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softspiderling · 17 days

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god, it's brutal out here | r.c.

summary:

“And yet you’re still thinking of your ex,” Barry finished the sentence, rubbing his chin. “Why don’t you get back together with her?”

“She doesn’t want me.”

“God, fucking Country Club,” Barry snickered. “You’re fucking dense.”

OR; 5 times your friends share their unsolicited opinions about your and Rafe’s break up.

pairing: rafe cameron x reader

warnings: mention of c*caine

word count: 5,4k

author’s note: the long awaited sequel of so obsessed with your ex! this can be read as a standalone fic, but there are little easter eggs hidden all over, which will be more fun if you read the first part! it's a little bit longer than I had planned, but there was no way around it. I hope you enjoy it so so much!!!!

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

I Wheezie

“Hey Wheeze.”

You had accepted the facetime without looking at your phone, keeping it rested on a shelf while you were halfway into your closet, trying to find a dress.

“Does Rafe have a new girlfriend??”

Pausing, you shut your eyes, letting out a silent exhale before you picked up the phone, giving Wheezie a wry smile through the camera.

“Nice to see you too.”

The girl only looked at you, unimpressed and her arms crossed. You sighed, running a hand through your hair, knowing you didn’t have a way out of this conversation. Grabbing your phone, you sat down on your bed.

“Yes, Rafe has a new girlfriend.”

“I knew it!” Wheezie shrieked, throwing her arms up, and you only shook your head in exasperation. The tendency for drama clearly was in the Cameron genes. Wheezie frowned, getting closer to your phone as she looked at you.

“Why am I more upset about this than you are?”

You bit back another sigh. “Because Rafe and I are broken up, Wheeze. He’s allowed to date other people, matter of fact, I’m really glad that he has moved on.”

“Bullshit!”

“Wheezie!”

Wheezie rolled her eyes, but she sat back down, crossing her arms over her chest again. “I don’t like her.”

“You don’t even know her,” you sighed, rubbing your temple, feeling a migraine coming on.

“This is crazy!” Wheezie exclaimed. “You and Rafe never should’ve broken up in the first place! Rafe is probably only dating her to make you jealous so you’ll take him back.”

You couldn’t help but snort at that, Wheezie clearly watched way too many rom-coms. She frowned at you.

“Why are you laughing? This isn’t funny, this is, like, super un-funny.”

“Because, Wheeze,” you started, plucking a feather out of your pillow. “This isn’t some 90’s rom-com where I see Rafe with Rebecca and suddenly a sad song is playing. This is real life. We are broken up.”

“I still don’t understand why.”

“Remember when we used to fight all the time? And I was just always sad?”

Wheezie was quiet, her lips still pursed. “Yeah. But that doesn’t mean anything. Couples fight all the time, doesn’t mean you just have to break up.”

“Yes, couples fight all the time and they don’t have to break up, but it was the right decision for me and Rafe,” you said, your tone final. Wheezie looked at you, her frown slowly smoothing down.

“If you say so,” she muttered, not quite convinced. She stared down at her chipped finger nails, before she looked up again. “Can we still talk?”

Your eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Of course we can still talk, why wouldn’t we?”

“I don’t know… I mean, you’re gonna find a new boyfriend and maybe he has a younger sister as well and then I’ll just be your ex’s younger sister.”

“Wheeze,” you said, fondly, knowing where she was coming from. You had been in her life for most of her teenage years, it must be weird not having you around anymore. “We’ll still talk, no matter if I get a new boyfriend or not, even if he has a cool younger sister, or even three.”

Wheezie smiled, rolling her eyes at you. “You’re so dumb.”

“Yet you still want me around,” you teased. “How about you, Sar and I go get some ice cream and then to the movies this weekend?”

“Sounds good,” Wheezie replied with a big smile. She paused when someone called her name from somewhere in the house, before she turned back to her phone. “I gotta go, Rose needs me. I’ll text you later.”

“Alright, Wheeze. Talk to you later, be good.”

Wheezie waved into the camera, before the facetime ended. Your smile dropped and you tossed your phone on your bed with a sigh, letting yourself fall back on your bed. Even six months after the break up it was still hard to talk about Rafe, and now that he had a new girlfriend, you thought it’d be easier to get over him, but all it did was hurt more. It didn’t help that Rafe was still texting you every now and then. Nothing scandalous, just small texts, but you never replied. You both agreed on no contact after the break up, because you thought it’d give you a better opportunity to heal. You should’ve known he’d break it. Picking up your phone, you unlocked it, swiping to your messages.

Rafe [11/30/23: 1:43 am]: couldn’t sleep. remember when we took out the boat at two am bc we both drank a red bull at ten?

Rafe [11/30/23: 11:22 am]: sorry, i was drinking. didn’t mean to text you. hope you’re doing good

Rafe [12/25/23: 2:44 pm]: merry christmas. it’s weird without you.

Rafe [01/01/24: 01:02 am]: happy new year’s.

Rafe [01/05/23: 9:56 pm]: are you really not gonna text me back?

Rafe [01/27/24: 3:07 am]: i miss you

Rafe [02/12/24: 12:05 pm]: saw you at the party last night. you looked so fucking pretty. took everything in me not to talk to you.

Rafe [03/01/24: 7:12 pm]: idk if you care or not, but i still wanted to let you know. i’m seeing someone

You never replied to any of the texts, knowing it was for the better. You could block him, but you never brought it over your heart to do so, telling yourself you wanted him to reach you in case of emergency, but deep down, you didn’t want to block him.

Just incase.

II Barry

“Want some C?” Barry asked as greeting, presenting Rafe a small baggie with white powder in it as soon as he walked onto the lot.

“Nah,” Rafe declined, already feeling jittery enough without it, “Won’t say no to a beer though.”

Barry let out a grunt, tossing the baggie on the table, disappearing inside the trailer. Rafe took a seat in one of the chairs, running his hand over his buzzed head, bouncing his leg nervously. He had needed to get out of the house for a while. Ever since Rebecca pulled the picture out of the drawer, he couldn’t stop thinking about you. Again.

Which is fucked up, really. He thought he got over you, he didn’t want to be the guy who thought about his ex while having a whole ass girlfriend. The door to the trailer opened with a slam, Barry exiting with two beer cans, handing Rafe one of them. The can was ice cold in his hands, and the cold liquid helped with his racing heart. He let out a sigh, rubbing a thumb over his eye brow. Rafe took another gulp of the beer, almost drinking the entire can in one go, while Barry watched him, assessing.

“You good?”

Rafe nodded, setting the can on the table.

“Yeah, jus’ stressed.”

“Work, or…?”

Barry trailed off without finishing his sentence and Rafe didn’t answer, wiping a finger over his jaw, which was clenched to the max.

Barry eyed him skeptically, leaning back in his chair. “How’s Mrs. Country Club?”

Rafe let out a loud sigh, tipping his head back, like he always did when he was annoyed with Barry.

“Barry, I don’t know if all the drugs you’re taking are starting to get to your memory, but we broke up.”

“Don’t be fucking rude,” he said, kicking Rafe’s chair. Not hard enough for it to tip over, but hard enough for Rafe to grip onto the arm rests, glaring at his friend. “How’d you know I wasn’t talking ‘bout your new girl?”

“Because you always call her Becky,” Rafe pointed out, giving him a look.

Barry shrugged, taking a sip from his beer. “You still know who ‘m talking about, so what’s the problem?”

“Problem is, it’s disrespectful. You know that’s not her name.”

“You’re still hung up on your ex while dating Becky, so who’s really disrespecting her?”

Rafe’s head shot up and the glare he sent Barry was deadly.

“Fuck this shit, and fuck you,” he snapped, pushing himself up from the chair, but Barry grabbed his wrist, stopping him.

“Boy, sit down.”

Rafe scowled at him, before sitting back down, crossing his arms over his chest like a petulant child. He did not come all the way out to the cut to get called out like this.

“If you came here to be coddled, you went to the wrong person.”

“I don’t need to be coddled,” Rafe muttered with an eyeroll. “Just wanted to let off some steam.”

“So?” Barry snorted, waving his hands around. “Steam away.”

Rafe scoffed, scooting down in his chair, shaking his head. “Do you think I want to think of her? I fucking hate feeling like this. Bex is nice, and she’s hot. And yet-”

“And yet you’re still thinking of your ex,” Barry finished the sentence, rubbing his chin. “Why don’t you get back together with her?”

“She doesn’t want me.”

“God, fucking Country Club,” Barry snickered. “You’re fucking dense.”

“Nah, you don’t fucking get it, “ Rafe sneered, leaning his head in his hands. And he didn’t, not really. Which really wasn’t his fault. Rafe just didn’t want to talk about the break up with his friends. Physically couldn’t. Now that he thought about it, he hadn’t told anyone why you broke up. Just made it feel all to real, he guessed.

“Nah, you’re right, I don’t,” Barry said, shaking his head. “All I know is, one day you’re all fucking sunshine and the next you’re more emo than that Friday girl.”

“What?” Rafe asked, lifting his head to stare at Barry in confusion.

Barry waved him off. “You know, that freaky girl from Netflix with the black lipstick.”

“Do you mean Wednesday?”

“Yeah, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, all the same to me,” Barry huffed. “Point is, life’s too fucking short to do things that don’t make you happy.”

“Bex makes me happy.”

Barry gave him a long, hard look, squinting his eyes at him. “Yeah, right. Whatever makes you sleep at night.”

Rafe stared back at him before shaking his head, finishing the last of his beer before crushing the empty can in his hand, declining to answer, because he knew he couldn’t convince Barry.

He wasn’t even convinced himself.

III Topper

top [05/03/24: 4:06 pm]: gonna be at alex’s later tonight with rafe and rebecca just fyi if you wanted to come

mrs. rafe [05/03/24: 4:57 pm]: k, thanks for letting me know

—— NEW MESSAGE ——

top [05/04/24: 1:37 am]: can you pick me up?

It was Saturday night, a little past your bedtime for a night in. You were getting ready for bed, exiting the bathroom when your phone buzzed in your hand. Lifting it, you read the new text, not quite believing he’d make you do this. What the fuck was he thinking asking you to pick him up? Shaking your head in disbelief, you typed out an answer.

mrs. rafe [05/04/24: 1:41 am]: topper no

Before you could put the phone away, your phone already buzzed with an answer, and you nearly didn’t want to read whatever lame ass excuse he came up with, your hand stilling when your eyes flit over his text.

top [05/04/24: 1:41 am]: please, i don’t want to get a ride with rafe and rebecca

top [05/04/24: 1:41 am]: she asked me so many questions about you and i can’t be around rafe rn or i’ll tell him

mrs. rafe [05/04/24: 1:45 am]: … fine

mrs. rafe [05/04/24: 1:47 am]: you’re so annoying

Cursing Topper and yourself for not going to bed sooner, you put on a sweatshirt and grabbed your keys and purse, typing out another text before you headed out of the house, getting into your car.

mrs. rafe [05/04/24: 1:49 am]: be there in ten

top [05/04/24: 1:50 am]: omg i owe you <3

Barely ten minutes later, you pulled up in front of Alex’ house, looking out for Topper, before you spotted him underneath a tree. You rolled to a stop next to him, giving him the most unimpressed look.

“You’re a lifesaver,” Topper groaned, getting into the car, shutting the door behind him.

You rolled your eyes, pulling off the curb without another word, driving towards Topper’s house.

“I’m really sorry for asking you to come get me, but Rafe was looking for me and I had too much to drink already to lie in his face,” Topper said, leaning his back against the headrest, shutting his eyes.

You desperately wanted to know what Rebecca had asked but you didn’t want to come off as the nosy ex, even if this was Topper. So as nonchalantly as you could, you asked: “What did you talk about?”

“Jesus,” Topper said, running a hand through his hair. “She asked me how you guys broke up and wanted details, too. Was super insistent, I was kinda scared actually.”

Okay, so just normal sussing out the ex, you could deal with that.

“What did you say?”

“That it was a mutual break up and I didn’t know why you broke up, just that you suddenly disappeared from each other’s lives.”

You sighed. That was the vaguest answer you’d ever heard.

“Why didn’t you just tell her why we broke up?”

Topper glanced at you, his brows knitted together.

“How can I tell her something I don’t know?”

“What?”

You slammed on the breaks, nearly sending Topper flying through the windshield because the idiot hadn’t buckled up, while you stared at him.

“What do you mean you don’t know why we broke up?”

“I don’t!” Topper exclaimed. “Rafe refuses to talk about it and you never told me either.”

“Because I assumed Rafe has told you! It’s been like six months!”

Blinking at Topper, it took you a few seconds to process, jumping when someone honked their horn at you, when you remembered you had stopped in the middle of the street.

“Shit,” you muttered, shifting gears to keep on driving, eyes flitting to Topper repeatedly.

“So…” he started. “Why did you guys break up?”

You gripped the steering wheel so tightly your knuckles turned white, letting out a deep breath. When you had left to come pick Topper up, you hadn’t expected having to tell him why you and his best friend had broken up.

“I was getting so worried about him. He was so stressed about the company every day, took home so much work and Ward was breathing down his neck to keep the numbers up. I told him that I thought he should take a step back, maybe take a break or something, tried to convince him of going on a trip or something, but the more I said, the more he seemed to be pushing himself into work. It got so bad that we were fighting basically every day, and it just wasn’t working anymore. It felt like we were going in circles.”

You cleared your throat when you felt yourself getting choked up, vision turning a little blurry from the tears in your eyes.

“Shit, I’m sorry,” Topper exclaimed, patting himself down, looking for some tissues.

“Don’t worry about it,” you snorted, wiping your tears away with the sleeves of your sweatshirt. You were so wrapped up in trying to retell the break up, you hadn’t even noticed that you already reached Topper’s house. “I shouldn’t even still be getting so worked up over this after all this time,” you sniffed, turning your car off.

Topper looked at you, with that typical look on his face and you rolled your eyes.

“Don’t look at me like that. I can’t believe Rafe hasn’t told you.”

He rubbed the back of his neck. “Honestly? I think he might be in denial about it.”

You scoffed at him, shaking your head. Why was everyone so hung up over your break up?

“It’s been six months.”

Topper didn’t reply, his hand on the car door and you expected him to bid you good bye, but that was too easy.

“… Do you think you guys will get back together?”

“He has a girlfriend, Top.”

“Still. I don’t think that Rafe and Rebecca are gonna last very long.” Topper looked at you, pressing his lips together, before shaking his head. “Sorry. Thanks for coming and for getting me home. Text me if you need anything, okay?”

You nodded, giving him a small wave, and waited until he got out of the car, shutting the door behind him, before you turned your car on, pulling off.

“What the fuck,” you muttered to yourself, wiping the rest of the tears off as you drove home.

IV Kelce

“Kelce!”

Kelce looked up from the pool table, a smile growing on his face when he saw Rafe come down the basement, his friend wrapping an arm around him for a brief hug.

“Happy birthday, man,” Rafe said, handing Kelce a bottle of the expensive whiskey he always drank when he was at Rafe’s but too stingy to buy it for himself.

“Ah shit, you didn’t have to,” Kelce uttered, though his eyes were sparkling as he looked at the bottle in his hands. He handed the pool stick to one of the guys next to him, leading Rafe to the bar. He grabbed two glasses from the shelves, pouring Rafe and himself a good amount, offering one of the glasses to him.

“Cheers to you.”

The two clinked their glasses, before sipping on the whiskey. Kelce really enjoyed it, too, with the way he closed his eyes, and Rafe only snorted in his glass. Kelce peaked his eye open, shoving his friend fondly with a grin.

“Rebecca here?”

“Yeah, upstairs.”

Kelce hummed in thoughts, nodding absentmindedly. He stared into his glass, swishing the amber liquid around before he spoke up again.

“You know she’s here, too, right?”

Rafe tensed, knowing exactly that Kelce was talking about you, but he had expected it. Firstly, because you and Kelce had always been friends, and secondly because he had heard Sarah making plans with you to go together. Didn’t mean this felt any less of a punch to the gut. He really hoped he wouldn’t run into you, because he wasn’t quite sure what he’d do; all he knew was, that Bex wasn’t gonna like it. Rafe cleared his throat, forcing himself to sound nonchalant.

“I figured, yeah.”

“That okay?” Kelce asked, and Rafe was starting to get annoyed, rolling his eyes. Why was Kelce questioning him about you on his damn birthday? He tried to dampen his anger though, not wanting to ruin the night.

“Yes. It’s your birthday, man.”

As soon as those words left his mouth, Rafe knew he did a shit job of hiding his emotions, and Kelce eyed him suspiciously.

“I don’t get you guys,” he sighed, crossing his arms over his chest. “You got a new girl, but you still haven’t gotten over your ex, clearly, but every time I mention her, you act like it’s the worst thing in the world, but neither of you have said a bad word about the other.

Rafe scoffed, though his heart started to race at the thought of you talking about him. He wondered what you had said, if you cared enough to ask about him, or if you had long moved on.

“Are you ever gonna tell me why you guys broke up?”

“Maybe next time.”

Kelce gave him a wry smile, knowing this was Rafe avoiding the topic again. He lifted his head when more people starting coming down the basement, curling his hand around Rafe’s shoulder to give him a squeeze.

“I really hope you figure it out bro, because this right now is not it.”

He then excused himself to welcome the new arrivals and Rafe gripped his glass, before downing it in one go.

“Alright, who wants to get destroyed in a round of pool?” he asked, clapping his hands together as he approached the pool table. Anything to stop himself from going upstairs to look for you.

V Sarah

“Oh my god, I thought you were gonna keep talking to her forever!”

You gave Sarah a look. She hadn’t even waited a minute after you left Rebecca on the couch before she started talking about her.

“I don’t have a problem with her.”

Sarah groaned, linking her arm with yours as to not lose you in the crowd that has formed in Kelce’s house. You were glancing around, hyper aware that you could run into Rafe any second, but you didn’t want Sarah to notice.

“I don’t understand how you can be so chill. Did you not see the picture she had in her purse?”

You sighed, brushing your hair back over your shoulder. Was this ever going to stop? “Sar, please.”

“Hello?? That was super freaky.”

“Maybe she was just cleaning up and wanted to throw it in the trash and forgot it in her purse.”

Sarah laughed dryly, shaking her head. “Bullshit! Admit that you find it weird.”

“Okay, maybe it is a little weird,” you admitted. “But don’t you do things that are a little weird sometimes? Maybe she’s just a little insecure. Which I wouldn’t blame her for, you’re so mean. Shouldn’t you try and be her friend or something?”

“Why? She’s not gonna be around much longer anyways, and I already have a friend.”

You rolled your eyes, fishing your keys out of your purse to unlock your car. Again with the sentiment that Rafe and Rebecca weren’t gonna last much longer. You decided against deeming that statement with an answer and got into your car, with Sarah getting into the passenger seat.

“Do you want to grab some burgers?” She asked, buckling up, like you hadn’t just told you that your ex and his new girlfriend weren’t gonna last.

You gave her a look as you tossed your purse to the back.

“What do you mean do I want to grab burgers? I thought you wanted to leave because you’re meeting John B early in the morning.”

Sarah blinked at you, before she reached out to give you a shove on the forehead. “I was lying so we could get away, stupid.”

“Oh my god,” you groaned, starting your car as Sarah protested.

“What? I was getting weirded out by you being all besties with Rafe’s new girlfriend. I don’t even understand how you can be so nice to her knowing she’s all up on your man.”

“Pray tell, who’s my man again?”

“Don’t even,” Sarah huffed. “You guys dated forever, I know you still love each other. And let me tell you one thing,” she said, raising her eyebrows at you. “If you got a new boyfriend? Rafe would not be this nice to him like you were to Rebecca.” With that, Sarah crossed her arms over her chest, settling back against her seat.

You only sighed, starting your car in silence.

“Do you want to get burgers now or not?” you asked, extending a peace offer while looking over at Sarah. She glowered at you, before nodding with an eyeroll.

“Yes.”

BONUS + I Rafe

“I did, at the party last night… She said she’s happy that you have me, that she was worried about how you work too much.”

Rafe pushed the pasta on his plate around with his fork, too engrossed in his thoughts to even think about eating. He didn’t even notice how Dennis had stopped talking. Rafe looked up from his plate, only to see Dennis look at him intently, an amused grin on his face.

“Sorry, were you saying something?”

“I was saying a lot, but you seemed like you were on a completely different planet,” Dennis noted, wiping his mouth with a napkin. Rafe winced, putting his fork down.

“Sorry, I have a lot on my mind.”

“I can tell,” Dennis mused. “Trouble in paradise?”

“Something like that.”

Rafe sighed, leaning back in his chair. Ever since you broke up, Rafe has been assuming that you didn’t care about him anymore, that you had long moved on from him and your relationship. He thought that you resented him, blamed him for the break up, which was honestly the main reason why he went back to the dating scene so quickly; to get over you. But hearing that you still cared about him? Enough to be nice to his new girlfriend and even ask about him? He wondered if there was still a chance for him and you to be together again.

If it weren’t for the fact that he already had a girlfriend.

“Can I give you some unsolicited advice, son?”

“Do I have a choice?” Rafe asked with a wry grin and Dennis only let out a belly laugh, shaking his head.

“Rafe, most relationships these days end because of your own ego, from both parties. No matter how big the fight or problem seems, will it really be that important in hindsight?” Dennis asked him. “How long have you an your girl been together? Almost 5 years, no?”

Rafe nodded, not daring to correct Dennis. He had never outright told him that you had broken up in the first place.

“See, that’s half a decade. I can assure you, in another half, you’re not even gonna remember this fight.”

Yeah, I don’t know about that, Rafe thought.

“Do you love her?”

Turning his ring on his finger, Rafe let out a soft exhale, before nodding. “Yeah, I do.”

“See. Problem solved.”

Rafe lifted his head to grin at Dennis.

“Thanks. Is it okay if we cut today short?”

“Sure,” Dennis said, waving Rafe off when he reached for his wallet. “Lunch is on me. Go get your girl.”

“I will,” Rafe promised, pushing his chair back to stand up. “I just gotta take care of something else first.”

BONUS + II You

You were staring at your phone, text thread with Rafe open. It was Saturday night; you and Sarah had went out to a small beach party. Sarah had gone to fill her drink back up and you had used that time of solace to overthink. About Rafe.

For the past few week, you couldn’t stop thinking about him. And you blamed your friends for it, really. First Wheezie, then Topper and then Sarah? Somehow all of them said that the break up was the worst idea, and even though you had always second guessed the choice to break up, this was the first time you actually actively regretted it.

The way Sarah seemed so sure that Rafe and Rebecca weren’t going to last long. Maybe you were wrong and they weren’t as happy as you thought. But then again, it wasn’t any of your business, was it? Who were you to put your nose into their relationship?

God, you shouldn’t be doing this.

“How long does Sarah need to fill her drink back up?” You muttered to yourself, finishing your vodka soda and burying the cup in the sand next to you, when you heard foot steps approaching.

“Finally! I was about to send a search group out for you!” you exclaimed, standing up and dusting the sand off your lap. “Seriously, how long does it take for-”

You froze when you turned around just to see Rafe standing in front of you, instead of Sarah. Swallowing thickly, you blinked at him, caught off guard.

“Rafe, hey,” you said, opting for casual. “Sorry. I thought you were Sarah.”

The corners of Rafe’s mouth twitched. “Yeah, I could tell.”

You looked at him, sighing a bit wistfully (mostly) internally, before you shifted on your feet nervously. “It was nice to see you,” you said, and it was true. “But um… I think I’ll go look for Sarah.” You gave him a small smile, before walking towards, and then past him.

“You’re still worried about me.”

You let out a startled laugh, pausing mid-step to turn back to him. “What?”

“You told Rebecca that you were glad that I had her and that you worried I work too much.”

“Of course I’m still worried about you,” you huffed, brushing your hair back. “You can’t be surprised about that.”

Rafe looked at you, and you could tell that this was news to him.

“Rafe.”

Rafe let out a sigh, rubbing his forehead. “You didn’t reply to any of my texts. I thought you were mad at me or somethin’.”

“I didn’t reply to any of your texts because we said we’d do no contact for a while.

“Still,” Rafe muttered, kicking a rock. “I didn’t think it would be so easy for you-”

“And because you were happy with Rebecca, do you think it’s easy for me to see you with someone else?”

“I broke up with Rebecca last week.”

“What?!”

Mouth agape, you stared at him and Rafe only rubbed the back of his neck. “She… Wasn’t what I wanted.”

“Oh,” you only said, letting out a soft exhale. “I’m sorry about that.”

Rafe sighed, stuffing his hands into his pockets. His gaze was trained on the floor for a bit, before he lifted his head to look at you.

“I want to try again… I want us to try again.”

“Rafe…”

You swallowed thickly, your eyes wide and you didn’t move as Rafe took a step towards you, reaching for your hand. Your fingers were cold in his but they quickly warmed to his touch, and the way he laced his fingers with yours, felt all to familiar.

“I love you. I never should have agreed to breaking up. It was arguably the second stupidest thing I’ve ever done.”

“And what’s the stupidest?” you asked, corners of your mouth lifting.

“Not listening to you when you were just trying to help,” he answered, looking down at you, so vulnerable like you hadn’t seen him in a long time. “I rearranged my schedule at the company so I could take on less work, take more time off and relax. Take the time to get us to where we were before it all went shitty.”

Your heart was in your throat as you listened to him talk, unsure what to say.

“Rafe, I don’t know… “

“Baby, please,” he begged, squeezing your hand. “Do you love me, still?”

You scoffed. “That’s not fair.”

“Why? Because you do?”

“Of course I still love you,” you mumbled, looking up at him through your lashes. “Do you know how hard it was for me to ignore your texts? To see you with another girl, so happy?”

Rafe shook his head, lifting his hand to tuck your hair behind your ear. “I wasn’t. Not really.”

You let out another sigh, looking at the way your hands were intertwined, how your heart had stopped racing, before you nodded, looking up at him. “Okay. Let’s do it.”

A smile spread across Rafe’s face, so big it was so uncharacteristic for him.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

It was like that word switched a flip inside of him, as he grabbed you by your nape gently, to kiss you, slotting his lips against your, and as your lips touched, it felt like you were finally home again. You only pulled away to breathe, both of you staring at each other like you couldn’t quite realize this was happening.

Sarah [05/11/2024: 10:45 pm]: (sent to 4 contacts) [picture attached: blurry photograph of you and Rafe kissing at the beach]

Topper [05/11/2024: 10:46 pm]: thank god.

Kelce [05/11/2024: 10:51 pm]: FINALLY!

Wheezie [05/11/2024: 10:59 pm]: !!!!!!

Barry [05/11/2024: 11:02 pm]: read at 11:02 pm

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

author's note: sooo.... what are we thinking?

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

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donatellawritings · 9 days

Text

🎀 ྀིྀི

౨ৎ introducing babydoll!reader and dealer!rafe

loud trap music boomed through the speakers, bass echoing through the air of tannyhill as rafe adjusted his hips, throwing his head back with a shit-eating grin, his nostril dusted with a remanence of the finely cut coke that once laid neatly lined up on the coffee table beside his titanium amex card. running a hand through his stringy strands, rafe lets out a relaxed huff as he straightens himself out, bringing his intoxicated gaze to the flimsy wad of cash that rested in his free hand.

you were a bit skittish about trying coke for the first time, let alone purchasing it on your own, so having to do it in the midst of a party left you all shy and timid.

everything about you screamed fabulosity — you always wore the finest of vintage designer clothes, your shiny hair remained in a bouncy bombshell blowout — perfectly trimmed layers framing your face just right, your acrylic nails remained long, the tapered edges sharp and glazed with a glittery polish. you weren’t all that spunky, as some would say, but you packed quite the attitude, if you didn’t get your way. you were doused in the shiniest of jewelry, your fingers covered in dainty diamond bands. and every accessory you owned, just so happened to be a variation of a soft powder pink! i mean, you absolutely loved pink! to the point where even the reusable straw that sat at the bottom of your birkin had to be pink. your volume set of lash extensions always remained filled in and perfectly curled, your filled lips always swelled from the shimmery plumping gloss that you smeared on them every fifteen minutes or so.

so, seeing a dainty little thing like you approaching the coffee table left rafe a bit taken aback, “um, excuse me,” you called out, suddenly too aware of just how high the slits of your baby pink ruffle tube dress sat. forcing a smile, you squirm just a bit at the strong gaze of the young man who sat before you, a joint sat behind his ear as he cocks his head to the side, “i, uh — can i buy some c—” you began, immediately silenced as he looks up at you through lowly hung eyes and a slightly opened mouth.

“y’even old enough to be here, kid?” rafe questions smugly, stealing a quick glance at your nipples that poked through the thing fabric of your dress, money still in-hand as he flicks his eyes back up to meet your shy gaze, “can’t talk now, huh? well, i don’t sell to little girls,” he adds, his pink lips remaining parted as he continues to silently sift through the countless wrinkled dollar bills that sat in his hold.

pursing your sticky swollen lips into a pout, you lightly stomp your miu miu kitten heel into the flooring of the patio, your doe eyes silently pleading with your godbrother who stood leaned against the wall, rolling his eyes knowingly, “yo, country club she’s a’ight — only a line though — s’my godsister,” your godbrother barry tuts at the young man, motioning towards you with a nod.

now still, you watch as the blue eyed man quickly flits a glance between you and barry, a chuckle of disbelief leaving his mouth as he tongues the inside of his cheek, before straightening his posture, “shit — yeah man, let me cut one up for her,” he smiles, carelessly leaving the stack of wilted bills to his side as barry motions for you to take a seat.

“eek! thank you barry, thank you, thank you, thank you!” you shriek excitedly, rushing to swing your arms around your unamused godbrother’s neck as he stiffly pats your back with pursed lips.

“yeah, yeah — one line, don’t get used to this shit either, a’ight?” barry pulls away, pointing a scolding finger at you.

feverishly nodding, you sink your top teeth into your bottom lip, all peppy and anxious as you politely take a seat beside rafe, “this is my first time,” you breathe out with a coy laugh as rafe nods wordlessly, carefully pouring a small pile of coke on the glass table.

carefully slicing into the white mound with his credit card, rafe glances over at you, “yeah? m’surprised barry even allowed you to come here, pretty girls like you shouldn’t be around this, hm?” he questions, sliding his tongue over his lips and he meticulously cuts the coke into three tight lines.

“i just — i wanted to try it, just one time—” you began.

“in your pretty mouth or up your nose?” rafe sighs, leaving you wide eyed and dumbfounded. you were entirely new to this kind of thing — you were always taught that drugs were icky.

parting your lips, you shrug, your glassy eyes darting all around for your godbrother who was nowhere to be found. nervously flipping your hair over your shoulder, you watch as rafe snorts a line clean off of the glass surface, rolling his shoulders back as he swipes his nostril clean of any residue.

“i don’t kn—”

bringing a strong hand to clamp around the back of your neck, rafe smiles, his pupils blown to hell as he carefully looks you over — he could ruin you so easily, but he wouldn’t … not yet, at least.

“open your mouth, kid,” he speaks sternly, stringy strands of fringe covering his eyes as you nod obediently, parting your swollen lips, “atta girl, now this s’gonna be the first and last time y’do this shit, so enjoy it, yeah?” he decides, bringing his hand to lightly grin your chin as two fingers on his free hand gather some of the coke that rested on the table.

forcing your eyes shut, you whimper as rafe’s thick fingers slide underneath your top lip, gently smearing the powder across your gums, “gross,” you whine, your small hand latching on to rafe’s wrist as he pulls his fingers from your mouth, his eyes carefully watching the way your pupils slowly expand.

privy to the way your eyes glaze over, rafe nudges your jaw with a rough knuckle, “gotta keep those pretty eyes open, kid — s’alot the first time but y’can take it,” he tuts, earning a slow nod from you as he makes the bold decision cup a hand under your chin, lightly squeezing your cheeks and ever so gently kneading into the soft skin with his fingers, “better not catch y’doin this shit after today, either — y’got that?” he questions, his bright blue eyes narrowed as you lick over your suddenly dry lips.

“i won’t!” you squeak.

“good, because now y—”

“country club, y’better back the fuck up off my godsister, before i knock y’rich boy ass out,” barry warns, causing rafe to flinch slightly as you gaze up at barry with wet eyes, your heart racing in your chest, “c’mon babydoll, m’takin you home,” barry whistles, your eyes quickly darting to rafe with parted swollen lips as you sent him an apologetic pout.

jumping to stand on your mule-clad feet, you take a steadying breath before sending a perky wave towards rafe, “bye!” you chirp, spinning to follow barry, your dress blowing up to give rafe the quickest peek at the hot pink thong that clung to your plump ass.

rafe was going to get himself killed messing around with you, but fuck, it would be so worth it.

#rafe cameron #rafe cameron imagine #rafe cameron prompt #rafe cameron x reader #obx imagine #obx #rafe cameron smut #rafe smut #rafe x reader #rafe imagine #babydoll!reader #dealer!rafe

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saturnrings77 · 7 days

Text

"and i got eyes on the back of my head, i got eyes everywhere so i know where you go"

after snorting a line, rafe threw his head back, his pupils blown, a lazy smile on his face. he chuckles at the high taking over him as he closes his eyes and rests his head on the back of the couch. as the music faded away, he heard the sweet sound of laughter, a sound he had never heard before. his eyes shot open only a moment later, feeling a strong urge. he lifted his head up with a jerk and his eyes immediately zeroed in on you.

your hair was blown out prettily, falling to rest just around your midsection. you were adorned from head to toe in the finest gold jewellery you could owned, from necklaces to diamond rings. you were kook princess after all. your body was clad in a silky, pink, flowy dress, the hem ending at the tips of your fingertips. your fingers were manicured in almond-shaped acrylics glazed with pearl iridescent polish.

everyone else faded around you. he could only hear your soft laughter, watching your head get thrown back by whatever your friend says. watches you gracefully walk around greeting everyone you knew. rafe was in awe. no one knew that, not at the way his eyes were intently looking at you. he seemed more agitated than anything.

"what y'looking at, country club?" barry nudges rafe with a smirk, eyes trying to focus in on what rafe was glaring at. rafe's head ticks in annoyance."nothin' " he doesn't even look towards barry's direction.

"kook princess, huh?" barry chuckles but rafe sees it as nothing but a threat. his hands come up to lock around barry's neck.

barry raises both his hands in surrender. "woah, there, country club. y'don't gotta worry about me ."

rafe wanted you and he would stop at nothing to have you.

you don't think much of it when the house next door that had been for sale for a while had been bought. you smiled in delight when you noticed a moving truck unloading boxes. you took it upon yourself to welcome your new neighbour by baking some brownies only to find out that rafe had moved in next door.

the moment he found out you had a car, he placed a tracker in such a hidden spot, even the mechanics wouldn't see it.

he befriended your older brother just to go to your house and watch you prance around in the skimpiest bikinis and pyjama sets.

he'd sneak into your room when your brother is busy in the bathroom and go through your underwear drawer or dirty laundry just to steal some of your panties. you think nothing of it when your underwear goes missing because everything goes missing on laundry day.

from staying over at your house so much, he'd come to learn your schedule. he'd even go as far to stage run-ins with you, wondering how you guys are coincidentally at the same place at the same time. one meeting that really irked you was how he was just walking past your nail place in the cut knowing damn well he'd never go near that place.

the more you guys ran into each other, the slitter your outfits would get. tighter tops and skirts. your tops would sometimes be lingerie especially at parties. you had caught onto his antics.

little did he know that you wanted him too.

#rafe cameron #rafe cameron smut #rafe smut #rafe x reader #rafe imagine #rafe outer banks #rafe obx #rafe cameron x reader #rafe fluff #rafe cameron fluff

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gh0stsp1d3r · 3 months

Note

rafe getting so jealous that boys were staring at you at a party he bends you over and fucks you then and there

ℳ𝓎 𝑔𝒾𝓇𝓁

𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭

literally blushing 😵‍💫 I made this based on a p0rn link I saw 😽

Warnings: smut, mdni, 18+, oral (fem!receiving), overstimulation, p in v, not proofread

༶•┈┈┈┈┈୨♡୧┈┈┈┈┈•༶

If he eye-fucked you from afar one more time, Rafe was going to fuck this kid up. He stared at the boy, he was probably no older than 17.

If he went to jail for beating up a minor, so be it.

Rafe was sitting on the couch, his arms spread and so were his legs. He huffed the smoke from his joint out, eyes landing directly back on you.

Barry and Topper were next to him, talking. But Rafe wasn’t listening to them. You looked at him with a smile.

He gave a lazy and small smile back when you looked at him. He then looked around the party some more, seeing the same boy that was checking you out earlier closer now.

Now there seemed to be more guys checking you out, he noticed when he looked closer.

“Rafe? Rafe?” His friends repeated, snapping him out of his trance. He cleared his throat, looking at them now.

“What’s up?”

“We were asking if you know Lance.” Topper said, pointing to a blonde haired boy. Rafe shook his head.

Topper and Barry gave glances to each other. “Why?”

“Cause, he was asking us about your girl.”

He cocked an eyebrow. “What?”

“He’s my neighbor. Asked us if we knew her.”

Rafe sighed, his jaw ticking as he looked back at you, and the men that had their predatory gazes on you as well.

Topper held his hands up in mock defense, and leaned away from Rafe, knowing how he was when he was mad. Taking one last hit, Rafe gave the joint to Barry who furrowed an eyebrow.

Rafe stood up, shoving his way past the dancers and to you. He grabbed your wrist, you whipped around and looked at him, confused.

“What’s wrong?”

He didn’t say anything as he picked you up, making you yelp as your friends laughed. “Rafe.” You whined in his ear when he threw you over his shoulder, he had a smirk on his face when he finally got into the bedroom, glanced back and saw the shocked face of one of the guys, who was whispering to the others.

He shut the door, threw you onto the bed, and locked the door.

“Rafe, what’s wrong?” You asked him, a hand coming up to his chest when he got on the bed and began to kiss you.

“You’re mine.” Was all he mumbled. As if you didn’t know that already.

“Baby-“ you were cut off with a moan when he started to suck the skin on your neck, your hand held the back on his neck as he bit down.

“Saw all those men lookin’ at you, flirting with you.” He grumbled out in between his attack on your neck.

“What?”

He didn’t answer, just took his lips off your neck, his hands reaching for his shirt, then yours. He unclipped your bra swiftly and easily, throwing it onto the floor.

He let out a quiet groan when he saw your underwear, matching with the bra now thrown onto the floor. You were soaked, he thought when he moved your panties to the side, not wanting to take off your precious skirt.

“Fuck.” He mumbled, running a finger through your folds, the cold metal of his ring making you jolt. He held you down, mumbling a quiet “stay still.”

You tried your best to, but it was hard when he licked a stripe up your cunt, making you let out a moan, he gripped both your thighs, pulling your legs apart and gave you a devilish smirk before he ate your pussy like it was his last meal, his tongue was godly, your hand immediately going to his hair.

It wasn’t long before you were cumming, you came with a cry of his name, but he wanted you to scream it louder, loud enough for the whole damn party to hear.

He came up, his lips covered in your cum. He licked his lips, and you threw your head back onto the pillow. Fuck why was that so hot?

He moved back to your lips, crashing his with yours, you could taste yourself.

He slid his tongue into your mouth, making you let out a quiet moan, he was so unbelievably hard that he had started to lightly hump the bed for any sort of relief.

You noticed and smiled, leaving his lips. Quickly, he took his jeans and boxers off, throwing them as well.

“Face down, ass up.” He said to you, sounding like an order. You listened and did exactly that. He angled his dick to your entrance, and held you as he slowly slid in, his hands on your stomach and his other rubbing your ass, smacking it a few times.

You both cried out, Rafe mumbling out a string of ‘fucks.’ under his breath.

Your hands tried to find his, a small smile made its way onto his face and he held your hand.

He started to move, snapping his hips into yours, you bit your lip to contain your moans, but Rafe noticed. With a free hand, he ran his thumb over your lips.

“Don’t. I want everyone to hear you.” He said to you, his eyes boring into yours, you listened and let out a moan when he smiled at you and his thrusts became faster. He was relentless with it, fucking you like there was no tomorrow.

Your hips bucked and he could tell you were close. You clenched and shouted out his name. “R-Rafe!”

You came on his cock, making him groan as he watched it. But he didn’t stop. He continued to fuck into you, a smirk on his face as he watched you writhe, getting overstimulated.

“Rafe, Rafe, ‘s too much.” You whined out, lightly pushing him, he wasn’t having it.

“Rafe!” You groaned when you felt him cum inside.

“I’m not on the pill!” You scolded him when he stopped, staying still in you, panting and rolling his eyes at you.

“Shoulda told me that before. I’ll get you a morning after later.” He mumbled onto your skin, slowly taking his dick from you.

Someone knocked on the door. Rafe groaned, throwing his clothes on quickly as you hid behind the bed, covering yourself up.

“Rafe, are you seriously having sex on my parents bed?!” Topper said with a groan, your eyes widened as you heard the words.

“So you heard it?” He asked with a cocky smirk on his face. His hair was disheveled and his clothes unbuttoned.

“Everyone in the whole fuckin’ party could!”

“Good. I’ll clean the bed, sorry top.” He replied, putting a hand on toppers shoulder.

“I hope that was the best dick you ever had, because if my parents find out anyone had sex on their bed they will have my head.” He said, looking at you now. You just nodded, your cheeks heating up on your face as you said “Sorry, Topper.”

#outerbanks rafe #rafe cameron x reader #rafe outer banks #rafe cameron #rafe x you #rafe fanfiction #rafe smut #rafe x reader #rafe cameron smut #rafe imagine #rafe fic #rafe obx #obx x reader #obx fanfiction #obx imagine #obx fic #obx smut

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erwinsvow · 3 months

Text

𝐫𝐜 - 𝟏:𝟒𝟓𝐩𝐦

“i told ya to stay at home,” rafe says, fingers gripping the steering wheel of his truck tightly, knuckles turning white before your eyes. you don’t look up at him—your moody gaze focusing out of the window instead, staring at the trees and the pavement instead of your boyfriend.

maybe you shouldn’t have complained so much. you know he’s right, because after all, you had begged to tag along with him for the day. normally rafe can hold his own—can refuse and let you down easy with a promise to come back later and spend the rest of the day doing whatever you want, which is more often than not just crashing at tannyhill and watching a movie. you inevitably fall asleep and stay the night, just like what had happened last night.

and then this morning, clad just in rafe’s button-up and some socks, you pad up to him and look at him sweetly.

“no, no, you’re jus’ gonna start complainin’ the second you get bored-”

“i won’t! no complaints here, none,” you had insisted, giving him your best pout and puppy eyes.

“i have real shit to get done today, kid, important business-”

“i won’t say anything! you won’t even know i’m there, rafe-”

rafe had given in eventually—squeezing your cheeks together with his hand before you got in the passenger seat of his car, after opening the door for you.

“when you start complainin’, i’m gonna make you regret it. hm?” you had squeaked out an agreeing noise, quickly following up with a promise to stay quiet before climbing into your seat.

that had been hours ago. in that time, rafe had stopped at several houses, gone inside and spent time talking to other people—some you recognized, others not so much—and ended up here, with you waiting, your feet on his dash while he was inside with barry. the minutes were dragging into hours at this point, your entire body feeling tired and achy from the position. the air in the car felt a little suffocating and paired with the heat of the sun pouring through the windows, nothing you could do would make you feel comfortable.

rafe’s one rule had been not to get out of the car while he was inside. in your attempt to follow his instructions, you felt yourself getting more and more frustrated, a certain crankiness bubbling up inside you, making one of its rare appearances.

you tried to scroll through your phone and play music—which failed immediately since there was no service out here. you tried to eat the candy you kept in his glovebox, but it was melted beyond the point of remaining edible. you tried, you really did, but just like rafe had predicted, you started complaining the second he got back in the truck.

“you think, what? that i say that shit for me? no, kid, i’m saying it for you, ‘cause i know you get fed up in the car when i’m fuckin’ busy tryna make some money, being fuckin’ proactive for us-”

“but i-”

“no excuses. i told you to stay home. you gonna get an attitude with me? huh?”

“you’re not even-”

“shoulda tied your ass to the bed. that’s what i’ll do next time.”

it doesn’t take much longer for the tears to come to the surface, your face falling into that sad look that makes him mad at himself for even ever yelling at you. you cry silently like that until he parks at tannyhill, and when he looks at you, regret washes over him. your pretty makeup all messed up, body heaving with sobs, staring down at your feet because you felt too ashamed to look him in the eyes.

“hey, hey,” he starts, a hand resting on your shoulder to get your attention. it moves deftly to your chin, titling your pretty, teary face up at him. “c’mon, don’t cry. it’s nothin’.”

“you got mad,” you say, voice broken up with a sob, blubbering on. “i’m sorry, i am. i just hate being all alone here without you, it’s the worst-”

“come on, kid.”

“jus’ wanted to hang out with you,” you sniffle. he runs a hand through his hair. he needs to get better at not getting frustrated with you just because he’s not used to your affection.

“i know, baby. we’re home now so get inside, hm?” you comply with his instructions, walking into tannyhill and heading towards the couch in the living room, like you always do when the two of you curl up to watch a movie.

“where you goin'?” he calls after you. you stop in your track, turning around to face rafe.

“i thought we’re hanging out? the living room?”

“and i said this morning that i would make you regret complainin’. so get your ass upstairs first, now.”

#eeeeeee💓anon hope you love!!!!#rafe cameron #rafe cameron x reader #time series

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abrunettefangirlnerd · 9 months

Text

Panic

Pairing: Rafe Cameron x Reader

Prompt: Rafe has been clean for months but a call from your boyfriend has you both worried he will relapse.

Warning: Mention of drugs, anger, negative self-talk, Ward

The trees pass me in a blur as I speed down the road to the Cameron’s estate. Rafe’s choked up voice plays on repeat in my ear and I pray I get there in time. His dad is showing once again that Sarah is the preferred child and that no matter what Rafe does that will never change. All that boy wants is to make his father proud and he can’t get so much of a “good job” from him. Nothing else can make my blood boil faster than that man’s negligence toward his only son.

Rafe called and I could tell that something was wrong immediately. His voice was strained, showing that it is taking all his effort to not break. It didn’t take long for it to. Rafe could never keep anything from me, like the fact he’s worried about relapsing right now. Him being upset is more than enough to have me coming over, but my urgency is from the possibility of him falling to cocaine. I need to get there before he gives up the fight and heads over the Barry’s. He has been 6 months clean, and neither of us want him to throw it away.

My car barely stops before I grab the key and race inside. I don’t mind the weird glances from Rose and Ward in the kitchen. A little extra furry races through my veins before being replaced once again with concern. If I had more time, and wasn’t warned by Rafe against it, I would be fighting Ward right now in his own home. But my main priority is my boy that is hopefully still upstairs in his bedroom.

I knock twice but don’t wait for a response before opening the door. My eyes quickly trace each corner of the room before zeroing on him sitting on his bed. His legs hang off the bed and his head is in his hands. Rafe doesn’t move to acknowledge that I am here, he doesn’t move at all.

I slowly make my way to him, trying my best not to startle him. Getting down on my knees before him I whisper his name and Rafe’s eyes shoot toward mine. They are red and glisining, the surrounding skin swollen due to the salt from is tears. I feel a rip where my heart should be and fight back my own tears at the emotional pain and turmoil he is in. I bring my hand up to the side of his face and softly lean my forehead against his own.

“I’m here,” I whisper not trusting my voice. “I got you.”

Rafe’s fingers squeeze my hips as he slides to his knees before me. I repeat my words and he begins to aggressively shake his head against mine. I feel him slip away from me. Grabbing his head between my hands I force him to look at me. His eyebrows are scrunched together. Breathing uneven as he momentarily stops to stifle what I assume is a sob. There is a slight quiver of his bottom lip, but his eyes focus on mine and don’t move.

“Rafe baby,” I take a deep breath and calm my nerves. “I can’t imagine what you are feeling. He has no right to treat you the way he does.”

“I’m a fuck up.” His voice cracks.

“You are not a fuck up.” I brush my thumb against his cheek to catch a stray tear. “You are Rafe Cameron. You have a little sister who loves you. Guys that look up to you. There is a whole life in front of you. You’ll make mistakes, and it’s okay. It’s part of it. I do it too. But you are Rafe Cameron. Love of my life. You are not a fuck up.”

Rafe‘s eyes pierce mine for a moment longer before his body crashes into me. His head presses into my shoulder as that long-suppressed sob emerges. It shakes both of our bodies as we cling onto one another. Rafe wraps the entirety of his arms around me as mine are around his neck. One hand presses between his shoulder blades as my other runs through his hair.

The clipped sounds exploding from Rafe vibrate to my core and I struggle to fight off my own tears. A few escape and slide down my cheeks as I feel my heart die a little inside. No one deserves this kind of relationship with their father, and least of all Rafe. I think about how early he gets up in the mornings, working all day, getting to know the men, staying after hours to make sure everything is done. All for a man who barely glances in his general direction unless to scrutinize something he has done.

The rage from before is resurfacing and if it wasn’t for Rafe being in my arms, I would surely give Ward a piece of my mind. I take deep breaths as I turn myself to the situation at hand and focus on Rafe. Slowly his breathing begins to reduce to a more normal pace but his hold on me stays the same. We are in complete silence once his sobbing has subsided. Tears still greet my shoulder occasionally but I think we may be towards the end of it.

“Come on.” I whisper, my voice coarse. I clear my throat softly before speaking again. “Let’s get in bed.”

Rafe doesn’t say anything but just nods his head as he helps me move. We tear down the comforter in silence and slip in under the covers. I lay on my back while Rafe crawls into a ball, resting his head against my stomach. Immediately, I bring one hand to support his back as the other combs through his hair. Every once in a while I feel a soft moan vibrate against my stomach and a slight smile breaks across my lips. One of Rafes favorite things is head scratches. Every movie night it is inevitable. I love how it keeps him calm.

“I’m sorry.” Rafe sniffles. He is so quiet I almost didn’t hear him. Sorry? Why is he sorry?

“Why are you sorry babe?” Confusion laces my voice and I hope he actually tells me why.

“For making you feel like you had to come. You know… potentially relapsing.” Rafe loops an arm around the front of my waist and softly squeezes. “I’m supposed to be a man, your man. I should be stronger than this.”

Man up, Rafe. You’re going to be man of the house. You have to man up.

I accidently heard the end of a few disagreements between Ward and Rafe. Most of the time ending with Ward saying something about how Rafe needed to man up, stop being so soft, grow up. While I agreed and understood Ward being pissed when he had to pay off Barry. He shouldn’t have kicked Rafe out, he should have gotten him help. Hung up his pride and helped his son. It shouldn’t have just been me and the guys trying to help him get clean.

“Don’t you ever be sorry. I want you to call me.” I press him in closer to me and I continue to run my fingers through his hair. “It is okay to need someone. Please understand that. I love you so much.”

“I love you too.”

#rafe cameron x reader #rafe cameron x y/n #rafe cameron x you #rafe cameron fanfic #rafe cameron imagine #rafe cameron obx #drew starkey x reader #drew starkey x y/n #outerbanks fanfic #outer banks fanfic #outerbanks fanfiction #outer banks fanfiction #rafe cameron fanfiction #rafe cameron fluff #rafe cameron angst #rafe outerbanks #outerbanks rafe #ward cameron

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babygorewhore · 3 months

Text

Dirty girl

Rafe Cameron is your favorite porn star and you’re determined to make your fantasies come true. Even if that means sneaking into one of his parties.

Thank you to @xxbimbobunnyxx for helping me with this one!!! And the divider! Also idk what happened to me but the horny demon decided to show up and possess me. So enjoy this filth 😌

Warnings! Male and female masturbation! One mention of breeding kink! Daddy kink! Oral! Fem recieving! Unprotected sex! Not proofread

Your crush on Rafe Cameron led you to do crazy things. Follow him around school, graduation and now you look at his posts like a puppy following their master on his only fans every single time he streamed. It wasn’t a secret that he was a porn star, everyone knew but it wasn’t openly discussed. When you saw him there weeks ago, your panties got damp from how hot he looked jerking himself off while he wore that SnapBack of his. His creamy fluid coating his large hand, fingers slick as he continued pumping.

“That’s my fucking girl,” He moaned and rolled his hips to the pace of his strokes. Your own fingers were buried inside your cunt, curling them upward as you wished they were his while your vibrator was glued to your clit mercilessly.

“Fuck, baby girl. You’re so good at this,” And then…

His said your name.

You immediately stopped for a second. Gasping for air but then he said another girls name. It wasn’t directed at you, another girl with the same name who requested the praise. You laid back down from leaning on your elbows, returning to your motions as your digits found their way inside your pussy, vibrations pressing tightly against your swollen center.

You bucked your hips as Rafe started grinding on his bed, his thighs caging the pillow while his dick slapped against the material. “Fuck, you feel so fucking tight. Baby, let me cum in you. Wanna fuck a baby in you.”

You whimpered at his dirty words as you continued fingering yourself, drawing close to the edge when Rafe let out a throaty moan and that made your orgasm hit you like a crashing wave and you threw your head back, covering your mouth with your other hand to stop yourself from waking up your roommate in the next room.

As the seconds went by, you pulled out your fingers and wiped them on your bare hip. Rafe was breathing heavily, just like you were and it made your hole tighten when you saw his naked chest heaving as he recovered from spilling on the sheets. You needed him so badly it hurt but more than that.

You wanted him to fuck you. You didn’t want anyone else. You wanted him and you were determined to get him.

Every weekend, Rafe threw a party at his house. Your friend Barry usually provided him coke for the entertainment and that could be your opportunity to get an invite. Which is what you were currently trying to convince him the next day.

“Come on. Let me give it to him.” You pleaded and he gave you a condescending look.

“For what? So you can fuck him? Nah. He’s the one who pays me. It’s my business.” You huffed and crossed your arms. Your sneakers were sticking to the floor of his house.

“Barry. Come on. I’ll owe you if you do this. I won’t bother you for a whole week.” You offered and he snorted, running a hand through his dark hair.

“Yeah, right. Make it a month. No favors. No ‘borrowing’ my shit without giving it back. And you buy your own stuff. A whole ass month.” He replied and you stuck out your hand.

“Deal.”

And that’s when you snuck into the party, booming music, laughter, fucking disguised your lack of invitation as you tried to find your target. You were surprised he wasn’t at the center since he loved attention but instead, when you went up the stairs, he was sitting down counting cash. You swallowed your nerves away before approaching him. You wondered if the money was cashed out from his Only fans. Which in turn made you clench at the memory.

You walked over, your heels clacking against the wood floor and Rafe’s head snapped up. But instead of criticizing you as a stranger, he stood up with a smirk.

“Hey, haven’t seen you before, baby.”

You swallow your nervousness and give him a little smile. “I’m here to give you the goods. Barry wasn’t able to come.”

Rafe furrows his brows slightly. “Doesn’t sound like him. Maybe you should tell me why you’re here, baby girl.” He says and wraps his hand on your hip, tugging you close until you’re pressed against him.

You shrugged but put your hands on his chest, rising up a little so you can press your lips to his ear. “Maybe I want you to fuck me like you do in your little videos, baby.”

Rafe quirks his eyebrow before gesturing with his head to the right. “Hmm, maybe I can give it to you. But first you have to ask me nicely, baby. Use good manners.” He teases.

“Please fuck me, Rafey. I want it so bad. I want you to stuff me with your cum.” You press your hands together in contrition. “I promise I’ll be good and take it.” You pout slightly.

Rafe gently takes your arm and starts walking to the right, taking you down a dimly lit hallway and passing people who are grinding against each other. He finds the last door, opening the wooden entrance and you see a modern style bedroom. With sleek furniture and a wide bed to accommodate his large frame.

He turned and smashed his lips to yours, sucking your lower lip and sliding his hands to your ass. He squeezed and pulled you against him, grinding against you, you felt his hard cock and you reached down, palming him and he groaned. “Did you just come here to be a cum slut?” He asked and you nodded as you slipped your tongue in his mouth.

“Mhm, just wanna fuck you daddy. Maybe make our own video.” You smirked against his mouth and he chuckled darkly, pulling away.

“I’m gonna fucking ruin you,” Rafe growled and pulled out his phone, turning on the record button. “You won’t be able to touch yourself without thinking of it right now. With my cock inside you. Without my tongue and fingers inside that pretty little pussy.”

He reached forward and grabbed your hair, yanking you to the bed on your back. He wasted no time, pulling off your panties and lifting your short skirt. Rafe moaned at the sight of your sticky cunt. “Mmm, so wet for me, aren’t you baby girl?” He said before sinking to his knees.

He shoved his face against your pussy, licking you with a flattened tongue on your clit and you gripped his hair. Rafe bobbed his head up and down before pushing his tongue inside you, fucking you with it as he made you whimper and grip harder.

“Fuck, daddy, it feels so good.” You whined as he sped up, bobbing his head up and down as the flash of the camera was on in his free hand, his other holding you down by your left hip.

“Who’s pussy is this?” He grunted, lapping his tongue and you breathed harder, feeling your stomach coil.

“Yours daddy!” You cried out and he smirked against it.

“Fucking right. One more time?”

“My pussy is yours, Rafe.” You said against and he smacked your ass before lifting up, crawling on top of you and unbuckling his past. His chin dripping with your slick as he shoved his boxers down his thighs and off, throwing them to the side.

Your eyes widened at his size, his red tip leaking with precum as rubbed it against your clit before sinking inside you, “Fuckkk.” He moaned and leaned down, his face in the crook of your neck. “Such a tight little cunt. Sucking me in like a fucking slut.”

Your legs wrapped around his waist and his hand wrapped around your throat, squeezing lightly while he kissed your skin, sucking in to leave a mark. “Everyone will know I fucked you. No one will touch you. You. Are. Mine.” He said as he thrust, deep in you hitting the good spots. You huffed out pornographic noises and humped him animalistically.

He continued his pace for minutes before speeding up as he saw your eyes roll back as your belly tightened and you spilled all over his dick, giving him more slick as he pounded into you and he slammed his lips to yours, teeth and tongue and you tasted yourself.

He came in you, dripping and ropes of cum leaked onto the bed and he moaned loudly. You matched his volume as you clawed at his back.

He stayed there for seconds before pulling out and scooping you in his arms, laying down. “I’ll clean you up in a minute…fucking hell baby girl.” He chuckled and you nuzzled against his chest.

“I think you did ruin me now.” You whispered with a sly grin.

“Give me fucking five minutes. And I’m gonna turn that camera off. You’re really going to cream over me.”

Tagging! @rafescurtainbangz @drewstarkeyslut @rafesthroatbaby @slvt4jamesmarch @marchsfreakshow @take-everything-you-can @emsgoodthinkin @oceandriveab @voyeurmunson @impmunson @redhead1180

#rafe #rafe obx #rafe outer banks #rafe smut #outerbanks rafe #rafe cameron #rafe x reader #rafe imagine #rafe cameron smut #rafe cameron x reader #rafe cameron x you #rafe cameron x y/n #rafe cameron x female reader #rafe fanfiction #rafe x you

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xveenusx · 1 year

Text

Three Seconds

Paring(s): jj maybank x fem!reader

Summary: three seconds is all it takes for things to fall apart

Side note: A lot of my writing is going to be either smut or heavy on the heartbreak lol, very few happy endings

Part 2: And Yet...

———————————————-

One. Two. Three

Three seconds.

One. Two. Three.

Three seconds of silence was all it took for him to completely shut me out. His blonde hair striking against the hue of the sky while his piercing blue eyes stare at me, pleading me to agree.

I opened my mouth to speak yet nothing came out. Instead, a wave of panic spread throughout my body causing an intense feeling of suffocation. My thoughts raced as I realized how serious the situation was.

“We’re sick of your shit.”

“Oh, my shit?” JJ let’s put a humorless laugh before shaking his head.

Kie’s eyes dart to mine before she takes a step towards him, looking at him with such disappointment. “You’re pulling guns on people shit.”

I can tell they’re all waiting for me to jump in, to talk some sense into JJ but for some reason my feet are glued to the floor and my throat is tight and no words are coming out.

Instead, my gaze is locked on the grey duffel bag set at his feet, filled with cash.

Cash that he stole from a drug dealer who had a gun to my head an hour ago.

Anxiety coursed through my veins as my stomach swayed with nausea. I wring my hands together trying to create some type of grounding.

“You need to tell him. Tell him this isn’t what we’re doing.” Pope steps in front of me, his hands gripping my shoulders.

JJ’s gaze was burning a whole right through my head and it took every bit of strength I had to meet his stare head on.

I understood him. Everything he’s ever done, as rash and reckless as he was, there was always a reason. That was something our friends never understood about him, they just played it off as JJ being JJ. This money, as stupid as it was, he needed. It could give him every bit a freedom JJ needed away from his dad.

Luke was cruel and uncaring. Consistently spitting venom at him, reminding of how disappointing and useless JJ is. So, I understand. I would have taken the money too if it gave me some peace away from home.

Sarah and Kie, as sweet and loving as they are, will never understand. They were born Kooks, had homes on figure 8 with parents who love them. They didn’t need this money, but we did. And yet, I knew he couldn’t take the money. We were entering entirely knew territory with gold and guns and there was no certainty that we would be safe.

Barry knew exactly who we were. The moment he pulled the gun, the nuzzle pointed directly at JJ, the boy I’ve been in love with since I was 14, all color drained from my face. My body trembled in fear as I let out a shout and reached for him but Barry switched positions. Suddenly, the gun was pressed against my temple as he shouted demands. But for a brief moment, there was a sense of relief because it was no longer on JJ and I could breathe again. This feeling, this sickening choking panic, I don’t ever want to feel again.

The cut was a small place and if not taking the money meant JJ would be safe then it was a small price to pay. But, I know him. I know he’s not going to understand how I see it but rather take it as a betrayal.

One. Two. Three.

JJ says nothing as his eyes rake over every inch of my face. Three seconds was all it took for him to completely close off.

That choking panic I mentioned earlier? Came back tenth-fold as it finally clicked.

“Jayj…” I reached out to touch his arm, the bracelets I gave him mockingly dangling from his wrist as he jerks away from me.

“Don’t.”

My chest tightened as I drew my hand back, fumbling with my fingers nervously.

JJ ripped his hat off his head before roughly running his hand through his hair. He started to pace, twisting the hat in his hands before stopping in front of all of us.

My heart ached at his obvious distress but I knew my input was the last he wanted now. As far as he was concerned, I didn’t care about him.

Pope let out an exasperated sigh. “You’re acting like a maniac-“

“Pope, I took the fall for you man. Do you know how much money I owe because of you?”

“I’m going to pay you back. I didn’t ask you to do that.”

“I just did. I just did pay it back. “ JJ takes a step forward, pressing his palms on Pope’s chest, shoving him back. “Right here, right now, by myself.”

“Let’s just calm-“ JJ’s glare stopped me in my tracks. He regarded me coldly, his face giving nothing away to the storm that raged in his ice blue orbs.

“Oh what? You suddenly decide you have something to say? Where were you five fucking minutes ago?”

I swallowed hard. “Can I please just explain-“

“Explain what? The fact that you know I need this money and you’re going to act like this is some big moral issue, ” JJ kept his hard set gaze on me, drilling holes into me, daring me to move. “How did you like having a gun pointed at you, huh?”

“You mean the same gun that I stepped in front of because seeing it pointed at you nearly made me sick to my stomach?” I spat, shaking my head at him.

This wasn’t fair. He didn’t get to do this to me. Not now.

He said nothing to me, instead he turned his gaze to the Twinkie, twisting his ring around his finger anxiously.

“JJ, you take this money, you open the door for a whole lot of other shit. You think Barry’s just going to let you take it?”

“Listen to your girlfriend, man.” John B stepped up, clapping JJ on the back.

JJ shrugged him off as he took three quick steps towards me, forcing me to tilt my head up at him.

“What girlfriend?” He spat, his eyes darting in between mine, before settling into a sick satisfaction at my sharp in take of breath.

“JJ-“

“You know what?” He stated, bending down to grab the duffel. “I’m going to go off by myself.”

“You don’t get to do this shit.” I snapped as I reached for the duffel and tugged it towards me. “You want to treat me like shit? Fine, I dont care as long as I don’t find you dead in a ditch.”

JJ blinked at me and said nothing. The only thing giving away his emotion is the tightened grip on the bag.

“Go, then. Since you’re so eager to leave, but you’re not taking the money.” My breath came out short as the anger pounds through my blood.

“Or what? You’re gonna stop me? Last time I checked, I didn't need a god damn hang on.” I wince at the anger in his voice and fight the urge to shut down.

"Stop acting like you don't care , JJ. "

“I expected this from them, but never you.” His ring covered fingers danced along my chin, before he gripped it tightly forcing my eyes on him. “You were supposed to have my back. You told me that you got me, that you understand me. All I know now is that you a fucking liar.”

“I’m trying to protect you.” I plead, “Why can’t you see that?”

JJ scoffs, “Protect me? What do you think is gonna happen if I don’t pay back the restitution?”

“We can find another way-“

“I DONT have anything else.” He shouted in my face, his façade finally cracking under the pressure. “What don’t you understand? This is all I fucking have.”

I felt my grip on the bag weaken as I processed his words. It was normal for JJ to lash out when he felt cornered, but it was never directed at me.

My body trembled as I stared at him with a look I can only describe as broken. “You have me.”

I spoke the words softly knowing if I spoke any louder, the shake in my voice would give me away.

One. Two. Three.

Three seconds was all it took for him to completely and utterly break me.

“That’s not enough.”

Whatever fight I had left, fled from my body as my fingers let go of the duffel. I bit the inside of my cheek, fighting back the tears that threaten to escape.

“You win, JJ.”

My eyes slowly traced every part of his face. From the sun grazed blonde strands that laid in a messy heap on his head, to the bronze tan arms from spending hours out on the waves that complimented his bright blue eyes.

I waited for what felt like hours, but was a mere moment, for JJ to take it back. For him to apologize and pull me into his arms. Instead, we just stared at each other, no one saying a word.

Then, he tilted his head turned around and left, leaving what felt like a blazing trail of carnage in his wake.

It felt like all the air had been sucked out of my body. Small hands wrap themselves around me as my legs suddenly feel like they’ve been kicked out from under me. The familiar sweet scent of Sarah filled my nose, as she pulled me into her arms, physically holding me up.

#jj maybank #jj maybank fanfiction #jj maybank x reader #jj maybank smut #rudy pankow #rudy pankow smut #obx #obx fanfiction #obx smut #outer banks #outer banks fanfiction #outer banks smut #jj maybank angst #outerbanks imagine #jj maybank imagine #jj maybank masterlist #obx3 #outerbanks imagines

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obaex · 1 year

Text

anything but you - rafe cameron

summary: when sarah and the pogues steal barry's money, he concocts a plan to take the one thing the oldest cameron loves most to ensure he gets repaid in full

word count: 8.8k

warnings: canon-level violence, kidnapping, guns, anxiety/panic attacks followed by the sweetest fluff ever.

a/n: I had originally planned to split this up, but honestly love it as one big fic! hope y'all enjoy! Xx

Barry limped up to his front door, clutching his side as he struggled to breath through his nose, which was clogged with blood. The door hung open and as he shuffled inside he reached for the piece he kept taped under the kitchen table, grasping it firmly and pointing it around each corner as he made his way into his bedroom. He looked around at his clothes and belongings scattered everywhere before making his way frantically to the closet. His duffle bag was gone. As was the $25,000 in it.

His blood was boiling, partially at the thought of the pogues rummaging around in his shit, stealing his money, and partially at the cocaine that was pulsing through his veins, letting his mind run wild. He knew these kids, Maybank, Routledge, but he cracked a smile thinking about little Sarah Cameron. Rafe's sister. Country Club. And suddenly he knew just how he was going to get his money back.

Several Months Ago

Rafe tossed a large wad of cash down on the table in front of Barry. "We're square" he said, his tone serious.

"Damn, Country Club" Barry said, picking it up greedily and flipping through the bills. "I'll give it to you, you did come through. How much do you want for this weekend?" he asked, reaching over to the drawer in his side table.

Rafe's fingers twitched at his side before they came up to wipe his nose as he sniffled, a nervous tick. "I'm good, Barry, I'm done." His head was pounding, his mouth was dry and he was exhausted. He knew release could be found in the little baggy in Barry's fingers, the sugared crystals tempting him, calling him. He squeezed his eyes shut, driving the heels of his palms into them, forcibly rewiring his brain to focus on the only thing sweeter than the euphoria in front of him: you.

It was like a movie in his brain, he saw you running into the ocean before turning around and reaching out for him, pulling him into the waves with you as your laughter rang out. He saw your head resting on his lap, lingering between awake and asleep as he ran his fingers gently through your hair, eliciting the sweetest smile on your lips. And your lips the feeling of them dancing over his, your arms wrapped around him, the way you looked at him like he hung the damn moon when in reality he was a screwed-up cokehead. He promised you he was done, promised you he would quit and it was a promise he was fighting against every urge in his body to keep.

"We're square, man. I'm done" he said again as he released his hands and made his way quickly out of the trailer.

You had just finished your afternoon of babysitting and hopped into your jeep. You were going to run home to shower and change before meeting up with Rafe and your friends. You checked your phone to see a few missed texts from Rafe.

You smiled, shifting your car onto the road, winding down the narrow streets along the beach before calling Rafe via your Bluetooth. The phone began to ring just as you heard the sound of dirt bikes kick up behind you. Ring. Thinking it was Topper and Rafe, you slowed down before realizing that it wasn't them, and wasn't their bikes. Your heart began to race and you could feel your hands clamming up on the steering wheel as one of the drivers pulled alongside you. Ring. You tried to steer him off the road when you saw him reach into his jacket and pull out a gun. You screamed, squeezing your eyes shut as you heard a shot ring out and your car involuntarily skidded to the side of the road. You let go of the steering wheel, feeling all over your body. You felt okay? That's when you heard air hissing angrily from your front tire as your car sagged to one side. He had shot your tire. Ring. Your phone was still connected and trying to reach Rafe. You frantically unbuckled your seatbelt as the two men pulled up next to your door. You grabbed your phone, hands shaking and tears pooling in your eyes "Rafe RAFE please pick up" you cried to the void ringtone. They ripped your car door open, yanking you onto the street as your phone fell from your hands and into the grass, bouncing beneath the car.

"What do you want from me?" you cried, punching and kicking furiously, you weren't going to go down without a fight. Strong hands circled you from behind, pinning your arms to your chest as the other man began tying your hands in front of you tightly with a piece of rope. Its frays burned against your wrist, instantly agitating your skin.

"HELP!" you cried before a large hand covered your mouth.

"You've got to shut her up" the one man said to the other.

He pulled a bandana out of the back of his shorts and shoved it in your mouth. It tasted like sweat and dirt and the feeling of it on your tongue and the roof of your mouth made you gag as you continued to cry, each of you too preoccupied to hear your phone...

"Yo this is Rafe, leave a message"

You continued crying and squirming as your captor put you on his bike and then settled behind you, nuzzling into your hair and bringing an arm around your midsection. He smelled like body odor and the feeling of his sweaty body pressed against yours made you cry even louder, muffled by the bandana.

The other man closed your car door, locked it and took the keys. To anyone else it would look like a car parked on the side of the road. They revved their engines and kicked off, dust clouding your eyes.

You had spent your whole life on Kildare Island and had never once been to this part of town. No one will ever find me here is all you could think as the homes got further and further apart and gave way to overgrown marshland spotted with trailers. They pulled into the makeshift driveway of a decrepit trailer with a screen door hanging off its hinges. Your captor pulled you roughly off the bike and inside. It was dim and musky and stank of mildew and stale beer. The floor and countertops were littered with beer cans, takeout boxes and drug paraphernalia. Or, so you thought, you had never so much as smoked a cigarette in your whole life. They pushed you roughly into the back of the trailer in a dingy bedroom covered with lude posters of naked women and dirty clothing. The shorter of the two men shoved you to the floor before ripping the bandana out of your mouth. You sucked in a deep breath and coughed, your mouth dry and sore.

"You know who I am, Mrs. Country Club?" he said, grinning at you, a gold tooth gleaming in his mouth.

You took a moment to look at him, his face, his clothing. You had never seen this man in your life. You shook your head, your eyes filling with tears again.

"'Course you don't. No, your boy wouldn't tell you about me, would he? This is a dirty little secret he wants to keep all to hisself" he said as he gestured around the trailer.

"His family owes me money" he said, his demeanor shifting back to anger, "and you're going to help me make sure they pay me every last dollar.” He laughed to himself as he walked out of the room, slamming the door shut and locking it behind him.

The plan was underway and Barry was ready to light the match that would ignite the fire. Thankfully, he knew exactly where to find Country Club on a day like today: dicking off with his friends at the yacht club, spending his daddy's money on overpriced beer. Not working, just pissing away money on booze, boats, bikes and cars, walking around like he owned the damn island.

"Rafe Cameron!" he called, "get over here!" Rafe came sprinting out to him, clearly embarrassed that his dirtbag friend was addressing him in public, addressing him on this side of the island, the two sides of his life colliding.

"What are you doing, man? You good?" Rafe asked, quickly grabbing Barry by the shoulders and leading him away from prying eyes, though Topper trailed closely behind them.

"Nah, I ain't good man. Why is your whole family thinkin' I'm just some bitch that they can shit on, man? First I gotta deal with your dad comin' in and breakin' in and kneecappin' me in my house-"

"You got your money" Rafe said quickly, interrupting him.

"That aint the point, man!" Barry continued, raising his voice, "I'm asking you what am I? Am I just some lil' bitch? Is that what your family looks at me like?"

"No, no!" Rafe replied.

"No? No? Okay, so then why is your little sister and her little surf rat friends runnin' around stealing 25k out of my house? Can you tell me that?"

"My little sister robbed you?" Rafe said in disbelief.

"Yeah, Sarah robbed me. That's why I'm here."

"She won't pick a dollar up off the street, man, what are you talking about?"

"Do I look dumb to you? You think I don't understand what's goin' on here? Cause I'm tellin' you right now you better sort this out with your sister or else I am. 'Cause I want my money."

"Listen, I don't know what you're talking about."

"You don't know what I'm talking about?"

"Enlighten me.”

"Enlighten you? So the Pogues are all around Outer Banks stealin' shit out of everybody's house and you got no idea what I'm talkin' about? Your sisters involved in it!"

"Sarah Cameron, home invader?" Rafe said. "Do you know how stupid?a—“ but before he could finish his sentence Barry shoved him roughly.

"How many times I gotta deal witchu!?" Barry shouted angrily. "That's 25k! Sort this shit out with your sister!"

"Alright! Alright!" Rafe said, holding up a hand in defeat.

"I'mma get my money. Don't forget I know you, Country Club" he let the threat hang in the air for a moment before he continued. "Let's just say it would be within your best interest to get me my money. Quickly. Wouldn't want anyone to get hurt. I'll see you boys around."

"What did you just say to me?" Rafe pressed angrily, following Barry as he walked to his car, yanking the door open and closed before Rafe could reach him. As Rafe pounded on the window, Barry threw it in reverse. "What the fuck are you talking about Barry!" Rafe yelled as the car pulled away.

"Hey," Topper said, coming up to him, trying to put a hand on Rafe's arm before getting shrugged off, "what the hell is going on?"

"I don't know man" Rafe said, the panic clear in his voice as the gears turned in his head. "No no no. This guy is nuts."

"What is it?" Topper asked as Rafe yanked his phone out of his pocket.

"Y/N" Rafe said quietly, reaching to call you when he realized he had a missed call and voicemail from you over an hour ago. He quickly opened it and hit play, putting it on speaker, expecting to hear your voice, his face scrunched in confusion as he tried to make out what was going on.

Ding, ding, ding he could hear the sound of an open car door and muffled voices

"-on the bike man-"

"-'fore someone sees-"

"close the door, take the keys"

Followed by a muffled moan and the sound of someone crying. "Don't cry, just be a good girl for me, we'll take good care of you. You like that?"

The sound of dirt bikes. Then, silence. The voicemail continued for another two minutes but as he fast forwarded through it, all he could hear was a deep, empty silence.

Rafe realized he wasn't breathing. His whole body was shaking. He couldn't hear anything except the roar of blood rushing in his head, in his ears. He could make out the look on Topper's face, he had his hands on his head, a look of panicked fear in his eyes. He grabbed Rafe by the shoulders, shaking him but his voice sounded far away, like he was underwater. "What the fuck, Rafe, what the fuck!" his voice was pitched high with worry. "What was that? Did they take Y/N? What the fuck. You have to call her, man." Rafe's limbs felt disconnected from his body as Topper ripped the phone out of his hands and called your number, pacing back and forth, one hand on his head, the other with the phone pressed to his ear. "She's not picking up dude." Rafe moved without thinking, crossing over to his own dirt bike, pulling his helmet on haphazardly without bothering to strap it in place, kicking it off the stand and gunning it, nearly spinning out in the parking lot amidst a cloud of dust.

He was pushing 60 miles an hour down neighborhood streets. He was hopping onto sidewalks and ripping across pristine lawns and flowerbeds leaving deep tire marks as he made his way to the house where he knew you had spent the day babysitting. He was hyperventilating now and his helmet was fogged with his breath, making him feel like it was closing in on him. No no no was all he could think. Not you. Anything but you. He was about two blocks away when he saw your jeep on the side of the road. He jumped off his bike, tossing it down and yanking off his helmet as he ran up to your car, hands pressed against the glass to see inside. It was empty. Locked. Your purse sat on the front seat. He circled the car, pulling at all the doors and looking in all the windows, looking for any sign of you when he heard a faint buzzing. He crouched down and saw your phone lying in the grass under the car and it was then that he saw the bullet lodged in your front tire. They had shot at you. The sight of it pulled a guttural yell from deep within him. He had been trying to get clean, had been trying to be better. You made him want to be better and he was on the right track, desperately trying to run from his dark and fucked up past. You were his light and now he had put you in danger. He had never hated himself more. Not the time he had made Wheezie cry, not the first time that he met Rose and she looked at him with masked distain, not the thousands of times that Ward yelled at him, told him he was a disappointment. No. This was his new low.

Barry threw open his front door as his phone began to ring. "Right on schedule" he said, grinning, showing the phone to his accomplice. He swiped to pick up the call.

"Country Club-" he started.

"I SWEAR TO GOD BARRY IF YOU HURT HER I WILL KILL YOU. I WILL FUCKING KILL YOU, DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME? THIS ISN'T A FUCKING GAME. WE WERE SQUARE, YOU GOT YOUR MONEY, WHAT MY SISTER DOES HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ME!"

Rafe was absolutely unhinged. Barry had him right where he wanted him.

"See, that's the problem, Country Club. She's your sister, and your family has a history of tryin' to screw me over. So, this is your problem now. We want $50k. You bring that here and we're all good bro."

"$50,000?" Rafe said incredulously. "What are you talking about? I thought you said they took $25k?"

"Interest, Country Club. For my troubles. Plus, I think she's worth it, don't you? You got yoself a fine lady, my friend."

"Barry, I swear to God-" Rafe said, his voice low, trembling.

"$50k, tonight Country Club. Come alone. You remember my cousin Marco, yeah?"

That was a threat in itself that had Rafe's blood running cold. Marco was Barry's supplier. They had only met once but Rafe could picture the thuggish look of the man he knew served two stints in a maximum security prison. A long scar ran over one eye, his neck, arms and knuckles covered in gang tattoos. It was enough to make Rafe feel like a little boy dealing with the big bad wolf.

Barry continued, "If he sees a cop, he'll shoot her and dump her body in the marsh. 'Gators will have her before you can do anything about it. If you don't come alone, he'll shoot her. If there's anything less that $50k, well, I think you get the point. Tick tock, Country Club." And with that, he hung up the phone.

Rafe called back immediately. Barry sent the call to voicemail. Now they waited.

By the time Rafe got a hold of Sarah it was too late. JJ had already spent every last dollar on a generator, hot tub and booze. It was late in the evening and Rafe was running out of time, too frenetic to expend any energy being angry at the pogues. He had to focus on you. How was he going to come up with $50,000? He refused to go to his father again to fix his mess.

He climbed into his truck and gunned it. He had gotten his truck as a 16th birthday present. He vividly remembered his dad surprising him with it as it sat in the driveway at Tanneyhill, a big blue bow on the hood of the car. His dad had smiled and clapped him on the back and they had driven around the block together, laughing and listening to music. It was one of his favorite memories. He remembered driving his truck to pick you up for your first date, he had been so nervous on the way to your house his hands were slick on the steering wheel and he had to keep wiping them on his shorts. You wore a stunning white dress and he could barely keep his jaw off the ground as held the truck door open for you, helping you into his front seat, the vision of you riding shotgun too perfect words.

It didn't matter now.

He pulled into the car dealership with 15 minutes to spare until closing and raced inside. The owner used to be his little league coach and he prayed the whole way here he would be able to negotiate a fair deal.

"Mr. Bennett!" he said, catching the man as he was closing up his office for the day, "I'd like to sell you my truck. Please" he said, trying to hide the urgency in his voice and failing miserably.

"Rafe! It's good to see you. We're closing up for the day, why don't you come back tomorrow? I'd love to take a look at it, and I can let you know what we can do?"

"I'm sorry, sir, it's urgent. I-I need the cash... and I need it now."

Mr. Bennett took in Rafe's mussed hair, the sweat stains on his t-shirt and his labored breath.

"Son, is everything alright? Does your father know you're here?"

"Yes, he, uh, sent me actually. He asked me to do this for him. Very important. It's very important that I do this for him, please."

Mr. Bennett remembered vividly how hard Rafe had vied for his father's attention and approval throughout his childhood. Maybe he could help him out.

"Alright, let's take a look."

Mr. Bennett circled the car agonizingly slowly, lifting the hood, opening each door. "It's in good condition, you've taken good care of it. I can offer you $35,000."

"OK - great - perfect" Rafe said, shooting Topper a text to come pick him up while eagerly ushering Mr. Bennett inside, haphazardly signing away the title to one of his most prized possessions.

You were huddled on the floor, your arms numb from being tied in the same position for almost 5 hours. Your wrists were rubbed raw and bleeding in some places. You sniffled quietly, run dry of tears from exhaustion and dehydration. You knew Rafe had struggled with a drug addiction, but you had never seen this side of it. The squalor, the desperation, the filth of where he would go to feed the beast inside of him. It scared you. Like the man had said, this was Rafe's dirty secret and the idea of that roiled your stomach, breaking your heart.

You saw how committed he had been to staying on the straight and narrow. It hadn't been easy for him, but day by day you had seen the life come back into his eyes. He was able to focus and manage his anxiety and his anger. After a month it felt like he was fully present with you, mind, body and soul and you had both been submerged in that feeling with one another, like you were falling in love again for the first time. He was a sweet boy at his core and that sweet center was able to shine when it wasn't ensnared by his addiction. He would leave flowers on the hood of your jeep to surprise you, tuck love notes into your drawers when you weren't looking to be found days later, knowing they would make you smile. Whenever you were out in public, his hands were on you, somehow, resting on your thigh, tucked in the back pocket of your shorts, resting on your lower back or more often than not tangled with your own. He was constantly stealing kisses, on the cheek, on the forehead, on your nose and when any opportunity presented itself, firmly against your lips, in the bathroom hallway at the Island Club, in your kitchen when your parents sat one room away, in his bedroom, tangled up in his sheets, he couldn't get enough of you. You were clinging to that image of him, fighting the urge to picture him here, doing drugs, when you heard voices pick up outside the door.

"It's 10:00 man, you said he'd be here. Where's your boy?"

"He'll be here, man, just relax, take a bump."

Marco leaned over the coffee table, sorting a line of cocaine before inhaling it aggressively and throwing his head back to rest on the couch, the drug rushing to his brain.

"Maybe he needs a little motivation to pick up the pace?" He stood up quickly, jittery from his high and pushed his way towards the back bedroom.

The door flew open, the light from the living room nearly blinding you in the dark as he yanked you harshly to your feet. "Come here, sweet thing, don't you want to smile for me, huh? Smile sweet for your boyfriend baby girl, go ahead." He held you tight to his chest, one arm wrapped around your neck, forcing your head up, the other resting uncomfortably against your ribcage as Barry snapped a photo. You wiggled, uncomfortable in his grasp, disgusted by the feeling of his hands on your body. "Aww, you wanna fight me again, huh? That's okay, I like a fighter, I like it a little rough" he taunted. You wiggled harder, willing this to be a dream that you could wake up from as he pulled you closer, his face pressed against yours, his disgusting breath hot on your cheek. You moved without thinking, a survival instinct, doing anything you could to get out of his grasp as you stomped your heel heavily onto his foot. He cried out in shock and pain before grabbing you, turning you to face him and slapping you hard across the face. You fell to the floor, the skin on your flesh burning. You could taste blood on your lip.

"What the fuck are you doing, man!?" Barry yelled.

"Someone's got to do somethin’ here! Where is my money!?"

"Come on" Barry hauled you up by your arm and at least had the decency to look sorry before throwing you back in the bedroom and locking the door.

Rafe slid into Topper's truck, talking animatedly on the phone and motioning for him to drive, "Pawn shop on Meeting Street, drive, go Top!" Topper sped off as Rafe returned to his call.

"Yes, Kelc, $5k and you can have the bike, do we have a deal?" He paused, listening to the other end. "Do you have cash? Can you meet me at the pawn shop on Meeting Street?" A pause. "What? No. Right fucking now. Meet me right fucking now, don't be a dollar short" he said, hanging up phone.

"Rafe, what the hell is going on man" Topper asked.

"Just drive, Top.”

"What's wrong with your truck?" he asked, motioning to the dealership in the rearview mirror.

"I sold it.”

"You what!? Why? You love that truck."

"Please, just drive.”

"Did you just sell Kelce your bike? Is this about money? Are they ransoming her? Oh my god, Rafe. We need to call the police. My grandfather's a judge" he said, reaching for his phone, "I'll call him, we can have this sorted out.”

Rafe grabbed Topper's wrist hard enough for him to drop the phone. "No fucking cops.”

"Rafe-" Topper tried.

"They will kill her Topper" he said, his voice stone serious. "They will shoot her and they will throw her body in the marsh and we will never see her again. These guys do not fucking mess around and I'm not taking any chances."

Topper pulled his car into the pawn shop parking lot and Rafe was out of the front seat before Topper came to a full stop. He ran inside. Topper could see him begin to wedge his Cameron family signet ring off his finger. For as long as he had known Rafe he had never seen him without it. It was extremely valuable and meaningful to him and he couldn't believe he'd be parting with it. From the look in the woman's eyes across the counter from Rafe, it didn't look like she could believe it either. She held it up to the light, weighed it and examined it closely. She said something to him and he began arguing with her. Clearly, he didn't think she was offering him a fair price. They haggled for a moment and eventually she looked resolute. Her final offer. Rafe looked destroyed as he hunched over the counter, his head in his hands before he reached into his pocket and pulled out a velvet box and slid it over to her like he was giving her the last piece of food on a deserted island. Resigned, depleted.

She opened the box, eyeing the contents closely, eyeing him closely and closed it, sliding it back to him. He pushed it back to her aggressively. Though taken aback, she carried the box into a back room and disappeared. She came back with a man dressed in a suit, clearly a manager of some sort. They talked for several minutes before shaking hands. They disappeared again and returned with a large envelope. Rafe took it, quickly signed a few pieces of paper and began to walk out to the car just as Kelce was pulling in. He ran over to him, accepting another wad of cash before getting back into the car.

"Top, I need you to drive-" he was cut off by his phone chiming. He pulled it quickly out of his pocket and slid open the text from Barry. Tick tock Country Club it read with a picture. His heart dropped into his stomach at the sight of you, your arms bound in front of you. You looked filthy, your normally perfect hair was tangled, your eyes were scrunched in discomfort, your eyeliner smudged and mascara running down your cheeks. Barry's cousin was pressed against you, his cheek on your cheek, his hands on your ribcage, dangerously close to your breasts.

"No, no, no, no, no" he said repeatedly, the only word his brain could conjure at the sight of you. He felt physically sick and he started to shake, shoving the heel of his hands into his eyes and rocking back and forth.

Topper recognized all the signs of one of Rafe's panic attacks but had never seen one this bad. He didn't know what to do. "H-Hey come on, man, it's going to be ok, she's going to be ok. Do you have the money? Let's go. Let's go get her."

"Y-you n-need t-to drive to the f-fucking cut" Rafe eeked out, barely understandable.

"What?" Topper asked.

"DRIVE TO THE CUT, TOPPER!" he roared.

"Yes, got it, driving" he said, throwing the car into gear.

Rafe pulled out his phone, quickly typing a response.

He threw his phone down on the floor, cracking the screen.

You heard a phone trill.

"You hear that, princess? Country Club is comin’ to get your ass. I told you you was our golden ticket." You heard them laugh before they turned up the music and cracked open beers.

You sat up from where you were laying on the floor. Rafe was coming here? To get you? You wiped at your eyes and gingerly touched your lip, wincing at the swollen tenderness. You couldn't imagine how terrible you looked right now. You also couldn't imagine why you were thinking about how you looked at a time like this. Your limbs ached but you tried your best to maneuver into a sitting position as your mind tried to work out what was happening. Rafe was coming here. Was he coming by himself? He would be outnumbered. What would stop them from taking the money and killing you both anyway? These were two coked out drug dealers, there was no way to know how this was going to play out and they clearly had the upper hand. You began to feel around the floor in front of you. You wanted to gag at the feeling of running your hands through the shag carpeting, sifting through dirty boxers, women's underwear and food containers. You needed to find something that could help. You weren't going to let Rafe face this alone. You reached under the bed, feeling a lot of dust and empty space until you hit a cool metal container. You paused, straining your ears to ensure the men were both preoccupied as you pulled it towards you. It was small, maybe a foot wide. As you opened it, you found a wad of cash, several pill bottles and a small gun. Bingo. You had gone to the gun range a handful of times with your dad, you knew how to see if it was loaded. It was. You knew how to check the safety before sliding it into the front of your jean shorts, the cool metal resting against your skin. Your shirt barely covered it. It would be risky, it would be risking everything, but you had to do it.

"Pull over here" Rafe instructed.

"Here?" Topper asked. They were squarely in the middle of nowhere, deep in the marshes at the far side of the cut. The only light was coming from the dim porch light of a trailer 50 feet back from the dirt road.

"Yes, park here. Cut off the engine. Keep your phone on you. Don't follow me, Top. I mean it."

"How long should I wait before...?" he let the question linger, unfinished.

Rafe looked up at him and for the first time Topper saw unbridled fear in his best friend's eyes.

"Rafe, man, look, we can still call the police. You don't have to do this by yourself."

"15 minutes" Rafe replied, ignoring him at first. "If you don't see her in 15 minutes you can call the police. And, yes, I do have to do this. It's my fault she's in this mess, I'm going to get her out of it." He scooped his phone off the floor, wrangled the wad of cash into his pockets and stepped out of the truck, using the flashlight on his phone to jog alone down the street into darkness until Topper couldn't see him anymore.

You heard him. Over the godawful rap music that was playing through tinny speakers outside your locked door, you heard him.

"BARRY! BARRY, GET THE FUCK OUT HERE. BRING HER WITH YOU. LET ME SEE HER RIGHT NOW!"

Your heart squeezed at the sound of his voice, familiar and comforting but full of a rage the depths of which you had never heard before.

The music cut off and you heard shuffling and muffled voices in the living room. Your heart was in your throat. You heard the front door open and close as Barry walked outside and you heard footsteps headed in your direction. You checked the gun in your shorts one more time before the door burst open and he rumbled over to you, pulling you to your feet, through the doorway, through the kitchen and living room to the front door. A sense of relief washed over you. You were free, Rafe was here, everything was going to be okay. Then you saw the gun in his other hand and began to shake.

He shoved you through the front door, hand gripping your upper arm so tightly you could feel a bruise already forming. A few weak lights were scattered around the property buzzing with mosquitoes, making the yard hard to see, but your eyes immediately found Rafe. He had been in a heated discussion until the door flew open and he caught your eye. It was like time ran in slow motion. His skin was slick with sweat, his hair sticking to his forehead, his shirt stuck to his skin, his cheeks red and voice hoarse from yelling, but when he saw you he stopped.

"No, no, no, man WHAT DID YOU DO! LOOK AT HER! SHE'S FUCKING BLEEDING! WHAT DID I TELL YOU!" He tried to run towards you and Barry stopped him with both hands on his chest.

"Not so fast, Country Club.”

"No, I need to-" he fidgeted around Barry's grip, "I need to see her" shove "Need to touch her" shove "Need to make sure she's OK" shove "Baby, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, baby, I'm here, I'm here, It's going to be okay." His eyes were fixed solely on you as he fought Barry back, clawing, desperate to reach you.

"That's enough, Country Club, where is the money?"

"I'm not giving you the money until I can see her, I need to make sure she's alright."

"Let me see it."

Rafe reached into his front pocket, pulling forth wads of cash bigger than any you'd seen in your life.

"65k" he said, shaking it in Barry's face, "interest, you know? To make sure you never do anything like this, ever again. Now let me see her."

Barry took a step back and nodded to Marco. Marco tucked the gun into his waistband and untied your hands. As soon as you were free you turned and ran, Rafe meeting you halfway as you slammed into his chest, your arms too weak to do anything but wrap around his middle as you sunk your face into him, crying anew.

"Oh my god" he said, his hands coming around you as he buried his head in your hair. "Thank God. Thank you, God" he repeated. "It’s okay, it's going to be okay.”

You pressed into him further. "Rafe" you whispered, barely audible, "gun, in my shorts, quick-"

"Money, Country Club" Barry said.

You tried to turn around but Rafe held you firmly in place, your head against his chest as he slowly pulled the wad of cash out of his pockets, handing it over your head into Barry's outstretched hands.

"Woooo, would you look at this, Marco? This is what interest looks like right here." They were both transfixed, unraveling the wads of cash. Rafe took the opportunity to slide his hand slowly down your stomach, into the waistband of your shorts as you shivered involuntarily, his hand resting on the gun, shielded by your body against his.

"This is nothin' to you, Country Club" Barry said. "This is just your daddy's money. Money means nothin' to you. Maybe we outta hold onto your lady here and see what another day buys us?"

A gun cocked behind you and you both froze. You felt Rafe's fingers work around the gun, clicking off the safety.

"Barry. We're square man" he said calmly despite the feeling of his heart thundering in his chest as he stared down the barrel of the gun in Marco's hand. "I'm going to take my girlfriend and we're going to walk away now, and you're going to let us go. And on top of the extra $15k I gave you, we won't tell anyone about the felony kidnapping you just committed."

Barry bristled at that.

"We're the one calling the shots here!" Marco said gruffly, unphased as he pointed the gun at the back of your head. Rafe put his hand against your head protectively, pulling you towards him as you squeezed your eyes shut and his hand shot out from between you, brandishing the gun at the two of them as he slowly began to walk backwards, pulling you with him.

"I said, I'm going to take my girlfriend and we're going to walk away now" his voice trembled, with rage, with fear, with both. "Give me a reason, because I will shoot you both where you stand. I'm begging you to give me a reason so I can bury this bullet so far in your heads." He was shaking, his arm crushing you to him as you took each step together.

"It's all good, Country Club" Barry said, one hand raised in surrender, the other on Marco's arm.

Rafe walked with you all the way to the end of the driveway before grabbing your hand and taking off in a sprint. You ran for what felt like miles, your body exhausted, his fingers entwined tightly in yours before you saw the outline of a truck on the side of the road.

Topper saw two figures appear out of the misty darkness, his finger hovering over his phone, ready to call 9-1-1. When he realized who it was, he quickly started the engine, his headlights kicking on, blinding you both as Rafe threw open the back door and helped you in, crawling in beside you.

"Is she okay? Is everything okay?" Topper asked frantically, working to turn the car around while also trying to eye the backseat.

"She's... okay" Rafe replied, panting, as he finally let the gun in his hand drop to the floor of the car. His back was against the window and you were curled up against him, head nuzzled into his neck, one of his hands around your waist, fingers brushing your bare skin where your t-shirt had been rumpled, the other moving to hold your head against his heart. You were shaking and the vibrations against him splintered his heart like a shattered windshield. He pulled you impossibly closer and whispered into your hair the entire ride home, "It's okay, it's going to be okay, I'm sorry baby. God, I'm so sorry."

By the time Topper dropped you both off at Tanneyhill it was nearly morning. He slid out of the driver's seat to give you a hug, holding you gently in his arms, "I'm so happy you're okay Y/N" he said earnestly. The fear and relief evident in his voice. When he let you go, Rafe pulled him into a tight embrace as well and as they let go they exchanged a knowing glance before Topper nodded and pulled away.

Rafe made sure you got food and plenty of water before helping you up the stairs and into his bathroom where he gently peeled off your filthy clothing before running a shower for you. The hot water scorched your wrists and burned against your cut lip but you were so desperate to rid yourself of that trailer that you didn't care. When you were finished, he wrapped you in a warm towel, holding you against him again. He had been looking at you in a way he'd never looked at you before and you struggled to put a name to it until you felt him exhale shakily. It was fear. You had never seen Rafe Cameron afraid in all your life, and now he was looking at you with pure fear, like he was afraid you would disappear in front of his eyes. Wordlessly, he gave you a pair of his sweatpants and one of his t-shirts and sat you on his bed as he gathered a first aid kit. His hands were shaking as he rubbed ointment on your bruised and burned wrists before turning attention to your face, cupping your chin gently in his hands, trying with all his might to avoid eye contact, feigning a deep focus on the cut on your lip. He was doing everything he could to tamp down his emotions. He could count the number of times in his life that he had cried on one hand. It had only been three times. Once, when he had fallen out of a tree and broken his wrist. Once, at his mother's funeral. And once the first time his father had hit him, tears flowing first in surprise, then in pain, then in shame and embarrassment. It wouldn't do any good for you to see him like that now, he told himself. You needed him to be strong, to let you know that you were safe. He pulled your lip gently with his thumb, rubbing something on it before letting it go.

"Rafe" you whispered as he moved to put the first aid kit away. You stood up to follow him.

"You need to lay down, you need to rest" he said, urging you back towards the bed.

"Rafe, I'm okay" you said, trying to meet his eyes as he avoided yours. You reached out, cupping his face in your hands, gently turning it to look at you. "I'm right here, I'm okay, everything is okay thanks to you."

He squeezed his eyes shut and lowered his head, the only way he could think to avoid your gaze. The only way to stop himself from breaking. You moved to your tiptoes to wrap your arms around him, nuzzling into him as his arms wrapped slowly around you. Here you were bruised and bloody trying to comfort him. He was such a fuck up. He almost lost you. He was almost the reason you were gone. What did you see in him? His mind was racing and you could feel him tense in your arms.

"Hey, hey it's okay" you said, your body responding to his tension as you nuzzled closer, rubbing circles in his back. "I love you" you said. And he broke, his shoulders shaking as tears flowed freely from his eyes and he pulled you into his body in a crushing grip. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

"It's okay, Rafe, there's nothing to be sorry for."

"Yes there is!" he said, reluctantly letting you go to look at you incredulously. "If you weren't with me that would have never happened. I put you in that situation!"

"No, Rafe, you had no part in this, no idea what those men were capable of. We can sit here all day and play 'What If'. What if I had left babysitting an hour later, What if Sarah and her friends hadn't taken that money, What if I had driven faster and outrun them, or worse! What if I hadn't found that gun, What if you hadn't come up with that money. Rafe, we can both spend time beating ourselves up or we can be so damn thankful it turned out the way that it did. We're here, together, and that's what matters. I love you, and I wouldn't want to be with anyone else."

He looked down at you, eyes still shining with tears and cracked a small abashed smile. "What did I ever do to deserve you?" he replied. He leaned down to kiss you before stopping and pulling back, eyeing your lip.

"Just kiss me already" you whispered, and he smirked, pressing his lips gently to yours. The feeling of your bodies and your lips pressed together made the world feel like it was put back on its proper axis. Everything that was wrong was right again. Everything was going to be okay. You deepened the kiss, pulling him into you and he lifted you up, laying you down gently on his bed as hovered on top of you, his kisses never faltering as your tongues tangled and he wrapped you in his arms. After a few moments he pulled back, his nose brushing yours. "You need to rest" he said, resigned but firm. He tucked you in and you were overwhelmed with the feeling of his soft sheets and the undeniable scent of him. You were warm and safe and loved and you were asleep before you could feel him kiss your forehead and whisper, "I love you."

E P I L O G U E

You didn't stir again for hours, your limbs heavy with deep sleep. Your back was curled up against Rafe's bare chest, his arms circling around you snuggly. You sighed contentedly, lacing your fingers through his when you noticed his ring was missing. You pried your eyes open and looked down at his one hand, then the other, turning them this way and that. No ring. He stirred into consciousness, nuzzling you and pressing kisses into your hair.

You turned to face him as his eyes fluttered open, a soft smile on his lips until he saw the look of concern on your face.

"S'wrong?" he muttered sleepily.

"Rafe, your ring is gone" you whispered. He flexed his fingers, running his thumb over his bare knuckle reflexively.

"S'fine, baby" he said, pressing a kiss to your lips.

"It's fine?" you said, flabbergasted. You had never seen Rafe without his ring. It was a deep source of pride for him.

"It doesn't matter anymore" he said, trying to change the subject, "why don't we go to the beach today? Just have a chill day. Topper can give us a ride."

You thought about it briefly. "Why does Topper need to drive us? Where is your car?" You didn't recall seeing it in the driveway last night, but then again, last night was a bit of a blur. Rafe's eyes shifted slightly and he started to say something and then stopped himself and instead brought one hand up to rub his eyes. You could tell he was hiding something.

"Rafe" you pressed, "what's going on?"

He sighed heavily. "I don't have my car anymore."

"What happened!?" you said, propping yourself up on your elbow, concerned. His truck was his everything, you knew how much it meant to him, one of the few gifts Ward had ever given him.

He met your eyes and took his time responding, studying your face, his hands cupping it gently, his thumb rubbing your cheek as a small smile began dancing across his lips.

"I sold it."

You were about to launch a cavalcade of questions when the lightbulb went off in your head the ring, the truck, the money. You gasped slightly, your hand coming to cover your mouth.

"Rafe, you didn't!"

"I did" he said, the smile lingering on his lips. He looked... happy? Had he lost his mind? "And my bike" he said. Your eyes were wide with shock "And-" he started, the smile on his face sinking into something more serious as he paused.

"And what?" you said, your heart clenching. That was literally every one of his most valuable possessions. His golf clubs? His watches? You started looking around the room as if you could spot what was missing, did he sell his furniture? What else was possibly left after all of that?

"My mom's ring" he said quietly.

Your heart dropped into your stomach as you sat straight up in bed.

"Rafe" you said, stone serious, your hand clamped over your mouth, a look of horror on your face. "No, oh my God, no."

He sat up next to you, leaning against the headboard. He still had a smile on his face as he peeled your hand away from your mouth to hold both of your hands in his, his gaze meeting yours fiercely. "There isn't anything I wouldn't have given Barry to have you back in my arms safely. I would have given him Tanneyhill if he asked for it. Nothing matters to me more than you do. No truck, no bike, no ring, nothing. You are everything to me. You are priceless. I love you so much... Plus.." he said, pausing slightly, weighing his next words carefully as he met your eyes, "my mom's ring doesn't mean much if the girl I wanted to give it to wasn't here to take it."

Your heart thundered in your chest as the realization of everything that had happened caught up to you. He had sold every last thing he held dear, the only gift his father had ever given him, the only thing he had left from his mom. The weight of his last statement landing heavily "My mom's ring doesn't mean much if the girl I wanted to give it to wasn't here to take it." He wanted to give you his mom's ring? He wanted to propose to you? Your bottom lip quivered as you took a shaky breath.

"R-Rafe what are you saying?"

He had a lopsided grin on his face as he pulled you into his lap to straddle him. The feeling of his body pressed against you sending a warm wave of comfort over you as you took in his blue eyes, glinting at you as you pushed his tousled hair off his forehead, drinking in the face of the boy that would do anything to keep you safe as his hands rested on your hips.

He was quiet for a moment, smiling at you, looking at your face, taking you in before he spoke. "I'm saying that I want you to be my Mrs. Cameron someday. But, I've gotta get you a ring first. I had been keeping my mom's with me in the glove box of my truck for a while now, just in case."

"Just in case?" you asked, laughing sweetly.

"Yeah, just in case I couldn't wait any longer. In case there was a moment..." he paused as he took your left hand in his, looking down at it as he rubbed his thumb over your empty ring finger. "Wish I had it right now, I'd give it to you."

"I don't need a ring, Rafe" you said quietly, and the look you gave him nearly knocked the wind out of him. You were serious, your gaze transfixed on him, unblinking. And he was serious too. What this happening right now? Like this? This wasn't how he planned it in his head, he had devised a plan in meticulous detail, a thousand rose petals, a hundred candles on a moonlit night on the beach... not with him in his boxers and you with a busted lip and bruised wrists. But none of that seemed to matter now. All that mattered is that you were here, that you were safe. He had been so damn close to losing you, he didn't want to waste any more time.

"Marry me?" he asked point blank, serious, but smiling, hopeful.

You nodded slowly, laughing then laugh-crying as you muttered "Yes!"

He pulled you into him, kissing you as one of his hands came to cup your cheek. You could feel his hands shaking as he kissed you with abandon in a way he had never kissed you before, deep and desperate, loving and possessive as he rolled you over onto your back to feel you beneath him, his lips never leaving yours. You had lost count of the number of times you had kissed Rafe Cameron, but there was a weightiness to this kiss that was new. This was forever. His lips were forever, his hands on your body were forever, this feeling, like you were soaring, the pounding in your chest was forever. And for only the fifth time in his life, Rafe Cameron cried. This time, small, happy tears that trickled down his face as his lips captured yours, breaking only slightly to whisper, "I love you, Mrs. Cameron."

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bia-wayne-west · 4 months

Text

Children of the future.

— Barry Allen X Reader

Synopsis : Barry Allen goes into the future by accident and finds out that in the future he is married to his best friend, Y/N and has two adorable children.

Characters : Barry Allen [Flash] and Reader [ You ]

Warnings: none.

A/N: I love reading imagines where Barry has kids and is married, so I decided to write another one. Hope you like. Reblog if you like.

Sorry for the writing errors, I'm not fluent in English.

Requests are open

Masterlist

Barry Allen was running like lightning. Cisco decided to test Barry's speed by making him run as fast as he could.

The leaves of the trees swayed as he passed, leaving everything in disarray along the way. Barry didn't care if he was going too fast, until a crack opened in front of him and he couldn't stop.

The speedstet was thrown to the wet grass ground. He quickly stood up and looked around, wondering if it was to the past or the future. Everything was normal.

Barry noticed that there were some buildings in places that were once houses and assumed that he was in the future. He knew he couldn't risk changing the future, but he was curious.

He was surprised to see the name “Allen” engraved on the mailbox of a large house. The house was white and had three floors. He approached, seeing that on the porch of the house there was a swing and a dog house with the name “Grant” engraved on it.

Barry questioned whether he actually read the right name on the mailbox. He didn't have much time to think before a big, fat dog ran towards him, knocking Flash to the ground. The dog caught him off guard.

The animal began to lick his face, making him laugh. Barry carefully pushed the dog away, standing up.

“Sit down!” He said to the dog and to Barry's surprise, the animal obeyed and sat down on the grass. The dog wagged its tail and seemed very happy.

Flash heard laughter coming from the door. He looked up and let out an exclamation of surprise when he saw that Y/N was standing in front of the door, arms crossed.

“I thought you wouldn't be back until tomorrow. Cisco called saying you had an accident in Star City.” Y/N said, walking towards Barry.

The man tried to find words to respond to his friend, but was petrified when he received a kiss from his childhood friend.

The woman ran her hand through Barry's brown hair and looked at him tenderly. Flash noticed that she had a beautiful ring on her fingers. She got married.

Y/N kissed Barry again, leaving him in a state of panic. The brunette never thought about kissing his friend, since he was in love with Iris.

“Let's go. Benjamin and Anastasia are alone long enough to set the house on fire.” Y/N said, pulling the speedster's hand to force him into the house.

“Benjamin and Anastasia?” He asked, frowning. Who were these people?

“Are you going to say you forgot your children's names?” Y/N asked in a playful tone. Barry opened his mouth in shock.

Flash barely had time to say anything. Two small and cute bodies collided with Allen. They were children.

Benjamin and Anastasia they are kids. Barry and Y/N's children.

Flash opened his mouth but couldn't say a word. He looked at the kids who had Y/N's hair color and Barry's green eyes.

The boy looked a lot like Barry and had a very sweet smile. The girl looked like a beautiful princess.

“Daddy!” The girl said, extending her hand for Barry to take it. The speedster wondered if he should pick the girl up, but after Anastasia pouted at him, Barry grabbed the girl and gave her a big hug.

Barry had children. He started a family.

It wasn't with Iris as he imagined, but Y/N seemed to love him so intensely that it was clear there was a lot of love.

“Daddy. Ben, my mom and I made chocolate cake.” Anastasia said. Her voice was soft and sweet. Barry almost cried when the girl laid her head on his shoulder.

“Mom let me make the frosting with the mixer.” Benjamin, who looked to be two years older than Anastasia said, smiling proudly.

“It must be delicious.” Barry said smiling at the boy. The boy hugged Allen's leg.

The two children dragged Barry into the kitchen and made the speedster eat many pieces of cake and a pitcher of juice that Benjamin prepared. It was sour, but Barry enjoyed every drop to make the boy happy.

The house was big and warm. Barry couldn't tell if it was hot because of the heater or if it was because of the family that lived there. The kitchen of the house had a large blackboard glued to the counter where it indicated what needed to be bought at the market and who would wash the dishes that day.

Barry loved everything. It seemed strange at first, but now it was an incredible future. For the first time in his life, Barry felt that everything would work out in the end.

He thought the children were normal, that they weren't speedsters. But the moment Y/N dropped a glass, Benjamin ran like lightning and didn't let the object fall to the floor.

“Are you a speedster?” Barry asked with a face full of surprise.

“Of course my love.” Y/N said, emphasizing “my love”. In the present, she always called Barry ‘Allen’ or some stupid nickname. Barry liked to be called ‘my love’. “Our babies are just like you. Even though Anastasia hates running”

“I prefer to walk.” The girl said. It was the cutest sight Barry had ever seen. The little girl had a teddy bear on her lap and used a toy spoon to give the teddy bear some imaginary food.

“You look strange, dad.” Benjamin said. The boy was focused on a portable video game and barely looked at the people at the table.

“Seriously, Barry. Are you well? “ Y/N asked her husband. She noticed that the speedster was dazed and looked strange. “Children, can you keep the cake in the fridge and then go play in your bedrooms?”

“Yes mom.” The kids said at the same time. Benjamin used his super speed to put the cake in the refrigerator and went to his bedroom. Anastasia preferred to walk like a normal human being.

Y/N took Barry to the living room. The fireplace was lit for winter and some toys were lined up in the hallway. The dog that Barry assumed was family was lying on the couch with its belly up.

“What happened, Barry?” She asked as soon as Barry sat down in the room. She noticed that her husband seemed to have never set foot in the house and was looking at everything like a curious visitor.

“Anything. It's okay, honey.” Allen tried to sound convincing.

“Barry, I wanted to tell you something.” Y/N sat on Barry's lap, leaving him perplexed. The speedster stood as still as a statue as the woman placed a long kiss on his lips. “Do you like having two children?”

“Obviously. Ben and Ana are amazing kids.” Barry said, trying to sound like the father they know.

“Then I think you'll love having three children even more!” Y/N said, with watery eyes. She took a box out of her pocket and Barry recognized it as a pregnancy test box. “I found out two days ago, but I was going to wait for you to get back from Star City.”

“Are you pregnant?” Barry asked.

“Yes. Caitlin thinks I have five weeks. It's still the size of a bean, but I already love it so much.” Y/N said, rubbing her belly.

Y/N was surprised to receive a hug from her husband. Barry was shaking and seemed surprised, something strange since he already has two children.

Allen had tears in his eyes and Y/N returned the hug, laying her head on his shoulder.

“Thank you, Y/N.” Barry thanked him. “Thank you for being my family and for giving me three incredible children. You are perfect.”

“You gave it to me, Barry. You played an important role in creating them.” She said laughing. Flash was thinking about how weird it would be to have sex with his best friend. Barry had known Y/N since elementary school and had never thought of her in a romantic way.

Now, Barry envied future Barry, who had perfect children and a beautiful woman who loved him. The Flash hoped this was his future.

“How did we start dating?” The man asked, trying not to sound rude and irritate the woman.

“You were almost killed by a villain and I realized I loved you. But Iris also realized that she loved you. It took a long time for you to decide that you loved me and ask me to be your girlfriend.“ She explained laughing. “You're always quick, but you read a lot into some things.”

“Funny.” He said, squeezing Y/N's waist. Barry's cell phone rang and the woman got up from his lap, letting Flash pick up the phone and answer it.

“Dude, where are you? You were running and suddenly disappeared.” He heard Cisco say. Flash's friend was nervous.

“I'm coming, Cisco.” Barry said, then hung up without letting Cisco answer. “Y/N, I have to go. Cisco needs my help.”

“Sure honey.” Y/N said, giving her husband another kiss. “Come back early for dinner. Ben's notes arrived today and he wants you to see them at dinner time.”

“OK.” Barry looked closely at the woman and the house before heading to the door. This was a perfect future. “See you later, Y/N.”

“Save the world, Flash.” Y/N said, while stroking her own belly. Barry took one last look at Y/N before running to go back to the past.

Tears streamed down Barry's face as he ran. Barry always wanted to have a family and in the future he did, with a pet dog and warm hugs.

As soon as Barry returned to the present, he went straight to Star Labs. He knew that back then you were helping Caitlin take care of the imprisoned metahumans .

“Hey man, where were you?” Cisco asked as soon as Barry stopped in the middle of Star labs.

“I fainted during the race.” Flash lied, knowing he couldn't tell anyone about the future. “Where is Y/N?”

“She's giving lunch to the imprisoned metahumans. She always does this.”

Barry didn't respond to his friend. He ran straight towards Y/N.

She had a tray in her hand and was walking towards a prisoner's cell.

“Hello, Y/N.” Flash greeted the girl. She just looked at him and smiled, walking again. “I was thinking. We've been friends for a long time and we've never gone out to dinner just the two of us.”

“Why should you go out with Iris, your great unrequited love.” Y/N replied, making Barry grimace.

“Do you want to go out with me on Friday for dinner?” Barry invited his friend. She smiled, stopping walking and looking at the brunette.

“Since you insist so much, I agree to go out with you, Allen.” Y/N said, running her hand through Barry's hair. He smiled, thinking that it wouldn't be so bad to marry you in the future.

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nocturnest · 2 months

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Omg imagine a very innocent, civilian Y/n being on the Bullet Train, in Japan with her friends for a girls’ trip. So y/n and her friends are on the train when all the craziness happens with the train-full of assassins. When the other civilians start clearing out of the train out of fear (because there are assassins running all over the place), Y/n is tipsy and doesn’t notice the commotion, and her “friends” just leave her there to flee the train (not the best friends 😬) so when Tangerine (who doesn’t die!!) and Lemon come running by, they see a very tipsy Y/n sitting there and they’re like, “What’re you doing here??” and she just giggles which has them like, “…” She flirts with Tangerine (lmao) as he takes care of her and saves her life, and once she realizes the danger she’s actually in, the poor girl is terrified! Also when they’re all safe, Tangerine and Lemon would be so angry that her friends all just left her there

@kpopgirlbtssvt love this idea! you have the best requests! i had such fun writing this - it's much longer than i originally planned but i wanted to do it justice! i hope i succeeded! 🥺❤️

The bullet train hurtled through the Japanese countryside, the rhythmic click-clack of the tracks beneath you providing a soothing backdrop to the excited chatter of your friends. The anticipation of your girls' trip to Japan had filled you with a bubbling sense of adventure, and as you settled into your seat, you couldn't wait to explore everything the country had to offer.

The journey started on a high note, with laughter and animated conversation flowing freely as you and your three other friends shared stories and sipped on cocktails. Sure, your friend Rebecca went on and on about her rich husband, his job, and all of their fancy cars. And sure, Cara kept interrupting everyone with her latest drama about her boyfriend, but overall, you were having a great time. The atmosphere was electric, and you found yourself getting caught up in the infectious excitement of the moment. You might have been a bit tipsy, but you thought that even you deserved a break sometimes, and besides, you were around friends who you could trust. They would look out for you, or so you thought.

You were happy to have taken time off from work to come on this trip. You rarely took vacations even though you loved traveling. Perhaps it was because you didn't usually have anyone to spend time with. And sure, you had people you could consider your friends, but sometimes you wished that you could discuss things other than clothing, men, and gossip. You wanted to talk about the latest books you were reading and the movie you had just seen the other day. But, you couldnt' change your friends. Admittedly, they had been there for you. Cara had been there for you when you had first gotten drunk, and Elise practically wheeled you to her hairdresser after you got a bad haircut.

When your friends' conversations started to lull, you began observing the train carriage. You had noticed a blonde man in a bucket hat walk in and out of the carriage more times than you would have liked because he was quite frankly making you dizzy from all of his movement. The first time you noticed him, though, he was carrying a briefcase with some kind of sticker on the handle. Cara stopped mid-way in her sentence while she was discussing a celebrity's latest affair to side-eye the blonde man, who seemed to be muttering to himself about some guy named Barry.

Your heart nearly jumped out of your chest when a tall man in a blue suit caught your eye as he made his way through the carriage. His presence was commanding, his strides purposeful as he navigated through the crowded aisles. His brunette hair was neatly styled with gel, and his features exuded an air of confidence. He wore gold rings on his fingers, which he twisted with poorly concealed frustration.

Your friends, ever perceptive to your reactions, quickly noticed your awestruck expression and exchanged knowing glances. Rebecca nudged you with her elbow, a mischievous grin playing on her lips. "Looks like someone's got a crush," she teased, eliciting giggles from the others.

Heat rushed to your cheeks as you attempted to deflect their teasing, but it was no use. Elise joined in with a playful smirk, "Oh, I see how it is. Falling for the mysterious stranger, are we?"

Before you could respond, the man approached your group, his eyes scanning the carriage with a determined expression. You felt a flutter of nerves in your stomach as he drew nearer, his piercing gaze meeting yours briefly before he addressed the group.

"Excuse me, ladies. Have any of you seen a man with a silver briefcase running through here? " he asked politely, his voice smooth and reassuring.

Your heart skipped a beat as you struggled to form a coherent response. He was British, and all your friends knew how you felt about British men. Rebecca was quick to speak up, her tone teasing. "Why, are you looking for a secret agent or something?"

The man chuckled lightly, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "Something like that," he replied with a cryptic smile.

You managed to regain your composure long enough to point him in the direction he needed to go, "I believe a blonde man in a bucket hat had it. He went that way."

He looks at you with gratitude yet frustration and something else that you can't quite decipher, "Thank you, love."

Then, he stalks away, muttering, "That fucking bastard."

Your friends exchanged amused looks once more, but you couldn't help but feel a pang of disappointment as he walked away. You felt as if there was something special about the mysterious stranger who had captured your attention. Little did you know that things were about to get a whole lot messier.

It started with the snake. You thought you were hallucinating when you saw it and realized that maybe you had had too much to drink. But no, your friends saw it too.

A hushed whisper had rippled through the carriage as passengers exchanged worried glances, and you had felt a chill run down your spine. Something was wrong, terribly wrong.

Then, you saw it – a snake slithering its way through the crowd, its presence sending a wave of panic through the carriage. You blinked in disbelief, wondering if you were imagining things, but the terrified screams of your fellow passengers confirmed that the danger was all too real.

Amidst the chaos, you caught sight of your friends, their faces pale with fear as they struggled to make sense of the situation. Panic set in as the snake moved closer, its venomous gaze fixed on its prey.

Suddenly, a piercing scream shattered the air, and you turned to see a passenger clutching their face in agony, blood streaming from their eyes. The realization hit you like a ton of bricks – the snake was poisonous, and its venom was deadly.

In a frenzy of panic, you lost sight of your friends. Where had they gone? They had been right here? Apparently, your friends had made a split-second decision, abandoning each other to get off the train and save themselves. In disbelief, you observed their empty seats and attempted to stand only to feel a spell of dizziness, so you sat back down. You could only hope that the snake wouldn't come across you as its next victim.

Your friends and the snake slithered away the carriage was now empty, and so, the only thing you could think to do was to drink some more and fall into a deep sleep, hopeful that you would wake up in Kyoto.

This mission was unraveling more and more by the second. Tangerine had found Lemon unconscious, knocked out by some kind of drug. Tangerine had managed to wake him up but not without getting a slap to the face.

Now, Lemon was going on and on about a Diesel who had managed to shoot him in the chest. Luckily, Lemon had his bulletproof vest on, contrary to denying it previously. Never had Tangerine been so thankful for Lemon's antics.

Now, he and Lemon were walking down the aisles of the train carriages, trying to locate this fucking Diesel and the blonde muppet in a hat who stole their case with ferocity and a rapidly diminishing sense of hope.

Tangerine was of a mind to get off the train with Lemon and say fuck it, but that would mean not finishing the job, which would have been a first for them. Then again, Tangerine did quite fancy keeping all of his limbs and was not particularly eager to encounter the infamous White Death.

While Lemon went on about the Oscar-worthy performance of the Diesel he had encountered, Tangerine heard his phone buzzing and responds, putting it on speaker. They're absolutely fucking paranoid, this lot. Lemon looks at him expectantly.

"You have been lying to me, my friend."

It's the White Death. Tangerine rolls his eyes, "Well, cat’s out of the bag now, innit?"

"You were responsible for keeping my son safe. For keeping my money safe."

"You know, I-I don’t know a thing or two about being a parent, but you know what I would do, being that it’s your son and your money?"

Lemon looks at him with alarm and shakes his head, whispering, "Don't-"

Tangerine continues, "I’d stop crying about your dead wife, get off your fucking lazy ass, come here and finish the job yourself. But as we’re having a bit of a heart-to-heart, got a couple things to tell ya. Your son’s a complete bell end and fuckin’ deserves to be bleeding out of his eye sockets. And as for your case, I haven’t seen it since Tokyo. And I hope someone’s fuckin’ found it, put it all on red and having a fuckin’ wonderful time."

As calmly as before, the White Death responds, "I will meet you at Kyoto station."

Tangerine smiles sarcastically, "Oh, how wonderful. I can’t fucking wait."

"I want to look into your eyes when I kill you and your brother."

"My brother..."

The Tangerine glanced toward his bother with a look that Lemon rarely ever saw, one of fear.

Tangerine gets ahold of himself and looks out the window, "Morning rush hour’s rolling in quite nicely. Uh, what’s your plan, mate? You gonna fuckin’ waltz up here and blow my brains out in front of the whole fuckin’ carriage of witnesses?

"There is no one left on that train. I know. I bought every ticket until the end of the line."

The line cuts short and Lemon and Tangerine are left in silence, the sole sound being the train rolling along its tracks.

"Never have we encountered a more unbearable Deisel-"

Lemon is interrupted by Tangerine, who yells in absolute frustration and anger. Brass knuckles in hand, he begins punching at the screen at the front of the carriage 'till his hands begin to bleed, "All of this for some fuckin' pathetic excuse of a father and a husband! Can't even be bothered to show his ugly mug."

Tangerine's knuckles throbbed with pain as he relentlessly pounded on the screen at the front of the carriage.

"The. Fucking. Bastard." He enunciates each word with a punch.

His frustration and anger boiled over, fueling each blow with an intensity that bordered on madness. Blood trickled down his hands, staining the metal beneath him, but he paid no heed to the pain. All that mattered was the overwhelming sense of betrayal and helplessness that consumed him.

Beside him, Lemon watched in stunned silence, his usual calm demeanor shattered by the raw display of emotion unfolding before him. He had never seen Tangerine like this – so consumed by rage and despair that he seemed almost unrecognizable.

"Tangerine, stop!" Lemon finally shouted, reaching out to grab his brother's arm. "You're only hurting yourself."

But Tangerine shook off his brother's grip, his eyes ablaze with fury. "I couldn't give a fuck!" he roared, his voice echoing through the empty carriage. Lemon raises an eyebrow and Tangerine avoids his eyes, embarrassed almost by his fit of rage. He breathes heavily before sighing shakily, "This mission's been fucked since the beginning, 'asn't it?"

"Yep."

"And we should probably get off the train, shouldn't we?"

"Yep."

"Right. Fuck the case."

Lemon pats him on the shoulder, "Damn right, bruv."

Bloodied and bruised (Tangerine more than Lemon because Lemon doesn't bleed), they make their way through the next train carriage, only to come across another figure. Someone was still on the train. As Tangerine and Lemon cautiously approached the figure, they couldn't help but feel a sense of trepidation. After all they had been through, encountering another passenger on the seemingly deserted train was unexpected, to say the least.

There you were, your eyes wide with fear as she took in the sight of the bloodied brothers. You hadn't expected to come across this mysterious stranger once more. You shrank back instinctively, still shaken by the snake incident.

Tangerine and Lemon exchanged a wary glance before Tangerine spoke, his voice surprisingly gentle despite the anger still simmering beneath the surface, "Hey there, love. Ya alright?"

You calmed at the sound of Tangerine's voice and a confidence that you rarely had took over you, "Now that you're here."

Tangerine laughs, "Where are your friends?"

You wave your arms weakly, your words slurring together, "Gone... They left me behind. A poisonous snake started biting people. That guy wasn't so lucky." You point to the body of an unfortunate passenger, obscured beneath two seats. He had blood seeping out of his eyes. Lemon and Tangerine turned to observe your line of sight and frowned in disgust.

Lemon's eyes widen with realization, "Well, now we know what killed the bastard of a White Death's son." Tangerine grunted in response.

You make an effort to stand, your drunken movements clumsy and staggering, "Are you boys here to rescue me? Because I could use a knight in shining armor."

"Something like that... You're telling me that your friends left you to face off a snake on your own while fuckin' drunk?"

You nodded sheepishly, a flush of embarrassment coloring your cheeks. "Yeah, they uh... weren't exactly the most reliable companions."

Lemon snorted derisively, "Clearly."

Tangerine shot his brother a warning look before turning back to you, his expression softening slightly. "Well, lucky for you, we happened to come along. Can you walk?"

You nodded, albeit unsteadily. "I think so. Where are we going?"

Tangerine glanced at Lemon, who shrugged in response. "Anywhere but here," Tangerine replied, his tone grim. "Let's get you off this train, and then we'll figure it out."

Lemon smiles reassuringly, "I'm Lemon by the way. He's my brother, Tangerine."

"Yes - I met him earlier."

Lemon lights up and grins at Tangerine, "Ah - so this was the pretty bird you were telling me about -"

Tangerine bristles, flushed in the face, "Shut it!" He only softens when you smile at him shyly.

With that, you collect your luggage, and the three of you set off down the deserted train carriage, Tangerine's hand on your back to keep you steady, the warmth of his hand against you sending shivers down your spine. You couldn't deny the attraction you felt towards him, and with each step, your inhibitions seemed to slip away, replaced by a newfound boldness..

Continuing down the aisles, you speak up, "You know, I was of a mind to go hunt you down."

Tangerine chuckled softly, his lips quirking up into a half-smile, "Oh, really."

"Yes - I wanted to know who your tailor was because that suit of yours makes you look as though you were crafted by the Gods. Is it on purpose that it happens to match the color of your eyes?"

Tangerine's chuckle deepened at your compliment, a faint blush gracing his cheeks. "Crafted by the Gods, hm? I'll have to remember that one."

You smirked, feeling a surge of satisfaction at the effect your words had on him. "I speak nothing but the truth," you replied cheekily, earning another amused chuckle from Tangerine.

Beside you, Lemon rolled his eyes, unable to suppress his grin at the exchange. "Are we done with the flirting, or do I need to start taking notes?"

You laughed, the sound echoing through the empty train carriage. "Oh, lighten up, Lemon. Can't a girl appreciate a well-dressed man without it being considered flirting?"

Tangerine shot you a playful wink, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "Flattery will get you everywhere, love."

As the three of you made your way through the deserted train carriages, the air was thick with tension and anticipation. You found yourself drawn to Tangerine, his rugged charm and playful banter providing a welcome distraction from the chaos that had unfolded around you.

Lemon, ever the voice of reason, kept a watchful eye on his surroundings, his gaze occasionally darting towards you and his brother as if to ensure that no further harm befell you. Despite the gravity of the situation, a sense of camaraderie seemed to be blossoming between the three of you, forged in the crucible of shared adversity.

Suddenly, a faint sound caught your attention, causing you to halt in your tracks. Tangerine and Lemon tensed, their bodies coiled like springs, ready to react at a moment's notice.

"Did you hear that?" you whispered, your heart pounding in your chest.

Tangerine nodded, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the dimly lit carriage. "Stay close," he murmured, his hand tightening protectively around your arm.

The sound grew louder, a rhythmic thud that seemed to emanate from the far end of the carriage. Lemon inched forward, his movements fluid and silent, every muscle in his body poised for action.

As you rounded the corner, the sight that greeted you was one of equal parts amusement and confusion. There, in the center of the aisle, was the blonde man in the bucket hat, frantically attempting to pry open a briefcase with what appeared to be a comically oversized set of pliers.

Upon catching sight of you three, the man froze, his eyes wide with panic. "Uh, this isn't what it looks like?" he stammered, nervousness clear in his voice.

Tangerine and Lemon exchanged a knowing glance, their lips curling into matching smirks of amusement. "Oh, I think it's exactly what it looks like," Tangerine drawled, his tone laced with sarcasm.

"That's our case, you muppet," Lemon chimed in, his arms folded across his chest as he regarded the man with disdain.

The man's eyes darted from one of you to the other, his grip tightening around the pliers as he searched for an escape route. "Listen-"

Tangerine's face hardened, "You drugged my brother..."

"He was trying to kill me?!"

"You pushed me off a fuckin' train..."

"Again, you were trying to kill me! How did you get back on by the way?"

"I jumped back on," Tangerine raised an eyebrow. Lemon looked at him with confusion, seemingly unaware of this information.

You looked at Tangerine in awe and admiration, impressed by the skill and effort it must have taken to jump onto a moving train. The broken glass in his hair and cuts along his knuckles now made more sense. You had a feeling that whatever you had walked into, these people you had met, were entangled in something far beyond your understanding.

"Right. Listen, you can have the case-"

"We couldn't give a rat's arse about the case anymore. What irks me beyond anything fuckin' else in that you tried to fuck us over. And if we weren't gettin' off this train, me and Lemon would be beyond thrilled to watch the White Death have a fuckin' field day with you, ripping your limbs off bit by bit."

You weren't from Japan but even you had heard of the White Death. Locals had fearfully mentioned his name in passing. Based off of what you had heard of the man, you knew that he was not someone to mess around with.

Ladybug tried to look doubtful, "Not if I bring him the case."

Tangerine rolled his eyes and looked at Lemon as if asking, "Help me out here?" and Lemon spoke up, "Do what you fucking want, man, but the White Death is planning to kill us all. Why do think there's nobody else on this train. He bought the whole thing out."

Ladybug's eyes widened with realization, "Well, shit..."

"Now you get it," Tangerine muttered, "Ya fuckin' bastard..."

Ladybug's resolve wavered as he weighed his options. After a moment of contemplation, he nodded decisively. "Alright, fine. I'll get off the train too."

Tangerine and Lemon exchanged a glance of surprise, but they quickly regained their composure. Tangerine cleared his throat, "Are you taking the case with ya?"

Ladybug hesitated, glancing at the briefcase still clutched in his hand. After a moment, he shook his head. "No. I don't want the White Death coming after me. I'll leave it here."

Tangerine nodded in understanding, his expression grim. "Fair enough. We're getting off at the next stop. Then, you do whatever the fuck you'd like and hopefully, we never have to see you again."

Still questioning whether Tangerine still had murderous intent behind his words, Ladybug muttered, "I hope so too..."

As the train hurtleed towards its next stop, the four of you found seats in the empty carriage, the tension in the air palpable. Ladybug sat off to the side awkwardly. You couldn't help but feel a sense of unease settle over you, the reality of the situation sinking in. Gone was the carefree excitement of your girls' trip, replaced by a looming sense of danger and uncertainty.

You fidgeted nervously in your seat, the events of the past hour replaying in your mind. You felt as though you had sobered up. The snake, the abandoned train, the potential encounter with the White Death – it all felt like something out of a nightmare. And yet, here you were, stranded on a speeding train with two complete strangers who seem to have a knack for attracting trouble.

Despite your best efforts to stay calm, a wave of anxiety washed over you, leaving you feeling vulnerable and exposed. You glanced at Tangerine and Lemon, grateful for their presence but also acutely aware of the danger that surrounded you.

Tangerine noticed your unease and shifted closer to you, his voice soft and reassuring. "Hey, don't worry. We'll get through this together."

You managed a weak smile, appreciative of his attempt to comfort you. "I hope so. This whole situation is just... unreal."

Lemon nodded in agreement, his expression serious. "Yeah, it's definitely not what we were expecting when we boarded this train."

Tangerine placed a hand on your shoulder, his touch gentle yet reassuring. "But we'll figure it out. We always do. My concern, love, is what you're going to do about those friends of yours."

Lemon huffed angrily, "They're Diesels, the lot of them."

You frowned, confused, "Diesels?"

Tangerine looked frustrated beyond belief, "Here we go! Please, spare her of the Thomas references."

Lemon ignored him and stated matter-of-factly, "Everything I learned about people, I learned from Thomas." Lemon reached into his jacket to pull out a sticker-book. He chose one of the stickers with care, "Diesels are the worst of the worst. They never want the best for you. You, though... you seem like an Emily. Kind, caring, intelligent."

Lemon carefully selected a sticker from his book and offered it to you with a small smile. "Here, consider it a token of friendship."

You accepted the sticker, examining it curiously before affixing it to the back of your hand. "Thanks, Lemon. I appreciate it."

Tangerine rolled his eyes at Lemon's Thomas reference, clearly exasperated. "Great, now we're going to have to endure Thomas and his friends for the rest of the journey."

Lemon chuckled and you couldn't help but laugh at Tangerine's comment, the absurdity of the situation breaking through the tension. "So, does that make you a Gordon, Tangerine? Strong, proud, and always in a hurry?"

Tangerine shot you a mock glare, clearly unamused by the comparison. "Oh, please. If anything, I'm more of a James. Fiery, charming, and a bit of a troublemaker."

You grinned, enjoying the banter between the brothers. "Ah, yes. I can see it now. But let's not forget about Edward over here," you teased, gesturing to Lemon. "Wise, kind-hearted, and always ready to lend a helping hand."

Lemon nodded in agreement, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "Well, someone has to keep you two in line."

Tangerine groaned playfully, "Great, now there are fuckin' two of them," he mutters under his breath, earning a chuckle from Lemon and a playful nudge from you.

As the banter settled into a comfortable rhythm, you couldn't help but feel a sense of camaraderie forming between you and the brothers. However, a nagging curiosity lingered in the back of your mind, prompting you to finally voice your question.

"So, why were you two on the train?" you asked, turning to Tangerine and Lemon with a quizzical expression.

Lemon exchanged a glance with Tangerine before answering, his tone guarded. "We were on a job."

"A job?" you echoed, your curiosity piqued. "What kind of job?"

Tangerine sighed, exchanging a knowing look with Lemon before turning to you, his expression grave. "We're... assassins," he admitted, his voice soft but firm.

You blinked in surprise, the revelation sinking in slowly. Assassins. The word hung in the air, heavy with implications and danger. And yet, strangely, you found yourself unfazed by the admission. Perhaps it was the trust you had begun to place in Tangerine and Lemon, or maybe it was the adrenaline coursing through your veins, but you couldn't bring yourself to feel afraid.

Instead, you nodded thoughtfully, accepting the information without hesitation. "I figured it was something like that," you admitted, surprising even yourself with your calm demeanor. "Well, whatever it is you do, I trust you to protect me."

Tangerine's eyes softened, a flicker of gratitude passing over his features. "Thank you, love. We'll do everything we can to keep you safe."

And then, just like that, the train finally came to a stop. The three of you jumped eagerly, knowing the doors would only stay open for a minute. If you missed this stop, it would mean waiting 'till Kyoto, where the White Death awaited you all. Ladybug was equally eager to get off the train and was practically tripping over his feet.

The sun was rising, casting a soft golden glow over the empty platform as you stepped off the train, and the air was crisp and cool, a welcome change from the confines of the carriage. As you stood there, surrounded by the quiet stillness of the early morning, a sense of relief washed over you.

As Ladybug stepped off the train, he turned to face Tangerine and Lemon, a grateful smile on his face. "Well, it's been... interesting," he said, his tone laced with a hint of sarcasm. "Thanks for, uh, not killing me, I guess."

Lemon chuckles, warning him, "You stay out of trouble, Joburg."

With a final nod of farewell, Ladybug headed off towards the exit, pulling out his phone to call his handler. As he disappeared into the early morning light, Tangerine and Lemon turned to you, their expressions serious.

"So, what now?" Lemon asked, his brow furrowed in concern.

You shrugged, feeling a surge of uncertainty wash over you. "I honestly don't know. I don't have anywhere else to go."

Tangerine exchanged a glance with Lemon before turning back to you, his expression softened. "Well, you could always come with us," he suggested, his voice surprisingly gentle. "At least until we figure out what to do next."

You hesitated, unsure of whether to accept their offer. But as you looked into Tangerine's eyes, you saw a sincerity there that made your heart flutter. Despite the chaos and danger that seemed to follow him wherever he went, there was something undeniably compelling about him, something that drew you in and made you want to stay by his side.

"Alright," you said finally, a small smile tugging at the corners of your lips. "I'll come with you."

Tangerine grinned, relief evident in his expression. "Great. Welcome aboard, love."

With that, the three of you set off for the train station. Surrounded by the quiet stillness of the early morning, you couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement building within you.

After Tangerine had made a call, a car came to pick the three of you up from the train station. When Tangerine had suggested he and Lemon try to hijack a car, you had almost slapped him right then and there. Tangerine was apologetic and insisted he was joking (you weren't quite convinced) and Lemon just laughed his ass off.

As the three of you drove to a hotel in the backseat of the cab, you had fallen asleep on Tangerine's shoulder, and he certainly didn't seem to mind. Your hair tickled his neck and he looked down at you, absentmindedly moving your hair out of your eyes. Lemon watched him with a grin.

"You like her."

Tangerine huffed indignantly and narrowed his eyes, "You don't know what you're talking about."

Lemon waved his hand, "You barely give anyone the time of day. I know it when I see it."

"You don't see anything."

Lemon leaned back in his seat, a knowing smirk playing at the corners of his lips. "Oh, come on, Tangerine. It's written all over your face. You like her."

Tangerine's cheeks flushed slightly, a mixture of embarrassment and irritation evident in his expression. He hoped to God that you were still sleeping. "Quiet! You don't know what you're fuckin' talking about," he retorted, his tone defensive.

Lemon chuckled, shaking his head in amusement. "Deny it all you want, but I've seen the way you look at her. You're practically smitten."

Tangerine shifted uncomfortably in his seat, avoiding Lemon's gaze as he muttered under his breath, "It's not like that."

But Lemon wasn't about to let him off the hook that easily. With a mischievous glint in his eyes, he leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "You should tell her."

"She probably doesn't even feel the same..."

"Did you fucking hear her earlier? She obviously likes you, bruv. Sculpted by the gods, my arse."

"Oi! I will have you know-"

"Yeah, yeah... But seriously, man. Talk to her."

Tangerine prepared to interrupt but Lemon continued, "Get to know her," Lemon urged, his tone softer now, genuine concern etched on his face. "You've been through a lot together already. And let's face it, she trusts us enough to sleep on your shoulder. That's gotta mean something."

Tangerine sighed, his shoulders slumping in defeat. He couldn't deny the truth in Lemon's words. Despite his initial reluctance to get involved, there was something about you that intrigued him, drew him in like a moth to a flame.

"I don't know, Lemon," Tangerine admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "I'm not exactly the best at this whole... relationship thing."

Lemon placed a reassuring hand on Tangerine's shoulder, offering a supportive smile. "Hey, none of us are. But you won't know until you try, right? And who knows, maybe she'll surprise you."

Tangerine nodded, a small glimmer of hope flickering in his eyes. Maybe Lemon was right. Maybe it was worth taking a chance, risking his heart for the possibility of something more.

As the car pulled to the hotel, Tangerine glanced down at you again. As you stirred from your slumber, blinking sleepily up at him with a soft smile, he felt something flutter in his chest. He would talk to you, somehow, he decided. He would take that leap of faith and see where it led. He had to.

The hotel was nice, even nicer than the hotel you had been previously staying at with your absurdly wealthy "friends." It was modern while still retaining traditional Japanese elements. Given Tangerine's nonchalance, you guessed he was used to staying at places like this.

The receptionist gave the three of you a nervous glance, given the states of Lemon and Tangerine's disheveled appearances and bloodied attire. Tangerine, however, seemed unfazed by the receptionist's scrutiny. He stepped forward with a confident stride, offering her a polite smile.

"Good evening," he greeted in suprisingly well-spoken Japanese, his tone smooth and respectful. "We have reservations under the name 'Tanaka.'"

The receptionist's demeanor softened slightly at Tangerine's polite demeanor, and she quickly retrieved the reservation details from her computer. After a moment of typing, she nodded and handed over three room keys, her expression professional but still cautious. "Yes, Mr. Tanaka. Your suite is ready. Please enjoy your stay."

Tangerine nodded in thanks before turning to you and Lemon. "Let's go," he said simply, leading the way to the elevator without waiting for a response.

You followed behind him, feeling a mix of gratitude for his quick thinking and admiration for his composure. Despite the unusual circumstances, Tangerine seemed completely at ease navigating through the hotel, as if he belonged there.

Lemon notices your surprise and whispers loudly, "Sometimes I think he picked up Japanese since we've been here just to pick up the ladies."

He gives you a conspiratorial wink, showcasing the mischievous side that balances out his normally laid-back demeanor. "I mean, it seems to have worked on you."

You shoot Lemon a playful glare, but can't hide the slight flush that colors your cheeks at his teasing remark. "Maybe he's just a man of many talents," you counter with a sly smile.

Lemon barks out a laugh. "Oh, he's certainly got talents alright. Just don't let that smooth-talking charmer fool you into thinking he's some kind of Renaissance man."

As the elevator doors open, Tangerine holds it for the two of you, raising an inquisitive eyebrow at Lemon's comment but remaining silent. You get the distinct impression that he heard every word.

Falling into step beside Tangerine, you lean in closer as you walk down the hallway. "I have to admit, that display at the front desk was rather impressive," you murmur. "Where did you pick up such immaculate Japanese?"

A rakish grin tugs at the corner of Tangerine's mouth. "A gentleman never reveals all his secrets, love." His eyes roam over you appraisingly. "Though I may be persuaded to share a few...for the right price."

Your breath catches at the blatant flirtation, heat simmering low in your belly. Two can play at this game. "Is that so?" you purr, holding his intense gaze. "And what might that price be, exactly?"

Before Tangerine can respond, Lemon groans loudly from behind you two. "For fuck's sake, get a room you two!" His exasperated tone is betrayed by the amused grin he's failing to hide.

Tangerine chuckles, breaking the charged moment as he slides the keycard into the door. "You're just jealous you're not getting any action, bruv."

"Hey, I get plenty of action!" Lemon protests indignantly as he brushes past you both into the sumptuous suite. "More than you'd believe."

Rolling his eyes good-naturedly, Tangerine gestures you inside with a wink. "Don't mind him, love. He's just bitter no one can resist my charms."

As you step into the opulent room, you can't shake the feeling that there's far more to these roguish brothers than meets the eye. And there's definitely a part of you that wants to explore Tangerine in more ways than one.

As you step into the lavish suite, you can't help but be in awe of your surroundings. The spacious living area is beautifully appointed, with plush couches and chairs arranged invitingly around a sleek glass coffee table. To one side, there's a well-equipped office nook, perfect for getting work done in luxury.

But the true showstopper is the stunning panoramic view that greets you through the floor-to-ceiling windows. The twinkling lights of the city skyline stretch out before you, a breathtaking vista that seems to encapsulate the vibrant energy of Japan itself. You can't resist drifting closer to the windows, mesmerized by the glittering skyscrapers in the distance.

A small, stylish kitchenette sits off to one side, fully stocked with high-end appliances and accessories. You can easily imagine Tangerine whipping up a gourmet meal with that roguish charm of his.

Your gaze is drawn to the three closed doors leading off from the main living space, no doubt opening up into equally luxurious bedrooms and bathrooms.

"This is...very nice," you murmur with amazement as you gaze around the opulent suite.

"Yeah, not too shabby," Lemon chimes in with a dramatic yawn. "I don't know about you two, but I'm fuckin' knackered. Need to get cleaned up."

He wanders over to the closed doors and spots a notecard with his codename scrawled across it. "Ah, looks like our handler left us some essentials."

Peering into the room, you see plush bedding, a high-end ensuite bathroom...and unmistakably, a duffel bag filled with gear. Cash, burner phones, and even weaponry peeking out from within.

Tangerine notices your curious look. "Don't worry love, those are just for me and Lemon."

He shifts closer, dropping his voice. "You'll be alright on your own for a bit while we get sorted? Let me know if you need anything."

You nod, giving him a reassuring smile. "I'll be fine, really. You two get yourselves situated."

With a grateful nod, Tangerine disappears into his own room, leaving you alone in the expansive living area. After a moment's hesitation, you make your way to the remaining door.

Sure enough, the bedroom is just as luxurious as the rest of the suite. A lavish king-sized bed dominates the space, with high-end furniture and a private ensuite. On the dresser, you find a change of clothes - simple sweats and a t-shirt, but incredibly soft and brand new nonetheless.

Stripping off your travel-worn clothes, you can't resist indulging in a long, hot shower, letting the tension ease from your muscles under the pounding spray. But as you sink into the plush mattress, exhaustion settles in your bones...and you find your thoughts drifting, unable to fully relax.

Loneliness and a pang of hurt wash over you as you recall your so-called friends abandoning you on the train. You'd been through so much together, but at the first sign of true danger, they fled without a second thought, leaving you utterly alone.

Except...you're not alone anymore, are you? Your gaze strays to the adjoining wall, knowing Tangerine's room lies just beyond. Those two roguish brothers have risked their lives to keep you safe.

A flush of embarrassment heats your cheeks as you recall your brazenly flirtatious behavior towards Tangerine while intoxicated on the train. The boldness with which you complimented his striking looks and blatantly admired his physique in that tailored suit.

Under normal circumstances, you'd never have been so forward. But something about the adrenaline of the perilous situation, combined with the liquid courage coursing through your veins, allowed you to shed your inhibitions spectacularly.

You can't help but cringe inwardly as snippets of conversation flash through your mind.

"You look as though you were crafted by the Gods..."

"I could use a knight in shining armor."

Heat blazes across your face at the suggestive remarks. How shameless you were, practically throwing yourself at the mysterious stranger!

And yet...you can't find it in yourself to truly regret it. If you're being honest, that uninhibited side of you is something you've kept carefully locked away for far too long. The thrill of allowing it to run free, even for those fleeting moments, was intoxicating in its own right.

Perhaps that's part of what drew you to Tangerine in the first place - his own unapologetic confidence and daring bravado. He embraces his roguish charm wholeheartedly, not a shred of self-consciousness to be found.

A part of you longs to cultivate that same unrestrained spirit, to stop holding yourself back and hiding behind propriety. To truly allow yourself to live boldly, to take what you want without hesitation or apology.

As you lay in the plush hotel bed, you can't resist imagining how freeing it would feel to let that side loose once more. But this time, with no alcoholic filter - simply pure, emboldened desire guiding your actions.

The thought is as tantalizing as it is terrifying. Could you ever truly allow yourself such unrestrained indulgence? Or would you always be tempered by the nagging restraints of societal expectations?

One thing is certain - now that Tangerine has sauntered into your life, you have the distinct feeling those long-buried urges will only grow more persistent. And you can't deny, after the harrowing events of today, that a large part of you is eager to explore just how far you're willing to let them run wild.

Making a decision, you rise from the bed and make your way towards Tangerine's door, knocking lightly.

"Come in!"

You enter to find Tangerine hunched over a mirror, grimacing as he prods at a nasty cut on his cheekbone. Tiny shards of glass glisten in the wound.

"Everything alright?" you ask softly.

Tangerine glances over with a rueful smile. "Just a little souvenir from that bastard bucket-hat bloke. Nicked my face after jumping back on the train."

Without thinking, you move to his side, gently taking his chin to tilt his face towards the light. "Here, let me..."

You work carefully, utilizing all your focus to extract each sliver of glass, cleaning the wound thoroughly. Tangerine watches you intently, an unreadable look in his intense blue eyes.

"You've got a knack for this, love," he murmurs eventually. "Bit of a dab hand when it comes to patching people up."

You flush slightly at the praise. "Well...I used to be a nurse, actually." A pang of regret hits you. "Honestly, I should've offered to help with yours and Lemon's injuries earlier. I feel silly for not thinking of it."

Tangerine considers you for a long moment before speaking again, his voice lowered. "How'd you like to put those nursing skills to good use then? Properly, this time?"

You blink at him in surprise. "What do you mean?"

"Join up with me and my brother." Tangerine states it simply, as if it's the most logical thing in the world. "We could use someone with your...capabilities watching our backs. Keeping us in one piece."

He lets the suggestion hang in the air, letting you process it. When you don't immediately respond, he presses on.

"Don't sell yourself short, love. You handled yourself bloody well on that train when shit went sideways, and all while being tipsy. You've got a cool head and you're not afraid to get your hands dirty when needed."

A roguish grin plays across his lips. "And I don't know about you, but I certainly enjoyed the company."

You're stunned into silence, weighing his unexpected offer. Join them? In their line of work - whatever dangerous world that entails?

But even as apprehension swirls within you, you can't deny the thrill the idea sparks, the instinct to run headlong into this exhilarating unknown.

"What about money?" you blurt out, startled by your own daring even as the words leave your lips. "Your...jobs. How do they pay?"

If Tangerine is surprised by your interest, he doesn't show it. "Well enough to live more than comfortably, I can assure you. Probably more than that nursing gig of yours ever did."

His eyes burn with intensity. "Think it over, love. But I meant what I said - I'd love to have you by my side."

You search his gaze, seeing the barely concealed hope intermingled with that simmering confidence. You notice just how blue his eyes are In this moment, the choice is yours to make.

Taking a steadying breath, you meet Tangerine's stare head-on. "Alright. I'm in."

Tangerine's face breaks into a wide, genuine smile at your agreement to join him and Lemon, his eyes crinkling at the corners. For a fleeting moment, his typical bravado slips, replaced by an openness you've yet to witness from the assassin.

Then his gaze seems to catch on something - your hand, still gently cradling his jaw from cleaning his wound. A faint blush tinges his chiseled cheeks as the realization of your lingering proximity sinks in.

Clearing his throat, Tangerine averts his eyes, a hint of uncharacteristic bashfulness creeping into his tone. "That's, uh...that's great, love. I'm over the moon you're on board, truly."

He chances another glance your way, blue eyes burning with an intensity that steals your breath. "To be honest, part of me was terrified at the thought of never seeing you again after this job."

Tangerine lets out a rueful chuckle, shaking his head slightly. "Sounds daft, I know. But there's just...something about you."

His calloused fingers ghost along your arm, sending a shiver down your spine. "I've not felt this way about someone in a long time. Maybe fuckin' ever, if I'm being honest with myself."

You're stunned by his vulnerability, the raw openness he's allowing you to witness. Unconsciously, you find yourself leaning into his touch, drawn in by the flickering warmth in those azure depths.

"Tangerine..." you murmur, pulse fluttering wildly. "I...you have no idea how entranced I was by you from the moment I laid eyes on you on that train."

The words tumble forth in a rush, as if a dam has broken within you. "Those things I said when I was tipsy? It was all true - what I was thinking deep down but could never normal bring myself to voice. You're gorgeous, yes, but it's more than that. The way you carried yourself with such easy confidence, the charm mixed with that protectiveness..."

Your fingers trace the sharp line of his jaw reverently. "I've been enamored with you since I first saw you. And my friends could see it plain as day too. When I first heard you speak, my God... you could narrate audiobooks with that voice of yours. I'm serious. ."

Before you can continue, Tangerine surges forward, capturing your lips in a searing kiss. It's passionate yet achingly tender, his hand cupping the back of your neck to pull you flush against him. You melt into his solid frame, returning the heated embrace with equal fervor, all thoughts fleeing from your mind aside from the searing brand of his mouth on yours.

You pull on the strands of hair that meet his neck and he lets out a whine. He traces one of his hands down your spine, the coldness of his rings making you shiver. When you grind against his crotch, he's tearing himself away with a ragged groan, resting his forehead against yours. His chest heaves with each shuddering breath, eyes dark with want.

"Bloody hell, love..." Tangerine rasps hoarsely. "If you keep going on like that, I won't be able to resist taking you right here and now."

You let out a breathless laugh, emboldened by the fire igniting in your blood. "Well, I certainly wouldn't object to that course of action..."

He groans again, dropping his head to press scorching kisses along the slender column of your throat. "You're going to be the death of me, pet."

Nipping lightly at your racing pulse point, Tangerine rumbles against your skin. "How about you stay in here tonight? No point in you being relegated to your own room..."

His heated gaze meets yours, swirling with a molten promise that sets your heart pounding. In this moment, you know there's no force on earth that could make you deny him.

As he draws you towards the bedroom, your eyes catch on the well-worn books piled on his nightstand. "You read?" You can't help the hint of pleasant surprise coloring your voice.

Tangerine follows your line of sight, the hint of a sheepish grin tugging at his lips. "Suppose that's one of my little secrets, eh? Always enjoyed a good book, ever since I was young."

Settling onto the plush mattress, he pulls you into his side, trailing kisses along your shoulder. "Go on then, have a look. See if our tastes align at all."

You happily oblige, perusing the titles - a mixture of classics and modern works spanning countless genres. Unable to resist, you pluck out a beloved old favorite, flipping through the dog-eared pages with a contented smile.

"We may just be literary soulmates, Tangerine," you tease lightly. "Though...I have to ask. What draws a hardened assassin to the poetry of Dickinson and the wit of Shakespeare?"

For a moment, he's quiet, considering your question carefully. When he speaks again, his voice is tinged with a rare wistfulness.

"They're a connection to another world, I suppose. An escape, in their own way. A reminder that for all the brutality and darkness this life can bring...beauty and deeper meaning will always exist, if you know where to look for it."

The simple yet profound wisdom of his words steals your breath. Here is a side of Tangerine few ever glimpse - a man who has stared into the abyss yet still yearns for higher truth, for exquisite artistry amid the violence and chaos.

His fingers trail along your arm, raising gooseflesh in their wake. "Lemon finds the whole thing utterly baffling, of course. For me, books are my trains. He can't seem to fathom why I insist on lugging books everywhere we go. But to me..." A soft, crooked smile curves his lips. "Well, they're part of what keeps me human, I reckon."

In this quiet moment, something ineffable seems to click into place between you two. A deeper understanding, a sense of two souls intertwining with preternatural ease.

Cradling his face, you meet Tangerine's fervent gaze once more. "Then I hope you'll always have time for them," you murmur. "And I'll be here to help keep that part of you alive."

His reply is swallowed by another ardent kiss, filled with unspoken promise. For now, at least, the world beyond these four walls can wait.

@little-miss-dilf-lover @tange-my-rine @sebsbarnes @spookyspecterino @whatiswrongwithpeople @liukangsgirl @kiss-me-cill-me I hope you guys enjoy this as well!

#bullet train tangerine #bullet train #bullet train movie #tangerine #tangerine bullet train #tangerine x reader #tangerine fanfiction #tangerine fic #tangerine imagine #tangerine x you #atj #aaron taylor johnson #lemon bullet train #lemon #lemon and tangerine #x reader #reader #reader insert

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thefallennightmare · 3 months

Text

The Coyotes Cry-One

*gif made by me. feel free to use, simply give credit*

Pairings: MafiaBoss!TattooArtist! Noah Sebastian x OFC.

Warnings/Tropes: violence, death, swearing, smut(very mature), angst, fluff, forced proximity, forbidden love, dark romance, mafia themes, arranged marriage, tattoo artist.

Summary: Centered on the story of a young bride whose fairy-tale vision of the Concrete Jungle is shattered when her father, part of the Irish Crime Family; McManus strikes a marital peace deal with the mafia head of OMNS, Noah Sebastian. Scarlett is faced with rage and conflict, as she is forced to work alongside her new husband in his tattoo shop that fronts for his mafia dealings. Devastating events leave Scarlett with the realization that there is more to Noah than meets the eye. "I would willingly, lay down my life for you if I had to." The power of love is thicker than blood.

Authors Note: Here is chapter one! I don't think this series will be more than six parts but you never know with how often I'm always adding things. This series will have mature themes throughout as a warning.

Tags[OPEN]: @thescarlettvvitch @sammyjoeee @happi-goth @lma1986 @iknownothingpeople @vinyardmauro @malice-ov-mercy @concreteemo @wheezybrenda @thisbicc @malerieee @mrs-zimmerman @srorgana1 @miserylovescompany1195-blog @embracethereaper42 @lizzieseveride @eclipseeetop @sundamariis @calleyx13 @krisslee18 @princessgh0st @aprosiacperson @xxrainstorm @ourdiabolikal-rapture @iamamatus @klutzy-kay24 @cookiesupplier @bngurngheart @idwt-money @rain-down-on-me

NOAH

The screams were muted due to the concrete confines of the room, the cold, moist air circulating us in a suffocating grip. But none of that mattered, the only thing that did was strapped to the chair in front of me. Cleaning the sharp blade on the once-white handkerchief, I clicked my tongue at the raw screams.

“Scream all you want. No one can hear you all the way down here,” I said while pointing to the concrete walls. “I mixed the concrete myself with a special formula. Think of it as soundproof.”

The man spat blood at my feet, nearly missing my black boots. “Fuck you!”

A chuckle to the left of me and I glanced over to one of my right-hand men, Joakim. Although, we in OMNS always called him Jolly.

“I applaud the fire in you,” Jolly nodded at the man. “You’ll need it.”

Twirling the knife between my fingers, I yet again asked the same question that I asked three times previously.

“Who killed Vincent?”

“I already told you fuckers, I don’t know!” The man, Barry, choked out on a mouth full of blood. “You’re asking the wrong guy!”

As Barry fought against the bindings, the chair scraping against the ground at our feet, I hummed in mock disappointment. “No, Barry. I don't think we are. My intel tells me that someone in the Irish Mafia killed a dear friend of mine.”

“I hate to tell you, your intel is wrong,” Barry said with a dry chuckle.

Suddenly his screams of agony sounded like music to my ears as I dug the knife deep into his thigh directly above the previous wound that Jolly had given him with the screwdriver. My hair fell into my eyes and I hastily brushed it back with my large hand, blood smearing in the dark strands. I’d been due for a haircut for the last few weeks but haven’t found anyone able to give me the correct Levi cut since my older barber passed away.

“My intel is never wrong,” I gritted out through clenched teeth while twisting the knife deeper.

Barry was a blubbering mess, dark tendrils of his hair covered the agony on his face so with a sharp nod from me, Jolly stood behind Barry and ripped his head back so I could watch in pleasure.

“Now, I’m only going to ask one more time,” I twisted the knife deeper. “Who killed Vincent?”

He did his best to writhe away but with my knife piercing him in place and Jolly’s tight grip on his hair, there was nowhere for Barry to run. Blood dripped from his mouth, his nose, and the cut on his eyebrow. Before we captured him, he had the looks of a movie star but now, I couldn't help but cringe.

“I already told you,” he sobbed, a mess of blood and snot. “I swear.”

Jolly and I shared a look for a brief moment before we pushed away from Barry to slink over to the far end of the room to have a conversation.

“Do you believe him?” Jolly tied up his hair into a messy bun.

I placed my hands on my hips and sighed. “I don’t think he knows who killed Vincent but he knows the right direction we need to look. We need to crank it up a notch and show him that OMNS isn't going to back down from this.”

Instantly, he understood and while he retreated up the stairs to my office, I titled my head at Barry.

“What family do you work for?” I asked.

His breathing was shallow and unsteady thanks to the hard blows of Jolly’s fists to his ribs but I had to marvel at this kid's drive to remain loyal.

“The Walsh’s,” he eventually answered.

My brows furrowed in confusion. “The Walsh’s haven’t been around since they moved their operations back to Boston. Why are you still here running the streets for them?”

Barry lifted his heavy head and wore a smug smile. “Call me committed.”

“No, I don't think that’s it,” I shook my head and took two large steps towards him, him shrinking back into himself. “I think it’s the fact that you’re lying to me and I fucking hate liars.”

“Fucking shit!”

He cursed when I ripped out the knife from his thigh to press the blade against his neck.

“You’re insane,” Barry shuddered when he noticed the playful gleam in my eyes.

“Maybe,” I shrugged. “But I also don’t like liars. Now, I’ll ask again. What family do you work for?”

“It’s a new family on the rise called O’shove it up your ass,” he spat in my face.

Literally.

His saliva and blood dripped down my cheek but I didn’t even flinch and made no effort to wipe it away. Instead, I broke out into a wide smile when I heard Jolly returning with something special in tow; something that made Barry’s eyes widen in fear.

“Wh-what the fu-fuck, man?! Do you just have that lying around?” He stuttered.

Glancing over my shoulder, I extended my hand to Jolly who in turn placed the handle of the katana in my palm. Standing straight now, I studied the old sword with careful precision.

“This used to be my great-great-great grandfathers; passed down through each generation. It might be old but I have the blade sharpened every once in a while, just in case,” I said while slowly removing the blade from the sheath.

The dim light overhead cast its faded yellow glow on the sharp blade and something inside of me twinged with sheer delight.

“Ju-ju-st in case fo-for what?”

Jolly snorted at the stuttering mess of Barry while leaning against the concrete wall.

“Tell us what we want to know and you won’t have to find out.”

The sharp tip of the katana pressed lightly against Barry’s jugular, all it would take would be one flick of my wrist to end it all however I refrained, not wanting to end the fun before I got what I needed.

“What family do you work for?” I asked again, this time with less patience than the last time.

Barry’s eyes glanced down from the long blade at his throat to Jolly then finally up to me as I towered over him. His bottom lip wavered as he finally nodded.

“Okay, okay. Promise you won’t kill me?”

He tried to wager but to humor him, I gave a curt nod. “Tell me what I want to know and I’ll think about it.”

“Fuck,” Barry sobbed. “It doesn’t matter. I’m good as dead anyway. The McManus family don’t like rats and a low-level drug dealer like me isn’t worth saving.”

My grip on my katana slipped slightly at the name but I was quick to recover. “The McManus?”

He nodded widely. “ Yea. I work for the brothers; Connor and Murphy. I deal their drugs and run their errands.”

“So you’re their bitch?” Jolly asked.

Barry’s shoulders fell. “Essentially, yes.”

“Did the McManus brothers kill Vincent?” I asked while tightening my grip on the handle of the katana.

“No,” he shook his head, the blood from the wound above his eye now pooling into his eyes. “But they might know who did it. I can try and set up a meeting with them, on your behalf. Maybe they can lead you in the direction you’re looking for?”

Jolly gave me a look and I held up a finger, not quite finished with my conversation with Barry.

“Why the fuck would they listen to you if you’re just their bitch?”

This brought a wicked smile to his face as he used his shoulder to wipe away the blood from his chin.

“Because Murphy McManus doesn't like it when his daughter is threatened.”

A loud rumble erupted in my chest, like a ravenous growl, as I dug the blade of the katana deeper into Barry’s neck, blood now oozing from the fresh wound. I ignored his wails of pain, now only seeing red.

“You’ve got some balls kid to threaten the daughter of one of the most feared Irish Mafia families,” I said.

Barry shrugged in his binds. “I didn’t say it would be coming from me. Word on the street is that McManus' grandfather had issues with your grandfather some odd years ago. They’d believe me if I said the great Noah Sebastian was looking to start a turf war.”

With a scowl, I snapped my head at Jolly. “Get this piece of shit his phone so he can make the call.”

Never once faltering the blade from Barry’s neck, I watched with narrowed eyes as Jolly removed one of the binds around his wrist and tossed the phone on his lap.

“Make the meeting. If I hear one threat on the daughter, I’ll end your life before you even hang up the phone,” I seethed behind the mask of my hair as it fell into my eyes.

My heart beat like a thunderstorm in my chest at the thought of the McManus daughter. No one knew of her and what she meant to not only the family but me as well; besides my closest allies.

Barry’s fingers worked fast to type out a message before showing me the screen and with my free hand, I snatched it from him to read it.

Barry: The brother's food will be delivered at six p.m. tonight.

Unknown: What’s on the menu?

Barry: Japanese with a side of Swiss.

“Joakim is Swedish,” I corrected Barry. “I’m assuming this whole dinner rous is to keep the authorities off your back if they go snooping?”

“Look at you! I think you earned yourself a gold star,” Barry joked.

Jolly’s fist collided with his face, his neck snapping to the side, and the faint red mark from his ring began to rise on Barry’s cheek.

“Let me guess, he’s the muscle between the two of you?” Barry spat out a chunk of blood.

Not bothering to look away from his phone as a new message came in, I answered his question.

“No, that’s Ash. Trust me, you don’t want to meet him.”

Unknown: Dinner will be served in the study. 6 o’clock.

“It’s set,” I tossed the phone to Jolly who dropped it to the ground seconds before his boot came crashing down on it.

“What the fuck! You guys owe me a new phone!”

Placing the sheath back over the katana, I set it on the table along with the other wide variety of weapons and turned back to Barry with my hands crossed behind my back; grasping the weapon tightly. He glanced between Jolly and me and noticed the sinister gleam dancing behind my honey eyes.

“Hang on,” he began thrashing in the chair, free hand swinging widely. “You said I could live.”

“I did. But watch what you say next.”

Quickly, Jolly grabbed Barry’s free arm to drag his still-bound body over to the table behind me and held his wrist down. His hand was on display for my wicked plan.

“Barry, I have a question for you. If you answer wrong, well-,” I pulled out the hammer from behind my back and shook it in front of him.

His eyes widened in fear but I paid no mind to it, simply asked my question.

“Will Murphy’s daughter be there tonight?”

“Fuck no! Dumb broad never leaves her bedroom,” Barry answered. “She’s holed up in there all hours of the day. The only time she leaves is at 8 o'clock for her nightly walks.”

Jolly sucked in a breath just as I raised the hammer, bringing it down on Barry’s pinky, whose cries were overshadowed by the noise of his bones breaking.

“Why are you so obsessed with this broad?!”

I brought the hammer down again, this time breaking his ring and pointer finger. Now he was practically having an exorcism with how he was moving about on the chair, struggling to break free from the binds.

“One more question then I’m finished with this game,” I said while craning my neck to the side before getting eye level with the man. “Do you suspect the McManus family killed Vincent?”

While he stayed silent, the look that flashed over his hazel eyes told me everything I needed to know. Turning on my heels, I dropped the hammer on the table and began walking upstairs to leave Jolly to clean up until Barry’s voice halted me in my tracks.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if the broad pulled the trigger herself. She’ll do whatever she can to get Daddy’s attention since she was never the favorite..”

My shoulders went rigid and I could faintly hear Jolly mutter under his breath something in Swedish before I grabbed the gun from behind my back that had been tucked in the waist paint of my black slacks and fired two rounds straight into Barry’s chest.

“Noah,” Jolly started.

I waved him off before dropping the gun on the table. “Let’s be real, Jolly. We weren’t letting him walk out of here alive anyway.

“McManus,” he sighed while rubbing his jaw. “Why does that name sound familiar?”

I cleaned the blood from my fingers and rings before letting out a long breath. I knew he wouldn’t remember the name but that name haunted me for years, plagued my entire existence in more ways than one.

“They’re one of the most notorious Irish Mafia families. Their lineage started in Ireland generations ago before relocating to Boston where the McManus brothers were raised by their grandfather, Fergal. They moved to Los Angeles when the brothers were in their mid-twenties.”

“Wait,” Jolly’s head snapped over towards me. “The twins that went on that killing spree all those years ago in Boston. The last anyone heard from them is when they shot Yakavetta in open court.”

“Exactly why they moved here. Fergal didn't appreciate the hot trail on them so they hid out here for a few years. But Fergal couldn’t handle laying low for long because he began building the ranks here. Overstepping on my grandfather's turf, because he was still young at the time.” I grabbed the weapons we used on Barry and tossed them into the bucket of bleach in the utility sink.

“You know a lot about this family,” Jolly noted.

I hummed. “My grandfather told me all about them growing up. He wanted to make sure I was well versed in the McManus family once I took over.”

Glancing down at myself, I hummed again in displeasure when I noticed the blood spatter all over my white turtleneck.

Should have worn the black one, idiot.

I went about cleaning up the mess, ignoring the slumped-over body in the chair for a moment.

“The daughter. Do you think she did it?” Jolly wondered.

I halted unraveling the plastic we used to wrap the dead bodies for a few seconds before letting my shoulders drop slightly. “I don’t believe so. While the McManus brothers do hire hitmen to do their dirty work, there’s no way Murphy would make his own blood do it.”

“I know there’s some sort of history between you and her. With all of us-”

His words trailed off when I snapped my eyes over to him. “There is no history, Jolly. She’s just someone who went to high school with us. That was years ago and I doubt she even remembers that we went to the same school. She was too busy being preoccupied with other things.”

All of us in OMNS grew up together since we were twelve years old, Jolly moved here from Sweden when he was ten. We’d all been inseparable for the last sixteen years in the schoolyard and now the streets of the Concrete Jungle.

Not saying another word, the two of us busied ourselves cleaning up our mess and by the time we returned upstairs to my office. The staircase to the hidden basement was located behind a bookshelf and while Jolly closed it, I rummaged through the drawers of my desk to find a different shirt.

Now dressed in a fresh black t-shirt, we stepped out of my office and the sounds of tattoo machines reached my ears and I smirked walking into the open lobby. Every one of my artists had someone in their chairs and my most sought-after artist, Nicholas, glanced up at me for a second before returning to tattooing his client.

“How’d the meeting go?” He asked.

“Didn’t work out. We have another one set for 6 tonight,” Jolly informed.

I went up to the counter of my tattoo shop and glanced down at the book. It was a full day of appointments not to mention the group of girls that came in for a walk in. They were chittering like birds about how it was the blonde's bachelorette party and she specifically wanted me.

In more ways than one.

While she was cute, she wasn’t my type.

Roger, the receptionist of Under The Right Lights Tattoo Parlor, and newest recruit of OMNS glanced at me over his shoulder.

“Oh hey, Noah. Are you ready for the walk-in?”

I shook my head. “No, I’m not tattooing today. But I do have a job for you.”

His eyes lit up. “Yeah?”

“Tonight when the shop closes, stick around. We need your help with something,” I patted his shoulder.

“You got it, boss,” Roger nodded with a wide smile.

Turning on my heels, I stuffed my hands in my pockets to glance at my studio. I opened Under The Right Lights about six years ago and even though we had a slow start, once word got out that Noah Sebastian and Nicholas Ruffilo tattooed here, business flowed in through the doors.

I took over my grandfather's other business eight years ago but needed something to cover those dealings so that's when I thought of opening a tattoo shop with my best friends; my brothers. While Nicholas tattooed, Jolly ran the financial side of things, and Nick, or as we called him Folio, ran the motorcycle shop right next door. He was a mechanic, one of the best in town, and he often frequented here through the door to the left of Nicholas’ booth when he wasn’t busy fixing bikes.

Above my tattoo shop housed thirty apartments, all owned by me, and I lived in the penthouse on the tenth floor. Everyone in OMNS also lived in their own units so we could always be close to each other, in case something came up. With nine of the units being occupied by us, I rented out the other twenty-one for another form of income each month.

I treated everyone as an equal with the tattoo studio and OMNS but they also respected me enough to know that I had the final say with both. Things didn’t get approved unless I gave the okay.

Glancing down at my watch, I noticed that it was only four in the afternoon meaning we had a few hours until we met with the brothers. So I walked over to the back area of the shop where we used a private section to make a small gym where I knew Ash and Byran would be.

Ash was not only my bodyguard but he was also my trainer and Bryan took photos of the tattoos and ran our social media account.

“Tonight, six o'clock,” I said while crossing my arms.

Bryan wiped the sweat from his forehead and nodded. “I’ll make sure the SUV is loaded up.”

“Thank you,” I then turned towards Ash. “I’ve got a body downstairs. Do you mind?”

He shook his head. “Not at all. I’ll bring Matt. He needs a break from managing everything. Get out and smell the trees in the woods. Or the salty brine of the ocean.”

With a snort, I bid them goodbye before retreating into my office and ignoring the preposterous waves of the blonde in the waiting area and instead thought of a certain redhead.

SCARLETT

With a longing sigh, I brushed away the fire-red strands of hair from my face and adjusted my position on my bed to continue reading the book in front of me. It was the book Wolves: Behavior, Ecology, and Conservation by L. David Mech. This was the third time I’ve read but every time, I somehow learned something new.

I've been out of college with my degree for four years now and although I haven’t done anything since then, I still tried to keep up with my studies. The possibility of opening up a wildlife rescue still weighed heavy on my mind but I knew my father would never agree to it. His money was to be used for other business opportunities.

The spiral notebook was filled with my chicken scratch handwriting and after tossing down the pen, I shook out the cramp from my hand to glance at the clock on my nightstand. It was nearing six in the evening and when it would be time for dinner with my father and uncle, they had to cancel due to a meeting that seemed to come out of nowhere.

Next to the clock was a picture that made my heart drop to my stomach like it did every time. It was of me, my father, and my mother back on my eighteenth birthday and high school graduation; the last picture we took together.

Because she was murdered that night.

Eight years later the tears still burned in my eyes when I thought back to that night. We were driving home from dinner when someone crashed into our car and ran it off the road into a ditch. My father managed to pull me from the wreckage before the car burst into flames; my mother however wasn’t that lucky. We never found out who ran us off the road that night and whenever I asked about it, my father would wave me off and say one word only.

Revenge.

The relationship with my father was never the same since that night and once my Uncle Connor moved in, I retreated into myself. I loved them both dearly, but I blamed their life in the Irish Mafia for my mother's death. I did my best to remain respectful because I still lived in the McManus estate and knew I couldn’t make it on my own; not yet. My father had made it clear more than once that the only way I was to move out was either if I had my own money or married.

Hence why I was doubling up on my studies, I needed to find some kind of job with my degree, a simple job at a store or fast food place would not be enough to survive on my own. And clearly, my relationship with my boyfriend was nowhere near marriage level yet; we’d only been together for less than a year and never spoke about getting married.

I checked my phone and noticed Cory texted me a little while ago.

Cory: I have to cancel tomorrow night, sorry. Work is sending me out of town and won’t be back till Sunday.

I rolled my eyes knowing damn well he wasn’t the slightest bit sorry.

Me: OK. See you then, I guess.

I locked my phone, the sound echoing in the quiet of my bedroom, and I busied myself once again with the book in front of me until there was a soft knock on my door.

“Yes?” I called out.

The door cracked open slightly and a head of white curls popped their head inside and I instantly smiled.

“Hi, Dortha.”

“Hello dear,” our housekeeper smiled, resting her frail hands in the pocket of her apron. “I know your father and uncle can’t make dinner but I still made your favorite. If you’re hungry.”

My stomach growling gave way to my answer so with a chuckle, I let my studies be to follow Dortha out of my room and down to the dining room where I knew she already had a plate of food set up for me.

NOAH

The car ride across town to the McManus estate was filled with the ramblings of the other members of OMNS while I sat quietly behind the wheel, mind filled with more pressing matters. I gripped the wheel so hard that my knuckles were turning white, something Nicholas, who sat in the passenger seat, noticed right away.

“Are you alright?”

I nodded. “Just going over what I’m going to say.”

Pulling the car to a slow stop at a red light, I drummed my fingers against the dashboard, trying another thing to calm my nerves since the deep breathing exercises my therapist recommended weren’t working.

“Hey boss,” Roger spoke up from the back seat between Ash and Bryan. “Maybe someone else should drive. You seem nervous.”

My eyes sliced into him through the rearview mirror. “No one drives my car but me.”

With a shaking hand through his golden locks, he nodded and kept his head down the rest of the drive once I hit the gas again.

“Do you know what you’re going to ask them? Folio wondered from the seat behind me while tapping the wooden drumsticks he always carried on his lap.

“I’m thinking of coming out right and asking if they have any idea who killed Vincent,” I answered.

Jolly shifted in the seat behind Nicholas and without having to gaze over at him, I knew he wasn’t too thrilled about my idea.

“I’d say we just pop these fools. End this turf war once and for all,” Roger pipped up again.

His excitement for being brought along tonight was evident but I was suddenly regretting my decision.

“Chill, we need to be smart about this,” I said.

“We can’t go in there with guns blazing,” Jolly added.

I came to a stop in front of the large, gothic-like gate, and rolled down my window so I was able to click the button on the intercom.

“Yes?” A thick Irish accent responded.

I cleared my throat. “I have the brothers' dinner. Japanese with a side of Swiss.”

Only static came from the speaker for a long moment until the loud creak of the gate caused Roger to jump in surprise and Byran to stifle a laugh behind his hand. The SUV glided up the long drive with ease as the setting sun spilled inside casting all of us in an orange and purple glow. We all piled out as soon as the car was parked in front of the McManus manor and I nodded towards Bryan, Ash, and Roger.

“You three hang back in the foyer in case the brothers don’t want all of us in the meeting,” I said while clicking the safety on my gun before stuffing it in my back waistband.

While Ash and Bryan agreed, both double-checking their weapons, Roger on the other hand made his distaste for my orders known with a low scowl.

“All due respect, Noah,” he began.

I adjusted the peaky hat on my head and raised a brow. “Is there a problem, Roger?”

He shifted on his feet. “I’ve been the recruit for six months now, don’t you think I worked up being involved in one of these meetings?”

I bit the inside of my cheek to my snarky remark to myself but Folio was quick to respond in my place.

“Kid, calm down. It took Bryan six years to work up the ranks. Ash, it took him ten years.”

Roger gaped at the two of them who seemed to have played along with Folio’s joke and agreed with a nod.

“Can I atleast get a gun?” He outstretched his arms. “You guys are sending me into the warzone with no weapon!”

“It’s only a warzone if you make it one,” Ash said.

“No weapons for recruits,” I said.

Not wanting to waste any more time out here, I led the group of us up the crumbling steps and came to a stop in front of the door. Motioning to Roger, I waited for him to ring the bell, and glanced around the vast grounds of the McManus estate while stuffing my hands deep into the pockets of my black peacoat.

“Nervous?”

Peering to my left, I nodded to Nicholas. “A bit.”

He clapped my shoulder. “Let’s keep our questions short. Try to get the info we need then we can leave.”

“Yeah,” Folio agreed while shivering. “This place gives me the creeps. It looks like it's days away from caving in.”

Glancing up at the old brick mansion, I had to agree with him. It looked as if neither of the McManus brothers bothered to keep up with the maintenance of the home and the overgrown grass on the other side of the driveway was proof of that.

Suddenly the front door opened with an eerie creaking and all of our eyes met with an older lady with a head full of white curls.

“Yes?”

I stepped forward. “My name is Noah Sebastian. OMNS has a meeting with the brothers.”

Her brown eyes shifted between all of us before she slowly stepped to the side, letting us all pile inside the grand manor. While the outside needed some work, the inside was marvelous with expensive pieces of art and not a speck of dust anywhere.

“My name is Dorthea. I will let the brothers know you’re here,” she said with a thick Irish accent.

Movement from the corner of my eye caught my attention and when I gazed up at the top of the stairs landing, all of my breath left my soul when those familiar hazel eyes met mine. All of the hairs not only on the back of my neck but on my arms stood straight with the buzz of electricity that shot through me when I noticed her eyes double in size. The brightness of her gaze struck a chord in my heart, playing a soft melody that only the two of us could hear.

It had been a long while since I’d seen her last but fuck, she still looked absolutely breathtaking like she did the night of high school graduation.

Her hair was deeper red than the last time we saw each other, now it cascaded down her back, and when she outstretched her arms on the wooden banister, her head tilted to the side in a way to assess all of these strangers in her home.

Although four of us weren’t strangers to her. We all went to high school together even though she wouldn’t remember us. She was always with the group of kids that were rich, too good to be seen with the bottom dwellers like us.

I removed my hat to hand it to Roger to hold onto it then shook out my hair from my eyes before slicking it back and I could have sworn I heard someone’s breath catch in their throat.

“Noah Sebastian, standing here in my house. I must say, I almost didn’t recognize you without the long hair.”

Well, shit.

“Saoirse McManus,” I hummed in response to her sarcastic tone.

A low scowl pulled on her lips before she pushed herself away from the banister and quickly scurried down the hall, disappearing around the corner.

It was almost bittersweet seeing her again after all this time. While I wish it had been under better circumstances, I knew that I couldn’t allow myself to get wrapped up in Saoirse McManus; not again. I had built an empire since dropping out of high school and I couldn’t let anything tear it down, especially a silly little crush.

It never was a silly crush. It was always more than that. You’re just bitter that she never felt the same.

Why would she ever have feelings for me? In her eyes and her financial stature, OMNS were nobodies; the gum on the bottom of their shoe. While they ran their empire up in the rich estates of the wealthy, we ran ours in the slums of the Concrete Jungle. There may have been a point in my life when I wanted to be in the same stature as her but now having earned my wealth, I realized that all I needed was my brothers.

Bullshit.

If that were the case, seeing her tonight wouldn’t have taken my breath away and cock twitched with such a dire need for her.

“What was that about her not remembering you?” Jolly asked.

I ran a hand over my mouth. “I didn’t think she would.”

“Hey,” Roger’s head popped in between Jolly and I. “That’s the daughter, right? You know, rumors are going around the CJ that she’s the one that killed Vincent.”

My eyes sliced into him and Jolly had to press a hand to my chest to keep me from wrapping my hands around his throat.

“The CJ?” I spat out through a clenched jaw.

Roger swallowed thickly. “Yeah. The Concrete Jungle. I thought you would understand the nickname since you were the one who created the Concrete Jungle. I spend a lot of time in the tunnels with groups of guys who tell stories of OMNS success. Why do you think I wanted to join so badly?”

“Do me a favor, kid. Stop lingering in the underground parts of the jungle because you don’t know what dwells underneath there. You don’t want to find yourself in a situation you can’t sweet talk your way out of,” I said.

“What?” He let out an airy chuckle. “Are you hiding a tank full of sirens? Or creating your own artificial intelligence?”

With a dark look filling my eyes, I gave him a smirk before giving him my back when I heard the faint footsteps of Dorthea returning.

“Just the Japanese and Swiss,” she pointed to us.

Jolly let out a groan. “I’m Swedish.”

“Follow me,” she hooked a finger at us, ignoring Jolly.

Giving the rest of my brothers a nod, we followed Dorthea down a long wide hallway, and I took in the sight of all the pictures lining the wall, noticing that they were family pictures of the McManus family.

The first picture was of the man who started it all over one hundred years ago, Cillian McManus. It continued for a long while until Fergal’s familiar face caught my eyes, followed by his son, then Connor, then Murphy with his wife and Saiorse.

Coming to a brief stop, I studied the picture for a long moment, before Jolly pulled me along.

“The brothers are allowing you five minutes of their time,” Dorthea informed as we stopped in front of a set of double doors and her hands wrapped around the golden knobs.

“How generous,” I grumbled under my breath just before the door opened.

Inside was a huge library/office combo. Three out of four of the walls were just bookshelves full of books, the smell of old literature tickling my nose. Thick black carpet covered almost every inch of the floor and in the center of the room were two long burgundy couches that sat horizontally to an old fireplace that was blazing with hot flames. I felt the warmth on my face when Jolly and I stepped inside.

On either couch sat the brothers, both having a glass dangling from their fingers, and their hushed conversation seized when they noticed our presence.

“Ah,” the taller one with shorter hair muttered as he slowly stood to his feet and extended his free hand toward me. “You must be Noah. An acquaintance of mine said I’d be expecting you. I’m Conner.”

After we shook hands, Connor motioned to the other man on the couch, who still had yet to stand up. “That is my twin brother Murphy.”

Giving him a curt nod, I clasped my hands behind my back. “This is Joakim. We won’t take much of your time. But we do have one question to ask.”

While Murphy muttered something in Irish under his breath, Connor urged me to ask.

“About six months ago, a dear friend of ours Vincent Riquier was murdered, his body being left on the doorstep of my tattoo shop. I had some intel point me in the direction of someone in the Irish family.”

Connor's brow raised as he took a small drink of his amber liquid. “Are you saying we had something to do with it?”

Jolly shook his head. “Not at all. We were just wondering if you could let us know if our intel was correct since it came from one of your men.”

This caused Murphy to snap his head towards us and brushed away the long hair from his face; blue eyes boring into us. “One of our men?”

“Barry,” I said flatly. “Movie star looks. Although, I must say that was before.”

The twins shared a look before Murphy rose to his feet with a roar. “You killed him?”

I stood toe to toe with him, not showing him an ounce of fear because I knew guys like this could smell it.

“Never said I did,” I answered with a shrug.

“Imigh leat,” Murphy waved a hand in my face before turning on his feet to face the fireplace.

Connor let out a displeased noise at his brother before giving Jolly and me a tight smile, the lines in his face creasing. “You must ignore my brother, he just argued with his daughter before you arrived.”

Saoirse’s face crept into my mind but I did my best to push away those feelings. I couldn’t give away my feelings for her; the ones that stayed buried for so long.

“Again with this foolish dream of opening an animal rehab facility. Why she wants to work when she has all the money I can give her if she just stays here is beyond my thinking,” Murphy muttered after downing the rest of his drink, slamming the cup on the table next to the couch.

“About Barry,” Connor ignored his brother while stuffing his hands in the pockets of his dress pants. “If you did kill him, one less thing for us to worry about. He was a pain in our arses anyway.”

“So then, as a token, you’ll give us the direction we need to look into for our friend's death,” Jolly tried while scratching the facial hair on his chin.

With Connor’s silence, his gaze locked in on us with his hand on the holster on his hip, and Murphy’s back still to us, I nodded towards Jolly, who understood and we bid the brothers goodbye.

“Thank you for your time,” I said before ushering Jolly outside of the room before me.

Once we were back in the solitude of the hallway, we rushed back to the foyer with a burning feeling at the back of my neck. Something wasn’t right, their silence told us way too much and I needed to get far away from here.

“Something doesn’t feel right,” Jolly noted.

I agreed with a low rumble in my chest, placing my hat back on. “I know. They were quick to dismiss us and I didn’t like how Connor reached for his gun.”

Hearing our footsteps echo loudly on the marble floor, Bryan glanced up from his phone with furrowed brows.

“That was quick.”

“We’ll discuss it in the car,” I said while ushering everyone outside quickly.

One by one we all piled out of the house and before I stepped through the threshold, I dared a glance back up to the stairs landing, hoping to catch sight of her but instead, I locked eyes with two large guards who had their guns in their grasp.

“Boss, this doesn't make sense,” Roger turned swiftly on his heels and blocked me.

“Roger, not now,” I said sternly. “Get to the car. Now.”

“All these rumors, they had to start somewhere,” he continued to ramble on.

I backhanded his chest and then threw a thumb over my shoulder to the men who were now descending the grand staircase. Finally, when Roger noticed them, he scrambled out the door, me swiftly following behind him.

All of us gathered around the SUV to discuss what our next plan of action would be. There were other Irish families I could talk with but they all had connections to the McManus brothers so they wouldn’t give me anything.

As I was chatting with Nicholas, Roger began pacing in front of the car, running a hand through his hair.

“What’s his problem?” Nicholas mumbled to me.

“He thinks the brothers are hiding something,” I informed him while shrugging. “I must admit, I feel the same. They were too closed off in there. And the way those guards were staring at me, I swore they were looking for a fight.”

“In retaliation for Barry?”

“Could be,” I ran a hand over my chin. “Or they don’t appreciate us showing up tonight. Either way, we need to get out of here.”

Everyone began loading into the SUV, besides Roger, who was still pacing.

“Roger, get in,” I demanded from behind the driver's door.

"They're a bunch of liars. all of them. I bet you that broad upstairs knows something.”

All I saw was read for a few moments before I realized that I had Roger pinned to the hood of the car by his throat, my tattooed fingers cutting off his oxygen. Strands of my hair fell into my eyes but I made no effort to let up my grip.

“Watch how you speak about her,” I spit out.

Roger’s eyes were white as he struggled to fight me, his nails digging into the skin of my wrist.

“Shit,” Ash muttered while scrambling out of the car to wrap his arms around my chest, trying to pull me away. “Let him go, Noah. You’re going to kill him.”

With an effortless grunt, I tossed Roger to the ground and did my best to fix my hair when Ash let me go as the front door of the manor opened; Saiorse walked out with the two guards following closely behind her.

She paid us no mind as she trotted down the steps and began walking the opposite way of us. Glancing at my watch, I noticed that it was 8 p.m.

“The only time she leaves is at 8 o'clock for her nightly walks.” Barry’s words from earlier rang in my ears.

“Let’s get the fuck out of here,” I grumbled while adjusting my jacket.

Roger quickly scrambled to his feet and when he finally noticed the two guards who had stopped walking to watch us with careful eyes, something switched in Roger’s mind. My jaw began to drop when I saw him reach for something underneath his shirt, my next words came out slow, almost inebriated.

“Roger, no!”

The sound of gunfire erupted, and all of us dropped to our knees around the car for some sort of protection. Bullets ricochet off of the car, one nearly missing my forehead as it blew the hat clear off my head. I strangled out a vacant cry while pressing my body closer to the car. My heart was beating widely in my chest and my hands shook but I didn’t have time to dwell on almost dying, I needed to stop this before it became worse than it already was.

“Mother fucker!”

Glancing over my shoulder, I cursed when I saw Folio go down to the ground clutching his thigh, his gun skidding halfway down the long driveway. I crawled over to him, keeping my head down when I noticed that a couple more McManus guards had emerged from inside and now we were outnumbered; seven to nine.

Blood oozed out from the wound on Folio’s thigh and I grabbed a handful of his shirt, ripping a large piece from it.

“You’re alright; just a flesh wound,” I reassured him while fixing the makeshift tourniquet.

“Where the hell did Roger find a gun?” Folio asked through clenched teeth when I squeezed too hard on his wound to stop the bleeding.

“I’m about to find out,” I patted his cheek before ripping my gun from behind my pants and clicked off the safety.

Using the open door of the SUV as a shield, I peered around it to see that four guards were lying dead on the ground, two were hiding behind the pillars of the manor for their own protection, and one was coming towards us.

Firing off two rounds, both hitting the mark of the guard's chest, I watched him crumble to the ground and then gave a sharp whistle towards Jolly who was firing his weapon in the car through the shot-out back windshield.

“Two on the porch!” I yelled over the sounds of gunfire.

Jolly nodded and I gave him protection against the other two guards who were firing their weapons from behind a bush, he snuck up to the two guards hiding on the porch, their lives ending before they even noticed him.

Now the numbers were in our favor so slowly rising to my feet, I stepped out from my shield and called out to the last two McManus guards.

“You’re not walking out of this alive!”

“Imeacht go fánach ort féin is ar do chnapán miúlach!” A deep voice rumbled out from behind the bus.

A flash of red caught my attention and I forgot for a moment that Saoirse was outside when the shootout began. I could hear my heart in my ears with worry if she’d been hit but when I saw her slowly rise to her feet due to one of the guards pushing her to farther safety, I breathed a little.

Until a gun went off to my left and with sharp eyes, I watched as the bullet hit Saoirse in the arm, blood splattering against the fading white paint of the house.

“Bitch! That’s for Vincent!” Roger bellowed his victory.

I let out a vicious growl as I tackled him to the ground, laying fist after fist into his face. Poor kid never saw me coming and gave no fight against me. By the time I finished, my knuckles were broken and raw, covered in not only my blood but his as well. Roger’s face was a mangled mess as he rolled over to his side, spitting out chunks of spit mixed with blood. For a final measure, I laid a swift kick to his stomach making sure he wouldn’t get up for a while. Through the white noise in my brain, I did my best to calm my breathing when I gazed over my shoulder to the carnage that lay in our wake; all thanks to Roger’s trigger finger.

Besides Folio, all of my men were unharmed and it seemed as if Folio would be fine. However, out of nine McManus guards, only two remain. One held something to Saoirse’s arm while the other tossed his gun to the ground, showing us he surrendered.

“Is she alright?” I called out to them.

“Fuck you, Noah!” She spat, eyes almost as red with fury as the color of her hair.

Yeah, she was fine.

Through the eerie silence of the night air, I watched as the front door carefully opened then both the McManus brothers stepped into the carnage.

“Saoirse!” Murphy’s voice boomed.

“She’s over here!” The one guard who was tending to her wound called out while pulling them out from behind the bushes.

I sucked in a breath when I saw all the blood staining the gray long sleeve of her sweater as the guard quickly whisked her inside, her father right on her tail. The look of pure hatred was on Connor’s face as he ran a hand through his hair.

“Whose bullet hit my niece?” He asked.

I pointed to the broken body of Roger, who was still struggling to rise to his feet. “I’ll take care of him, I promise you.”

Conner gave a curt nod before hooking his finger in my direction. “You. By yourself. Now.”

Licking my lips, I nodded and handed over my gun to Ash, who looked at me with bewilderment in his eyes.

“Are you insane?” He demanded. “You can’t go in there by yourself.”

“If they wanted me dead, I would be,” I said with more reassurance in my voice than I was feeling.

Giving a soft smile to the rest of my men, letting them know I’d be fine, I stepped back inside the manor with Conner close behind.

SCARLETT

“What the fuck!” I screamed while pushing myself away from the table, but hissing as pain shot through my arm.

The doctor we had on standby informed me that it was merely a flesh wound I suffered and closed it up with a few stitches and some pills for the pain.

“Watch your tongue,” my father warned while not looking away from his plate of food.

“You just told me that I’m supposed to marry Noah Sebastian! How the fuck can I watch my tongue?! This is absurd! You can’t make that decision for me.”

He pushed away his plate with a sigh and then steepled his fingers together. “I can because I am your father. And for the price of peace, I couldn’t deny his offer.”

I nearly fell back into my seat at the dining room table. “His offer? This was his idea?”

My Uncle Conner nodded. “That man is quite the negotiator. He didn’t want any more bloodshed and for a truce, he asked for your hand in marriage; we agreed on one condition.”

“Oh, I can't wait to hear what this condition was,” I placed my hand on my hip. “Does he want a baby in a year? Do I have to abide by his command? Am I to be locked away in a castle for the rest of my life?”

“Far from that,” my father lit his cigar, puffing the smoke into the air. “We agreed that you can marry him as long as he kill the man that shot you.”

My eyes widened. “The kid? Fucking hell, dad! He can’t be more than twenty years old!”

“Then he shouldn’t have been involved in a game that was designed for men!” My father’s fist slammed on the aged oak of the table.

I didn’t even flinch, being so used to his outbursts like this. Instead, I fought back harder against this offer.

“What about Cory?” I questioned.

“Who?” My father’s thick brows furrowed as the age lines in his forehead creased.

“The boyfriend,” my uncle informed him while swirling the ice cubes around in his cup.

My father did a double take. “How the fuck do you know?”

“Fuck you, I know shit,” he shrugged.

“Very well,” my father sighed. “It’s not like this relationship would have worked out anyway. You will end it and move in with Noah by Friday.”

“FRIDAY?!” I screeched. “That’s in two days!”

“The wedding will be at the end of the month,” my uncle informed me.

Too much information had been thrown at me all at once and I pinched the bridge of my nose to keep myself from crying. I typically wasn’t a crier but from the moment I laid my eyes on Noah Sebastian in the foyer of my home, all of my old feelings came rushing in like a tidal wave and I still didn’t have time to process that.

“If I say no to this deal?” I shot back.

Neither my uncle nor father said anything, simply motioned to the guns that lay next to their plates. Now, I knew they didn’t mean they would kill me. Instead, they would kill Noah and every last mother fucker who had anything to do with tonight.

“This is unbelievable!” I yelled while throwing my hands up and storming my way up the stairs to my bedroom.

The sound of my door slamming shook the old bones of the manor and I yanked the ends of my hair with a scream. I despised not only this life but also the fact that I couldn’t do anything about this arrangement. Not when the lives of innocents were on the line.

Innocents? They shot you!

Shaking the thought from my mind, I fell back onto my bed with a groan. It was easy to tell that the kid was the one that started the unnecessary gunfight. Noah was only doing what he could to protect his people.

Those gorgeous almond eyes haunted me for years, plaguing my entire existence since I first saw them freshman year of high school. I never could do anything about it, however, knowing that we ran in different circles and it was forbidden. His family ran the slums while mine ran the prestige wealth.

The last I saw of Noah or any of those guys was the night of high school graduation. While Noah dropped out three months before, the rest of his friends walked across the stage and he was there for support. Our eyes locked across the vast space of the room. His hair was long but pulled back into a high bun, showcasing the sharpness of his cheekbones as he gave me a gentle smile. Of course, I had to ignore the pull of my heart strings, no matter how strong they were.

If someone had told a teenage me that now, eight years later, I’d be marrying that man who captured my heart so long ago, I’d laugh in their face.

Running a hand over my face, I sat up in bed and quickly dialed Cory’s number so I could deliver the news. On the eighth ring, he answered almost breathlessly.

“Hello?”

“Hi,” I played with the ends of my hair. “Do you have a minute to talk?”

There was some rustling on his end before his breath came through. “I suppose.”

Ignoring the tone, I took a deep inhale to prepare myself for breaking the news to him. “There’s no easy way to say this. But my father just informed me that he arranged a marriage for me. I have to move in with the guy on Friday. I tried to fight it, tried to fight for us, but I didn’t have a choice. It’s something I have to do.”

There was a very long beat of silence on Cory’s end before his voice broke through. “Ok. Thanks for letting me know.”

My heart dropped to the pits of my stomach. “W-what? That’s it?”

“I don’t know what you want me to say, Scarlett? You said it yourself, you don’t have a choice in this. Why fight for something that has no end in sight?”

I bit down on the inside of my cheek hard to not snap at him but eventually failed.

“You know, you’re right. What’s the fucking point,” I seethed.

Before I could hang up on him, I heard the click and stared down in disbelief at my now black screen.

“What a piece of shit!” I bellowed while tossing my phone onto my bed.

My knee bounced in anger, that conversation adding more fuel to the fire, and as much as I wanted to scream out my frustrations I knew that it would be futile. Instead, I dragged my feet into the large walk-in closet and began packing up things that I knew I would need in my new life.

NOAH

Wiping away the blood from my rings, I stepped into the lobby of the quiet tattoo shop and noticed Nicholas closing up his section.

“How’d it go tonight?” I wondered after tossing the rag into the bag he had opened.

The one we planned on burning anyway so any evidence would be gone in the flames.

“Slow night but those aren’t bad every once in a while,” he answered before motioning to the door I previously walked through. “All finished?”

“Yeah, Jolly and Folio are cleaning it up. This one was messier than I would have liked. I’ll admit, the kid put up a hell of a fight,” I said while leaning against the wall with crossed arms.

The tattooed muscles in my forearms flexed.

“Did he say where he found the gun?”

“Bought it off of someone on the street before we left that night. Apparently, he had a feeling I wouldn’t allow him to have one and he felt like he needed protection,” I informed Nicholas.

Who, in turn, snorted while packing up his tattoo gun. “A lot of good it did.”

My lips parted to speak but with the sound of the bell dinging above the door, revealing that someone had stepped inside.

“Sorry, we’re closed,” the words died in my throat when I saw who walked inside.

Her hair was pulled back into a tight braid, her green eyes standing out amongst everything else about her. She carried two suitcases behind her and one large duffel bag on her shoulder.

“Hi,” I said while standing straight up.

All of the breath inside of me left me with a whoosh of air as the excitement of our arrangement finally filled me. When I first brought up the idea to the McManus brothers, I fully expected them to deny it. Much to my surprise, they agreed almost immediately with the exception that I take care of Roger, as promised.

Not even an hour after sending the picture to Murphy, his daughter was standing in front of me; bags in tow.

“Hi?” Saoirse scowled. “Do you know what the fuck I had to go through to get here? The number of times I had to circle the building to find somewhere to park? Two blocks away. Not to mention, how many homeless people stopped me along the way to ask for either money or drugs? And all you can say is hi?”

Biting my lip at my smile, I walked over to the receptionist's desk to rest my elbows on it.

“Are you finished?” I teased with a playful gleam in my eyes.

She scoffed, appalled. “Am I finished? No, Noah. Far fucking from it. How dare you bid for my life without my consent? This isn’t the 1900’s where this was a common thing! I have a say in who I should marry!”

“Then why are you here?”

Saoirse pursed her lips and when I realized she had nothing to say back, I pushed off the counter to close the distance between us, my height towering over her.

“Let’s get one thing straight. I didn’t pay for you. I don’t plan on holding you prisoner here. You have a say with anything and everything however to keep the peace from stumbling into my empire, if I had to arrange for your life, you bet your fucking ass I would do.”

Her lips mimicked a fish and when her shoulders slumped in defeat, I held out my hand to her. “Keys.”

“Excuse me?” She raised a brow.

“Give me your keys. OMNS Legacy Villas has underground parking. There’s already a reserved spot for you,” I informed her.

Shoving the keys in my hand, she sliced her eyes into me. “If it says Saoirse, change it.”

I quickly tossed the keys to Nicholas, who understood and slipped out of the shop to retrieve her car.

“Change it?” I repeated her words.

“The only people who call me that are my father and uncle. Everyone else calls me Scarlett,” she tossed her bags on the ground at my feet before crossing her arms over her black sweater.

This sass that fell from her blood-stained lips made me want to toss her onto the counter, rip off that sweater, and attack every inch of her skin with my teeth but I refrained. Instead, I brushed a hand through my hair and smiled.

“Scarlett it is.”

Scarlett glanced out the large window in front of the shop, watching as people walked past, every single one of them dealing with something in their own lives. The trash that littered the street was figuratively and literally. I had to admit that when I first opened up my empire here, the slums were extremely bad but with my help and funding, the streets had been cleaned up immensely; with a few stranglers still lurking around.

Especially in the underground.

“I don’t understand how you live here. The homeless, the drug deals, and the illegal activities I saw walking in here. It’s disgusting,” she shivered.

I stood next to her now, stuffing my hands in the back pockets of my pants. “Welcome to the Concrete Jungle, Scarlett.”

She turned her head up to me as I bent low towards her, my warm breath fanning those beautiful lips. “Where I’m the fucking king.”

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