#litg graham | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

ravenadottir · 6 months

Text

drag race: boys edition

we had gender bent edits, we had paralell universes, and i'm not sure if someone has done this, but in case it hasn't, here it is. did i need to do this? yes, yes i did. enjoy!

[listen, i saw a video from runner eye and if i can't stop thinking about it, you have to be the ones to be punished by it, i don't make the rules.]

roberta mckenzie. a comedy queen from glasgow. she loves the audience, mostly working up the patreons in hopes to find a gold mine of weird info dump, enough to make the rest of the bar laugh. is the makeup rough? yes, very much so. is the material roast winning? not exactly... but she's new to the game and is trying her best. plus, her outfits pay homage to jamaican patterns every chance she has and most of us enchanted by the charisma and bad puns.

rhonda. one-name-only for a one-personality-only and that is... snake! she's the one pretending to be zen and "i don't do drama" but has the most snake rattle sound effects during her confessionals. she also tries to steal henrietta hotts from luna kohko, and the audience saw it from A MILE AWAY. unsuccessfully of course... HAVE YOU SEEN LUNA? she's the trade of the season.

kassandra. she dj's on the weekends all mounted in silver gowns and small boobie bibs (as she calls them despite being annoyed other people refer to them as that). kassandra has issues with everyone that ISN'T doing recreational drugs at her gigs and call them "stiffs" for it. however, despite looking and sounding harsh... well, that's about it. there's a reason she and luna get along so well!

glitter renell. "a traditional drag queen" according to herself, and to new queens it only means "my uncle in a wig with a rough and patchy makeup work and plastic-ey wigs". the only queen not wearing "fantasy" by britney but who's noticing?? her special number involves ripping off the sleeves of her outfits and revealing MASSIVE biceps, but often times they pop off on their own. got the magic mike title of the season.

ingrid. she's a "sporty type of queen", has multiple tricks with golf clubs, and despite having a couple of head hitting tricks in her history, she tries her best. it sometimes can serve her as a pole to drop to the ground in a split and honestly? work. ingrid is considered one of the hottest and cutest since her shyness brings a different glow to her eyes, which are LOST in pink glitter and magical rainbow shaped makeup. she dares and we love it, leave her alone.

luna kohko. this is a SEASONED queen, alright? makeup on point, fashion in place, attitude to donate, and walking the runway like she built that shit. however, when it comes to friendships in the werk room... don't speak, don't come near, don't come around... in fact, don't come at all. luna doesn't waste time with phony queens and prefers things exactly the opposite of her: straight. she's a lesbian, which means she loves dating drag queens, and since entering the show she has a LIVE AND THRIVE romance with the innocent henrietta hotts. "if that crusty fucking hippie so much as breathes the same air as henrietta again, we're gonna have a fucking problem, yeah? i've seen her lurking the machines trying to strike up a conversation about climbing. there's only one building henrietta is gonna climb and it's not a limp one."

noelle waves. "we have a wall of fabric in that werk room and you continue to come out in swim suits. STOP - RELYING - ON - THAT - BODY". she's a bit reserved most of the time, but if the "girls are fighting", she's the first to step up and play MOTHER. the public likes her, but she's not exactly winning challenges. "safe" defines noelle better than "creative" or "winner", but she tries and helps everyone during challenges.

henrietta hotts. THIS GIRL HAS IT, OK? her signature look is the red lipstick and the blonde wig, and with those beautiful freckles, her persona is very much the girl next door. it makes the judges go "i feel like i haven't met henrietta yet, and i know there's someone in there that needs to... ROAR. also, baby... you need more makeup." is she the smartest? no. is she the most problem-solving? no. is she the most graceful? YOU BET HER ASS COVERED IN GLITTER SHE FUCKING IS.

graham cracker. ANOTHER UNCLE IN A WIG. barely knows how to walk in heels and is giving kim chi vibes. however, because of her leadership skills (which are not comparable to noelle's) she does manage to maintain her position for a while since most of the girls are lowkey scared of her. she's unpredictable and most of the contestants suspect she's straight.

carlota miranda. THIS IS THE MOST EXTROVERTED QUEEN ON THE RUNWAY, however, the boom mic needs to enter her throat to pick up what she's saying due to her bashfulness. not a fighter type but if someone comes for her???? she'll definitely... apologize for it. "fuck, don't fight" is her motto, followed by a timid little giggle since she tries not to curse. her style is "executive realness" but covered in crystals and diamonds. "it's either a mugler or nothing, babes. i don't have time to look like cel. sanders..."

felicia butterfly. annoying as alyssa edwards and untalented as... well, [REDACTED WINNER OF SEASON 4]. she's a one trick poney and the trick is... well, the public and the production are still trying to find it but in the mean time she becomes the bud of the joke. it's kind of entertaining watching her trying to understand anything in the werk room. it gets old but... she leaves pretty soon, so no problem there.

doge style. always wearing dogs' styles on her wigs, it's her signature. the poodle poof is AMAZING. she also becomes friends with everybody, particularly with the nervous ones, like carlota and henrietta since doge's hugs are infallible to relax the girls in situations of stress. she sometimes lets a facial hair look take over if the look calls for it, while the others are afraid of embracing it. "i'm not a woman impersonator, i'm just creative, get over it!" she has a HUGE CRUSH ON ELLA FAME, and it's reciprocated. rumour has it they fucked on the first week and are already planning a getaway.

ella fame. the most exquisite wigs in the werk room NO QUESTIONS ASKED. has beef with gigi goode for the title of best hair styles, but since her house is older and richer, she thinks she has a better chance to win this one pool on twitter. overall, ella has a walk to kill for, one that graham cracker has been trying to learn since day one. "i got it from naomi... you either know it... or you dont." she tells and retells the time she walked the same runway as naomi, even though everyone keeps reminding her that it happened as elijah, not as ella, but as she says in the confessional: "these bitches are so fucking jealous they're causing me intern wrinkles.".

jacoba zabinski. she's not very creative, doesn't have an interesting name, doesn't know how to walk differently than a constipated bear and doesn't know how to wear a wig. to be fair, she's only in the show to get clout for her male persona, jakub. bodybuilding is not paying off since his scandals in multiple gyms for his part time job as an instructor. so instagram shit tea and self taner brands have been the bread winning besides being the biggest bitch in the room. she enters the porkchop hall of fame. OBVIOUSLY.

#litg #love island the game #litg s2 #litg season 2 #litg arjun #litg bobby #litg carl #litg elijah #litg felix #litg gary #litg graham #litg henrik #litg ibrahim #litg jakub #litg kassam #litg lucas #litg noah #litg rocco #this has been on my mind for exactly an hour

34 notes · View notes

rebelrayne · 9 months

Text

I will be posting the results later today, but wanted to put this out first to link it to that post! Below the cut are some of the Islanders that received negative scores and I'd like to invite you to read some/all of the fics so you can see another side of these characters. These are just some of the fics out there, some characters had multiple options and I narrowed it down. I did opt to go the romance route, so no platonic fics or bittersweet endings are listed.

If a fic has an asterisk* next to it, you must have an AO3 account to access and read it.

beloved & beloathed by @willkimurashat (NR) (chaptered)

fight for it by @queen-of-boops (M) (one-shot)

golden thread by @starsarestars (T) (one-shot)

perfectly infuriating by @/queen-of-boops (M) (one-shot)

if not today, maybe tomorrow by @0shewrites0 (E) (chaptered)

proper odd by @whatisreggieshortfor (NR) (one-shot)

clickbait by kiki_the_creator (M) (one-shot)

came for you by @/whatisreggieshortfor (NR) (one-shot)

end game by @/rebelrayne (M) (one-shot)

this momentary blue* by @sparxaf (M) (one-shot)

craft beer and roses by NaturalEcho (E) (chaptered)

finn-esse by @i-boop-you (E) (one-shot)

color coded by @/whatisreggieshortfor (NR) (one-shot)

if you like piña coladas by @mrsbsmooth (T) (one-shot)

superpower by constantrepeat (M) (chaptered)

violet girl* by @throughthejunobush (E) (chaptered)

121°C by @lucas-koh (T) (one-shot)

the other side by @/rebelrayne (T) (one-shot)

image is everything by @/queen-of-boops (M) (one-shot)

drama king by @libelle949 (E) (chaptered)

don't call me baby by @ellegreenwxy (E) (chaptered)

the challenge by @thesepromises (T) (one-shot)

whipped by @/i-boop-you (E) (one-shot)

the colour that you are by @/mrsbsmooth (G) (one-shot)

jealous. by @/rebelrayne (T) (one-shot)

38 notes · View notes

ariendiel · 9 months

Note

Rate s2 male LIs who actually likes watching Barbies🤣💕

This will be fun

Yessss, I just watched Barbie (as part of Barbenheimer ofc) on Saturday and I'm so ready to do this 🤍

Would genuinely enjoy watching Barbie (and wear pink):

Arjun, Bobby, Henrik, Noah

Would gladly go with their partner and quietly enjoy it:

Carl, Elijah, Gary, Lucas

Would watch Barbie and not get it/pretend not to like it:

Ibrahim (just give him time), Jakub

Would not watch Barbie:

Felix, Graham, Rocco

#ask #litg s2 #litg #love island the game #litg bobby #litg noah #litg lucas #litg gary #litg carl #litg henrik #litg arjun #litg elijah #litg rahim #litg ibrahim #litg jakub #litg felix #litg graham #litg rocco

26 notes · View notes

litgreadersroom · 8 months

Text

i haven't said enough by elle15

Authors Tumblr: @ellegreenwxy

Rating: Teen and up

Main relationship: Graham/MC

Summary: as soon as graham lays eyes on jessie during her first day at casa amor, he knows he has to have her. but with jessie still having feelings for gary, graham has to bide his time with marisol until he can make his move. when all is said and done, will graham get his chance? or will jessie always stay just out of reach?

Extra details: Season 2 villa

Oneshot, 4.5k words

#litg #litg fanfiction #litg s2 #litg season 2 #litg graham #litg graham villa #fic feature

14 notes · View notes

litgwritersroom · 2 years

Note

Graham wants MC from the minute he gets to casa, but he has to bide his time with Marisol. I want to see him making his move (can end happily or not, I just want to see him do it)

i haven't said enough

S2 | Graham/MC | 4400+ words | @ellegreenwxy

Graham's been pining for MC from the moment he first laid eyes on her, but for some reason he just can't seem to get what he wants.

A boy’s choice recoupling. This was finally his chance. Even though it likely meant disrupting a couple and maybe alienating some of his allies in the Villa, no one could say he’d ever been afraid to rock the boat (no pun intended). And tonight, he had every intention of doing just that.

His eyes immediately found her as she strolled across the law to the firepit, those mile-long legs accentuated by the short hem of her champagne-coloured dress and the sharp heels of her sparkling stilettos. Her head was bent close to Hope’s as they headed towards where the boys were sitting, her long chocolate waves hiding her hazel eyes from sight. The rest of the girls trailed close behind, including Marisol who kept trying to catch his eye but he couldn’t bring himself to look at her just yet.

Not when he knew he wouldn’t be picking her.

Not if he could help it.

As soon as he saw her, standing by the pool with the other girls from the Villa shouting “Girls on tour,” champagne still glistening on her full lips, Graham knew he had to have her.

Seeing her on the telly in the days leading up to Casa Amor, Graham had found her interesting, but hadn’t given her much of a second thought. She wasn’t his usual type––he’d always gone for curvy, petite girls he could toss over his shoulder and ravage onboard his boat––but seeing the leggy brunette in person had changed everything for him; whatever he’d told the rest of the boys had gone out the window once he’d laid his eyes on Jessie.

He’d tried to play it cool during speed dating, had tried to make it seem like he wasn’t as interested as he was just to gauge where her head was at. It worked. She’d been friendly––sweet––but he’d been quick to sense that her heart hadn’t really been in it. He’d been oddly (and annoyingly) anxious that maybe it was just him, but she’d been the same with all of the other boys. Something he’d noticed whilst watching her during every other date he was on.

There was no way in hell she was hung up on Lucas if the verbal lashing she’d given him after he’d picked her at that disaster of a recoupling had been anything to go by. He knew she was stuck on Gary, and as annoyed as he was at the prospect of having to turn her head, he was confident knowing she at least liked guys like him. It gave him an in, and he knew that was all he needed.

“Jessie? Think I can pull you for a chat for a moment?” Graham asked as he approached her where she stood by the pool with Chelsea, extending a champagne glass to the brunette.

She looked a little surprised, those hazel eyes widening for a brief moment before she nodded, accepting the glass with a small smile. “Yeah. Yeah, sure,” she agreed, following him over to a more quiet corner of the Casa Amor Villa.

“I’ll be blunt, I know you girls are worrying over who might want to share a bed with tonight but I thought I’d ask––”

“Oh. Graham, I’m sorry, I’m just not really looking for anything here. You seem…you seem wonderful, but I don’t want to give you any sort of false hope,” Jessie said, and he fought the urge to visibly wince despite knowing (and counting on) her turning him down flat. It was why he’d come up with a plan, as insane as it might be.

“Actually, I was going to ask if you knew if Marisol might want to share a bed with me?” he asked, arching a brow at her, and she blushed.

“Oh my god. Of course you––” Jessie shook her head. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to assume I was just…” Her voice trailed off and she bit down on her full bottom lip, his eyes dropping to allow himself the pleasure of tracking the motion for the briefest of moments before he looked away. “I’m sorry. Yes, I-I think Marisol would love to share a bed with you tonight.”

“No worries at all, Jess, it was a fair assumption considering where we are, so no hard feelings. Friends?” he asked, extending his free hand, and she smiled a little shyly, taking the hand he offered.

“Friends,” she agreed, and they shook on it, his own smile growing.

“Thanks for the help,” Graham said before he went off to find Marisol, though it didn’t take long, almost as if she’d been looking for him. He didn’t doubt it. And although his eyes had been immediately drawn to Jessie, he hadn’t quite been able to ignore Marisol. She was his usual type and of course she was gorgeous. Not only was she gorgeous, but she very clearly was interested in him.

But for the first time in his life, a gorgeous woman being interested in him didn’t necessarily…well…interest him. Maybe it was the fact that Jessie wasn’t his usual type but she’d captured his attention so fiercely anyways. And the thought of chasing her filled him with an excitement he hadn’t felt since his first successful voyage as captain of his own ship. Maybe it was stupid of him to play his cards this way, but he didn’t see any other way around it.

He knew if he could go back to the Villa with Marisol, he’d have a chance at winning Jessie over. She’d been wasting her time with a player like Gary, and he was looking forward to the opportunity to show her how a real man could treat her. As soon as she saw him on her home turf, she’d be his, no questions asked.

“Coffee?” Graham asked, approaching the loungers where Jessie and Marisol were both sat together, chatting quietly as they sunbathed. They stopped as soon as he was within earshot, and he fought the strong desire to smirk. Knowing they’d been talking about him filled him with an odd sense of pride though he didn’t allow himself to dwell on it for long.

“Thanks, babe,” Marisol purred, taking one of the cups from him with a smile and a wink.

“That’s so nice, Graham, thank you,” Jessie said, that flush from last night returning, pink coloring her cheeks in a way that had his heart beating a little bit faster than usual. She went to take a sip of the warm liquid (prepared the way he remembered she took it from when she’d told Gary) but stopped short when her phone buzzed. “I’ve got a text!” she yelled out, and the other islanders came running, gathering around the lounge chairs.

It was a challenge, Villa versus Villa with a cocktail party as the reward. They’d each be assigned a task and would have to find someone to help them complete it while racing against the other Villa at the same time. Graham knew they’d smash it.

And they did. The first few tasks, it was announced that Casa Amor had completed each task the quickest. Chelsea yanked Elijah into the pool for a kiss, then had Arjun give her a piggyback ride. Kassam gave Lottie a lapdance (albeit grudgingly) and Priya ran through sex positions with poor little Felix.

Jessie’s phone rang with a text and she read over it, her eyes widening a little more with every word. “Kiss another Islander for 30 seconds,” she announced, eyes flickering from the girls to the boys. Graham could practically see the wheels in her head turning, could see her thinking over who would be the best option. Arjun and Carl had been flirting pretty heavily with her, Elijah was clearly into Chelsea, and Kassam wasn’t really into the challenge at all. And Felix was…Felix.

She seemed to be following a similar train of thought as her eyes finally came to rest on him. They were friends, of course he was a safe bet. Still, Graham couldn’t deny the way his heartbeat picked up as she approached, peering at him through thick lashes; even in her wedges, he still had a good couple of inches on her though she was still tall. Taller than any other girl he’d ever been with. He gave the subtlest of nods and she slid her hand behind his head, lightly gripping the back of his neck as she brought her lips to his and––

Holy hell.

Graham had always heard people talk about fireworks when they kissed, but he’d never experienced it for himself. He’d kissed a lot of fantastic women over the years, women who knew exactly what he liked and how to make him feel good, but it all paled in comparison to this kiss. Jessie’s lips were full and soft. Responsive. There was no clunkiness to it or awkwardness. It was like they’d been doing this for forever, like they both knew what the other person would do before they even did it.

He was vaguely aware of the other Islanders yelling out their countdown but he was hardly paying attention to that. No, all he could focus on was Jessie. The smell of her body wash, something floral and feminine. The softness of her skin as he lightly gripped her hips. The feel of her palm against his cheek and her fingers in the hair at the nape of his neck.

“Thirty!”

Jessie pulled away first, and Graham regretted opening his eyes so soon. He wasn’t prepared for how fucking gorgeous she’d look when she’d been freshly kissed, lips swollen, her face flushed. Had he ever noticed that about women before? How pretty they looked after he’d kissed them?

Maybe it was just Jessie.

“You okay, Jess?”

Graham approached Jessie where she was sitting alone on the swing, slender fingers wrapped around the bottle of champers he’d seen Arjun swipe earlier in the evening before telling the boys he planned on pulling Jessie for a chat. After Arjun had returned to the poolside where everyone else was gathered, looking less than pleased, Graham had decided to go out and find Jessie to check up on her.

She looked up at him and he was shocked to see her makeup was smudged a bit under her eyes, though she still managed a smile. “I’m fine, really,” she said, though she didn’t make much of an effort to sound convincing.

“I’m guessing the chat with Arjun didn’t go well?” he asked, settling onto the swing, making sure to leave a bit of room between them.

She shook her head and took a quick swig from the bottle. “God, Graham, it was so awkward. He’s lovely and so, so funny but…I don’t know. Ugh,” she groaned, putting the bottle down on the grass before dropping her head into her hands. A beat of silence passed and she looked back up at him. “Graham, you’ve really been the only guy I can trust in here. Be honest with me: am I an idiot for thinking the boys in the Villa will be as loyal as Hope and I have been? Am I missing out on something here waiting for them?”

She’d spent two nights there now, seeming so sure of herself. Her couple. But now? On her last night there? Maybe she wasn’t as secure about where she and Gary stood as she’d come across. His chances seem to get better and better with every passing moment.

“You saw what happened before we came here. Is…should I be worried?”

Fuck. Call him a coward, but Graham couldn’t deny the ugly urge that filled his chest to lie to her. Tell her that Gary wasn’t who she thought he was. Tell her that he’d been playing some kind of fucked up game. But looking at her, looking at how damn vulnerable she looked, he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Not to her.

But wasn’t going to fudge the truth either.

“I mean, this is the guy that kissed Lottie as soon as Hannah left and kissed you, what? Twenty-four hours later? If that?” He picked up the champagne bottle and took a drink before offering it to her. “I’d be lying if I said I had the most flattering opinions of the guy. But you’ve been loyal the entire time you’ve been here. Do you really want to change that now?”

Jessie accepted the champagne bottle with a sigh. “Of course not I just––” She bit her lip, the way Graham noticed she always did when she was nervous. “I don’t know. It being the last night here is just doing my head in, I think,” she said, taking a much longer drink out of the bottle this time. “I don’t think I properly thanked you for being such a good friend to me in here. And judging by what Marisol has to say about you, I’m pretty optimistic that I’ll continue to hear your sage wisdom back in the Villa.”

“No need to thank me, Jess,” he said, resting his hand on her arm for a brief moment, treasuring the spark he felt against his skin. “I’m here for you any time, I hope you know that.”

He felt the warmth from the smile she gave him through his entire body, almost as if sunshine had flooded his veins.

“I know.”

“I’ve had such a wonderful time getting to know all of you. You boys are seriously so amazing and you’re all going to make some girl very happy. I honestly believe that. But that girl unfortunately isn’t me.” The firepit cast long shadows over Jessie as she stood there before the rest of the Casa boys, her hands clasped firmly in front of her.

Graham was already seated next to Marisol, her hand wrapped around his own, but his eyes were on Jess. He caught a glimpse of her side profile every time she glanced over to the left side of the line of boys: her button nose and her long lashes and her full lips.

“I’ve been through a lot with this boy. A lot. And I really do care about him. And so even though I’m not coupled up with him right now, I want to show him that I’m serious about him. So…I’m going to stick with Lucas.”

It wasn’t a surprise. Not to Graham, at least, though Arjun and Carl looked disappointed despite the fact that he knew Jess had turned them both down no less than five times. She sat down next to him and he gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze, earning him a small smile though he could see the nerves that lingered behind it.

The rest of the recoupling went by rather uneventfully. Chelsea switched to Elijah and the rest of the girls stuck, making him and Elijah the only two Casa Amor boys to enter the Villa. Their host came out and informed them that they would soon be joined by the Villa boys to find out if they had stuck or switched. He could practically feel Jess tense up beside him and he turned, offering her a private and reassuring smile.

“It’ll be fine,” he assured her, and it was.

The boys came out, Noah, Bobby, and Gary all unaccompanied while Lucas and Ibrahim had switched. Jess had been completely unbothered by Lucas, her hazel eyes trained on Gary from the moment he’d walked out without anyone by his side. The blonde hadn’t stopped looking at her either, the two of them eyeing each other from where they sat on opposite sides of the firepit.

He knew they were waiting to get a moment alone, and as petty as it was, Graham knew he didn’t want to be there when they finally got it.

“He’s a really great guy,” Jessie said, an arm tossed lazily over her eyes as she laid out by the pool, her other arm dangling into the crystal clear water. Ever since Graham had entered the Villa, he’d been at Jessie’s side the majority of the time. Usually with Marisol nearby to avoid looking too obvious about his intentions, but this time it was just the two of them.

Alone.

“But he’s not Gary,” he said, reaching for his water bottle.

“No, he’s not.” She sat up, fixing those gorgeous eyes on him. “But the other day in the gym, he said things were going great with Chelsea. I thought…” Her voice trailed off and she looked away, glancing across the lawn to where Gary was standing in the kitchen with Chels, the two of them smiling and chatting. “I don’t know, I guess I thought he really liked me.”

Her voice wavered ever-so-slightly and Graham’s heart felt like someone had grabbed it and squeezed it. Hard. He hated seeing her upset, so much so that it actually scared him. He didn’t care about women like this, not this fiercely.

What had Jessie done to him?

“And I guess things aren’t going great with Lucas?” he asked, and she shook her head.

“Like I said, he’s a great guy but I don’t like him in that way.”

Graham felt hope flicker in his chest, like the beginnings of a bonfire. Was this it? Was this his chance? With Gary focused on Chelsea and Lucas and Jessie obviously not clicking, this was the perfect opportunity to remind her that there were other people in the Villa. People who wanted her.

People like him.

“Jess, have you considered anyone else in the Villa?” he asked, keeping his tone even, trying not to give away the fact that he was so clearly talking about himself.

“I mean, of course I’ve considered people. I’ve probably considered everyone but that’s what you do here. Whether or not you feel anything for them is an entirely different story,” Jessie said, pushing herself up to her feet. “I’m going to go get some food, do you want––”

She’d started to walk away but he reached out and grabbed her hand before she could move any farther. “Jessie,” he said, and she froze. When had he last called her that? Jessie instead of Jess?

“Graham.” Her voice was barely above a whisper, her eyes flickering down to his hand gripping her own.

“I like her, Jess. I like Marisol, but she’s not––”

“I’ve got a text!”

Gary’s voice rang out from the kitchen, and Graham immediately dropped her hand. “Jess,” he started, but she was already walking away.

From him.

Jessie finally met his gaze as she moved closer, the sound of her heels clicking on the wooden decking seemingly echoing through the quiet night air like some kind of bad omen. There was so much he needed to say to her, but after what happened by the pool, she’d practically disappeared for the rest of the afternoon. He’d been so close to telling her, so close to admitting that he’d wanted her since the moment he saw her in Casa Amor.

He was anxious, and he couldn’t remember the last time he’d been anxious. It would have had to have been the first time he led a crew, a night when the sea had been working against him. When the waves had been unforgiving and the sky had opened up, pouring rain and thunder and lightning down onto them.

But that had been work. That had been something he’d trained for. There was no training when feelings were involved. It was like taking a boat out to sea without even a compass as a guide, just the captain and the open water and a whole lot of unknown.

Tonight though, there was one thing he could at least expect.

One of the girls would be picking first, voted on by the public. As long as it wasn’t Jessie or Marisol, everything would be okay. But then, of course, it all came down to whether he would be the first boy to choose or even just the boy who chose before Gary did. And that was assuming that Lucas wouldn’t pick her. Or maybe even someone else.

Was that what she’d been doing all day? Exploring her options with the rest of the boys? His stomach twisted into knots at the thought, especially when he imagined that she’d done it because of what he’d said to her.

He hardly noticed when his phone buzzed in his pocket. He withdrew the device, announcing the message to the group. “Islanders. The public have voted for who they want to pick first at the recoupling tonight and they have chosen…” Silence lingered in the air as they waited for the second text to come through.

His screen flashed again and his heart dropped into the pit of his stomach.

But he plastered on a smile, one that he prayed looked genuine, and read out the message.

“Marisol.”

Her expression brightened and she stepped forward out of the line of girls, her eyes fixed on him and him alone. She said something lovely, something about how she’d been waiting to find a man like him, before she crossed over to him. He pulled her into a hug, pressing his lips to the top of her head, and they sat down, looking every bit the part of a perfect couple as the recoupling continued on.

A perfect couple where half the couple was head over heels for someone else.

“...so that’s why the girl I want to couple up with is Jessie.”

Gary’s voice rang out across the firepit, and Graham watched as Jessie approached the blonde, their lips meeting in a kiss that looked like it wasn’t meant for everyone else’s eyes. Genuine and a little desperate. Needy, like they’d been struggling to survive without the other in the time that they’d been apart.

He would have rather fallen overboard than bear witness to it.

It should have hurt less, seeing them together, knowing that even if he had talked to Jess about how he felt, it wouldn’t have made a difference because Marisol still picked him. Maybe this was really his sign. Every time he’d tried to make things work with Jessie, something had gotten in the way. Whether it was another person or a disaster recoupling, she’d always been just out of reach.

Maybe she was never meant to be his.

“Graham and Marisol, your time on Love Island has come to an end. Please pack your things and say your goodbyes.”

He’d known that he wouldn’t make it to the end. Not with Marisol, at least. Not when he’d spent practically every moment of his time on the show pining for Jessie. Jessie who was looking at him with those gorgeous hazel eyes, wet with tears. The sight squeezed his heart, like that afternoon by the pool when she’d nearly cried over Gary.

“I’ll help you pack,” she said as she approached him, quickly wiping the wetness off of her cheeks.

They made their way to the bedroom together, not saying much as she began to fold his clothes, handing them off to him to pack in the small suitcase he’d brought.

“I can’t believe you’re leaving,” she said, and he swore he saw her lower lip tremble, almost as if she were trying not to completely break down in front of him. “It’s not fair. You and Marisol are great together. Lottie and Bobby are in a friendship couple, why couldn’t it have been them?”

“That’s just the way it goes,” Graham said, packing the last few items away. “Besides, I don’t think Marisol and I are going to go the distance out there.”

“What do you mean?” Jessie asked, her brow furrowed, and he sighed, looking away from her, his eyes fixed on the hard metal of his suitcase with his name scrawled across it in that stupid font.

Maybe she would never be his, but he knew he wouldn’t forgive himself for not at least telling her how he felt. He’d put it off for long enough at this point. She deserved to know.

“I like her, Jess. I like Marisol.” He forced himself to take a breath, steeling his nerves as he lifted his gaze to meet hers. “She’s not you.”

“I don’t…I…wait, what? What do you mean she’s not me?”

“I mean that I like you, Jessie. I’ve liked you since the moment I saw you. I never wanted Marisol, it’s always been you.”

It was quiet enough in the bedroom that he could have heard a pin drop. Jess looked stunned. And not the mildly surprised kind of stunned, but stunned as if someone had just slapped her across the face.

“So, what? You’ve just been playing Marisol this whole time? Waiting until you both got voted off so you could tell me that you’ve had feelings for me since Casa Amor?” She sounded angry, the sadness in her eyes long gone.

No, this wasn’t how this was supposed to go. She wasn’t supposed to be mad at him.

“What? No. No, Jess, you’re not––”

“I’m not what? Getting it? Because I think I get it just fine, Graham. Instead of being honest with me from the beginning, you not only lied to me but you lied to Marisol. Marisol who thought you genuinely liked her. God!” She shook her head, yanking her fingers through her dark hair. “It’s like I don’t even know you! I thought you were my friend but really you were just searching for a way in. I feel so fucking stupid.”

“Jess, please,” he started, gently grabbing her shoulder but she yanked away as if he’d burned her.

“This entire thing has just been a game to you. All you had to do, Graham, was tell me from the beginning that you liked me that way. Instead, you’ve lied to me and Marisol and everyone else for weeks.”

“I didn’t lie,” he said, and she scoffed.

“You just omitted the truth from me and played the girl you’ve been coupled up with.”

How had this happened? It was never supposed to happen like this, with Jess looking at him like she didn’t recognize him. It made him feel sick to his stomach, having her look at him like he was some kind of a stranger.

She finally turned away from him completely, heading towards the door.

“Jess, wait––”

“No, Graham.” She didn’t even turn to look at him. Even from where he stood, he could see the tense set of her shoulders, like she was having to physically restrain herself from turning around to face him.

“I’m done.”

#litg #litg fanfics #litg writers room #writers room #litg fanfic #love island the game #litg season 2 #prompt #ask #litg graham

60 notes · View notes

litgpersonalities · 3 months

Text

#90: Graham

#litg #love island the game #litg personalities #litg graham

2 notes · View notes

whatisreggieshortfor · 10 months

Text

Voyage Stand In

A member of his crew can’t make the voyage. So he send a cousin as a filler. It shouldn’t be a problem that it’s a girl, right?

Graham x MC

Graham was used to his boat running the way he wanted.

Even as his small crew grew with his business and he had to shift to larger vessels, he was used to it running his way.

But when a member of his screw had to stay ashore for the delivery on his baby girl, the crew mate offered a cousin to replace him.

Graham had sighed, figuring that if his mate trusted they’d do the job well then he could, too.

So he waited at the docks for Joey, unsure what the man looked liked, but figuring he looked like the ginger lad Graham had been working with for years.

And then a woman stopped in front of him. Her red waves were wrapped up in a loose braid, strays flying about her face in the morning wind, her green eyes sparkling like morning dew in the grass and freckles dotting her skin like constellations.

Holy mother of god, she was beautiful.

Graham belatedly realized her lips were moving. “Sorry- what?”

She laughed, the sound was so lovely it made the air feel like it was twinkling in his ears, “I said you’re Graham, yeah?”

“Yeah,” He nodded dazedly for a moment, “I don’t have anything to sell just yet, but if ya come back later-“

“What? No-“ she shook her head, “My cousin, Lawson? He said you needed a filler.”

“And he sent a lass?”

The woman crossed her arms over her chest, raising an eyebrow, “What’s that mean, laddie? Think just cause I’m a lady I won’t be able to keep up?”

“Mean no offense,” her beautiful face was already shifting into a scowl as he continued, “Just can’t risk ya getting hurt out there.”

“Right, yeah, well my cousin called in the favor, so I’m here.” She shoulder checked his much larger frame, managing to knock him back a few steps as she shoved past and up the gangway.

Great start to the trip.

Graham kept an eye on Joey, this woman he hadn’t been expecting, to make sure she wouldn’t get hurt. There was absolutely no ulterior motive in keeping her in his periphery. It was unthinkable to believe he just wanted to see her as much as he could.

Joey wasn’t a fan of him, it was clear. One thoughtless comment landed him in the perpetual doghouse. She called him captain sarcastically, rolled her eyes more than any other crew member when he spoke, ignored him if he spoke about anything unrelated to the job they were doing.

She was the first worker he ever had that hated him.

And he felt worse, because every day she showed him how poorly he judged her based on a misogynistic thought.

She never asked for help to pull up the crab traps. Never shied away from the dirtier jobs on deck, never cared about the lads being lads like more feminine types would’ve, unphased that they all slept in the same bunk room.

But what really turned the table in his thoughts was the day the crab trap got stuck in the middle of a storm.

The lads Graham had working for him took turns, hanging each other off the side with the hook as the rain and wind raged on, but for the life of them they couldn’t get it.

Joey walked over, handing Graham the end of a rope, “Hold tight, big guy.”

Before he could ask what he needed the rope for, she had strapped a pair of goggles onto her head and dove off the side of the ship.

“JOEY!!” Graham held tight to the rope as threatened to burn through his grip, pulling back on it as he edged to the port side and looked for her.

Just to see her treading water, “Give it a tug now, you daft tossers!” The crew began hoisting the newly freed traps up, Graham tugging Joey back on deck.

“Have you gone mad!?” He snapped as he helped her to her feet, checking for injuries, “That was the most bloody moronic thing I’ve ever seen!”

She shoved his hands off her, “I get it! You think I’m a proper idiot. Just leave it and when this blimey voyage is over we can go our own ways!” She marched off, presumably to change from her soaked clothes before she could catch hypothermia.

But Graham couldn’t believe she thought he actually believed she was stupid.

Was it stupid? Absolutely.

But was it brave? More than anything Graham had ever seen from his crew.

As most of the crew headed to a late night’s rest, Graham found himself wandering rooms on the ship until he came to the usually crowded mess hall.

It was empty save for her.

Clearing his throat, he expected the daggers she always seemed to shoot his way, but instead she looked miserable. Her nose was red, sniffles emitting as she tightened the blanket around her shoulders, “Say I told you so.” She muttered, he could hear the congestion, “You were right. I shouldn’ta come here.”

“I was-“ He snorted, “Lass, if you thought I was right then you’ve got an emptier head than I do.” Graham moved past her, clicking the kettle on before grabbing a spare blanket from the galley’s storage and wrapping it around her. He ignored the way she shivered as his calloused fingers accidentally brushed her neck, she must’ve been colder than he thought.

When he set the mug in front of her, Joey took it in her hands, “You didn’t think I belonged here when I got here.”

He huffed at himself, knowing she was right, “Yeah. But you’re worth more than half my crew. Shoulda given ya a fair shout to begin with.”

“Thanks.” She sniffled again, but this time she shot him a smile for the first time since he had opened his mouth on shore, “Traps didn’t get damaged, did they?”

“No, they-“ Graham stopped, looking at Joey in the moonlight through the porthole and the strung lights around the room, “Is that why you jumped in? You were worried they’d break?”

“Course.” She blinked, like she was stating the obvious, “Can’t go breaking your equipment, we’d be at a loss out here to fix it.”

Graham huffed an incredulous laugh, shaking his head as he busied himself making her another tea, “Come on, lass, you can rest up for the night in my cabin with my gran’s special sick tea. I’ll head to the bunk room for the night.”

By the time they made it back to the harbor with their haul, Graham was thinking he needed to send Lawson’s wife a thank you card for pulling him away because he had to send Joey in his place.

Heading down the gangway, he asked her to join his crew for the next voyage.

And she agreed, but she winked as she added the condition that he needed to take her for a pint as an apology for his assumptions.

The two of them ignored the comments when she started sharing his cabin on the voyages to come.

Masterlist

#litg #litg graham #litg graham x mc #no villa au #enemies to lovers

7 notes · View notes

queen-of-boops · 1 year

Text

Are You The One? Cast Preview

Fic coming November 23rd, 2022. Let me know if you want to be added to the tag list!

Tag list: @aislinnstanaka @future-mrs-suresh @kunepie @luckyqueenreign @hi-im-karla @crimswnred @0shewrites0 @lasswithumor @whatisreggieshortfor @rebelrayne @eskiix @mercedesdecorazon @willkimurashat @csmicletters @libelle949 @nc87penguinsfan @sparxaf

#upcoming fic #litg fanfic #litg ff #litg #litg fanfiction #litg fanfics #litg x mtv crossover #litg jen #litg graham #mo: ayto cast application

35 notes · View notes

ellegreenwxy · 11 months

Text

prologue: home sweet home

11 notes · View notes

mercedesdecorazon · 2 years

Text

LITG: Who Would Date Black Women (S2 Edition)

Hey everyone! It's me Mercedes and here I am continuing my LITG Who Would Date Black Women series! And since there was some good reception on Reddit (even though the comment section on the post was locked off 🙄), I decided to continue this.

It was fun since S2 has the most LIs in all of the seasons and they're the most diverse so I really enjoyed this. I analyzed these characters based on their attitudes, their love interests and their overall vibe in the game, just like how I did with the S1 cast.

So here is the S2 cast in who would or wouldn't date a black woman:

Arjun: Is open to it but due to cultural differences, I don't see him being in a long term relationship with a black woman. In my opinion, he prefers black men.

Bobby: Has no problem in dating black women but I honestly think that he prefers white and non-black women more. His crush on Hope fades pretty quickly compared to his crushes on Priya and Lottie. I'm sorry to my black female Bobby stans but I don't see him being in a long term relationship either 😕

Carl: Yes! Carl has definitely been in a long-term relationship with a black woman before. I don't know, he just gives me this vibe that he has definitely been with a sista before at some point in his life. So it's a yes for Carl!

Elijah: Nope. In terms of dating women, Elijah is the type of black man that dates white women only. You know THAT type.

Elisa: Yes. Immediately yes. Why wouldn't she?

Felix: Yes but he's very ignorant though so he'll have to learn some things before he can get into a relationship.

Gary: Yep, especially if she's easy on the eyes. Gary is the type of guy who would pounce on any pretty woman, no matter the race or ethnicity. The man has the highest number of sexual partners! You can't tell me that he hasn't been with a black woman at least TWICE!

Graham: Unlike Gary, I don't see Graham dating black women. He's more likely to date light-skinned non-black women of color (like Marisol) or even biracial women. Sorry.

Hannah: I don't think she has had much experience in dating black women but she would, if given the chance.

Henrik: YES! And it would be such a beautiful relationship 😍 Henrik is the type of guy who loves hard and loves everyone no matter the race, ethnicity or religion. He would prefer her natural hair over relaxed hair, wigs and weaves. You know the white guy from the movie Something New with Sanaa Lathan? That's Henrik in a relationship with a black woman.

Ibrahim: Like Mason, Ibrahim also gives me colorist vibes, I'm sorry to say. He prefers anything light, bright and white.

Jakub: Yeah. Like Gary, he would pursue anyone who would give him the time of day. He's also the type that would fetishize having mixed babies so don't do it 🙅🏾‍♀️

Kassam: Like Jake, he would be open to it but he still prefers white women mostly.

Lottie: Sure and unlike Hannah, she has had dates with black women before in her life. Would definitely do it again if given the chance. To me, Lottie prefers women more. So yes.

Lucas: YES! YES! A THOUSAND TIMES YES! Literally his attraction to Hope is a topic of contention among Lucas stans. While my fellow Lucas stans were out here screaming, crying and throwing up, I was having a celebration! YES. HE WOULD. I would even say that he lowkey prefers woc more. He says he prefers blondes but his crushes (outside of MC) are Hope, Priya, Marisol and sometimes Elisa. Stop lying Lucas! The only blond you like is Henrik!

Lucas LOVES him some sistas y'all, you have nothing to worry about with this man 😉

Marisol: She literally said that Elisa reminds her of an ex-girlfriend so yes. In terms of dating women, Marisol is open to all races and ethnicities.

Noah: Since Hope is his first choice all day, every day, uh duh! I believe Noah would be that type of biracial man who dates mostly black women and other women of color, like Asian women or Latinas. He has no problem dating white women but he prefers black women and other woc more.

Priya: I don't think she has much experience in dating other women, much less black women. It would take some time for her to open up to the possibility. Not to mention the cultural differences. It would take some time. Sorry.

Rocco: Rocco would be the type of white man who would fetishize black women's bodies, our cultures (American, Caribbean and African) and the possibility of having mixed babies. You know THAT type of white man. Very ignorant and lowkey r@ci$t. 💯 would NOT recommend him. You deserve the best.

And that's it for Season 2! Season 3 is next!

Edit: I'm tagging the awesome @ravenadottir ! I didn't think this series would be a such a huge hit but it is! Thanks for the love everyone! ❤️

80 notes · View notes

ttswl · 2 years

Text

LITG Characters as Brooklyn 99 Quotes

If someone has already done this I apologise.

Dividers by @kokokabana !

Gary : Today we face the worst Love Island has to offer— Casa Amour.

*Gary and Graham slowly walking towards each other*

Gary : Sea captain, Graham, we meet again.

Graham : Crane operator, Gary, your fly’s down— I made you look!

Gary : I didn’t look. And I’m wearing shorts, so there is no fly.

Graham : That’s not what your mom said.

Gary: You make no sense.

Graham: And now I’m inside your head.

Dylan: How’d you convince everyone to betray me?

MC: I asked if they wanted to embarrass you and they instantly said yes.

Dylan: I’m not gonna lie, that turns me on a little bit.

Hope: Lottie, please keep an eye on Marisol. She’s gonna say the wrong thing to the wrong person and get herself punched.

Lottie: Sure, I’d love to see Marisol get punched.

Hope: Try again.

Lottie, slowly: I will stop Marisol from getting punched.

Bruno: Youcef, tag in?

Youcef: No, not even if it cures cancer.

Bruno: Okay. *continues dancing*

MC, holding up two pictures: Here are two pictures. One is your gym locker and the other is a garbage dump in the Philippines. Can you tell which is which?

Bruno, pointing: That one is the dump?

MC; They’re both your locker!

Bruno: Gah! I should’ve guessed that, that’s good!

*Youcef, sitting down with Angie and MC.*

MC: What’s going on? You never eat with us. Or talk with us.

Angie: I accidentally smiled at you last week and you shined a laser pointer into my eye and screamed, “Perv.”

Youcef: Yeah, well, something’s about to be revealed that’s gonna change my social status forever. I’m one of you now. Prettier, and different, and better. But I’m one of you.

*Another scene*

MC: Oh my god, what is on your sweater?

Youcef: *Wearing a naked mole rat sweater*, As everyone knows, my spirit animal is nature’s greatest predator, the wolf. But I committed a horrible sexual blunder and I am no longer wolf-worthy. My spirit animal is now this: The naked mole rat, the ugliest animal there is.

MC: Yeah, it’s pretty ugly.

Youcef: Hey! Only I get to talk about my spirit animal that way. You don’t get to say that. Come on, MC. Gosh.

Finn: Here’s the plan: We’re gonna go to the finals, you’re gonna enjoy and fall in love with MC, you’re gonna want to pursue being in a relationship with her. And that’s a Finn guarantee.

Alfie: Your last Finn guarantee you made was that you could dunk a basketball.

*flashback*

Finn: *Standing on a ladder with a basketball in hand*, I never said I couldn’t use a ladder. Finn guarantee achieved! *Tries dunking the basketball, but looses balance and falls off*.

#sorry if these aren’t accurate lol #it’s all for funsies anyway #litg #love island the game #litg s5 #litg s2 p4 #litg 2 #litg s2 #litg gary #litg graham #litg dylan #litg hope #litg lottie #litg bruno

21 notes · View notes

ravenadottir · 1 year

Text

thinking about how everyone talks about how gary's brows don't match his hair color, i started thinking about the fact that rocco's doesn't either... nor does jakub's.

felix' blue hair is a given but henrik, rocco, gary and jakub all have those dark ass caterpillars sitting on top of their eyes, i love it!

now... if the boys do get over whatever went down on the show, as it usually happens, i would love to think some of them get together to go to the barber, especially if it's a sponsored type of deal for instagram or tik tok.

a hair date where gary, rocco, henrik, graham, jakub and felix get together monthly to get their hair color done, because these are the fuckers who have the blackest brows that don't match their hair...

cuts to rahim having his braids redone, bobby's dreadlocks being washed and hydrated/redone, lucas' entire grooming routine, elijah's washing and deep conditioning, carl's bowl cutting, kassam's side shaving and arjun's coiffing.

i just want the boys to get spoiled at the barber while gossiping 'cause you know those bitches get together once a month to dish on the news, and all of them just love to talk about things to confuse jakub and felix, who are always lost in the conversation but pretending they're in touch with reality.

noah is just relaxing in the corner because his hair is so easy and his routine is a shampoo/conditioner kind of deal. he's just observing everyone talking mad shit while "reading".

#love island the game #litg s2 #litg bobby #litg lucas #litg gary #litg noah #litg ibrahim #litg arjun #litg carl #litg kassam #litg henrik #litg graham #litg elijah #litg felix #litg jakub #litg rocco #headcanons

51 notes · View notes

mrsbsmooth · 2 years

Text

Oops graham

#LITG #LITG graham #love island the game #LITG s2 #send your requests #mbsedits

27 notes · View notes

litg-lover · 1 year

Text

Which LITG Characters Would Date a Physically Disabled Person with Some Explanation: Season 2 Boys

Would, no doubt:

Bobby, Gary, Noah, Lucas, Arjun, Carl, Kassam - I can't explain these choices, this is just fact.

Might, depends on situation:

Ibrahim, Rocco, Henrik, Elijah, Felix, Graham.

It kills me to put Henrik here, and I do think he barely belongs here, but there would be doubt there. It's fine if his partner is able to do things he can, even if adjusted for their abilities (and he's fully willing to do so), but if they're like me and can barely leave the house, even on good days, it just wouldn't happen. It's important that his partner can do things like climbing with him, so if that requirement is not met, it's not for him.

Rocco and Graham - they'd probably be one of those people on dating apps whose first message to you is 'can you have sex' and then want details on how. Like, they're curious sexually, but not really interested in actually dating a disabled person unless it benefits them somehow.

Not a chance:

Jakub - screams ableist vibes at me, sorry!

#litg s2 #litg #litg bobby #litg gary #litg noah #litg lucas #litg arjun #litg carl #litg kassam #litg ibrahim #litg rocco #litg henrik #litg elijah #litg felix #litg graham #litg jakub

3 notes · View notes

lasswithumor · 2 years

Note

Ok character bingo….. Graham 🤣

*stares into the camera like The Office*

#litg ask #litg graham

16 notes · View notes

litgwritersroom · 2 years

Text

IF YOU LIKE PIÑA COLADAS

Graham / MC - 3400+ words - @mrsbsmooth

If you like making love at midnight...

Graham remembered the first time he felt it. He was six. Six-and-a-half, maybe, and deathly afraid of the water. So his older brother picked him up, planted him on a small raft, and pushed him out into a rushing, raging river. He’d been terrified, screaming and crying, but soon realised he had a choice. Jump off and get pulled under, or fight to control his small craft. And the second be placed the oar into the water, he’d fallen in love with the feeling. The water underneath him, as he navigated his tiny canoe around what was surely just a bubbling brook. But to him, it had felt like Niagra falls.

Who knew that he’d be chasing that feeling for the rest of his life?

When he and Mara had gotten serious, he’d transferred to being office-based. Meaning he’d transferred ashore.

He missed the open ocean so badly. The rush of the sea spray on his face. The turmoil, the chaos, the unpredictability of it.

The risk. The thrill. The excitement.

And it wasn’t just his work that had him feeling like something was missing.

He’d been with Mara for three-and-a-half years. Living together for two. He'd realised it on a Friday night, mediocre leftovers in the fridge. Another re-run of a Location, Location, Location while they both scrolled through their phones, followed by mediocre sex. Him on top, fucking her until she half-heartedly came, rolling onto his back, and her riding him until he came, just as apathetically.

Every Friday was the same. Saturday was the same, but with Indian food. Sundays, they went to his Gran’s. But even that had lost its appeal. He’d always appreciated the calm waters of a routine, but this was…

This wasn’t how he wanted to live the rest of his life.

It had always been so easy in the beginning. So carefree. It used to be fun.

Randomly picking a TV show, binge watching the whole thing, and staying up until 3am debating which episode was best. Making tropical cocktails in the middle of winter, and going skinny dipping in the bay. Trying every pizza place in town, loudly arguing over the pros and cons of each ingredient.

Getting dressed up, just because. Him in his nicely fitted shirt. Her in that bright yellow sundress she always used to wear in the beginning.

Touching her used to feel electric. Every time she’d glanced at him, he’d gone weak at the knees, and rock hard in the pants. Going down on her in the back of his car. Her sneaking them onto some random sailboat, handcuffing him to the mast, and blowing him. He could’ve taken her in any position, and she’d have been begging him for it. Their chemistry had been off the charts.

She’d challenged him. Wound him up. Made him laugh. Driven him stark-raving mad. But the spark with her had disappeared so suddenly it was like it had been smothered in sand.

He wanted to surprise each other with new hobbies. Be experimental in bed. Try new restaurants. Visit new countries. Lie under the stars, pointing out constellations to each other, instead of on their backs in bed, staring in silence at the ceiling.

He loved Mara, he loved her so much… but he was drowning. The routine was sucking the air, life, and energy out of him. He just needed to find that excitement again. The adrenaline rush of something unknown.

So he signed up to Captain a three-month research expedition to the middle of the Atlantic without telling her.

He didn’t tell her until the week he was due to leave. And when he did, he knew it was the right thing to do.

Because she was relieved.

****

He dumped his bag into his cabin, looking around what was to be his home for the next three months. A bed, a wardrobe, a small TV, and a small bathroom. Perfect. Back to basics, nothing he had to worry about tidying up, or making look neat. Just somewhere to store his pyjamas, brush his teeth, and sleep. Perfect.

“Oi oi, Captain?”

Graham chuckled, turning to smile at the voice behind him. “Didn’t think you’d actually show up, sailor.”

“You having a laugh? Best mate is your first mate, them’s the rules. This is basically a boys trip.”

Gary opened the door to his cabin, next door to Graham’s and dumped his stuff on the bed.

“It’s not a boys trip, it’s a work trip I hired my best mate for.”

Gary grinned. “Sounds like a boys trip to me, Cap?”

*****

Graham didn’t have much in common with the marine biologists he was transporting, and he and Gary took opposite shifts steering the ship, so for the most part, Graham kept to himself. Watching movies. Reading. Surfing the internet. Listening to music he’d not had a chance to listen to.

He was only about 2 weeks before he realised he was going to get bored of this very quickly, so he started reluctantly telling Gary about the situation with Mara. On the ‘space’ they were taking, and what it meant.

Once they’d arrived at their coordinates, they had about twenty-four hours of absolutely nothing while the scientists took coral samples and went diving. So Graham found himself in his bedroom, settling in for a sleep.

“Oi, Graham, wake up, you lug.” Gary called, banging loudly on his door. Without waiting for a response. “I’ve got a surprise for you.”

Graham sat up, and Gary handed him his laptop, which had, up until recently, been sitting inside his locked cabin. “Oi, when did you take that?”

“Never mind. Look at this.” Gary grinned.

Gary turned it toward him, and Graham glanced down at the screen.

It was a dating profile. Or… a profile of some sort. It didn’t have a picture, but it was unmistakably his.

Male, 25-30 Looking for: Friends, Something more? Height: 6"4 Weight: Muscular Tattoos: Yes. Lots Likes: Adrenaline junkies. BDSM. Seafood. Generally being wild and unpredictable. Dislikes: Routine. Staying still.

He frowned. “Gary, Mara and I are still together.”

“You’re on a boat for three months, mate, and you’re not allowed to talk to her. On here, all you’re doing is talking to people. You’re not fucking any of them, unless one of them’s on this boat. Anyway, this website is for ‘friends’. And you’ve got a lot of lovely ladies looking to be friends with you. You’ve already got about 40 messages”

“I… what? This is live!?”

“Yup, and might I say, some of these girls are very keen to get to know you.”

“No, they’re keen to get to know…” he glanced down at the username Gary had given him.

CarpetMatchesDrapes69

“Oh, fuck you.”

Gary cracked up laughing. “Bobby came up with it. I couldn’t help it, mate. It’s too good.”

Graham rolled his eyes, but sighed. He knew what these long trips were like. Having someone to talk to other than Gary would probably be a welcome distraction. And he and Mara had promised to avoid speaking to each other as much as possible.

So, with all the world’s reluctance, he glanced down at the first message - an explicit description of how she’d make him stay still if he was in her bed.

Graham frowned, and turned the screen toward Gary.

“I don’t think PentagramDownUnder wants to be just friends.”

Gary’s eyes went wide as he read the message, whistling. “Damn. Maybe I should make a profile for me. She sounds flames”

He immediately wrote back.

CarpetMatchesDrapes69: Hi, thanks so much, but just looking for friends at the moment. Idiot mate set it up.

Gary’s mouth widened in surprise. “You’re nuts, mate. She sounds hot!”

“Yeah, and I’m not looking for hot, mate. I’m looking for someone to talk to while you’re on shift.”

Gary winked at him. “Could be both, you know?”

Graham frowned at him again.

Gary sighed, shaking his head. “Fine. I’m going to bed. But if you’re planning on replying to every single one of those girls and turning them down, you’re going to be up all night. Just remember to give them a fake name, and never send them any money.”

****

Graham sighed as Gary left the room, and he started going through the messages. Girl after girl after girl, obsessing over his height. Asking to see pictures of his tattoos. Asking about what kind of ‘niche hobbies’ he was into. It seemed to be some sort of coded sex thing.

He replied to every single one of them, one after the other, telling them he wasn’t interested in that kind of a relationship.

But just as he got through the last message, a new one appeared.

Pina-coladas: Hi! Your profile reads like a mate set it up for you. Either that, or you’re a colossal twat.

Graham laughed out loud, and smiled, before typing out a response.

CarpetMatchesDrapes69: What if it’s both?

He was just about to close the laptop, when he got an immediate response.

Pina-coladas: Then you sound like just my type lol

He chuckled, before typing out the response he’d sent to every other girl on the site thus far. Not interested in that kind of thing, just looking for friends, etc. etc.

Again, an immediate response.

Pina-coladas: Lol, no worries. I’m mostly looking for someone to chat to as well. Just seem to get on well with twats? Wonder what that says about me lol

Graham laughed loudly again. She was disarmingly nice. He checked her profile

Pina-coladas Female, 25-30 Looking for: Friends, Something more? Height: Needs a stepladder to reach things Weight: Slim Tattoos: Yes. Lots Likes: Adventures, being reckless, dares, and amateur extreme sports Dislikes: Being normal.

Graham’s eyes widened slightly at her profile. He’d never considered there might be other people in the same boat as him. Not literally. There were plenty of other people on this boat. But other than Gary, none of them seemed to be the chatting type. He sent her a message back.

CarpetMatchesDrapes69: It says you sound like fun lol. I just checked your profile. Amateur extreme sports?

Pina-coladas: Yeah, like parkour

CarpetMatchesDrapes69: Is that the thing where you climb walls and go jumping over buildings?

Pina-coladas: Yep. I count riding a trolley through the carpark as parkour though.

Graham sniggered so loudly he was worried he’d wake Gary in the next cabin. He clapped a hand to his mouth, stifling his laugh, smiling like an idiot. She was funny. His computer dinged again

Pina-coladas: Like I said… amateur.

He laughed again, and started tapping out a reply, joking back and forth about the types of amateur extreme sports you could get up to in a carpark.

Pina-coladas: So, are you going to tell me your name? Or am I just going to have to start calling you Carpet?

Graham grinned, but hesitated for a moment. Gary had told him to use a fake name, which he’d thought was silly. Even on the miniscule chance that he met someone who knew Mara, it was just talking. What did it matter if Mara found out that he was chatting to someone online? Using a fake name made him look like he had something to hide.

So it was almost as big of a surprise to Graham when his fingers seemed to type a response of his own accord.

CarpetMatchesDrapes69: Simon :)

Pina-coladas: Nice to meet you Simon, I’m Leah

Graham was up well into the night talking to her, laughing and grinning widely at how easily they seemed to click. Leah was unbelievably funny. Smart as a whip. Wild.

And up for anything.

He made a mental note to tell Gary in the morning.

*****

He did tell Gary in the morning.

He told her all about the very, very funny girl he’d ended up talking to for hours.

He told Gary a lot of things over the next few weeks, actually.

Leah was… she was something special. They’d agreed early on to not swap any personal details. Being completely anonymous made it fun. But he’d spoken to her almost every day since the first day, and every day he seemed to be more excited to be able to reply to her message.

His shift was irregular on the ship, so he didn’t always catch her when she was online, but they’d started doing stupid new things together. Mixing weird things together in the kitchen. Streaming weird, foreign movies online… Their newest obsession was crochet, which, one of the Marine Biologists was also very into, and was more than happy to give him the yarn for. He ended up making a crochet cover for the ship’s kettle. When he told Leah about it, she laughed so hard she said she very nearly peed herself.

It wasn’t long before he found himself with a little bit of a crush on her.

He settled with his laptop outside on the bow. The air was so clear out here. There was almost no light pollution whatsoever.

Pina-coladas: How was work? Are you outside?

CarpetMatchesDrapes69: Sure am, it’s bloody cold though. You?

Pina-coladas: Yup :) and aww, sorry. I’d share my blanket, but… you know. The internet.

He lay back, looking up at the stars, as they listened to a podcast together about the constellations. The podcast’s host was a woman with the most beautiful, soft voice, and Graham found himself picturing Leah next to him. Talking to him about the stars. What she liked about them. Wondering together at how many they could see, and what was out there.

The guilt had hit him like a tidal wave. He still, for all intents and purposes, had a girlfriend. But the two months he’d been away from her had brought him more clarity than even he was expecting.

Leah was everything he’d been looking for. Everything he’d been missing.

She was chaos where Mara was routine. She was exciting where Mara was… not.

He’d never clicked with anyone as quickly as he clicked with Leah. Not even Mara.

It felt like he’d known her for years.

The only problem was… how was he supposed to tell her?

And how was he supposed to tell Mara?

******

One more week.

Only one more week until the three-month trip was over.

Graham found himself a little agitated during the day. What did it mean for him and Leah? Could he still talk to her once he was home? Would he want to?

The thought of not speaking to Leah again… it… no.

Pina-coladas: Need to talk to you properly when you have a minute

CarpetMatchesDrapes69: I’m here, sounds serious lol.

Pina-coladas: What’s going on here?

He almost gasped, as he typed faster than he ever had in his life.

CarpetMatchesDrapes69: What do you mean?

Pina-coladas: Us.

Us.

His hands shook a little. There’s an us.

He wasn’t sure how to respond. But he didn’t have to, because Leah sent another message straight after.

Pina-coladas: I’m sorry to kinda spring it on you out of the blue, but it kinda hit me the other day. Won’t go in to details, but I just need to know so I can figure some other stuff out.

Pina-coladas: Basically, I like you. Pina-coladas: I have a giant fucking crush on you, and you said you’d be in Portsmouth next week. So I’m coming to Portsmouth on the off chance you might be up for getting a drink with me?

His hands were properly shaking now.

Leah felt the same way. And she wanted to meet him. In person.

The adrenaline rush of it was giving him goosebumps. He’d never been asked out by a girl before. He’d always been the one to take the initiative. He’d always ached for that validation, and this feeling topped pretty much any he’d ever had.

He could’ve lit up the ocean with the smile on his face.

CarpetMatchesDrapes69: I can’t even express how much I would love that.

He’d made up his mind.

He wanted Leah.

No matter what she looked like, no matter how far away she lived, no matter what ended up happening, he needed to give it a shot with her.

Him and Mara had fallen apart with so little pull.

And then the universe had pushed him to Leah. Pushed them together. He had to try. He had to try.

He’d never forgive himself if he didn’t.

*****

Graham pulled the ship into Portsmouth, shaking so much he almost pulled the boat into the dock. The small crew tied the boat to the pier, and the crew unloaded the Marine Biologists’ equipment while Graham tried to concentrate on the logbooks.

He closed the last one, his arms entirely shuddering with adrenaline and nerves, and his phone chimed.

Pina-coladas: ETA 20 mins :)

He glanced up toward the sailing club where he’d be meeting Leah. He turned his phone over and over in his hand, wondering he should text Mara. Tell her he was back.

But what would he even tell her?

He couldn’t exactly tell her about Leah… because right now, there was nothing to tell.

But there might be.

His hand instinctively reached for the small, red, carnation he’d crocheted as their little in joke. It was pinned against the freshly ironed shirt he’d decided to wear, his beard trimmed, nails clean.

He grinned to himself as he wondered if her carnation would be better than his? She said she’d gotten quite good at crochet.

Graham stood, coming down the gangway with a spring in his step, throwing the boat keys to Gary, who shot him a double thumbs up.

*****

Graham stood at the bar, just a glass of water, anxiously looking between his watch and the door.

“Waiting for someone?” The bartender asked.

He nodded, feeling a little reverse-seasick after being on the ship for so long.

Or maybe it was just nerves?

The door opened, and his stomach dropped like he’d gone over a thirty-foot wave.

Mara.

Oh my god, it’s a setup. I’ve been catfished.

She stepped in, clearly waiting for eyes to adjust to the dark room, but only made it a few steps before she saw him.

She froze when she saw him, almost as if she wasn’t expecting for him to be in this particular bar.

And what’s worse, she looked absolutely beautiful.

She was wearing that bright yellow sundress he loved so much. It showed off all the tattoos they’d gotten on a whim together. He couldn’t remember the last time she’d had them on display. Her hair was curly, the way he loved it, and she’d left it out. She always fussed so much about straightening her hair and tying it up for work, but he’d always preferred it natural. He hadn’t realised how long it was now.

They stood staring at each other from across the room for what seemed like hours, neither of them sure what to say. Mara was the one to break their shared gaze as her eyes dropped to his shirt. His eyes dropped to her shoulder in return.

Pinned to the strap of her sundress.

A tiny, but beautifully crocheted carnation.

He barely even had time to wrap his mind around it before he felt the smile pulling at his face. Graham watched the realisation tug at her cheek, and she shook her head as the smile broke out across her beautiful face. She walked across the bar and into his arms, and he wrapped her into the tightest hug he’d ever given her.

He inhaled the familiar smell of her hair. The familiar feel of her skin. Of her waist under his hands. The beautiful soft fabric of that sundress.

“Hi, Leah”

“Hello, Simon” she giggled into his chest.

He held her for what seemed like hours, an unbelievable electricity pulsing through his body.

“Adrenaline junkie, hey?” she whispered.

He shrugged. “You should talk. Amateur extreme sports?”

Mara’s eyes were ablaze with a fire he hadn’t seen in years.

He hadn’t seen Mara look so… so… herself.

Not since… well, since he’d gotten comfortable.

Since he’d stopped putting in as much effort. Since he’d stopped caring about whether he looked nice for her. Stopped taking her on dates to secluded beaches to go skinny dipping and running through the rain.

Since he’d stopped taking her places where she could dress up in her pretty yellow sundress.

“So… Simon. You’re paying for my drink, I hope you know that.” Mara chuckled.

He smiled at her, just about willing to pour his heart into a glass for her. “What are you having, Leah?”

She traced a hand down his arm, his skin breaking out into goosebumps at how badly he suddenly wanted her.

She stood up on her tip toes, her lips brushing against his ear.

“Surprise me”.

Mara smacked a kiss on his cheek, and grinned as she walked off to find a booth.

Graham watched her walk away, her ass swinging, a light spring in her step that made him smile wider than the first time he’d ever kissed her.

The bartender flicked an eyebrow at him, and he shook his head.

“Hey… d’you know how to make a piña colada?”

#litg #litg fanfic #litg graham #litg season 2 #mrsbsmooth #litg writers room #writers room #love island the game #litg casa amor #prompt #character spotlight

39 notes · View notes