being so excited for that plot twist to hit

anyway sorry that got away from me. the plot was basically that our MC forms a group of Hunters and then they meet Thalia’s group of Hunters and then they dueled it the fuck out. like..? Childhood Me needed to stay off that damn family computer

19. what are some books or authors that influenced your style the most?

tahereh mafi <3. love her steam of consciousness writing style sm

[randomvarious]

1990s Deep House Playlist

Nice little update here to this growing 90s deep house playlist of mine for you all. This week I bring you a few bangers that come from three of my favorite mixes of all time: Dimitri From Paris' Monsieur Dimitri's De-Luxe House of Funk from 1997, which features Second Crusade's "May the Funk Be With You" and Sir Raymond Mang's "Number One" on it; and then Harry the Bastard's Club "H" and Tom Middleton's A Jedi's Night Out, both of which are from 1999 and feature Global Communication's "Secret Ingredients" mix of "The Way" on them.

So let's start with "The Way," because it looks like it was actually recently added to Spotify within the last year, and really, I've been wanting that thing on this playlist for a lot longer than that. An extended, near-twelve-minute groove from the UK duo of Mark Pritchard and Tom Middleton that just flows so hypnotically and manages to slowly and seamlessly transition into a completely different song in its second half. And as part of that Jedi's Night Out mix—which is actually a clever pun, because an alias that Global Communications used was Jedi Knights—it definitely has this classy, cosmo-planetary spaceship lounge vibe to it, and currently only has around 6,300 plays on Spotify. And that play count should go up as more and more people realize that this deep classic from the mid-90s is finally available on the service.

Next, "May the Funk Be With You," by Glasgow's Paul Hunter, operating under the moniker of Second Crusade. The great Dimitri From Paris really seems to be partial to dance tracks that implement a retro sound, from 60s cocktail lounge grooves, to 70s and early 80s disco, funk, and jazz fusion stuff. And this is a track that definitely has some of that in it, with its samplings of two different songs: 1976's "Intergalactic Love Song," by Charles Earland, which supplies the tune's delightfully whiny and full synth, and Denise LaSalle's own 1980 song, "May the Funk Be With You," which is responsible for its lovely vocals. So, older sounds blended with a modern house beat. Really excellent track that's currently sitting near 79,000 plays on Spotify 😌.

And lastly, "Number One," by London's Sir Raymond Mang. Very appropriately titled, this track appears to have been the first solo venture of Mang aka Laj's own career, and he seems to have aimed directly at the sun with it. A super chill and beachy vibe with a terrific lead synth that really doesn't come about until well halfway through the song, first evoking the same liberatory feeling of a keyboard solo from a classic 80s freestyle tune, and then following that up with some improvisational jazziness 🥰. All laid over a sweet lather of chill keys and a funky bass groove too. Nearing 129,000 Spotify plays.

Second Crusade - "May the Funk Be With You" Global Communication - "The Way (Secret Ingredients Mix)" Sir Raymond Mang - "Number One"

But folks, you know we're not nearly done with this post yet, because, as has become sort of my specialty here, I also added some bonus tracks to the YouTube version of this playlist too, which can't be found on Spotify 👀. A couple of these tunes are derived from that same Dimitri From Paris mix, and the other one comes from quite possibly the most eclectic, prolific, and underrated electronic musician of all time, Japan's Susumu Yokota.

Back in 1996, Yokota released a full-length LP called Cat, Mouse and Me on the legendary, Frankfurt-based-and-Sven-Väth-co-founded Harthouse label. And on that album is a track called "One Way" that also appeared on Harthouse's eclectic EP sampler, Taste It, Vol. 2, the following year as well. Somewhat simple in its construction, and with a bit of a vibe that feels more germane to early 90s techno, "One Way" gets satisfyingly cinched together when Yokota brings in a stabby flute melody to fill in all of its empty space. Currently sitting at over 10,900 YouTube plays.

Karma - "High Priestess" Yokota - "One Way" Dimitri From Paris - "Free Ton Style (Monsieur D's Classique Extension)"

And this playlist is also on YouTube Music.

So, here's where things currently stand with this playlist: on Spotify, we have 30 songs that clock in at 3 hours and 55 minutes, and over on YouTube and YouTube Music, we now wave 75 songs that clock in at 9 hours and 24 minutes. So if you want a full day or night of non-stop 90s deep house goodies, that YouTube one is definitely for you, as it has a slew of tracks from what was probably Chicago's greatest deep house label of the decade, Guidance, on it, and some great ones from a 12-inch compilation series called Bakchich that was released on Parisian label Basenotic as well, almost all of which aren't on Spotify either.

And if all of that just seems way too long for you, I'm breaking some of my 90s deep house down by year too, rather than just decade.

1996 Deep House: YouTube / YouTube Music 1997 Deep House: YouTube / YouTube Music 1998 Deep House: YouTube / YouTube Music

Enjoy!

More to come, eventually. Stay tuned!

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[miqojak]

(Don't make me curious, I might direct this ask here as well! ;) Unless you already answered it and I just overlooked it - sometimes I simply miss things on my dashboard)

32. Do they have any “props” that are a significant part of their life, identity, activities, or self-presentation somehow? What are they, how are they used, and why are they so significant? How would these props’ absence impact them, how would they compensate, and why?

(( You're A-ok! This one was indeed not asked yet! Not anytime recently at least.))

The first thing that comes to mind as something she always needs around - something that has become part of her identity... is her DRK soul crystal. She obtained it through mysterious means, and ever since it has... helped her feel strong? More capable. More whole, really, in a way - to finally have magic, but in this way that animates a part of her to stand on its own, and challenge even her, at times. She had it worked into a gold bangle that she wears near the tip of her orange-tipped tail at all times. But! It just looks like a beautiful piece of jewelry unless you're able to see it up close and recognize it for what it is (or if you can detect magic, or some such). She knows she's capable without it - her lover made her operate without it for a while when he was more mentor than lover, before... forced her to see her own strength and recognize that she's not beholden to a magic rock. It was good for her! But why ever take it off, frankly? She just knows that if something happened to it, she could still hold her own. (She's not physically all that strong, nor terribly hardy in like 'constitution' - she's fast and dexterous and nimble, but the DRK stone changes that entirely. It helps her feel less like the weak little girl who was tortured at the hands of Garleans.)

Another is her sketchbook! She's a prolific artist, and incredibly talented - but it's more like a visual journal. She's not keen to share it, for that reason... it'd be a bit like cracking open her head to take a look at what she's thinking (though really, most people wouldn't be able to discern what half the stuff is about I imagine). I've been asked before like, 'what item(s) would they save if their house were on fire', and that would no doubt be her sketchbook and DRK crystal... but in reality, she can always buy a new sketchbook and start over. It'd just be a mega bummer to lose all those memories she's taken the time to depict. (It's important to her! When people leave... she at least has the art - the sort of... tangible memories of them.

Other than that, her whole wardrobe is part of the... 'game'? The presentation? Controlling how she's perceived - though that's not to say that each iteration of her isn't also still her. Much like how each tattoo is a representation of a difference facet of her, her clothing can be good for that as well - she has punk garb, fancy clothes, Eastern style stuff since she's out there a lot with her Yakuza group/has a house there now, there's stuff that's beachy and comfy, there's stuff that might look a bit more regal in presentation, or there's a couple types of different armor/fight-wear... she knows certain garb/presentation of oneself change how you're seen, and she's a control freak... so she wants to control how others are perceiving her. Maybe you won't think much of her if she's kicking around in her punky wear, maybe you'll think she's some important noble if she's all dressed up... but at the end of the day, each facet of her is as valid and true as the rest.