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inthelibrarybtw · 3 months ago

Text

you want me to pretend? | four

SERIES MASTERLIST

pairing: college!basketball!captain!rafe x college!student!reader content: fluff, teasing, college au, smau/irl

summary: You were trying to make one problem disappear. You were tired, so you lied. That small lie led you to contact the last person you wanted to ask for help. It wasn’t that you didn’t like Rafe; only that you didn’t want to deal with his constant teasing more than you already did. Also, you two weren't that close, but this one lie was going to bring you two closer and maybe help some truths come to light.

word count: 0.9k

authors note: maybe my favorite chapter so far. so thankful for all the support on this, I love to see your comments and what you guys think will happen love y'all.

03 | 04 | 05

Friday

Saturday

“Now that we both have our coffees, let’s talk,” Rafe said as both of you sat down.

“Okay…”

“Look, just before we start, I’m sorry if I overstepped. I didn’t mean to mess up your plan.”

“It’s okay, Rafe. I understand why you did it. You thought it through more than I did; it’s all good, I promise. But we do need to talk about what happens with this.”

“Are you asking me what we should do?”

“Yes, because the situation right now is weird. I always tell my parents everything, like not in a strange way or—” he cuts you off.

“You have a good relationship with them; I saw that.” You smiled softly.

“Yeah, I do. So, me not telling them that I was dating someone is already a big deal. If, let’s say, next week I tell them we’re not together anymore, it’s going to be weird.”

“Yeah, so how long do you want this to go on for?”

“You really don’t mind doing this for longer than two nights?”

“I told you yesterday it’s okay; it’s not the usual favor, but it’s fine.” Your mind took you back to what Angie had said to you, but you quickly brushed it off. He is just doing this because he likes to help, and he is your friend, you told yourself.

“I just have to be sure.”

“By all means, so how long? Two months?”

“Two months?” you asked, a bit shocked. “I was thinking one…”

“Most couples break up after the three-month mark, not exactly at the three-month mark.”

“You seem to know a lot about this.”

“I’m just saying, if you say you want to make things believable, then let’s ‘break up’ right before Thanksgiving.”

“My birthday is next month.”

“So?”

“Usually, I invite my family and some friends over, and now I would have to invite you. We can’t do this in front of our friends; we need some ground rules.”

“Fine by me.” Rafe took his phone out and opened the notes app to annotate. “One, no one—and I mean NO ONE—has to know besides us.”

“Copy that.”

“Two, we pretend only in my house, and when my parents are there, of course.”

“Yeah, okay. So pretending means what? Because I didn’t do much yesterday.”

“Like, physical touch is okay when we are with my parents—like holding hands and hugging, I guess.”

“And kisses?” he smirked teasingly.

“On the cheek.”

“Forehead?”

“Yeah, that too.”

“Lips?” he wiggled his eyebrows

“Jesus, Rafe.”

“It’s a genuine question, Y/N.” You knew he wasn’t really asking; he was just doing it to mess with you.

“Pecks only, nothing more.”

“Copy that, ma'am.” He did a little salute while smirking. “Pet names? I already called you princess yesterday. Is that okay, or should I stop?”

“If you need to use them, then fine; but still the same, only around my parents.”

“Well, that’s gonna be hard.”

“That’s not really my problem,” you said, taking a sip of your coffee, and he chuckled.

“Okay, so we are set… we continue this and break up before Thanksgiving.”

“Sounds good… oh wait, under no circumstances are you staying over at my house.”

“Why is this important?” he asked, confused.

“The last guy I dated stayed over a couple of times because it was too late or something with the weather.” He nodded while you talked.

“Okay then, no staying over.” He typed on his phone. “Now we are set.”

“Thank you, Rafe…”

“You're welcome.”

After that talk, you two kept the conversation going. It was like the dinner the day before had been a good icebreaker and opened the door to getting to know Rafe and becoming friends. A couple of hours went by, and then you said your goodbyes and went to your respective cars.

Today

Even after your talk with Rafe, you were still anxious about the whole situation. But today was different; it was more of a chill setting—game night, snacks, and living room-only vibes. For most of the afternoon, it was just like that.

Establishing ground rules had improved your dynamic; he knew what he could and couldn’t do, and you knew what to expect, so your anxiety was more under control this time around. He grabbed your hand or played with your hair. It was a good afternoon that extended a bit longer, so of course, when you thought everything was done for the day, it wasn’t.

Your dad seemed to be your biggest enemy this weekend. Since he had told Rafe to stay and watch the basketball game that night, and of course, Rafe said yes. Now you were sitting on the couch with Rafe and your dad, watching a game while you scrolled through your phone, not caring about whatever was happening in front of you. From time to time, Rafe grabbed your thigh in stress, and even though you knew you had given him permission to do things like that, you still felt a bit weirded out by it all.

To take your mind off the whole situation currently unfolding, you decided to give Angie an update on what had happened and what was going to happen. It was also a good idea to keep yourself busy before you went to help your mom with dinner, which Rafe had offered to help with because he wanted to know what made your mom’s food so great.

taglist: @zyafics @maybankslover @niaunoffical @marleymarleymarleymarley @rafesbabygirlx @akobx @papercranesandinkstains @drewstarkeyspecs @winterivory @my-name-is-baby @drunkinthemiddleoftheday @drewrry @ursogorgeous13 @pr3tty-pink @lmaowhatt @reeseswirl @xoxosblogsblog @lili-swagalicious @ayy1234567 @rihannamars @congratsloserr @moonywhisp3rs @iamheretoread1234 @rafesdrew @bee-43 @pogueprincesa @cokewithcameron @landososcar @drewstarkeyslover if you want to be added send an ask or comment! :) follow and turn on notifications on @inthelibrarybtw-notifs to get updates on everything i write

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#writinginthelibrary #YWMTP?#rafe x reader #rafe cameron x reader #college!student!reader #college!basketball!captain!rafe #college au #rafe smau #rafe cameron smau

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inthelibrarybtw · 9 days ago

Text

you want me to pretend? | eleven

SERIES MASTERLIST

pairing: college!basketball!captain!rafe x college!student!reader content: fluff, college au, smau/irl, alcohol, cursing, angst, suggestive, mentions of anxiety

word count: 1.5k

authors note: I'm finally back! I want to thank the amazing girls who helped me figure things out more clearly on this chapter. This one goes to @memoirofasparklemuff1n ily 💕 she basically beta read it.

10 | 11 | 12

Sophomore year - February 2023

Getting to know Jordan had been something unexpected. You kept lying to yourself, saying you didn't like him and that you were only friends. But the way he talked to you was confusing; none of your friends ever spoke to you like that. The only one who did was JJ, but it was different; JJ didn't mean it, and you knew he was joking. But Jordan? Jordan was confusing. You didn't know how he usually interacted with other people, whether he treated everyone like he treated you, or if he said the same things to other friends. So, as much as part of you believed that he liked you back, you weren't one hundred percent sure. You had been overthinking his every little move and word, and none of your friends knew him enough to form an actual opinion. Kelce didn't like him much, but he had told you on different occasions that he never liked Topper's friends because of how different their personalities were, so again, his opinion was not a big turning point.

You tried not to think too much about Jordan, but it was impossible when you two talked every day, all day. You didn’t spend much time together; he was usually very busy, and your schedules clashed, so you had to settle for texts and calls.

Rafe was sure he would talk to you. At least he thought he would until the time came. You walked in with Kie and Cleo while he spoke to Kelce. You said hi to both of them from a distance and followed your friends. He was relieved to see you with them and not with him. You looked pretty, but to him, you always did.

As the party continued, his resolve crumbled, and he no longer felt the need to talk to you. The more he thought about it, the more he accepted he wasn’t planning on doing it to move on; he wanted to do it in hopes of maybe seeing if something was there. “I thought she liked you,” was what Kelce had told him. That comment had haunted him for months, and selfishly, he wanted to see if something was still lingering there. If he were upfront with you about how he felt, maybe you would respond or rethink whatever was happening with Jordan. Either way, it was a selfish reason, and he didn’t want to disturb your peace or the dynamic of the friend group. Telling you about his feelings might complicate everything, and he didn’t want that for either of you, so he decided to stay put and do nothing about it.

He went to look for another drink, nothing strong, because he still had to drive back home. He wasn’t staying with Topper like he usually did when there was a party because Sarah was staying with him, and that was something he certainly didn’t want to hear. When he got to the drink table, he was shocked to see Sofia.

“What are you doing here?” he asked her.

“Rafe, hey! Long time no see,” she said.

—

Sofia and Rafe had gotten their drinks and stayed there for a while talking, but eventually moved to another place to chat because they were blocking the table for others who wanted to get their drinks. The conversation was mostly small talk and catching up since they hadn’t seen each other in a long time. She noticed how Rafe’s eyes darted around the room as if he were looking for someone.

“Looking for someone?” she asked, intrigued.

“Uh… no,” he replied, taking another sip of his drink and glancing around one more time.

“Liar,” Sofia chuckled softly. “Who is the girl?” He sighed deeply.

“Someone from college,” he admitted.

“Are you two a thing?”

“No,” he said, a bit annoyed.

“Touchy subject, huh?” She sipped her drink. “Ex?”

“I wish,” he scoffed. “She is just a girl I like.”

“Doesn’t look like she is just a girl.”

“I don’t want to talk about it, I would drink my thoughts away, but I have to drive.” He joked, then looked at her.

“Look at you making good decisions. You have matured.”

“College does that, apparently,” he chuckled.

—

You and Kelce had been talking for the past ten minutes, and you’d be lying if you said you didn’t notice how long Rafe had been talking to a girl whose face was familiar, but you didn’t know from where. You were aware you shouldn’t care who he was with, but you did. You reminded yourself you liked Jordan, even if you were trying to deny it. But that was better than thinking about what was happening right in front of you. Your feelings were all over the place.

It had been a while since you had thought about Rafe. Deep down, he was still in the back of your mind, but you were good at ignoring it… At least most days you were, but today was not one of those days. Today was one of the days when you wished he were talking to you, when he was sweet and not flirting with everything that moved. When you caught on to his flirtatiousness, everything that had happened before that became obsolete, just another one of his games. That was how it looked in your eyes, when the truth was far from that.

You were dying to ask Kelce if he knew who the girl was, but you didn’t know how to ask without sounding jealous.

“I think her face looks familiar, but I don’t know from where,” you said as you looked at Sofia and Rafe. Kelce followed your gaze before answering.

“Probably because I went to high school with her; I have pictures on my Instagram with her, so that’s probably why you think you’ve seen her before.”

“Makes sense,” Kelce looked at you, and you didn’t notice as you were still looking at them. He smirked.

“Yeah…” he paused, “Topper, Sarah, Rafe, and I know her from high school; we were friends.”

“Not anymore?” you turned to look back at Kelce.

“High school friends who become acquaintances the moment you graduate.” Your eyes flickered back to Rafe and Sofia, but instead of seeing them talk, they were kissing—making out.

“Oh… that doesn’t look like acquaintances,” you said to Kelce as casually as you could, even if you had just felt your stomach drop.

“Oh shit…” Kelce whispered and then snickered, “The same thing happened at senior prom, but they both regretted it; it was so funny.”

“So they dated?” Kelce noticed the hint of jealousy in your tone but pretended he didn’t hear it and answered your question.

“No, they were just the type of friends who kissed sometimes.”

That was all you needed to hear to make your decision. Rafe was just a silly crush that you had to move on from; you had other things to focus on, like your classes and, well, Jordan. Jordan, who was getting to know you, whom you talked to often, and whom you liked. It was time to stop trying to deny it and own it. You liked Jordan, and you were going to focus on him and forget about the little crush you had on Rafe.

A date. A date with Jordan. His saying that it was a date was all the confirmation you needed to know that he wasn’t only talking to you as a friend, and it brought peace to your mind. Choosing what to wear that day had required Ruthie and Sarah the day before, rummaging through your closet to find options. You tried everything until you found something you liked and felt comfortable in.

Paying attention in class that day was the hardest thing ever. You were extremely anxious about the date; your brain was racing ten times faster than usual, trying to think about the best and worst scenarios. Cleo and Pope noticed it, and they tried to calm you down. It worked for a while until it was time for the next class. Kelce just gave you a pack of gum and reassured you with words, knowing that’s what you needed at that moment.

When Jordan texted you that he was there, you felt your heart leap in your chest, and at the same time, you felt like you were about to faint. The class ended, you said your goodbyes, and walked to where he was waiting for you. When you saw him, you stopped and took a deep breath; you had forgotten how much taller he was than you.

“Hi,” you said as you walked closer.

“Hey, it’s so nice to finally see you again.”

He opened the door of his car and helped you in. After that, he walked around to get to the other side, got in the car, and drove to the restaurant while you two talked about everything. He brought up things you had told him a while back and asked you more questions. The conversation started, and it didn’t stop during the whole date.

taglist: @zyafics @maybankslover @niaunoffical @marleymarleymarleymarley @rafesbabygirlx @akobx @papercranesandinkstains @winterivory @my-name-is-baby @drunkinthemiddleoftheday @drewrry @ursogorgeous13 @pr3tty-pink @lmaowhatt @xoxosblogsblog @ayy1234567 @congratsloserr @moonywhisp3rs @iamheretoread1234 @rafesdrew @pogueprincesa @cokewithcameron @landososcar @drewstarkeyslover @wintersoldierslover @rafecqmeronslove @defnotayonna @wintercrows @letstryagaintomorrow @rafestoothbrush @angelicameron @dreamybabbyy @percysley @sideboobrry11 @diasnohibng @charchartumb-lr @mariamadison6-blog @drewstarkeyswife-7 @memoirofasparklemuff1n @wtfisastiles if you want to be added send an ask or comment! :) follow and turn on notifications on @inthelibrarybtw-notifs to get updates on everything I write

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#writinginthelibrary #YWMTP?#rafe cameron #rafe x reader #rafe cameron x reader #college!student!reader #college!basketball!captain!rafe #college au #rafe cameron fluff #rafe fluff #rafe cameron angst #rafe cameron smau

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inthelibrarybtw · 3 months ago

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you want me to pretend? | two

SERIES MASTERLIST

pairing: college!basketball!captain!rafe x college!student!reader content: fluff, college au, smau/irl, flashbacks

word count: 1.2k

authors note: this has been so fun to make. thank you everyone for the support and for loving it just as much as I do.

01 | 02 | 03

2 months ago

“Thank you,” you said as you and Angie walked back to the lake house.

“For what? You know you are an honorary Griffin.”

“Yeah but that doesn’t mean I will stop thanking you or your family for always being so nice.”

“Well, you are very welcome and I’m glad this helped to get your mind off things.”

“You always know huh?”

“What can I say?” she chuckled as you two walked inside “Let’s go get changed and then we can prepare some snacks for the bonfire”

Monday

After your last class, you went to grab some snacks and head to the library. On your way there, you crossed paths with Kie and Cleo.

“Got any plans right now?” Cleo asked you.

“Not really, I was going to the library to finish some assignments.”

“Pope just called us, and we’re meeting up with them at Sarah’s apartment since it’s the closest one.”

“We were about to text you to see if you could come.”

“I would love to; let me go for my car then. Do you guys need a ride?” You asked since you knew they usually carpooled with JJ or Pope to come to college.

“Yes, please,” they both said at the same time.

You three made it to Sarah’s apartment. You had enough time to work on some of your assignments and just hang out with them before you had to go back to your house to have dinner with your parents. Eventually, you said your goodbyes to everyone.

“Let me walk you out,” Sarah said with a smile, “Glad you could come; next week let’s get together, just the girls.” You nodded.

“Sounds like a plan, let’s talk in the group chat to decide what day and what to do.”

“For sure, drive safe!”

–

With that, you made your way to your car and drove back home. You arrived at your house, announced you were home once you were inside, and then went straight to your room to change clothes. Once you had changed, you grabbed your phone and headed to the dining room, feeling nervous.

You always talked with your parents while you all ate. Tonight was no exception. It started as a normal "How was your day?" but quickly turned into your mom’s new favorite topic: your love life, or lack thereof. You knew she meant well, but it had been getting on your nerves, and today it had pushed you to your limit.

This time, it wasn’t just your mother tormenting you with questions and comments; your dad had also chimed in with his opinion about your love life. So, you interrupted your mom before she could add something else to the discussion.

"I’m already seeing someone; I have been for the past two months I just didn’t want to tell you guys in case it didn’t work out," you lied, thinking that would end their intense questioning.

"Oh, that’s great, honey! What’s his name?" your mom asked, her face beaming with a smile. She couldn’t have been any happier if she tried, but she had put you on the spot. Correction: you had put yourself on the spot.

Your brain froze; panic was setting in, and your phone didn’t stop vibrating. You grabbed it to see who was texting you so urgently, and before you could process what you were about to do, his name slipped out of your mouth. It was more like a question, but it was done. You said his name, and now you couldn’t take it back.

"We would love to meet him, honey. Invite him over on Friday for dinner with us." You tried to come up with an excuse, but it was all in vain.

"We want to meet the guy. If it’s been over two months, it’s serious," your dad said, leaving you with no choice but to accept.

"Yeah… I will talk to him then," you sounded convincing, even though you were still panicking on the inside.

After dinner was over, you went to your room and decided to ignore what had just happened and finally answer the barrage of texts and finish the statistics presentation you had for the next day. You would deal with the situation after the presentation—first a good grade, then finding a boyfriend for Friday night.

Tuesday

Presentation first, then panic—that was your mantra for the day. When you decided on one thing, you did it, so you had avoided thinking about your little big problem throughout the whole morning and class.

The presentation was a success, just as planned. Seeing Rafe had made you feel a bit guilty; you had dragged him into your problem, albeit he didn’t know yet, and you weren’t actually sure if he would ever find out. You could always find a random guy and make him pretend to be Rafe, but you knew that never in a million years would you approach a stranger and ask him to be your fake boyfriend for a night.

Today

After your much-needed talk with Angie yesterday, you decided you were going to ask Rafe. You had been repeating to yourself all day that the worst thing that could happen was him saying no. The problem was that you were extremely anxious about even asking the question.

You knew where he was because Wednesdays were typically his "I can’t get together today" day since he had practice around noon and physical training around 5. One thing you could admit about Rafe was that he was dedicated and disciplined with classes and basketball. So, in a positive light, if he were to say yes, you knew he would make it right.

When you finally reached the basketball court, you saw him in the distance dribbling a ball and making a shot. Three-pointer! That was the only thing you knew about basketball. As you got closer and entered his field of vision, he scrunched his eyebrows in confusion. It was unusual for you to show up while he was in practice. He let his coach know he was going to take five, and the coach nodded back.

He left the ball on the side of the court, grabbed his water bottle to take a sip, and right before standing in front of you, he lifted his shirt to wipe the sweat off his face.

“Y/N, what brings you here?”

“What? I can’t just come and walk around?”

“Right, because you like basketball that much to come see us practice,” he smirked.

“It could be a new hobby, you know.”

“Right, right, because you love to learn new things.” His eyes never left your face. “So what brings you here, princess? Wanted to see me?” he teased, and you shook your head, a slight blush creeping in. You were starting to feel anxious again.

“Yes, but not in the way you think, so wipe that smirk off your face,” you composed yourself, sounding as sure of yourself as you could.

“Okay, then tell me how I can help you,” he said, still smiling.

“I have a favor to ask… it’s a bit unusual and big, but I really need help…” His face turned serious; he could notice how anxious you were. Your cheeks were starting to flush, and you were playing with your fingers.

“Yeah, tell me.��

“Okay, so…”

REBLOGS, COMMENTS AND LIKES ARE ALWAYS WELCOMED

INTHELIBRARYBTW ✧.*

#writinginthelibrary #YWMTP?#rafe smau #rafe x reader #rafe cameron x reader #college!basketball!captain!rafe #college!student!reader #college au #rafe cameron smau #rafe fluff

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inthelibrarybtw · 3 months ago

Text

you want me to pretend | six

SERIES MASTERLIST

pairing: college!basketball!captain!rafe x college!student!reader content: fluff, college au, smau/irl, cursing, inaccurate basketball talk

word count:

authors note: oops! anyways I won't be posting until saturday or sunday, I love this fic as much as you but I need to lock in for college. taglist is still open so let me know.

05 | 06 | 07

Today

Economics hadn’t been your favorite class during high school, but college had given you a new perspective. More like, you actually understood it this time, so you enjoyed it. This class was one of the others you shared with Rafe. He was the only one there you could consider a friend, so when the professor paired everyone up and he called out his name and yours together, it was a relief. You knew how to work with him, and he knew how to work with you.

“I think the universe is forcing us together,” he joked, sitting next to you.

“Oh, so you believe in the forces of the universe now?” you replied with a soft smile.

“I think there is a bigger power that is pushing us together. This is the second presentation slash project we have to do together, and it’s the third class we share.”

“It’s just coincidence.”

“Is it now?” he smirked.

“Let’s just decide what we are going to do with this, and we can work through it during the week.”

“Whatever you say.”

“Thursday, let’s get together. Now that you’ve been to my house, we can work there.”

“Is this just an excuse to get me to play your boyfriend again?” he smirked. “Because if you want that, just say so.”

“Oh, screw you! Not everything is about that,” you rolled your eyes. “I prefer working at my house, but if you don’t want to, let’s do it somewhere else.”

“I never said I didn’t want to,” he chuckled. “I’ll be there at five?”

“Yeah, okay.”

After that, class was over, and you said goodbye to each other. You made your way to your car to drive back home while Rafe walked toward the basketball court.

“Oh, captain, my captain,” JJ teased, and the rest joined in.

“You need to stop doing that shit.”

“And not piss you off? That’s not happening.”

He was about to leave for the dressing room, but the coach called them.

“We have a home game on Thursday, so tomorrow you need to clear your schedules. I’ll write a letter for you guys to send to your professors. Tomorrow is full basketball; I don’t accept no’s. So no practice today, and you guys have the afternoon to prepare.”

A part of him was relieved he didn’t have to practice today, but he knew he had to cancel on you. That wasn’t going to work, so he grabbed his things and left the gym, headed straight to his car, and texted you.

At 2:40 PM, he arrived at your house. You didn't even have time to protest because he was already on his way when he texted you. You welcomed him into your home with Coco, the dog you were dog-sitting that week. Your neighbors had gone on a work trip, and they knew you loved dogs and that Coco loved you, so she was at your house.

Coco was a friendly dog, and the moment Rafe set foot in your home, she threw herself at him. You knew Rafe liked dogs, but you had never seen him with one. You noticed how he smiled and sat on the floor with Coco. She didn’t waste a second and lay down between his legs.

You both settled to work in your living room, sitting on the floor because, according to him, if not, Coco would feel too alone. You didn’t debate him on that because you didn’t care where you were as long as you got things done. While starting to work on the presentation, you both were on your phones texting people until finally, you both put them down. You continued chatting about what to do, and then silence fell. You hated working in silence.

“I will play some music,” you said.

“Yeah, go ahead.”

“Just a heads up, there’s probably going to be a lot of Taylor Swift,” you smiled.

“I figured as much,” he chuckled.

You hummed along with some of the songs or silently sang them. Rafe didn’t mention it. You were so focused, and he was trying his best to accomplish what he needed to do. He was struggling to concentrate, but your soft hums and quiet singing were making it impossible. Don’t get him wrong; it’s not that he found it annoying; it was actually the opposite. He was enjoying it a lot more than he would ever admit to himself.

After a while, both your phones pinged at the same time; it was the BeReal notification. You just looked at him, and he nodded, silently communicating that he was okay with showing up in yours. You both took it and then continued working on the presentation, now talking a bit more about anything that came to mind at that moment.

You lost track of time, and the door opening along with your mom’s voice asking you a question brought you back to the moment. It was five o’clock.

“Honey, whose car is that?” she said, walking in, and the answer to her question had Coco on his lap. “Oh! Rafe, hi! I didn’t know you were coming today.”

“Hello, Mrs.—”

“Don’t Mrs. me; call me Laura,” she smiled at Rafe. “Looks like Coco likes you… Anyway, honey, I brought you the ingredients to try that new cookie recipe.”

“Oh, thanks, Mom,” I smiled at her, helping her with the items and bringing them to the kitchen.

You didn’t hear, but Rafe had walked right behind you. While your mom was putting some things in the fridge and you were taking out the ingredients, he hugged you from behind. You tensed up a bit at the sudden motion but then relaxed.

“Are you baking something now?” he asked, his face right next to your ear. You hated the effect he was having on you.

“Maybe; do you want to help?”

“Yes, I would very much like to,” he kissed your temple and took a step back. You couldn’t stop yourself from thinking back to sophomore year; if this had happened back then, you would’ve died.

“You two are so cute,” your mom said before leaving the kitchen.

You took a deep breath and started preparing all the things you needed.

“I think you deserve to play music now,” you said to Rafe, and he chuckled.

“I’m honored.”

The cookie-baking session had gone well. You had laughed a lot, and having Rafe in your house didn’t feel weird anymore, even though it hadn’t been that long since he first set foot in. You knew he had taken a picture of you, so you made a mental note to ask for it later.

You were cleaning up the kitchen when "Carnival" by Kanye started playing.

“Rafe, can I change the song?”

“Yes, princess; my phone is on the counter,” he said from the living room, where he was picking up his stuff.

You could swear your heart stopped after seeing that notification. Was he dating someone? Why had he said yes then? Was this considered cheating? Did she know? You changed the song and set the phone back on the counter.

The sound of your dad’s voice mixed with Rafe’s brought you back to reality. Rafe walked back into the kitchen, continuing his conversation with your dad. Your head was elsewhere, and he seemed to notice your expression.

“You okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, I think I’m just tired.” You tried to sound convincing; he wasn’t convinced, but he didn’t want to push your boundaries.

“Okay,” he said, kissing your cheek a few times before returning to talk to your dad. You grabbed your phone, opening the chat with the only person you could talk to at that moment.

He stayed for another forty minutes. You were hardly there anymore; you were aware you needed to keep up the act since your parents were around, but the anxiety just grew more as the minutes kept passing by. You took a deep breath and decided you would deal with this later because again, you didn’t even know how to start the conversation.

Before he left, you packed some cookies for him to take back to his house. You walked him out of your house, and after that, you went to your room. On the bright side, the presentation was done for next week. You played the same song over and over again until you decided to grab a book to think about something else.

taglist: @zyafics @maybankslover @niaunoffical @marleymarleymarleymarley @rafesbabygirlx @akobx @papercranesandinkstains @drewstarkeyspecs @winterivory @my-name-is-baby @drunkinthemiddleoftheday @drewrry @ursogorgeous13 @pr3tty-pink @lmaowhatt @reeseswirl @xoxosblogsblog @lili-swagalicious @ayy1234567 @rihannamars @congratsloserr @moonywhisp3rs @iamheretoread1234 @rafesdrew @bee-43 @pogueprincesa @cokewithcameron @landososcar @drewstarkeyslover @wintersoldierslover @rafecqmeronslove @defnotayonna @wintercrows @letstryagaintomorrow @rafestoothbrush if you want to be added send an ask or comment! :) follow and turn on notifications on @inthelibrarybtw-notifs to get updates on everything I write

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inthelibrarybtw · 1 month ago

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you want me to pretend? | ten

SERIES MASTERLIST

pairing: college!basketball!captain!rafe x college!student!reader content: fluff, college au, smau/irl, jealousy, jordan, rafe crash out, cursing

word count: 1.1k

authors note: ten? when did this happen? I'm really thankful for all the love that you guys have given to my blind children. Enjoy another flashback 😚 I intended to post yesterday but I got a fever and went to sleep it off.

09 | 10 | 11

Sophomore Year - October 2022

Sophomore Year - November 2022

Thanksgiving had been the perfect opportunity to finally get together with Angie and fully discuss the topic of Jordan. Ever since the day you two had met, you had been consistently talking to each other. While he had initially caught your attention, now it was a whole different story. You talked all day, every day—well, almost every day.

“So you really like him right now?” Angie asked as she sat down on your bed.

“I feel like we’re becoming really close; we talk almost all the time,” you said with a small smile.

“Almost is not always.”

“Yeah, on weekends he just disappears, but he’s with his family and doing a lot of schoolwork, so that’s why.”

“Wait, so he just doesn’t answer on weekends?”

“We talk, but it's very little on weekends. He reappears on Sunday afternoon, and we talk again. It’s a lot of voice notes, and I like that.”

“Oh, he’s a voice note guy… Huh, he didn’t give me those vibes.”

“Yeah, I like that because I feel it’s more real. You hear the actual tone in which he is speaking, and it’s just really nice to hear him.”

“Maybe at first I wasn’t really sure about him, but I guess he’s not that bad.”

“He is really sweet; we can talk about a lot of stuff,” you smile again.

“You think it’s going to get deeper? Like are you and him, and me and Ethan, going to be having double dates soon?” she teases, and you chuckle.

“Oh, we are already talking about that?”

“Yeah, why not? Ethan and I have been talking for two months, and I think he is going to be my boyfriend,” Angie says, smiling.

“I’m so happy for you; he better treat you right.”

“Same goes for Jordan; he better treat you right. But from the audio you have sent me, he does sound nice, and he was very unexpected, so…” She wiggles her eyebrows.

“Yes, it could be something good. I don’t want to get too ahead of myself. We have been talking for just a month, so I don’t know where this is really going.”

“So, Rafe…?” You shake your head softly, “like at all?”

“I…” you stutter for a second.

“Ha!” She pointed at you, “I knew it.”

“I don’t like Rafe; I never liked him.”

“Then why the hell is this on your bed?” She grabbed the jellycat he had given you for your birthday.

“It was a gift; what was I supposed to do? Throw it away? It’s cute; I like it.”

“So, no emotional attachment to that or the person who gave it to you?” You shook your head, not realizing your face was saying quite the opposite.

“Right, so really, really nothing for Rafe?”

“Yeah,” your voice faltered, “nothing at all.” You smiled, but Angie knew better than to believe you.

“Zero? Nada? Nothing? Not even physically?”

“Finding someone attractive doesn’t mean you like them; I told you.”

“Ah, right, yeah.”

“Angie, stop it; I don’t like Rafe.” She lifted her hands in defeat.

“Fine, fine, you don’t like him.”

Sophomore Year - December 2022

Rafe sat down on the living room couch. The house was anything but quiet, but at least the living room was now clean and free of a screaming Emily. His sister had gotten far too excited about her Christmas presents, and with every single one, she had screamed. He understood it, but he was also not in the mood. They all had helped her get her new toys into her playroom. Wheezie stayed with Emily, so that was why he had gone back to the living room. His loneliness didn’t last long.

“What’s that face for?” Sarah asked, sitting next to him.

“What do you mean?” he replied.

“You look all annoyed. I have a wild guess as to why, but I don’t want to get ahead of myself.”

“The thing is, I feel like I shouldn’t feel this way. It's not like she’s my ex, you know.”

“Yeah, but you like her.”

“Yes, that much was obvious; thanks for stating it again.”

“I’m just saying it's normal to feel this way. She likes someone else, and you still like her.”

“Are you sure she likes him?”

“I haven’t talked about it much, but she has mentioned it sometimes; not a lot, though.” He sighed.

“Well, according to Kelce, he has gone MIA for weeks, then goes back to talk to her like nothing happened, and he claims it’s just because he’s busy, but no one can be that busy.”

“I feel like your jealousy is making everything way worse than it actually is.”

“Yeah, well.”

“It’s okay, though; I understand it, but I do have to say that you need to eventually move on.”

“I know. I decided that a few days ago, but Kelce told me he thought she liked me, and that threw me off. I just started thinking about that.”

“And you didn’t talk to him about this?”

“Why would I?”

“Right, you don’t talk about feelings with the boys,” Sarah said, rolling her eyes.

“I have you for that; I don’t need them,” he nudged her with his elbow.

“Aw, look, you are nice,” she chuckled.

“Shut up,” he chuckled back.

“Back to the Y/N thing… I know this is not what you want to hear, but try to meet someone just for the fun of it.”

“If you think I’m gonna get over her by dating someone else, you’re wrong. Before I say this, I know how cheesy and stupid it sounds, but that's just how things are.”

“I’m gonna let you finish.”

“I promise, the second I saw her, it was like the rest of the girls were nothing. I have tried, BELIEVE ME, I have tried talking to other girls and flirting with them, but they are all so… uninteresting, or maybe it is just because I really, really like her. I don’t even know why I like her so much,” he exhales and groans, “I’m so messed up.”

“Wow,” Sarah said, looking at him. “Yeah… you are messed up, but hopefully you will eventually get over her, right?”

“I hope you are right because this is embarrassing. Not even Topper got this down bad for you, and that man did some questionable things when he was trying to date you,” Sarah chuckled.

“Yeah, well, it worked, so…”

“For him. I’m not gonna embarrass myself, even if I wanted to. This problem is so easy to fix.”

“Okay, now you lost me.”

“Jordan. He is my problem. I could literally just kiss her, and voilà, problem solved.”

“Oh geez…” Sarah sighed. “First things first, you would create more problems by doing that.”

“Yeah, but he would go bye-bye.”

“You spend too much time with Emily.”

“She’s the coolest 4-year-old I know.”

“Yeah, because she’s your sister.”

As they started talking about Emily, Jordan and you got forgotten in the conversation, but not from Rafe’s mind. Much to his dislike, he was going to keep being annoyed and jealous about that for a few more months until he eventually called it a day.

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inthelibrarybtw · 3 months ago

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you want me to pretend? | five

SERIES MASTERLIST

pairing: college!basketball!captain!rafe x college!student!reader content: fluff, college au, smau/irl, inaccurate school system talk

word count: 0.6k

authors note: we're back, literally. there will be more flashbacks in the future so stay tuned. Also I made a playlist with the songs up to this part.

04 | 05 | 06

Sophomore year - 2022

Statistics. You weren’t the biggest fan of the class, yet you took it every semester of your major. One positive thing this class brought you was Kelce. You and Kelce had met thanks to your moms when you were kids and had also gone to kindergarten together. You had moved houses, and when it was time for elementary school, you belonged to a new district, so you didn’t attend the same one as Kelce. But life brought the two of you back together last year in this very same class. As a freshman, you thought you wouldn’t know anyone, but there was the familiar face with whom you had shared so many memories. Kelce didn’t hesitate to talk to you, and it felt like no time had passed.

This was supposed to be the second class, but the professor was sick last week, so there was no class. Even if this was the first class, he was already assigning a project. It was small, but it had to be done in groups of no fewer than three people, and those groups would remain for the rest of the semester.

“You can work with us,” Kelce said.

“Us who?” you asked, confused; he was alone.

“He is late; he had an impromptu basketball meeting.” Just as on cue, the guy Kelce had been talking about walked into the class, excusing himself to the professor and standing in front of you.

“You’re in my seat,” he said in a gentle tone.

“Well, you weren’t here.” You gave him a little smile and added,

“I think I can forgive you just because of that smile,” he smirked.

“Just sit down, Rafe,” Kelce motioned to his friend, and you just stared at him.

After the class ended, Kelce formally introduced the two of you and mentioned that he would create a group chat to talk when needed. You said goodbye to both and left for your next class.

“So, how long have you known her?” Rafe asked Kelce.

“Since when do you care how long I’ve known someone?”

“Since today,” he paused. “Now answer.” Kelce chuckled.

“Since we were kids; our moms are friends. You would’ve met her if she hadn’t moved away before we started elementary school.”

“Why is this the first time I’m hearing about this?”

“Why would I mention it before?… Wait! You liked her,” Kelce laughed as they walked out of class.

“Not to be that guy, but have you seen her? Why wouldn’t I like her?”

“Have some backbone, would you? You don’t even know her.”

“And that’s your fault! Why have you kept her hidden?” Kelce laughed out loud again.

“I haven’t kept her hidden.”

“Do you like her?”

“Calm down, would you? No, I don’t like her. She is pretty, but she’s not my type, and I’ve known her for so long I can’t see her that way.”

“I didn’t know you knew Rafe,” Sarah says as you both make your way inside the coffee shop.

“I don’t; Kelce introduced us yesterday in statistics class, and now we are working together as a group.”

“That’s nice. He’s pretty good with numbers.”

“Good to know. I’m not a big fan,” you said, chuckling softly. “How do you know him?”

“Oh, he is my cousin. We were born almost at the same time and grew up together,” Sarah smiled.

“It’s like you are siblings.”

“Oh, we definitely treat each other like siblings sometimes,” she laughs.

You both continued talking and decided to order because the guys weren’t showing up, and Ruthie had told you that she was going to be late because she had forgotten to buy groceries. After you two had ordered, you sat and continued talking while scrolling through your phones.

taglist: @zyafics @maybankslover @niaunoffical @marleymarleymarleymarley @rafesbabygirlx @akobx @papercranesandinkstains @drewstarkeyspecs @winterivory @my-name-is-baby @drunkinthemiddleoftheday @drewrry @ursogorgeous13 @pr3tty-pink @lmaowhatt @reeseswirl @xoxosblogsblog @lili-swagalicious @ayy1234567 @rihannamars @congratsloserr @moonywhisp3rs @iamheretoread1234 @rafesdrew @bee-43 @pogueprincesa @cokewithcameron @landososcar @drewstarkeyslover @wintersoldierslover @rafecqmeronslove @defnotayonna if you want to be added send an ask or comment! :) follow and turn on notifications on @inthelibrarybtw-notifs to get updates on everything i write

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#writinginthelibrary #YWMTP?#rafe x reader #rafe cameron x reader #rafe cameron smau #rafe smau #college!basketball!captain!rafe #college!student!reader #college au #rafe fluff

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inthelibrarybtw · 2 months ago

Text

you want me to pretend? | nine

SERIES MASTERLIST

pairing: college!basketball!captain!rafe x college!student!reader content: fluff, college au, smau/irl, angst, cursing, jordan 💀, talks about the past

word count: 1.3k

authors note: I got stuck with this part but I wrote a very sad one shot if you want to cry go read it here. The hours are important on the saturday conversations on HIS PHONE so pay attention to it that's all ENJOY 🙂‍↕️

08 | 09 | 10

Friday

“Jordan…” The name slipped from your lips like a whisper; he was there. On the other side of the room, but he was there. It had been about a year and a half since you had seen him, or maybe more; at one point, you had stopped caring.

He locked eyes with you for a second. Rafe noticed that and cursed internally. He gently grabbed you by the shoulders and turned you around without a second thought.

“I think we need something to drink; come on.” You didn’t question it and let him guide you to the kitchen.

“I’ll be back,” he said as soon as he reached the kitchen. You nodded at him as he left, then you looked around for something non-alcoholic to drink.

When he stepped out of the kitchen, he made his way to Jordan.

“Can you tell me where she is?” Jordan asked, trying to rile Rafe up.

“Not happening, but I can tell you that you should go.”

“This is a party; I’m not going anywhere.”

“You will, unless you want round two.”

“Ah, ever the violent one.”

“Get out of my sight and don’t even think about talking to her.”

“Okay, no, this is not happening,” Sarah interrupted before dragging Rafe away.

Sarah hadn’t asked him to drop off food, but he didn’t care. He also knew that Sarah wouldn’t call him out in front of all her friends. So, on his way to Sarah’s place, he bought pizzas for them and himself. He knocked on her door, fully expecting Sarah to open up, but no, it was you.

“Hey, need help?” you asked him.

“Yeah, thanks,” he said, allowing you to take two boxes from his hands as you walked inside.

“This smells really good.”

“Yeah, Sarah said you guys were hungry, so…” another lie.

“She was right.”

“Thank you, now you can go,” Sarah said.

“Ah, don’t even let me grab a slice? I did you a favor.”

“Right, a favor,” Sarah said, a bit annoyed.

“Let him stay,” Wheezie said. “I barely get to hang out with him.”

“That’s not my problem,” Sarah replied. “And I don’t think they want you here.”

“Sarah, it’s okay. If Wheezie hasn’t seen him, we can put up with him for a while, right?” you said, turning to the rest; they just nodded.

“You heard the lady.” Sarah didn’t try to push him out or say anything more. She was keeping track of everything since she had caught you mentioning his name more the night before after the game.

During the whole hour and a half he had been there, he noticed you didn’t use your phone besides taking pictures and playing some music.

At one point, Wheezie had asked you something, so you started telling her what she had asked. Now and then, someone would comment on it. Rafe didn’t; he just gave you all his attention. You didn’t notice, but Sarah did. Cleo made a mental note of the way he looked at you; she was definitely going to tell Pope about it.

Saturday

After he had left Sarah’s place, it was full debrief mode to talk about everything that had happened during the night, besides Jordan showing up. The next morning, you left for your house around 10 AM; the morning was slow. You were at peace watching a show when your phone pinged. You thought it was probably just the girls or a random notification.

It had been impulsive to invite Rafe to your house, but also, since Jordan had followed you on Instagram again and made his disgust for Rafe clear, you were going to ensure he knew Rafe was there with you, even if it wasn’t true. The pretending was reserved a hundred percent for your house and the eyes of your parents, but messing with Jordan was also a nice feeling.

You knew that none of your friends would think much of it—maybe just Angie, but she was more stressed about the pretending than you were.

You were prepping some items when the doorbell rang; your dad went to open it.

“Hello, Rafe,” your dad welcomed him in.

“Hey, Dave,” he shook your dad’s hand, then saw you coming from behind and smiled, “Hey, princess.” He kissed your temple.

“Hi,” you smiled and side-hugged him. It felt too good to have him this close, but you had to remind yourself it was just a show for your parents.

“Well, I’ll let you guys be,” your dad said, still looking at both of you. Rafe had one arm over your shoulders.

“Okay,” you said softly, walking to the kitchen. Your dad had stayed in the living room, reading something.

“We are making cookies with a heart in the middle,” you said as you two entered the kitchen.

“Okay, then let me know what to do.”

As you gave the instructions, he just stared at you. He was itching to get closer to you, to hold you—something. He didn’t understand why, but the feeling was too strong. He looked out of the kitchen, noticing that your dad was no longer there, but your mom was coming in.

He was going to take what he could get. So when your mom walked in asking about something, he really didn’t care; he just hugged you from behind. His arms encircled your waist, and he rested his chin on top of your head.

You kept talking to your mother, trying not to think too much about Rafe’s arms enveloping you and how good it felt.

“Rafe, why don’t you start putting the jam inside the hearts, please? Just while I finish talking to my mom?”

“Hmm, fine…” he replied, but not before planting a kiss on your neck and then on your temple.

He knew it might have been a bit too much with the kiss on the neck, according to what you two had agreed on, but it felt right, and he didn’t regret it. He went back to the kitchen counter to finish what you had asked him to do, not before noticing the blush creeping into your cheeks.

You stepped out of the kitchen for a minute with your mom, as if creating more distance from Rafe would help with the blush that had already settled on your face.

“He really likes you, huh?” your mom commented as you helped her with something on her phone.

You cleared your throat before speaking, “Yeah, I mean, he should if he is my boyfriend, right?”

“Of course, honey, but I mean it’s good he shows it. Because then you know he hasn’t stopped.”

“Yeah, yeah.” You handed her the phone back.

“Yeah, okay, go back to your guy. Thanks for the help.”

You returned to Rafe to help him. Before putting one tray in the oven, you snapped a picture of him helping with the cookies to post later on your story.

“You think your sister will like these cookies?” you asked.

“She’s six; anything sweet she will like.” He felt a warmth in his chest when you asked about his sister. It was just a question, but it felt nice that you inquired about her.

“Look, children can be picky. These cookies can be a little dry, and not everyone likes the jam, so I have to make sure,” you chuckled softly.

“If she doesn’t like them, my mom will.”

“I can live with that,” you smiled softly.

For a couple more hours, both of you hung out. It hadn’t been long since you two started spending more time together, but you couldn’t stop thinking about why it took so long. You hadn’t been open to it at first, and you didn’t even remember why. Kelce had told you many times he was a very good friend and great company, and now you were starting to understand why.

Rafe, on the other hand, couldn’t stop thinking back on sophomore year, and if this had happened then, he would’ve flipped. It felt so good to finally get to know you more in depth; it had helped him understand so many of the things he always wondered about you, and he was trying to avoid other things resurfacing, but he was losing that battle.

taglist: @zyafics @maybankslover @niaunoffical @marleymarleymarleymarley @rafesbabygirlx @akobx @papercranesandinkstains @winterivory @my-name-is-baby @drunkinthemiddleoftheday @drewrry @ursogorgeous13 @pr3tty-pink @lmaowhatt @reeseswirl @xoxosblogsblog @lili-swagalicious @ayy1234567 @rihannamars @congratsloserr @moonywhisp3rs @iamheretoread1234 @rafesdrew @bee-43 @pogueprincesa @cokewithcameron @landososcar @drewstarkeyslover @wintersoldierslover @rafecqmeronslove @defnotayonna @wintercrows @letstryagaintomorrow @rafestoothbrush @angelicameron @dreamybabbyy @percysley @sideboobrry11 @diasnohibng if you want to be added send an ask or comment! :) follow and turn on notifications on @inthelibrarybtw-notifs to get updates on everything I write

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inthelibrarybtw · 3 months ago

Text

you want me to pretend? | eight

SERIES MASTERLIST

pairing: college!basketball!captain!rafe x college!student!reader content: fluff, college au, smau/irl

word count: 1.1k

authors note: y'all hated me for pt 6 so here it is! no need to kill anyone yet

07 | 08 | 09

Tuesday

You let out a sigh as you hung up. Angie was right; you couldn’t just think the worst immediately. You decided to get back into your book and read until you physically couldn’t handle it anymore.

It was around 1 AM when you gave up; the words were mixing at that point. You set the book down and went to sleep. It wasn’t your best night’s sleep, but it did the job.

Wednesday

While Cleo took over the kitchen and let no one but Sarah and Pope in, you sat on the couch. Kie was talking with John B, and you were engaged until you started falling asleep.

“She just fell asleep,” Kie announced.

“She needed it; she barely slept,” Sarah said, walking back to the living room.

“What happened?” Pope asked.

“Bad night,” the three girls said at the same time. Pope had a feeling there was more to it, but he wasn’t going to ask any further. They let you sleep while Cleo finished cooking.

Thirty minutes later, the food was ready, so Sarah woke you up. The nap, along with Cleo’s food and their company, had made your day a lot better, and you had stopped overthinking the text.

Thursday

You got to the basketball court; it wasn’t new for you. The only difference this time was that Wheezie was there. She left for a second, and when she came back, you all moved to new and better seats.

“What did you do?” Sarah asked her.

“What? Rafe promised me a good seat, and those were not it, so I went to talk to him,” she said with a proud smile.

“Don’t question her methods. We got better seats,” Cleo commented.

You didn’t understand the game, but you still watched and got stressed from time to time. But just as Sarah had suspected, they won. Everyone, including you, cheered and jumped when they made the last shot.

You all waited for JJ, Rafe, and Topper to come out of the changing room so you could eat. It was mandatory to eat after a game. They were always starving after playing, so there was no better plan than that.

That night, Raising Cane's was chosen, so that’s where you all went. During the night, you talked, but you avoided speaking to Rafe. You knew it was childish since he didn’t even know you had gotten upset after Tuesday, and you didn’t want to bring up the topic even if you knew you kind of needed to.

That night, just as you had planned, you went back to Sarah’s apartment. You had gotten ready for bed but were still restless, and she noticed.

“Do you want to watch a movie?”

“Yes, and by any chance, do you have something to bake?”

“Baking mood, are we, huh?” she chuckled. “I do have something. Come on.”

You spent the night baking, watching movies, and talking to Sarah. It had been just what you needed. You discussed everything from past relationships to recent events. You simply left out the significant detail about Rafe being your fake boyfriend. During the conversation, Sarah noticed that you mentioned Rafe a couple more times than you typically would. You didn’t notice, and she didn’t say anything about it either, but she was going to bookmark it in her mind, and maybe eventually, she would ask about it, just not at that moment, not to you or him.

Friday

Rafe practically dragged you away, not even allowing you to protest when he asked if he could talk to you. You two were in Topper's gym room since it was the closest door.

"What made you think dragging me here was okay?"

"I needed to talk."

"And? I was talking to Ruthie."

"You can talk to her whenever," he stated, and you just stared at him. He was about to continue speaking when his phone rang. The big 'Em' and the pink heart lit up his phone, and you felt a pit in your stomach once again.

He sighed. "I need to take this, but I still need to talk to you," he said. You knew it was better to leave, yet you waited to see what was going to happen.

After he had hung up on his sister, there was a big silence. You felt extremely dumb for even getting upset with him. Angie had been right; of course, Rafe was different.

“You have a little sister.” You meant it as a question, but it came out as a statement.

“Yeah, I thought you knew.”

“I mean, I did, but I didn’t know she was this little,” you chuckled. “She is, what, seven?”

“Six, but she will turn seven in a couple of months.” Another silence. He hesitated to ask, but he needed to know. “Did I do something?”

“W-what?” you asked, confused.

“Yesterday and today you were very…”

“I was very what?”

“Distant, you were avoiding me,” he finally blurted out, and you froze. He noticed, which made you feel guilty.

You shook your head. “You didn’t do anything… I just had a few bad days, and I’m sorry.” He raised one of his eyebrows, clearly not believing you.

“Try again.”

“What?”

“I said, try again. Next time, make it convincing.” You stared at him in disbelief. “What? Look, if I’ve learned something from you, it’s that there is always something else, so… spill.”

“It’s dumb, and I’m not going to tell you.”

“Oh? You’re not telling your boyfriend your secrets? How rude,” he teased.

“Shut up! Someone might hear that and think it is real.” He shrugged.

“For your parents, it is, so why does it matter if some random people think that too?”

“You are insane.” You walked back to the party.

“Answer the question.” He walked right behind you.

“I don’t want to tell you; it feels dumb now.”

“You were avoiding me, so I don’t think it’s just dumb.” You hesitated to tell him. You pressed your lips together, then sighed, giving up.

“I got reminded about Jordan and got upset.” His face dropped. Did he remind you of Jordan?

“Did I do something to remind you of him?” You didn’t answer. “Y/N that’s…”

“Rafe, don’t… it was nothing, it’s dumb, and I shouldn’t have gotten upset.”

“But you did, and I’m sorry.” His tone was firm.

“You don’t have to apologize.”

“I clearly did something bad because you were avoiding me, and I do need to apologize if I reminded you of…” He hated even saying the name. He wanted to keep talking, saying things to make sure you understood he never meant it, but he saw you tense up and the color drain from your face when you looked to the other side of the room.

He followed your gaze and clenched his jaw. There was no way this was happening that day and right at that moment.

taglist: @zyafics @maybankslover @niaunoffical @marleymarleymarleymarley @rafesbabygirlx @akobx @papercranesandinkstains @drewstarkeyspecs @winterivory @my-name-is-baby @drunkinthemiddleoftheday @drewrry @ursogorgeous13 @pr3tty-pink @lmaowhatt @reeseswirl @xoxosblogsblog @lili-swagalicious @ayy1234567 @rihannamars @congratsloserr @moonywhisp3rs @iamheretoread1234 @rafesdrew @bee-43 @pogueprincesa @cokewithcameron @landososcar @drewstarkeyslover @wintersoldierslover @rafecqmeronslove @defnotayonna @wintercrows @letstryagaintomorrow @rafestoothbrush @angelicameron @dreamybabbyy if you want to be added send an ask or comment! :) follow and turn on notifications on @inthelibrarybtw-notifs to get updates on everything I write

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inthelibrarybtw · 3 months ago

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you want me to pretend? | three

SERIES MASTERLIST

pairing: college!basketball!captain!rafe x college!student!reader content: fluff, teasing, college au, smau/irl

word count: 2.1k

authors note: I just want to thank everyone for all the love this has been getting, I love that you love them just as much as I do. Also thanks to @rafesbabygirlx for helping me decide what to do with this part.

02 | 03 | 04

Wednesday

He was shocked, to say the least. But he would be lying if he didn’t find it appealing. Also, even a bit cute that you had chosen to ask him for this out of all your friends.

“Wait, let me see if I got it right…” he paused. “You want me to pretend to be your boyfriend for a night?” He asked, still shocked and trying to see if you were joking. But you never joked, at least not with him.

“Yes,” he knew you weren’t joking now so he decided to take the teasing route.

“And what do I get from this?” he asked with a smirk on his face

“A free dinner?”

“Oh come on Y/N I know you can do better than that” he teased making you sigh

“I don’t know… what do you want?” you start to feel actual panic setting in. How were you supposed to convince him?

“I can think of a few things” he smirked, he was just making things difficult for fun, you didn’t find it funny.

“Why do you have to be like this?”

“It’s fun to see you annoyed” he smiled

“You are the worst”

“Hate me all you want but we both know it’s all fake or you wouldn’t be here” he had to suppress the urge to boop your nose knowing it was going to piss you off.

“I never said I hated you, you are just extremely annoying”

“I like to say I’m charming”

“Full of yourself”

“Who else am I supposed to be full of?” he lifted an eyebrow, and you sighed defeated.

“Rafe, please… I will owe you one no questions asked”

“Oh well now that you say that” he smirked again taking a few steps to get closer to you. “I might take you up on that princess” he changed his tone to a more flirty one

“You disgust me”

“Ah don’t be like that, I’m your boyfriend now” he wiggled his eyebrows. His smirk was still plastered on his face.

You felt a sense of relief at those words, he had agreed to help you.

“Thank you” you gave him a half smile

“Sure but I do have a few questions though”

“About?”

“Why did you have to look for a pretend boyfriend?”

“Long story”

“Will I ever know?”

“Maybe but not today.” you paused for a second “I’ll send you my location and let you know what I need you to do that day”

“Fine by me”

“Thank you again, really”

“Thank me after I have charmed your parents”

“Fine whatever, bye”

“Bye princess”

“Can you not?”

“You are my girlfriend now I have to be nice and sweet talk you” he smirked again, he was enjoying this a bit too much.

“Fake one, and for a night”

“Let me have my moment” You rolled your eyes and walked away.

He saw you walk away with a big smile on his face. He shook his head and chuckled to himself before going back to his practice.

Thursday

Today - Friday

You had been anxious since the moment you woke up. Kelce hadn’t shown up to statistics that day because he had gone out with Nicki according to him to end things finally. So you had been left alone to deal with Rafe on your own. Anyone would expect him to be solely focused on basketball since he was captain, but no, he truly cared for classes and his grades.

Just today he seemed a bit more chatty and you couldn’t wonder if it was because today was the day. Yes, THE day.

“So tell me, why don’t you want people to know?”

“Because I don’t. I’m not gonna tell people I had to look for a fake boyfriend because my parents pushed me to my limit”

“Ah so there is a reason, and here I thought you didn’t want to share”

“I said maybe so here I am, plus it seemed fair to tell you since you agreed to help me”

“Aw thanks” he put a hand over his chest pretending to feel touched. “So tell me more”

“My mom has been a bit worried I haven’t dated a guy in more than a year and lately she has been more pushy and all that so I lied saying I had been seeing this guy for the past two months to keep her quiet”

“And I’m guessing it didn’t work as you expected…”

“Yeah, they asked for his name and all”

“Okay wait…” he smirked “So you said my name?” You rolled your eyes and sighed. There was no point in denying it.

“Yes but only because you were texting the group chat nonstop and then to my chat so I panicked and said your name” he felt the honesty in your words but he was going to take the chance and tease you.

“No need to make excuses I feel honored that you thought of me”

“You love to have something to tease me with”

“Oh yes I do”

You kept the small talk for a bit more until it was time to work. You did all your classwork together and finished first.

“Okay so one more question, how did we meet? How did we start dating? I’m assuming they will ask questions” You turned to look at him; a sense of relief washed over you. He was going to help you.

“Yeah… let’s just say Kelce introduced us, which is the truth, and…” he cut you off

“He invited you to a game, he introduced us and we hit it off”

“Sound believable so it’s okay”

“Now hobbies, I know you like reading but like things we do together”

“Uh… watching movies, I guess I go to your games”

“That’s kind of a given, let’s say you are my lucky charm” he teases and you chuckle. You had to admit it, he was being more positive than what you had expected. Maybe the dinner wouldn’t be that horrible.

After the unexpected call, you continued with your stress-baking. It always helped you to take your mind off things and for the hour and a half hour that it took you to bake, you had accomplished not thinking about anything else. You noticed the time and decided to start getting ready.

You went to your room to get ready. The first thing you did was go through your closet to find something nice to wear, you settled on a floral dress you liked and called it a day. With your dress on you went to do your hair and after that, you sat down to put makeup on. As soon as you started doing your makeup and humming to the songs that were playing you got lost in the process and found comfort in something you did almost daily.

By the time you were done, it was almost time and the nerves settled in for good this time. As soon as the doorbell rang you felt a pit in your stomach. You took a deep breath and walked down to open the door.

When you got downstairs, your mom was about to open the door. You tried to hurry, but it was too late, and she was already opening it.

“Hello! You must be Rafe.”

“I am, nice to meet you,” he said, extending his hand to her.

“Mom, I was going to get the door.” You finally entered his field of vision. He felt time stop for a second; you looked beautiful. You always looked put together, but today was different—your hair, the dress, the makeup; it was all different.

“Well, look at you, princess! You look beautiful,” he said as he walked in, kissing the top of your head. You gave him a soft smile. Meanwhile, your mom looked at the scene in front of her, her heart leaping at what she was seeing.

You felt extremely awkward, but after taking another deep breath, you took Rafe’s hand and guided him to your living room. For Rafe, the house felt cozy, and it made sense that you were how you were if you had grown up in a place like this.

When you walked into the living room, you were met by your dad reading something on his phone.

“Dad, this is Rafe… Rafe, this is my dad.” Your dad lifted his gaze and smiled as he stood up.

“Ah! You are the guy she hasn’t stopped talking about all week.” You hadn’t done it on purpose, but they had been asking a lot of questions about him, and you answered. Rafe just chuckled and squeezed your hand gently, as if marking that comment to tease you later.

“It’s a pleasure to meet the parents of this pretty girl,” your dad smiled at the comment.

“Come on, sit down,” your mom motioned to the couch.

“So, Y/N tells me you play basketball.”

“Yes, I have been captain since last year. It has been a great experience so far.”

With that, the conversation flowed. You still felt like you were in flight or fight mode, but seeing how Rafe was handling the situation was better than you had expected. You had moved to the dining room to have dinner, and the conversation had continued. Your parents had asked every question they could imagine. Now Rafe was telling the story of how you two had met.

“We have friends in common, and for a game, she was sitting with them in the stands, and I couldn’t stop looking at her during the whole game." He paused. "I had seen her in a class before and barely exchanged words, but I knew I had to talk to her. So at the end of the game, I asked one of our friends to introduce us, and he did.”

It was all half-truths; you two had met in a class, and that same week, you had gone to one of his games not knowing he was playing. You all had hung out that day after the game, and from that point forward, you two had, in a way, become friends—more acquaintances since you two never hung out just the two of you or talked outside of college and homework.

"That’s so sweet! Who is the friend?"

"Kelce," you both answered simultaneously.

"We’ll thank him next time we see him for bringing you into her life." At that moment, you panicked; no way that was happening.

"I’m going to make sure to tell him," Rafe said, reassuring your mom. You turned to look at him.

"You are a good one, Rafe," your mom said.

"Well..." you paused. "I’m going to bring the dessert."

"Do you need help?" Rafe asked, and you nodded. He excused himself and followed you to the kitchen. Once the two of you were out of earshot, he spoke.

"Your parents are great," he said as you pulled a berry cheesecake out of the fridge. "Oh wow, that looks amazing"

"They are, and thanks. I take pride in my baking," you smiled, setting the cheesecake on the counter to take out some new plates.

"You bake?"

"I do; it’s one of my hobbies."

"Hmm, you are full of surprises."

"What can I say?" you replied with a smile, exiting the kitchen.

He grabbed the cheesecake and brought it to the table as you placed the plates next to it. As soon as it was served and everyone was seated, the conversation continued as if nothing had happened. Everything that you hadn’t discussed how to answer came out naturally. During dinner, both you and he saw each other in a different light. You had learned so much about him thanks to your parents' questions, and he had learned so much about you from the way you interacted with your parents and from what your mom had told him about you.

He understood why it had been a big deal for your parents when you had told them about dating someone. You didn’t know, but your mom had shared a bit of the backstory, and it had made him feel some kind of way. He could see how much your mom cared for you, and seeing you so heartbroken last time had worried her. She didn’t want you to close yourself off before, so seeing him there had assured her you were going to be okay. He was never going to bring this up with you, even though he was curious about what had happened.

When everyone noticed the time, it was 9:25 PM. Rafe helped clear the table and began saying his goodbyes. You sighed silently; it was finally over, and it had gone great.

"Rafe, before you go, why don’t you come over on Sunday?" your dad asked right as he was about to leave. Your face dropped; this was supposed to be just one night.

taglist: @zyafics @maybankslover @niaunoffical @marleymarleymarleymarley @rafesbabygirlx @akobx @papercranesandinkstains @drewstarkeyspecs @winterivory @my-name-is-baby @drunkinthemiddleoftheday @drewrry @ursogorgeous13 @pr3tty-pink @lmaowhatt @reeseswirl @xoxosblogsblog @lili-swagalicious @ayy1234567 @rihannamars @congratsloserr @moonywhisp3rs @iamheretoread1234 @rafesdrew @bee-43 @pogueprincesa @cokewithcameron @landososcar if you want to be added send an ask or comment! :) follow and turn on notifications on @inthelibrarybtw-notifs to get updates on everything i write

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inthelibrarybtw · 3 months ago

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you want me to pretend? | seven

SERIES MASTERLIST

pairing: college!basketball!captain!rafe x college!student!reader content: fluff, college au, smau/irl, cursing

word count: 0.9k

authors note: I don't have much to say more than I wanted some fluff after last part and that I fell asleep all afternoon and forgot to post earlier lmao

06 | 07 | 08

Sophomore year - October 2022

“Kelce just texted that they are coming up,” Rafe announced to everyone present.

“The song—shit, where’s my phone?” Sarah asked, stressed.

“I’ve got it; I will play it when she comes in.”

“Look at you, taking initiative,” JJ teased, “or is it more than just initiative?”

“Shut up.”

“Why is he even here?” JJ asked, but before anyone could answer, they heard a knock on the door.

“Shut up, JJ!” Kie whispered, slapping his arm.

They all quieted down as Rafe backed the song, getting ready to turn up the volume. Sarah went to open the door, and as soon as you walked in, Rafe turned up the volume. He had chosen that song because he once heard you telling Ruthie that it was one of your favorites, and of course, he didn’t forget.

When you walked inside, everyone shouted “Surprise!” as “Golden” blared through the speakers. Your face brightened the more you looked around. All your friends were there, and everything was decorated. You felt a warm feeling in your chest; when you started college, you had worried you wouldn’t find good friends, but seeing all of them there reminded you that things always worked out.

One by one, they hugged you or congratulated you before returning to their previous conversations or heading to the kitchen to help prepare the food. Rafe was the last one to reach you; he didn’t know what to do. You two barely knew each other, but you also didn’t feel like total strangers.

“Happy birthday again,” he said.

“Thank you; I appreciate you remembering it,” you said, a bit nervous.

“How did you spend it yesterday?”

“It was great—mostly with my family. I went to lunch with them, and then we went to my house for the birthday cake.”

“That’s great; I’m glad you had a wonderful day…” He paused for a second. “I brought you some flowers; hope you like them.”

“Oh, you didn’t have to! Thank you, Rafe.” You smiled at him, and he could swear it was the best thing. Seeing you happy over something he did? The highlight of his week, and it was barely starting. Of course, he would never admit it out loud because he knows he would never hear the end of it.

Sarah watched the scene from the kitchen but didn’t say anything. She knows Rafe likes you; it's as clear as ever, but she also notices how you are still not fully there, even if there is attraction. Everyone in that room could catch onto that, and yet no one decided to comment on it. JJ tried, but either Sarah or Kie slapped his arm to make him shut up.

During the rest of the afternoon, you spent time making pizzas, playing board games, laughing, and truly enjoying the company of the people around you. It had been one of the best birthdays you had. Sarah had made sure to let you know that the Jellycat she got you was also from Rafe. You found the gesture extremely cute. You two talked a lot that day; it was small talk, nothing too deep, but it was something since it had been the most you two had talked in the past few months of knowing each other.

Kelce tried to keep his mouth shut, but he couldn’t.

“So, Rafe likes her for real?”

“Is the sky blue?” Sarah asked back.

“I don’t think she is that into him,” he said.

“Oh… that’s not good coming from you.”

“No, look, I see she is attracted to him, but I don’t know if she’s scared of liking him or something; it’s taking longer for her to warm up to him.”

“I say give them time; I see potential there.”

“Potential?”

“I just have a feeling they will be together; I just know it.”

A few days later, you were hanging out with the girls and the guys at Sarah’s apartment again.

“Okay, guys, plans for next week?”

“I’m always down, but isn’t it a bit too soon for next week's plans?” JJ says.

“Let her talk first,” Cleo interrupts.

“Okay, so Topper…”

“No,” Kie stops her. “Something always happens.”

“That’s the fun part,” JJ replies.

“Of course, you would say that,�� Pope says, shaking his head.

“Thank you, JJ,” Sarah says.

“I’m with Kie,” John B says. “I was drunk for days after the last time the plan involved him.”

“Oh, come on! It will be fun; some of his friends from the next town are coming.”

“Yeah, he told the basketball team too,” JJ said. “Like a homecoming party?”

“Housewarming party.”

“Same shit.”

“It is not the same,” Pope tried to correct him while you just looked at the scene unfolding in front of you. Cleo, JJ, and Sarah had agreed, while Pope, John B, and Kie were against it, so the tiebreaker was you.

“Come on, Y/N,” Sarah said kindly. “It’s not gonna be a big party, I promise. I kinda know his friend, and he is more of a chill guy.”

“Do you actually know him?”

“Well, no, but I’ve seen him a couple of times, and he seems chill,” you sighed.

“I guess it wouldn’t be that bad,” Kie, Pope, and John B sighed deeply.

“This better be just a housewarming party, nothing else.”

“The guy is moving alone, so he’s making a big deal; it was Topper’s idea to throw the party.”

“Of course,” John B said, annoyed.

“Can we at least know the guy's name?” Kie asked.

“It starts with a J; let me look it up…” she said, scrolling through Topper’s chat. “Jordan, his name is Jordan.”

taglist: @zyafics @maybankslover @niaunoffical @marleymarleymarleymarley @rafesbabygirlx @akobx @papercranesandinkstains @drewstarkeyspecs @winterivory @my-name-is-baby @drunkinthemiddleoftheday @drewrry @ursogorgeous13 @pr3tty-pink @lmaowhatt @reeseswirl @xoxosblogsblog @lili-swagalicious @ayy1234567 @rihannamars @congratsloserr @moonywhisp3rs @iamheretoread1234 @rafesdrew @bee-43 @pogueprincesa @cokewithcameron @landososcar @drewstarkeyslover @wintersoldierslover @rafecqmeronslove @defnotayonna @wintercrows @letstryagaintomorrow @rafestoothbrush if you want to be added send an ask or comment! :) follow and turn on notifications on @inthelibrarybtw-notifs to get updates on everything I write

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inthelibrarybtw · 6 months ago

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on the line | r.c

Someone said promises are the sweetest lies, but it had never been like that between them, promises between them were always kept. He would’ve died for her if it meant he would see her being happy forever, she would’ve done anything to give him all the love she knew he deserved and didn’t get. They cared too much for the other and maybe that was the problem. They said they were friends, but it was always more than that they both knew it. No one understood how she could be friends with him, he asked himself the same question from time to time, she was everything he wasn’t. She was sweet, and kind, in other words, she was an angel, his angel, and he was a devil compared to her. Yet he would never hurt her, he promised her that, and she believed it.

pairing: canon!bsf!rafe x bsf!reader

content: no comfort, follows s1 plot line, angst, emotional manipulation, cursing, physical and emotional abuse, mentions of death, murder, gun violence, and sex.

chapters: one | two | three

PLAYLIST

authors note: I wanted to write something following the plot of obx for a while so here it is, hope you guys like it. I will be finishing writing all the chapter before I post them so I ask a bit of patience thank you :)

taglist: i have taglists for each fic and a side blog to get updates on everything i write @inthelibrarybtw-notifs if you want to be added send an ask or comment! :)

REBLOGS, COMMENTS AND LIKES ARE ALWAYS WELCOMED

INTHELIBRARYBTW ✧.*

#writinginthelibrary #on the line #OTL #bsf!reader #rafe cameron #rafe cameron x reader #rafe smut #rafe angst #no comfort #navigation

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inthelibrarybtw · 5 months ago

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get to know college!student!reader

college!student!reader who is naturally smart, and loves studying, it can get a little too much because she hates to get less than a B in her classes, in high school she got a C once and almost cried her eyes out (no one knows about this) she’s not a party girl, she’s more into staying in watching a movie with her friends, baking and if she’s alone reading a book. baking usually is like a coping mechanism that shows up around finals and midterms because it becomes stress baking, but sometimes she does it for fun or to have a nice little detail for someone she cares about.

college!student!reader who is very kind, just don’t provoke her, hates confrontations but always sets her limits. her anxiety and overthinking can get the best of her, her friends know that and always reassure her when she’s having a bad day which is not that often but when it hits it hits hard. she has a hard time asking for help unless it’s her best friend from high school who sadly doesn’t go to the same college as her or kelce since they know each other since they were practically kids. she tends to cry when stressed, angry or when she’s exhausted and drained.

college!student!reader who loves taylor swift and everything that anyone could classify as basic but she loves it, picking flowers, reading romance books, watching 90s and early 2000s shows. passionate for art and music, loves to go on walks while listening to music, you can catch her going to museums on her own, usually very independent but loves to spend time with her friends and people she loves, quality time is her number one love language and physical touch is the second even if she doesn’t like to admit it. who barely understands sports but when her friends invite her to football or basketball games, she goes to spend time with them and because they always go out for food afterward.

college!student!reader who is an only child which has allowed her to have a good relationship with her parents, her high school best friend is like her sister, she loves her friends and respects them a lot. she’s really hard on herself, even if she knows she has people who will be there for her no matter what sometimes she shuts down and doesn’t speak to anyone about what she’s going through, shields herself with reading, and externalizes her emotions on playlists or listening one song on a loop as longs as it fits to how she’s feeling.

college!student!reader who loves to take pictures of everything and share them on her social media, it’s like her digital diary. her major suits her for that reason, digital marketing with a minor in graphic design, to in her words “make everything look pretty”. who is bilingual, her mom taught her Spanish since she was little and she uses it a lot when talking to her family and some friends. who is also very sarcastic, always has a smile on her face and most of the time she won’t verbally say stuff but her face sure will let you know everything before she even thinks about saying it.

authors note: thank you so much for all the love this fic is already receiving!! college!student!reader (aka Avery) is very dear to my heart, she has a lot of bits and pieces that I took from my life and put them into who she is. I hope you guys like her and get more excited to read about her.

taglist: @zyafics @maybankslover @niaunoffical @marleymarleymarleymarley @rafesbabygirlx @akobx if you want to be added send an ask or comment! :)

REBLOGS, COMMENTS AND LIKES ARE ALWAYS WELCOMED

INTHELIBRARYBTW ✧.*

#writinginthelibrary #YWMTP?#introduction #college!student!reader #rafe cameron x reader #college au #rafe cameron #rafe x reader #rafe fluff #rafe cameron fluff #rafe fic

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inthelibrarybtw · 2 months ago

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in the waves | r.c

RAFE MASTERLIST

pairing: bsfb!rafe x kook!reader

summary: having beach days was one of the most normal things for you; after all, you had lived in the Outer Banks all your life. Your friends made those days even better. For you and Rafe, the beach was full of happy memories. That day was meant to be another beach day added to the list. Just that. Maybe one of the best.

word count: 3.0k

content: childhood family friends, fluff, cursing, angst, no comfort, mentions of storms, coast guard, drowning, inaccurate weather/ocean talk, Christian faith, prayer mentioned.

authors note: I had a dream a few months ago and decided I wanted to write something about it. I teared up a bit while I was writing this. Maybe will do a part 2? I don't know

Rafe has known you for as long as he can remember. You have been a constant in his life, and he has learned to like you. When you were kids, you were just another annoying girl who came over, thanks to Sarah. But you were different. You had always been less annoying than the others, although he never admitted that to you, at least not before you two became friends. Somewhere around the time you finally made it to high school, and he was a junior, things changed. You changed.

You were no longer a little girl, and it was easier to hang out with you. Thanks to Sarah and Topper's dating, the friend groups had merged, and you also became a good friend to Rafe. He was great once you got to know him. He had his moments, but he was loyal to his friends and loved ones.

From that moment on, you kept getting close to him, maybe a bit too close. You never fully started dating; it was more of an unspoken tension between both of you. He knew you liked him, and you knew he liked you. Everyone was aware of this; you were the official unofficial couple of the group after Sarah and Topper broke up. Even when the Pogues started hanging out more around you, they knew better than to try anything with you.

It was a bit of a gloomy day, but all your friends were gathering to go to the beach. You weren’t in the mood to go, but you had been busy for the last week and had barely had time to spend with Sarah and the rest. So there you were, getting ready for a day at the beach. You had chosen to wear a white dress and were just finishing packing your bag when Rafe texted you.

3:30 PM Rafe: I’m here, pretty girl. Should I come in or wait outside?

3:30 PM You: I’m ready. I will be out in a sec.

The text brought an immediate smile to your face. You grabbed your bag and phone and walked downstairs. When you opened the door, he was standing outside his car, leaning back against it.

“You look so pretty,” he said, a smile on his face. You smiled back at him.

“I told you, you don’t have to get out of your car.”

“Yeah, well, too bad; I like waiting for you here,” he said as he took your bag to put it inside his car and then opened the door for you.

“Thank you,” you smiled as you got into his car. He walked back to the driver's seat and started the car. He turned to look at you.

“Is everything okay?” he asked, and you nodded.

“Yes, I wasn’t really in the mood to come today, but I haven’t seen everyone in a while, so…”

“Hey, no. If you don’t feel like going, let's do something else. They won’t get mad; I promise.”

“Rafe…”

“Y/N, I’m being serious. If you don’t want to go, I can turn back or go somewhere else. It’s okay.”

“No, no, come on. I haven’t seen them in a while.” He turned to look at you one more time and sighed.

“Fine… let’s go, but if you want to leave at any point, just tell me.” You nodded.

He didn’t want to admit it, but he had a bad feeling about this. He tried not to overthink it, but it wasn’t normal for you to suddenly feel like you didn’t want to go somewhere. He had spent a lot of time around you and your family, knowing that when you felt like you no longer wanted to go somewhere, you wouldn’t go. It was something your grandmother had said, and he had heard it a couple of times when he was at your house. What he gathered from it was that if you had the urge not to go anymore, you wouldn’t go to keep yourself safe. Your grandmother said it was as if your body knew something was wrong and was protecting you by making you feel uneasy and reluctant to go.

Rafe never questioned the feeling when you explained what your grandmother had taught you. He actually started to do the same, and a couple of times, he noticed that the feeling had indeed been right. Something had happened on the road he would usually take or at the place he was meant to be. He became superstitious to an extent. So, at that moment, he had a gnawing feeling in his stomach. Maybe it was nothing; a couple of times, he had been wrong about it too, and everything was fine when he still pushed past the feeling of going to the place.

“I’m just tired; it’s nothing else,” you said, unsure if you were trying to convince yourself or him.

—

You arrived at the beach where the rest of your friends were, and all sense of uneasiness left your body. Maybe you were, in fact, just tired, but Rafe was still a bit on edge. He kept an eye on you at all times and tried to stay as close to you as he could.

Everyone was doing their own thing; some of the guys were surfing. Kie was walking around with Sarah, searching for turtles since it was hatching season, and you and Rafe were in the water. He looked at you like you meant everything to him. Because you did.

He tucked a strand of hair behind your ear, and you smiled up at him. “So…” he began to speak.

“So…?” you replied.

“There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you for a long time,” he smiled at you as he traced your arms with his fingertips.

“Yeah? What is it?” you asked with a big smile, sensing what he was going to ask.

“I think it’s long overdue, and I’m sorry it took me so long to ask.”

“You still haven’t,” you chuckled softly.

“Ha, ha, just let me finish.” You nodded and allowed him to continue. “I wanted to do this differently, but seeing you right now, I just can’t wait anymore. Will you be my girlfriend?” he asked, cupping your face gently as if you might break.

“Yes,” you giggled.

“My girl,” he said in a raspy voice as he leaned in to kiss you. When he pulled back, you smiled at each other before he spoke again. “I made a dinner reservation for us today at your favorite restaurant. The plan was to ask you there,” he admitted.

“Well, this is even more perfect. The beach, us in the ocean—what else do I need?”

“Yeah, well, we are still going to have dinner.”

“Yes, our first dinner as boyfriend and girlfriend,” you said with a smile, pecking his lips softly one more time.

“Yes, finally!” he said as he kissed you once more. A gentle wave hit your and his legs. You smiled during the kiss before he pulled back and picked you up, walking back to the beach.

“Rafe!” you yelped in between giggles.

“What? Are you going to tell me I can’t pick up my girlfriend now?” he smirked, and you just laughed it off.

For the next hour, everyone gathered to eat snacks, listen to music, and talk. The conversation was filled with laughter and comments about how you two had finally made things official. After a while, everyone went to put their clothes back on to take some pictures with the sunset in the background.

You and Rafe took pictures together, and he captured photos of you that he promised to send so you could post them on Instagram. He excused himself to go to the bathroom and kissed you before he left.

“I’ll be back.”

“Okay, I’m going to go with the girls to take more pictures.” You smiled at him.

You moved closer to the shore to take more pictures. Topper and Kelce were picking up some things, so it was just you and the Pogues. The pictures near the shore were always nice; you liked how the water splashed on your feet. It was quite windy that day, but you didn’t mind—it would look good in the pictures. The waves in the background, your dress and hair flowing in the wind.

Your hair blew into your face, so you didn’t see a small rock, causing you to fall backward. You felt the water behind you and laughed softly. You were about to say something, but a stronger wave interrupted you. It not only hit you but also dragged you back. The tide was coming in. You let out a high-pitched scream when you felt yourself being pulled away. Sarah panicked and started screaming for John B and anyone nearby. They couldn’t reach you without being dragged in too. You knew how to swim, but in that moment, it felt like your brain shut down. You tried screaming and swimming somewhere, but the current was stronger than you. Water was getting into your eyes and mouth. Was this how it felt to drown? You questioned yourself.

The current kept pulling you away; you tried to relax, but you were terrified. You started crying, or at least you thought you did; the water kept hitting your face, making you unsure if you were really crying, but it felt like you were. Kie had been the first to react, running to call the lifeguards, while Pope was dialing 911 because they didn’t know what to do. JJ kept screaming your name. You heard something, but you were being pulled somewhere.

Topper and Kelce ran back when they heard the screams. Sarah and Cleo were crying. John B. and JJ were trying to figure out what to do. It was getting darker, so neither you nor they could see you well. Amid all the movement, you felt a stinging pain in your leg and one on your head. In pain, stress, and fear of dying, you tried to float. You were so far from the shore that you could barely see anything. You threw your head back to float on your back; you did your best, but the waves kept hitting your face. You coughed and cried in desperation. You looked up at the sky and thought of your parents, your friends, and Rafe.

Your vision became blurry, and it all went black. You didn’t care who; you needed someone to find you. Someone needed to find you.

Rafe returned to the chaos and panic. Pope, John B, Kelce, and JJ were in the water, screaming your name. The lifeguards were already searching for you.

“Rafe…” Sarah’s broken voice called out to him. “I’m sorry…” His heart dropped. Why was his sister apologizing?

“Why are you apologizing? Where is Y/N?”

“She…” Her voice came in broken, soft cries. “We… we… were just taking pictures, and she fell. Then a wave… and she—”

“She what, Sarah?!” He started panicking. “WHERE IS SHE?”

He kept saying your name over and over again.

“WHERE IS SHE?!” Topper grabbed him and shook his head, which only caused him to lose it. He felt the tears streaming down his face.

“They are already looking for her,” Kelce said.

“FUCK!” His breathing started to become more shallow. “FUCK!” he screamed again, then he turned back to Sarah. “She didn’t even want to come, but she wanted to make YOU ALL HAPPY!”

Sarah froze at his words. Rafe was blaming her, and she didn’t know how to react. She knew Rafe always had to blame someone; even if no one was at fault, that’s just how his brain worked.

“It’s no one’s fault,” Kie said in a broken whisper.

“IT IS! SHE DIDN’T WANT TO FUCKING COME!” he screamed back as the tears continued streaming down his cheeks. No one was saying anything. No one knew what to say—not to Rafe. To them, you were their best friend; to Rafe, you were different. He had just possibly lost the love of his life, the only girl he ever cared about. His girl. You were everything he never thought he needed or wanted.

“They will find her,” someone said; Rafe no longer cared who was speaking. He walked to the shore and stepped into the water, with Topper and Kelce behind him to stop him from doing something reckless.

“Rafe, stop!” Kelce said, but he ignored his friends’ calls. The beach had turned into a place just for them, with the Coast Guard and police searching all over for you. Topper grabbed him by the shoulders.

“You can’t go there, Rafe! She needs you here. What if they bring her back and you’re the one they can’t find, huh?”

“You don’t even know if she’s still alive!” Rafe’s voice broke. “YOU DON’T KNOW ANYTHING!” He sat on the sand and sobbed. Topper and Kelce didn’t know what to do; they had never seen Rafe like this. They were also worried, but it didn’t compare to how Rafe felt. They stood next to him, trying to provide some form of comfort. “She didn’t want to come; she said she didn't feel like it! AND LOOK!”

Sarah had grown closer, and she understood what those words meant. She also knew about the saying you and your family had. It broke her to realize that right at that moment. She understood why Rafe was blaming her because she knew everyone had warned her not to miss it since they had barely spent time together. Now she felt guilty as well.

They all tried to convince Rafe to go back home. It was useless; his home was lost at sea, dragged by the waves. If it were up to him, he would be in the water, swimming his life away if it meant you would come back to him. He wanted you, needed you safe. He went to scream at the police and the coast guard, telling them they better not stop for a second or they would regret it. Shoupe didn’t doubt his words but also saw the pain etched on his face.

They had called your family. Rafe had told them everything, and he blamed himself. Your mother had ensured he knew it was not his fault. That he was leaving for the bathrooms so far from the beach had not caused the current to take you away. They also tried to convince him to go back home and rest. He stayed in his car or walked along the shore, hoping he would be the one to find you.

That day, he was supposed to open Instagram and post a picture of you two, with the date of the day as the caption, finally making it official that you two were a couple. But things didn’t turn out as they should; so yes, he opened Instagram and posted a picture and a story, but to let people know you were lost. A current had taken you away; if anyone had seen or would see anything, please let him or your family know.

He was supposed to take you to dinner, then back home to spend the night with you, finally as his girlfriend. He cried all night long and screamed his heart out to the sky. He wasn’t super religious, but he knew you did believe in God. So he did what he never thought he would. He prayed, more like complained to God. He talked to the sky, asking it to please keep you safe, to bring you back safe and alive. He needed you alive; he didn’t care about anything else more than that.

You saw how he prayed and cried his heart out. Why were you seeing him? You remembered everything going black, but right now, you had returned to the shore. Your friends were there talking, and you called, but no one answered. As you kept walking, you saw everything and everyone looking for you. Why were you there? You couldn’t be dead; you knew where your body was, and it hurt. So why were you able to see everyone?

You felt the need to cry upon seeing him, then you opened your eyes. You didn’t know where you were; you were still in the water. You couldn’t die, so you swam. Somehow, you did it. You found a rock and grabbed onto it; as you tried to climb, it cut your hand.

“Shit…” you cursed to yourself. You pushed past the pain and made it to the other side. There was another rock, lower, and you sat there. You coughed and shivered. The waves kept hitting you, but you couldn’t do more. Your whole body ached, and you were hurt. You lay your head back and looked at the sky one more time, silently pleading to be safe, to get rescued. You didn’t want to die, but if that was the only way you were going to be safe, then you could eventually come to terms with the idea.

“I don’t want to die, please God,” you whispered as you cried. You closed your eyes and hoped for the best. You tried to fight the sleepiness, but it was useless. You didn’t know if it was the pain, the exhaustion, or something else, but your body gave up.

Rafe felt empty, as if a part of him had been ripped away. He calmed himself and walked down the beach to find a place for some silence. He found a rock to sit on and looked at the sea. A few minutes passed, and he felt a pang in his chest that made him let out a broken sob that sounded more like a scream. It physically hurt him to know you were lost in the sea, in the waves, in the one place that had been the happiest for so long. He blamed himself for not insisting enough to make you stay home.

“Just let her be safe; please bring her back. I need her back,” he said one more time, looking up to the sky in tears.

That night, no one could sleep. All the Pogues had stayed together, and Topper and Kelce had remained close to Rafe to ensure he didn’t do anything. They didn’t try to approach him because they knew better. Rafe wanted to be alone. The only company he desired was not there.

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