He couldn’t sleep. He’s finally got everything he has ever wanted and he still couldn’t sleep. His phone hums lightly against the hard wood of the night stand and his hand instinctively reaches for it. The warm tone radiating off the screen helped his eyes adjust to the sudden light almost immediately. However, it took a second for his brain to process the words on the screen.

Y/N Missed Call

1 New Voicemail

His face instantly morphs into confusion. You never left voicemails. You always just kept calling and calling until he picked up, which always drove him nuts, however, now seeing the voicemail notification on his phone only unsettles him. Carmen sat up from his supine position, carefully so as to not wake the peacefully sleeping Claire. He swings his legs off the mattress and props himself up by placing his elbows on his knees with his head hanging low, peering at the screen. He debates whether or not to listen to the recording or wait until morning, which he would admit was stupid to consider as even he knows deep down he can never stall anything involving you. His thumb was quick to click on the notification before he could consider anything else. “C-Bass!” The sheer volume of your voice made him wince and rush to turn it down. A comforting warmth spread throughout his chest hearing the stupid nickname you gave him in middle school. “I’m assuming that you’re listening to this in the morning, but with your shit sleeping habits I know you’re listening to this right now. I just wanted to say that I’m leaving for New York—“ Carmy’s relaxed body immediately became rigid and he began searching for his shoes in the dark. There’s so many things he wants to tell you and to finally get off his chest, but you continue.“Like I’m at the airport right now—“ He halts his movements “So don’t try to run over here” you let out a breathy laugh and he can feel his heart seize up at the sound that never ceases to amaze him. You’ve had that effect on him since you’ve become friends but he has become unbearably aware of it in recent days. “I, uh, just wanted to start by saying that I’m sorry. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but it’s just been so hard— and now with the restaurant it felt even worse—“ You had to take a second to breathe and regain your composure and he wanted to do nothing more than to ease you through it and calm you down. “It— I got an offer from MoMA— Well, I submitted some pieces to them and Robbie vouched for me, but I got the offer last week.” you didn’t sound as proud as you should be, but that didn’t matter. Carmy was ready to take over for you and he gladly let the emotion rattle through him. He didn’t understand much of the complexities that go into your art just like you don’t understand the complexities of the culinary world, but that never stopped him from being proud of you even if it wasn’t something monumental. No one has been as proud of you as Carmy has and he will gladly continue to hold that title. “They need me over there for the installation and other artsy fartsy things, that I won’t bore you with.” You laugh, but it wasn’t as genuine as he hoped it would be and you let out a sigh.

He’s getting antsy. Carmy couldn’t stop his left leg from subconsciously bouncing, so he opts to stand up instead. Your voice continues as he quietly makes his way to the living room and takes a seat on the couch. “I just need to get out of here, C, and this was my chance like I finally have a reason to leave— maybe semi-permanently.” All your explicit and unexplicit reasons were always good enough to Carmen and he’s surprised you even stayed here this long. There was a piece inside of him that wished you agreed to go to New York with him and maybe things would have played out differently. He feels like a righteous asshole just thinking about it with Claire sleeping soundly in the next room. You draw in another breath, clearly dwelling on certain emotions that you’re uncertain of baring to him, which pains him that you even had to think about telling him anything. “I told my ma and pa and all them about me leaving and they took it well, actually, maybe too well— This is stupid, but— I stayed for them and they just wanted me gone. Everything I did and everything I sacrificed is dust. I don’t know, man, maybe I was looking or, uh, hoping for a different reaction, I don’t know.” You let out a deep sigh and he can picture you slumped down on one of those awful O’Hare lounge chairs with your spare hand rubbing the long day away from your face. “I should’ve kept calling you so I could hear your voice. You always make everything better, Carmen. I hate that I couldn’t tell you—“ Your voice was barely above a whisper like it was meant only for yourself. Your name is heavy on his tongue and he can feel his right hand twitched slightly as if to reach out to you. As if you weren’t solely an image in his head and the closest you’ll ever be to him in months. He stands up again to pace around the living room so he could have something else to focus on. “But— I just knew that if I did I wouldn’t be at the airport right now. You make me do crazy things Berzatto…” Your voice trails off slightly at the end and he knows you’re listening to the voice that’s coming from the overhead speakers, but he swears the phone grows cold without your cheek pressed against it. “Anyways—“ You regain your composure and continue with the warmth returned to the cellular device, “Bizarre-o tangent over, the Bear is going to be great and everyone is going to love it. You have nothing to worry about and you have an amazing thing going with Claire and I just want to let you know how proud I am of you and everyone who made this crazy ass thing work! God, this is nuts but— Alright, alright, I actually have to get going or the stewards are going to have my head on a pike, see ya soon you crazy bastard”.

The line went dead and the warmth that you graciously provided was gone as the metallic cool of the robotic voice took over. He finally sits down again and lets himself become shrouded in unpleasant darkness. The whirlwind of emotions that plagued him earlier were now absent which made him feel somehow worse. Nothing to keep him company except the gloating sun, who is attempting to make its appearance just beyond the horizon. As he watches the amber light pool into the room, there is an onslaught feeling of a fifty pound weight tucked into his stomach.

Carmen feels sick.

The heaviness in abdomen is awash with acid and he feels like he is going to vomit, yet he can’t do anything but sit there with itchy hands. The bile at the base of his throat finally flips a switch in his brain. The last fibers of control dissipate as memories swiftly flood his senses. They crash and collide. Violently dissolving like sea foam on sand only for them to recede into waves and surge forward again and again. It’s a blurry mess, but his hands find it easy to call you. It’s all he needs to reach his calm. He needs it just as much as you need him. The initial ring echoes through his head and the pause lasts for an eternity. His face is running hot and he’s thinking too much. It’s something he already knows, but once he starts it’s hard for him to stop. All the different possible scenarios are playing rapidly in his brain and he can’t keep up. The phone buzzes again, still trying to connect him to you. His hand is swimming through his hair impatiently as he starts pacing the living room for the uptenth time. The phone hums steadily another time. All of his emotions are caught in his throat and his stomach is in a perpetual knot. His breathing is shallow leaving his lungs aching for more and it’s almost as if there was no more air left in the atmosphere.

Then it clicks.

“Hello, sunshine” Relief crashes over him eagerly when the sound of your voice reaches his ears. He can tell that you're smiling and he can even see it briefly when he closes his eyes. Carmy is finally able to stop pacing and takes a second to sit down on the cool tiles of the kitchen floor.

“C-bass” You elongate the notes in a singsong way to reel him in. Your voice sounds off. It was hard for him to pinpoint at first but now it was easy to hear it was the nerves eating you up. “Yeah, yeah, I’m here” he sighs, the heel of his hand rubbing his left eye, “I, uh, thought you weren’t going to pick up.” He can feel the exhaustion settling in as he slouches against a cabinet. You fight with your carry-on as you move through the quiet terminal. It’s a maze of sleeping bodies and you try your best not to wake them. Once you reach your designated gate and find a semi-secluded spot, you continue ”Sorry about that, they changed the gate and delayed the damn thing.”

”I’m glad” Carmy mumbles without a second thought as he reveles in your long distance presence. ”You’re glad I’m stuck here?” You try to act all serious but he can hear the lightness in your voice and he can’t help but crack a smile. ”No, no, it’s just— uh, I’m glad that I can hear your voice” the cadence in his words forces you to bite down on your bottom lip to stop the stupid grin from spreading. It’s the Carmy effect. Idiotic smiles are plenty when the two of you are together.

”Fuck, me too” Your voice contradicts the violent affection that rattles your insides. It’s shy, almost as if you were embarrassed to admit it. There was a beat of silence, but Carmy beat you to speaking first. ”So, uh, how long is your plane delayed?” His now steady hand ghosts over the grooves in the tile. You were still battling the nerves from earlier, but thought it was an opportune time to actually apologize to Carmy ”Only like an hour. It took me over half of that to walk to the other side of the airport— Hey, listen, I just— I wanted to tell you I’m sorry—“

”No, no, I get it. I would have done the same—“ Carmy waves you off as if you could see him. ”I still feel bad“ you groan and lean your head into your hand in an almost facepalm fashion. You hate that you feel bad but you always do and you always will. It’s unavoidable. “Don’t, I didn’t when I left” he shakes his head to get rid of the memory of that day. He was trying to hold on to this tranquility the best he could and not derail again. ”Really?” You pause for a moment before asking, “Did you miss me?” Your subconscious emotions getting the better of you. ”Fuck, yeah like a lot. I wish you didn’t ditch me.” He was sincere like always and you can feel the guilt boiling in your stomach, ”Me too”.

“I think—,” Carmy pinches the bridge of his nose in thought, “Wait, uh, I know that it would’ve been better with you there”, he sighs and lets his hand fall back into his lap. ”Fuck, Carm, I miss you so much already and I haven’t even left the city yet” you try to make yourself laugh to get away from the regret that soared through your body, but you couldn’t. “I’ll come up there as soon as I can and help you unpack—“

” And, I’ll give you an apartment tour and show you my art displayed all fancy at the museum” You were already getting giddy at the prospect of the two of you being reunited. “I would love that, actually”, Carmy smiles into the phone as he imagines taking you on a personal tour of NYC.

”Great, because you still owe me a hot dog”

“You still won’t let that go, huh?”

“It was like the most perfect hot dog and you made me drop it, asshole!”

“Sorry, sorry, okay?” he laughs along with you, “I’ll get you another one. There’s this place in Hell’s Kitchen—“

”Fuck, Carm can you give me a sec?” You hate to interrupt him especially when he was in the middle of his excited prospect, but the airport attendants were making announcements and soon enough they will be calling up groups. You struggle to hear the muffled voice over the speaker and Carmy can hear you shuffle around to get a closer listen. After a few moments, you are able to piece together that the plane is on schedule and that Group A has been called to front.

“Fuck, sorry, Carm, I gotta go”

”No, I get it. Call me when you get to your new place”

”No, yeah, I will and Carmen—“ you interrupt yourself and flounder for a second. The words are heavy on your tongue. “I love you” the words roll off your tongue differently this time. They’ve always carried a hearty weight to them, but this time it felt like a confession. It sears his soul unlike anything he has ever felt before and you pay no mind to the flames raging in your ribcage.

“I love you too” it falls from his lips automatically without hesitation. He swears that his words are tinged with something else. The edges of the words flickering for something more. It holds a familiarity but he can't quite grasp it in the moment. “Carmen, get some sleep ok?” and your line goes dead.

“Dude—“ There was the beginning of a giggle in his voice as he took a few steps toward you. “What?” You narrowed your eyes at him, in well known skepticism, and prepared to bolt. Eddie was trying his damndest to contain himself as he now stood directly in front of you. “Oh, pfft, it's nothing, it’s just that you have a, uh—“ he plucked a rogue berry out of your hair and ate it with much delight to your own personal horror. “Ew! What the hell is wrong with you, Munson?!” You pushed your hands out in front of you in disgust. “Everything” he laughs in your face. You grimaced at his reaction and gave him a playful shove. ”You’re— so gross!” You made a dramatic show of your hands before you turned to start walking to your true destination, the creek. You could hear him cackle like a maniac as he caught up to you. Eddie almost knocked you over when he slung his heavy arm around your neck to bring you closer to him so he could whisper in your ear, “You know damn well I’ve done a whole lot worse” and your response is reduced to a squeal when you unexpectedly felt his hot wet tongue lick the side of your face. The sensation made you drop the bag you were holding.

“Eddie!” You shouted as you watched the items roll down the steep hill. The two of you chased after the items, but in doing so Eddie misstepped and was sent tumbling down. Unfortunately, you were not much farther ahead of him and his footing took you down as well. As your bodies took the abuse of the hill, Eddie was able to grab onto you and tuck you closely into his own form, so when the abrupt stop of the hill came, he took the brunt of the impact. You and Eddie laid there for a minute as you tried to recollect your scrambled brains. Nothing humbles you more than rolling down a hill and this hasn’t been the first time to happen, so you consider yourselves very humble people.

“You okay?” His hands lazily brushed off the broken grass that littered your body. You propped yourself up on your elbow to take a better look at him. “Yeah, I’m all good. Are you?” You leaned in closer to inspect his face. He seemed fine, just a bit dazed. The closeness of your bodies coupled with how you were looking down at him and the humid Indiana heat stirred something deep inside of him. “Kiss me” he murmured and watched as your lips slightly parted. He knew he would be able to play it off if it went awry. You looked like you were about to give in, but you quickly overcame it and sat up. “Get over yourself, Munson” You huffed and dusted the remainder of the grass off your clothes. “I just cushioned your fall and that's the thanks I get?” He continued to lie on the ground with his hands behind his head. “You're the reason we fell in the first place, dingus!” You were getting annoyed and the afternoon sun beating down on you made matters only worse. “Bin’s starting to rub off on you” Eddie smiled at you contently as he reached his hands out. He beckoned you to him with wiggling fingers and it worked. Your hands were immediately clasped around his and you struggled to pull him up. “Are you even trying to help?!” You struggled against his weight before he unexpectedly shot up and almost knocked you guys back down again.

“Eddie! Fuck sake!”

“What?” He looked amused with a stupid grin plastered on his face. “You’re so fucking— Let go of my hands!” You fought to free your limbs from his grasp but he wouldn’t budge. “Eds, please knock it off!” You whined. Your hands went slack and you saw him pout, probably because you gave up. “Fine, fine, fine!” He moved his head from side to side and finally let you go.

Without another word other than Eddie’s grumbling, you and Eddie got started on picking up the contents of your bag. Luckily for your stomachs, none of the food and drinks spilled or got squished and the items were packed up in no time. The silence that followed you on your path to the creek was not uncomfortable, but rather soothing. It was nice to walk side by side with someone and let the crunch of the grass and talkative bugs fill up the air. You could tell you were getting close to the rolling waters by the gradual coolness of the air. Then the trees slowly gave way to sloped rocky terrain.

“Damn, it's empty as shit today” It was indeed empty as shit. Not a single person was in sight and it looked like no one had been here in a while. You turned and grinned at each other, before you booked it to the giant flat top boulder. Usually, the rock was used exclusively for diving, but since no one was there and no one was going to show up in the foreseeable future, you decided it was a great spot to settle down. “I never thought I would be so happy about a public pool” Eddie said as he quickly stripped himself of his shirt and shoes. “Yeah, well, maybe we would understand what the hype was about if we— I mean you— didn’t get us banned—”

“It takes two to roughhouse—”

“You tackled me first!”

“Whatever, dude, Billy had it out for us anyways”

“Yeah, sure— can you untie my shoe? I got a knot in it again” You held out your right foot and Eddie crouched down and placed your foot on his knee. “This has to be your superpower or something, because how can someone do this every time?” His fingers work expertly to take the knot out and soon enough he was untying your left shoe. Dealing with cables on a daily basis does give you expertise in something. “If I knew how I did it I wouldn’t be having this issue, Edward” You smiled down at him and watched him cringe when his full name left your mouth. “Really? We’re going there?” He pulled the sides of your sneakers to loosen up the laces and give you enough room to slip them off. You pretended to mull over your answer and stroke your chin, “Yes, I think so, Edward.” He stood up and narrowed his eyes at you and flicked a random leaf off your head, “You're lucky I am in a good mood today.” Eddie walked away from you as you slipped the remainder of your clothes off which left you in your bathing suit and shorts.

“Oh, am I?”

“Yes,” He held his index finger in the air before he continued, “In fact, I’m going to be fair and let you fight me for the title of King of the Rock.” Eddie curled his arms and flexed his biceps at you and you rolled your eyes. “You’re a cheat—” You crossed your arms in front of you and walked to where he was at the edge. The water lapped softly against where you stood. The rock wasn’t extremely elevated but it still served as a good vantage point and diving spot. ”No, I am not. I am simply a wizard at hand to hand combat” He was definitely a cheat, but he would never admit it to anyone, especially you. King of the Rock was rather simple, whoever fell into the water first loses. The kids would sometimes team up to fight Eddie, but usually it was one on one.

“Whatever, cheater.” You turned towards each other and Eddie beckoned you to him. “Fine, you can grab me first.” His arms were in front of him at 90 degree angles. You grabbed him by his waist and his hands were instantly on your shoulders. He stumbled back a little. His heel was a hair away from hanging off the edge of the rock. Eddie leaned closer to your ear and chuckled, “Rookie move”. His breath fanned your neck and made your grip falter slightly. He took the advantage and surged forward which led him away from the edge and put you on the cusp of a fall. Your legs tried their best to push forward but Eddie wouldn’t budge. You tucked your elbows into your sides, locked your arms, and tried again. In that attempt, he slid back with a grunt. The two of you teetered back and forth. Neither of you wanted to be bested by the other.

“How cold do you think the water is?” He grunted in your ear and the wispy ends of his hair tickled your face lightly.

”Shut up—“ You mumbled through gritted teeth as you tried your best to hold your ground, “You’re trying to distract me.” You were able to nudge him backwards but your strength was diminishing. “Oh, am I?” He taunted and he slid his left hand from your shoulder to your waist which gained him more leverage. “Fuck—” you gasped and that allowed him to slide you closer to the edge. “Do you give up?” He sighed and you knew he was on the brink of giving up. “No way, asshole—” you bent your knees slightly and used the last bit of strength you had to tackle Eddie off the massive rock and into the awaiting waters below.

You both resurfaced at the same time with a coughing gasp. The water was sweet and cool and definitely worth the long trek. “That was a good one. I think you knocked my brains out.” He let himself float on his back and he slowly drifted away from you. “Really? I didn’t know you had one to begin with” You giggled at your own comment as you doggy paddled after him and he just rolled his eyes. His hand reached out to you and you were happy to grab it and brought him closer. You were standing now and you could feel the algae covered rocks at the bottom. The water lapped up to your collar bones and you thought for a second, “You didn’t hit the bottom did you?” The memory of your knees skinning the slick ground made you paranoid. “No” His eyes were closed and his hair followed the current. He felt you staring at him and opened one eye, “Want to swing off the rope?”

”Yeah—” You splashed him and tried to make a run for it, but it proved to be difficult as you had to fight the current and uneven terrain. You were still the first one to reach the rope and you used it to haul yourself onto the flat stretch of land. There was only room for one person to stand, so Eddie waited below with the water that skimmed his shoulders. The worn rope held you as you leaned back on your heels, “Will you catch me?” The water was nowhere near deep enough to drown in, but it was still scary when you were flying through the air George of the Jungle style.

“Yes, dipshit!” Eddie yelled and you grinned like a maniac as you got a running start. You tucked your legs close to your stomach before you ran out of land and let your arms carry your weight. When you reached the highest point you let go and let your body free fall into the water below. Eddie did manage to catch you, but he let you take him down. He pulled both of you back up to the surface. “Fuck, I always forget how fun that is” You laughed while you wiped the water away from your face but Eddie doesn’t let you go. His forehead is on yours and droplets from his wet hair rained down on you. His eyes were closed and his eyelashes were thick with water. You could kiss him. It wouldn’t be hard to close the gap and have your lips meet, but you refrained and he opened his eyes. “Sorry” he sighed and you gave him a lopsided smile. “It’s okay. Do you need a hug?” You scanned his face to try and read him, which unfortunately has been getting harder. He leaned back and to your dismay he let you go. You felt cold without his closeness. Eddie pushed his wet hair back and proceeded to shake his head vigorously splattering you with water. You shrieked and splashed him with water which prompted a water fight.

After that, the two of you milled around in the great empty expanse of the creek. You went through the motions of diving, swimming, and fighting again until an all too familiar ache screamed from your stomach. You were the first one to get out of the water, but Eddie still carried on. Your hands were pruny beyond recognition and your stomach yearned for food. After you tightly wound a towel around your neck, you poured out the contents of the lunch bag onto another towel. A myriad of snacks laid before you, but the sandwiches called out to you the most. You were one bite away from finishing your sandwich when Eddie flopped down across from you. The ashiness of the rock disappeared and turned darker under Eddie’s wet mass. A bloated humanly figure would surely be left behind. You tossed his towel in his direction and it landed on his face, but he didn’t flinch. “Fuck, I’m tired. I don’t know how I’m going to make it back” His voice came out muffled under the density of the towel. “Maybe we can hitch a ride” You took a sip of your semi-cold drink, the plastic is sweaty in your hand. You guys have hitchhiked before and got rides from Officer Powell, Randy, and other Hawkins natives. It’s not the safest, of course, and it’s never guaranteed you’d even get picked up, but at least it was an option. “I’ll keep that in mind” He flipped over onto his stomach and used the towel as a pillow. He used his spare hand to grab his sandwich. “You’ll get a stomach ache if you eat laying on your stomach” You warned and he whined. He’s such a baby, but he knew you were right and sat up with much complaint. “This is like… Really good. Heavenly, even.” Eddie said between mouthfuls and you let out an unamused laugh. “I think it’s the hunger talking, Eds” You shoved the last bite in your mouth. “Maybe, but it’s still good” He’s already demolished the sandwich that took you a while to eat.

The two of you took your time and picked your way through the food. All that was left were the strawberries and mulberries which Eddie has hogged. You ate in relative silence besides the busy water and the chime of wildlife. It was hard not to stare at his stretched out form, never scared to take up space. It’s what you liked about him the most. The sun that shined down casted organic shapes onto Eddie. The contrast between the shadows and the fluttering light made it look like soft lighting danced on his skin. ”What? Why are you lookin’ at me like that?” The tips of his fingers had turned a deep reddish purple from the mulberries. You refrained from saying something snarky, “It’s nothing. I just miss hanging out with you is all.” You shrugged your left shoulder as you slowly ate the last of the strawberries. ”Awe, you missed me?” A lazy lopsided grin stretched across his lips and he turned his head to look at you head on. “Don’t get ahead of yourself, but, yeah I did. We haven’t hung out in what? Weeks?” You watched him as he agreed and nodded his head. Eddie tossed another berry into his mouth but this time a rogue drop of juice sprayed his cheek.

“You, uh, got some on your face” You pointed to the general area, but he kept missing the spot. “Did I get it?” He tried to look down at his own face to find the stain. It caused you to laugh and he sat up and gave you a very serious look, “Hey! This isn’t funny. I don't want hot babes to think I have some strange and incurable disease!” It only made the laughter come out harder as you crawled closer to him. “Here— Let me help” your hand reached out without a second thought. Brows furrowed as you worked to clean the area on his cheek. You didn’t see his eyes as they fluttered close under your gentle hand. “Y/N—“ He couldn’t help but sigh into your touch. Hands so cold on his warm face. The stain wasn’t gone completely, but it was faded enough to blend in with his summertime freckles. His eyes are still closed as you scanned the rest of his face. Maybe it’s what gave your thumb the courage to ghost over his speckled plump bottom lip. “Your lips—”, are so soft, “Are stained too.”

You wanted to give in so badly, but the only rational part of your brain held you back like a kitten by the scruff of the neck. “Are they?” Eddie is scared to breathe. He doesn’t want you to move away. You thought the sun had finally got to you and your hand instantly snapped back to your chest, “Fuck, sorry”. You leaned back. The need for distance called to you insistently as it tried to prevent you from doing something stupid. You weren’t his type anyways. It was well known that Eddie didn’t have a type, but you were certain that you were outside the realm of possibility. Not that you thought about it often, of course.

”It’s fine” his hand snaked up to the back of your neck and brought you back to him. Temple to temple. Cheek to cheek. If only he moved you a little more. If only you were a little braver. “Are you okay?” He’s been extra touchy today and usually that meant he was in the trenches. “Yeah, I just want to kiss you so bad” He whispered into your ear. Your breathing faltered at his confession. It certainly wasn’t what you expected and his casualness made your hands tremble. You could feel your heartbeat in your throat. Your hands offered reassurance as they wrapped around his forearm and elbow while you tried to find your voice.

”Why don’t you?”

”I don’t want to freak you out”

”I won’t”

”Promise?”

”Promise”

That was all the confirmation he needed and he nudged your head up with the side of his face. Eddie’s forehead rested on your forehead with the side of his nose pressed against yours. You could feel his shaky exhale on your face and you closed your eyes just like him. His lips started off as ghosts over your own. When you didn’t flinch back, it gave him enough confidence and he surged forward. It was slow and brutal as you explored this new territory diligently. The pure desperation is palpable from both sides. Teeth clashed against each other as they begged for more and more. Your hand traveled to the slope of his neck to tug him closer. Your thumb lazily traced the column of this neck. The motion elicited an intoxicating hum from Eddie and he encouraged your face up to get more access to your lovely mouth. Your chests were tight with the need to breathe, but it only made you kiss faster. You needed this moment and you tried your best to savor each movement.

Eddie was the one who abruptly pulled you away and you both gasped out for air. Lungs needy for substance. A string of saliva momentarily connected Eddie to you. It shimmered in the falling sun, before it split. He chuckled softly as he watched you try to dive back into another kiss with still heaving chests. His hand that still cradled the nape of your neck held you back. He took this time to soak in your features. He thought you looked so pretty too pretty to be stuck here in bum-fuck nowhere Indiana. Eddie indulged himself and let his thumb wipe the saliva from your bottom lip. He wanted to delve his thumb into your mouth but decided against it.

Not right now, but he knew you would let him.

This was years in the making and he wouldn’t have it any other way. He still wished he kissed you sooner. Maybe you’d be going steady by now. “Was that good?” He hated how uneven his voice sounded. Your eyes went wide, “Yes! That was great— D-did you think it was good?” He’s never seen you this panicked before and he broke into another smile. He nodded his head vigorously. The damp ends of his hair tickled your arm, “Yeah, Yeah, You’re everything I dreamed of.” You rolled your eyes at him and he shook his head. His hands fell to your shoulders and he tried to suppress his laughter, “No, y/n, I’m dead serious! C’mere.” This kiss was quick and light as he tried not to get too lost in the moment. He pulled away again but didn’t leave you too far behind. You liked this, being close to him without worrying. It was nice. His cheek rested against yours again and it filled you with bubbly warmth.

You trudge through the Carrera house with only your girlfriend in mind. The two roommates that you had, Rachel and Anna-Marie, were at it again. They had been childhood best friends but as of right now they were lifelong enemies. Truly, you didn't think one semi to below-average man would drive a severe wedge between the two, yet here you are on the edge of insanity. It started with one-off comments and backhanded remarks which then snowballed into screaming matches that lasted until 3 am. You were beyond over it and even having your own roommate-free dorm room wasn't enough. You needed your girlfriend. Kiara without a doubt made everything better. Maybe it was her attitude about the world, how she could make the sun come out in the cloudiest days, or how wise beyond her years she was but she always knew how to handle every situation.

As you made your way through the lively house you poked your head into the kitchen where Mr. Carrera was and gave him a gloomy hello, before continuing on to the girl's bedroom.

Your mood was immediately boosted from just the sight of her. She was propped up against her headboard lazily flipping through her notes for an upcoming environmental class.

Overdramarically, you pretend to throw yourself on top of Kiara, but before you could hit her with much force you gently lowered yourself, stomach down, on her lap.

"Well, hello to you too babe" she giggled as she rolled you over enough for her to give you a quick peck on your lips. She cleared off her books enough for you to flip yourself off of her and onto her bed. Kie hovered over your face and once she saw your troublesome expression her face dropped. She hasn’t seen you this way since Black Friday when you worked back-to-back shifts at the mall.

“Oh my god, babe, what happened?” She softly incased your face with her warm hands and caressed your cheek with the pad of her thumb. You hummed in approval and let your eyes flutter closed before you let out a deep sigh “Matt is what happened”. Just by mentioning him by name you could feel your headache intensify. Kiara scoffed “Jesus, that shithead?” you could only nod along to her disgust. She gently tugged on your arms signaling you to move up and be closer to her which you obliged without a second thought. You let your head rest on her chest while you loosely wrapped your arm around her waist. Kiara tightly embraced you and slightly moved you side to side while doing so, making you grin.“There’s at least a dozen Matts’ on campus like do they have to fight over the same one?” She huffed while absent-mindedly drawing lazy figures on your back. “They'd probably treat them better too” You grumbled and a flood of shitty memories of Matt came crashing into your brain. "Fuck, I should’ve listened to you and stayed home" you groaned and buried your head into the crook of Kie’s neck causing her to giggle at the sudden movement.

"Maybe we could give searching for apartments another go?" She pressed a warm kiss on your forehead causing you to slightly smile.

“Hmm… Maybe if you don’t mind” You definitely wouldn’t mind living together and could just picture how nice it would be waking up next to her every morning.

“I’ve been thinking about moving in together for a while now anyway, it would be another check on my adult goals” Kiara’s gaze shifted towards the window in her room and could see it was dark out now and she finally knew a perfect way to fully alleviate your still sour demeanor. She knew of your love affair with shitty made-for-tv movies and knew just the perfect one to play. Kiara excused herself to get her phone from across her room and turned on her projector in the process. You were oblivious to what she was doing as you made yourself more comfortable on her bed and flipped through her environmental health notes. Kiara and her mother had recently watched a hallmark movie that was an absolute cheese-fest, just how you like them, and recorded for you to watch later. After she rigged up the movie on the projector and got it to a specific scene, she turned off her lights.

“Hey! I was just reading about the Endocrine Disruptors!” The lights going off startled you but your girlfriend just shushed you. “You’re going to ruin the moment” she stated obviously and quickly hit play before you could even begin to retaliate. Kiara cleared her throat and got into position with an unassuming smugness embellishing her features.

“May I have this dance?” Kie mimicked the man’s gravelly voice then she dramatically bowed and held out her hand. “Kie, what the fuck?” You let out a baffled laugh and she frantically motioned you to take her hand. You finally take her hand and she escorts you off the bed to the open space in front. She effortlessly twirls you around and her free hand finds its place on your lower back as your hand settles on the nape of her neck. You fall into step with ease, it was something that became second nature. It’s hard to contain the smile that is eager to engulf your features, especially when you look into her eyes. They were filled with adoration, which cut through the dimly lit room with ease. The butterflies in your stomach were becoming unruly by her gaze and her soft touch, so you nestled your head into the crook of her neck. Kiara let her arms wrap around your waist as your arms fell around her neck. She hummed along to the shitty music that blared through the speakers all the while gently swaying to the beat.

“Thank you” You whispered, before placing a delicate kiss on her cheek.

When you woke up this morning you knew it was going to be an awful day, even before hearing the tantalizing voice of the frat boy you were recently tangled with. The two of you were only excessively spending time with each other to keep up with the appearance that you two were "dating". It was pretty stupid, you weren't going to lie, but after Sarah Cameron, the royal kook herself, dumped Topper for a slight downgrade and you had been kicked to the curb by your own royalty adjacent shit eater boyfriend, both of your parents were desperate for you two to find someone else. The begging and crying had got so bad that you finally caved and asked Tops to be your boyfriend until you could find someone else. You expected him to turn you down immediately, wanting to reminisce in the heartbreak, but he was rather excited especially with the prospects of possibly making Sarah just a tad jealous. You and Sarah haven’t been on speaking terms since the 7th grade and your history had been messy since the start. It was a win for both sides of the party and a deal neither of you wanted to miss out on. It came with its consequences though, you had caught feelings for Topper and you caught them hard. The more time you spent with the frosted tip goalie the more you had to keep reminding yourself that this "relationship" wasn't real and you had started regretting ever doing this in the first place. On top of your emotional distress, you were now sick. The sickness that was milling around while you were asleep was now ravaging through your body. You should've started chugging Nyquil two days prior, but being an idiot you just ignored it, and now you’re sicker than shit. It was concentrated in your chest and nasal passages. You could feel the mucus slowly building in your chest. It sat heavily at the base of your throat as the access spilled out through your nose.

"Babe, you are not going to believe this!" He was loud, so much so that your alarm would be jealous. This vocal range was reserved for special occasions since he is known for exclusive using his indoor voice, so you knew something was up.

"Can we cut it out for today Box Tops?" You croaked from the nest of blankets and pillows that you created.

"Ew, oh my god, y/n, are you okay?" He was aghast at the sight in front of him. You were buried under multiple blankets, so much so that he could only tell that you were in there because of the used tissues that were scattered all over your bed.

"Why does your room look like a 14-year-old's room?" He continued not allowing you to gather enough air in your flooded lungs to hack out an answer. Topper left his shoes by your door which you had to train him to do.

"Because I'm sick, you asshole!" With all your might you could barely bring yourself to semi-yell and you immediately regretted it as it sent you into a coughing fit that only flamed your burning throat and lungs.

"Go home, Top, I don't want you to get sick" you added after you recovered and shimmied inside your cacoon to face him better. You swore that he got cuter from the last time you saw him which was about 28 hours ago. Topper took a few steps forward before you threw out your hands.

"Don't get any closer!"

"What why?" He teased inching forward, letting his backpack, which he let you embroider, slump against your bed frame.

"You already know why!" You stated sternly, yet he still ignored you. Topper immediately jumped onto your bed and engulfed you in a gator hug.

"What the fuck!" You were able to place your foot on his stomach and push yourself away from him, but that was short-lived as he wormed his way under the blankets.

"Just shut up and enjoy my company" he reached out and pulled you to him wrapping his arms around you comforting you.

"Topper James Thornton, you're going to get sick and then die!" You try to fight him off again but he doesn’t even budge.

"I accept my fate!" He proclaimed giving you a quick kiss on your forehead and lessened the grip he had around you. You were going to continue fighting him but instead, you let a sigh escape your lips and dropped your head onto his shoulder. There was nowhere else to place your arm except around his waist. You slowly walked your fingers across his middle until your arm was wrapped around his waist it was almost like second nature at this point. The both of you stayed like that for a while. It let you reminisce about his presence next to you holding you close. Something that might be over soon if either of you decides to get a legit partner. At this point, if someone asked you out you didn't know if you could bring yourself to say yes. You would rather lie to yourself about Topper being your actual boyfriend for just a little while longer. After a few minutes, Topper shifted underneath you and fished out his laptop.

"So, what does my girl want to watch?" The way "my girl" rolled off his tongue flooded your stomach with butterflies, even though he was only doing it in a joking way.

"Wait... Let me see...Tremors or Spice World?" he grabbed your face in his hands and felt around for a second. He squished your face every so often all the while making a thinking noise.

"Topper!" Your voice was muffled by how squished he had your face.

"Wait... Almost there...Got it!" He beamed down at you and finally let you go.

"Spice World, right?" He looked at you expectantly. You let out a chuckle as a grin overtakes your features.

"Yes, Box Tops, you are correct and your prize is having me narrate this entire movie" You snuggle in closer to his side.

Topper had just shifted his car into park when you called. You were in hysterics and he couldn't understand much of what you were trying to tell him, but "pick me up, please" rang clear. He could decipher those four words through anything. Calling Topper was almost a daily occurrence. You would always get into a fight with your parents right in the middle of dinner. The fights were all over the place and the screaming matches could be over a certain clothing item or how you were squandering the family lineage, but it always ended the same with you on the phone asking to be picked up. Nevertheless, Topper was happy to do so and never missed a call. He knew how rocky your relationship with your parents was, especially now with you beginning university. He also knew that these fights are only half-lived and your mother or father would be calling you hours later to apologize and begging for you to come back home.

As always, you were already storming towards his car before he could even park the damn thing. Even though you were crying there was still a fire blazing behind your eyes. You could burn down the whole island with one look. It was one of those things he could never quite get used to and it always takes his breath away. You slam the car door closed and let out a sniffly “Sorry” as you quickly put on the seatbelt per Topper’s request. Your mother stood on the patio with her arms crossed proudly across her chest as she watched disapprovingly as you got in the car. In your last spit of rage, you rolled down the car window and shouted, "Fuck you and fuck this family!" as Topper followed the circular path of your drive away. You didn’t bother looking back at her, but you were instantly riddled with guilt and mumbled “fuck, I shouldn’t have said that”.

Topper knew better than to ask what happened this time. If he asked too soon you would just revert into a bumbling mess of incoherent words and tears. It was something you were always grateful for and he didn't mind the wait because he knew you would tell him when you were ready. Usually, with the time that it takes him to drive to your shared safe spot, you would be ready to dish it out. The safe spot was a cliff that loomed over the water that surrounded the obx. You and Topper discovered it eons ago when the both of you were still in middle school. Y/N + Topper, encased in a heart, were practically etched into every tree leading to your preferred spot. It was a great place to escape claustrophobic parents. The crashing of the waves below coupled with the soothing ocean breeze dissipated all your worries back home, but it wouldn't be possible without each other.

You stare broodingly out the window at the blurry scenery. The anger and sadness that boiled rapidly in your veins slowly brought itself down to a simmer as you watched the foliage become familiar with memories. Memories of zig-zagging through the forest, comforting each other on the cliff, secrets hushed by the crashing waves below, and unrestrained love for each other.

You trudged slowly behind Topper as he made his way through the small thicket of trees. The fiery anger inside you had smothered and its smokey sadness now engulfed you. As soon as you arrived you tossed yourself onto the luscious grass and rolled over onto your back. Topper followed suit sitting down next to you with his feet toward the water. The grass tickled the small of your back, thighs, and calves as a sort of hello. You crossed your arms over your face as you just needed a little more time to make sure you wouldn't turn into a blubbering mess. Once you controlled your thoughts and breathing you sat up.

"I'm sorry" You looked up at him and gave him a small apologetic smile. It's the least you could say or do for always dragging him along. He just shook his head. He knows you know that he wouldn't want to be anywhere else, but it was always the same with you.

"Are you okay?" He wiped the remnants of tears off your cheek.

"No" you huffed, leaning into his touch "I just can't believe them sometimes". You could feel the lump climbing back into your throat but you still pushed through. "Y'know Cale, ivy league football guy?" He simply nodded as you averted your gaze to your hand as they pulled at the grass.

"Well, he's been trying to ask me out, but I don't like him 'cus he's a fucking huge dick y'know, but my mom was like 'just go for it what other guy would try this hard for you?'" You were getting more upset by the second as you recounted the events but you still continued. "And like why do I have to settle for a guy I don’t even like just because he’s giving me attention? I just really don't want anything to do with him, but my mom already set up a meeting thing with his parents, and I--" you were cut off by an avalanche of tears. Topper wrapped his arms around you and pulled you towards his chest. As you tucked your head into his arm, he gave you a warm kiss on the back of your neck.

"Well, tell them you already have a boyfriend?" He boasted confidently. "And who would that be?" You sniffled, untucking your head to look at him.

"Well... Me, duh" He felt as if he was stating the obvious. "Tops" you began with a sigh, "I don't want you to pity date me" you whined, fed up with the whole ordeal.

"I won't be"

"What?" His words made you shift in his lap so that now you were straddling him.

"I want to be your boyfri--" you cut him off when you grabbed his face and brought him closer for inspection. Your search for an inkling of a shitty joke or dare, but you found nothing except a very confused boy.

"Is that a problem?"

“No, no, it’s just--” you drop your hands to your sides and just look at him. The overwhelming feeling of having him like you back, especially in the degree of having him want to be your boyfriend got the better of you causing you to spring forward and hug him. The force knocks him from his sitting position onto his back. He gladly wrapped his arms tightly around you.

Saturdays are not meant to be boring, but this scorching afternoon there was nothing to do. John B. went on his weekly date with Sarah, JJ scored a date with a kook he's been eyeing, and Kie was forced to go to a gala on the mainland, so it was just you and Pope alone in the chateau. He had been studying all day for an upcoming chemistry exam he has first thing Monday morning. You tried all day to get his head out of the books, but he was not having any of it. It wasn't until the late afternoon that you got him to go outside with you. Even though his nose was still deep in the piles of notes at least he was outside. You were skating on a horrifically uneven stretch of concrete that was oddly slathered in front of the chateau. Every time he could hear the wheels pop upwards he would snap his eyes to you, cheering you on when you stuck the landing. You were glad that he was far enough away to not be able to see how red your cheeks were. You've had a massive crush on the boy ever since Kie introduced you to the group. Your mom had just moved your ass down to the banks to get a fresh start far away from your poor excuse for a father. She managed to quickly score a job at The Wreck (where you were also forced to work part-time) as head chef. Your mom got on well with the Carrera's who only deemed it appropriate to force their daughter to hang out with you, being new in town and all. Kie wasn’t bothered at all and was glad to have another girl around. After hanging out with her for a single day, you wouldn’t hesitate to take a bullet for her. Kiara didn't introduce you to the knuckleheads right away, since she had taken a liking to you and didn't want to scare you away. The day that she did you remembered Pope had been the last one to say "hey" yet his was the warmest. After that day your stomach would erupt with butterflies whenever you'd even look at him and you would nearly die when your hands would brush against each other in passing. There was just something about him. Maybe it was how he didn't believe in stupid questions, except for JJ's of course, or how he would learn a new subject just to be able to help one of you ace an exam. It could be how the sun sparkled against his wet skin after a long day of swimming or surfing. How relaxed he looks sitting in the driver's seat of the HMS Pogue taking in all that the sun had to offer. You were glad the rest of the crew hadn't caught on yet, especially JB since he's already taken the role as your big brother, even though you're sure that you’re definitely older than him. He would never let you hear the end of it if he knew. The constant pestering, nudging, and side-eyeing would have driven you insane. Your mind slowly drifted back to the boy studying a few feet away from you. The thoughts of those hot summer nights in the cool water with him clouded your brain, so much so you nearly wiped out.

"You good!?" Pope's concerned voice made your head snap in his direction. You knew that the embarrassment on your face was very telling but you just shot him two thumbs up and got back on your board. You shake off any remaining thoughts from your head before attempting your new trick. You were sick and tired of random strangers, but mostly JJ and JB, yelling at you to do a kickflip whenever you were skating. After watching countless videos on kickflips you were basically an expert on them at this point and all you had to do now was actually stick the landing. You slid your right foot to the middle of the board so that your heel was just off the edge while your toes rested in the middle. You shifted your left foot to the tail of the deck and with all the strength you could muster you push down on the tail while your right foot flicked down on the edge of the board. It would have been a spectacular landing if it weren't for the random-ass pebble that your wheel landed on.

"Oh fuck, are you alright!?" Pope was by your side before you even realized you were on the ground. Falling came with the game and you were not fazed at all, since you've had grislier wipeouts than this, but that's before you saw the fountain of blood that poured out of your knee.

"Yeah, I'm fine dude-- I've had-- I need to--The bathroom--" you hobbled quickly into the bathroom at the chateau trying your darndest to not get any blood in the house. By the time you were able to sit down on the toilet, you were seeing stars. Your vision was slowly fading to black and you felt like you were going to vomit. You closed your eyes tightly as you pressed a clump of toilet paper to your knee, which pulled a hiss right from your lungs at the sensation. Promptly, you bit down on your bottom lip to keep yourself from letting out a scream. A light knock came from the door and it couldn't be anyone else but Pope.

"Are you alright in there y/n?" From all the pain you were in you could only hum out a yes as a response, but you knew that would not be a good enough answer for the boy.

"Yeah, just don't--" before you could even finish your sentence he barged in "--open the door, why don't ya". His eyes grew wide at the bloody mess you made in the bathroom, but then quickly softened at the sight of you. Your skin was flushed with developing perspiration clinging to your skin and your lips had gone pale as your lungs suddenly only knew how to hyperventilate.

"Uh, I don’t think it would be in your best interest to say that it looks like a slasher flick was filmed in here" his words made you squeeze your eyes tighter as bloody images flashed before you and it only got harder for you to breathe. Pope stepped inside the rather small bathroom and closed the door behind him. He picked up all the toilet paper you had used for your leg and tossed them into the trash bin before he crouched down next to you.

"Does it still hurt?" His voice was quiet, barely above a whisper, as if you would shatter if he spoke any louder. All you could muster was a tiny nod as the pain took up most of your energy. His hands then gently pried your hands off of your injured knee and inspected it. Since the cut had almost stopped bleeding completely, Pope, was able to see that the wound was deep but not enough for it to garner any stitches and it was free of any debris. Lucky for you because JB had fallen there a couple of weeks ago and Pope had to whip out the tweezers to get all the gravel out of the bloody gash.

"Hey, it's not that bad-- I mean it is bad but it could be worse-- I'm gonna clean it now" the boy got to his feet and helped you sit on the edge of the bathtub with your feet sitting inside the tub. He then washed his hands furiously to avoid infection and gathered all the supplies he needed which consisted of antibacterial soap, antibiotic cream, gauze pads, gauze rolls, and unconditional love and support. Pope helped you undo both your shoes and removed them along with your embarrassing Winnie the Pooh socks. He sat with his legs outside the tub to have easy access to the supplies. After he checked to make sure the water wasn't too hot or too cold Pope moved your leg so your knee was underneath the faucet. The wound's contact with the water wasn't as bad as you thought, but it could’ve been you were distracted by his soothing touches as he held you close to him. Pope was careful not to get any of the soap in the cut just on the surrounding area and when he was finished he made sure to clean the rest of your blood-caked leg up as well. Once you were all cleaned up, he padded your leg dry before he attempted to put ointment on the tender flesh.

"Is it going to hurt?" You squeaked as he retrieved the ointment from the countertop.

"It might sting, but it shouldn't, '' he reassured you, as he brought the ointment-covered q-tip to your knee, but you couldn't help that your knee-jerked away from his touch.

"Ow, fuck!"

"Y/n, I haven't even touched you yet"

"I know, I know, sorry"

"I promise it won't hurt, y/n, and if it does you can punch me or something" even if it did hurt that bad you couldn’t imagine hurting Pope in any way. He once again leaned back in with the q-tip and sure enough, it wasn't painful at all. The ointment soothed the burning sensation of the area which finally allowed you to relax. He then carefully put a gauze pad on the injury, before wrapping your knee securely with gauze. You slid off the edge of the grimy porcelain tub and onto the ground while Pope stood next to the sink and neatly tucked everything back into the first aid kit.

"Uh, thanks--" your words got lost in your throat when your eyes met his warm eyes "--um, dude?" You felt stupid when it came out as a dumbfounded question and the heat quickly rose to your cheeks. If it was any time for you to die you wish it would have happened right then.

"Yeah, any time, y/n" he shot an endearing smile in your direction and you've never wanted to kiss a man so much before in your life.

You both let the awkwardness settle over you. The two of you riddled with hesitancy, but quietly yearned to confess your feelings to one another. He needed to get out of there. Pope gave you a curt nod and a tight smile, but as he headed towards the door there was vacillation in his movements. Before you lost sight of him from the doorway, he turned back around determined.

"Y/N, I gotta--" you were soon on your feet as the last bit of courage you had for your lifetime allowed you to meet him halfway. He didn't bother finishing his sentence as he decided his actions would speak for him. Pope cupped your face in his soft hands and crashed your lips together. The kiss was sweet, sweeter than anything you've ever experienced before. His plump lips gilded confidently over your timid ones. As the fire inside of you diminished your shyness you shifted yourself forward onto your tippy toes to deepen the kiss. Your movements caused you to pin Pope against the bathroom wall and you could feel him smile against your lips. His velvet tongue dragged against your bottom lip for permission to explore you further and you were more than eager to let him.

"Fucking finally!" The familiar voice of the rowdy klepto caught you guys by surprise causing both of you to jump away from each other.

"I guess I'm forty bucks richer, I knew you had it in ya, Pope!" JJ beamed as he walked towards the two of you and you playfully rolled your eyes at the blonde-haired boy.

"Fuck off!" Pope giggled and slammed the door in JJ's face before he turned to face you.

*GIF NOT MINE CREDIT TO @cigvrrcte AND THEIR DREW STARKEY GIF PACK!!*

You hated how loud it sounded when your fist gently tapped against the looming door, but what you hated the most was being there. Being in that area kept you on edge and more so being at the Cameron's residence. The only reason you ever stepped foot on Figure 8 was to pick up your siblings. Your little sisters had struck up a cute friendship with Sarah and Wheezie this summer after helping the girls rescue some godforsaken sea turtles. Typically picking your sisters up wasn't such a burden, because you and Rafe had picked up a running gag of who can be the biggest asshole. You hate to admit it, but you always looked forward to seeing Rafe, and even worse you felt kinda sad if he wasn't the one to open the door.

Today was miserable, it had been a whirlwind of absolute bullshit and you just couldn't wait to be home and let your sadness swallow you whole. Two of your co-workers called in "sick" for the next 2 days meaning you were going to have to work doubles on the busiest weekend of the month. It wouldn’t be that bad if you hadn’t found out earlier this morning that your sweet wholesome boyfriend, Tate, had been cheating on you with a touron for the last month and a half which you tried to play off as a nuisance, but it wasn’t working. Even just thinking about it brings fresh hot tears to your eyes and makes it seem as if you can’t breathe as your chest tightens, but you couldn’t bring yourself to cry. Well, not until you’ve finished beating the shit out of them and making Tate never want to cheat on any poor soul ever again. You can’t believe you thought he was different, especially because he had to have liked you back at some point, and most boys on the island didn't exactly like you in a romantic sense. You believed everything was going great in the relationship. The two of you were practically conjoined at the hip and had just about everything in common. You were elated that someone that you genuinely liked liked you back and you tried your best in trying to make the pogue dating a kook thing work. Had you been really that stupid? Did you really not pick up on anything? Or did you let everything go over your head on purpose? You were driving yourself absolutely insane with all of these consuming thoughts. The thing that annoyed you the most was all the fucking whispering. You hadn't noticed it at first, but after finding out about Tate being a motherfucker of the first degree, you couldn't stop picking it up. Everywhere you went you could hear the soft voices quickly exchanging information with each other. It became worse after you finally found Tate and that touron on the beach and gave them both a beating they would never forget.

 After causing that scene at the beach, you were finally able to let go and cry. Your heartbroken ass was a complete mess by the time you got to work. Your eyes hurt from being so puffy and red as the result of crying so much beforehand, but lucky for you your job was at the dish pit at the resort. You were notorious at work for having eyes that were sensitive as all fuck and since you were around a bunch of disinfectants all the time your eyes would constantly be bloodshot and swollen like a fucking balloon. So, you didn’t have to worry about anyone asking any invasive questions, but they probably all know what went down by now. 

Work was miserable like always, but being the weekend it had an extra kick in the tit quality to it, and by the time you clocked out you were ready to just drop dead.

When the door opened you hoped it was someone working at the house or even Ward Cameron of all people, but it was Rafe. When your eyes landed on his figure you inherently rolled your puffy eyes and crossed your arms over your chest. He never saw you in this state before and he let his usual hardass demeanor soften. Rafe was used to seeing a smart-mouthed badass, not a puffy-eyed snot nosed loser, but being a creature of habit he still awaited a smartass comment from you. When all he got was a sniffly "I'm here for my sisters'' his concern for you only grew. Rafe had been on the mainland since the ass crack of dawn helping his dad with the construction company and had just been dropped off by his dad only a few minutes ago. His phone died not even halfway through the morning, so he wasn't able to see the hundreds of thousands of messages Topper and Kelce sent him about what went down with you and Tate.

The poor boy was genuinely confused and didn’t know what to say. He was so ready to shoot some stupid insult back at you that he was at a loss for words and it didn’t help that he's harbored a little crush on you ever since middle school.

"Uh, they’re still not back yet" the words made your bottom lip tremble and you could feel your eyes getting prickly with tears. All you wanted to do was go home and put an end to this god awful day, but you couldn't even do that, you still had to wait for your sisters.

"Oh, um, I'll just-- come back later" you sniffled, quickly turning away from him already feeling the tears slipping down your tinted cheeks. You were stopped by Rafe's strong hand grabbing hold of your upper arm preventing you from fully turning around.

"Fuck off, please" your voice cracked, embarrassment washing over you as you tried to tear your arm away from him and failing miserably. Rafe without missing a beat pulled you into a hug to try and comfort you. Never in a million years would you have ever imagined yourself trapped in an embrace by Rafe Cameron and nevertheless that he would be any good at giving it. You were still sobbing uncontrollably but you’ve never felt safer in anyone's arms, especially a mans, until now. You let yourself melt into his arms letting yourself enjoy the boy's presence around your shivering body.

"Uh, why are you wet?" Rafe spoke up after a few seconds after feeling the moisture in your clothes start to cling to his.

"Work" you unburied your face from his chest and looked up at him. You could feel your stomach flutter when you caught his blue eyes staring down at you which suddenly made you very shy, a shyness you never experienced before, especially around Rafe Cameron.

Without another word you were being dragged up their grand staircase and into the boy’s room.

You didn't expect his room to be so warm and cozy like a Sunday afternoon when you have nothing to do the next day. The room was filled with soft light and music was streaming from a record player in the corner. You curiously inspected his living space and sniffled as your eyes snooped around at all the things that brought Rafe some sort of comfort.

"Uh, you should probably get warmed up" Rafe stated before scrambling to find some clean clothes for you to wear.

"Umm, here” he gently placed the pile of clothes into your hands, “The, uh, the bathroom is right there"  He pointed to the white door that led to his bathroom. You wandered inside and quietly closed the door behind you. His bathroom was the size of your bedroom if not bigger and it was definitely nicer than anything in your house. You quickly jumped into the shower and as you relished the hot water on your skin, you could hear Rafe switch whatever mumble rapper record he had on to something easier on the ears. Once you’ve finished washing up, you change into the clothes provided to you and walk back out into Rafe’s room. Immediately you could feel his gaze on you, lingering on your figure wrapped in his clothes. He sat in a puffy chair near his desk as you still stood in front of the bathroom door. It was unbearably silent except for the soft pseudo rock music that played in the background. It was still for that moment neither of you made a move nor a sound and you could just feel the water droplets sliding down your cooling skin. He was awe, adoring how you looked wrapped up in his clothes, and couldn’t help but imagine taking them off you in a heated moment. You, on the other hand, had come to the conclusion that you absolutely loved Rafe’s hair when it was messy and ungelled. It made him look softer and not like a forty-year-old with a failing business. Agitated with the tension you two had spawned, you marched towards where he was sitting and grabbed his face with your hands, before roughly smashing your lips to his. Your whole body was on fire as he kissed back and brought you down to sit on his lap. His hands delved underneath the shirt you were wearing and glided up your back, trying to feel as much of you as he could. Rafe started to get eager and deepened the kiss when you began softly grinding your hips. However, the small little fact that you have a boyfriend, to his current knowledge, faltered his motivation and pulled back from you. 

"You didn't mean to do that" he pulled away from you, bringing your hands that were wrapped around his neck down to your lap. 

"Do what?" You were confused searching desperately in his eyes for whatever he was trying to tell you.

"Kiss me" He shifted his gaze down to his hands that held yours.

"Please, let’s not do this right now" you leaned back in, but his hands kept you in place.

"What about Tate, huh?" You rolled your eyes at the sound of that motherfucker's name and judging by your reaction and the mess you were a handful of minutes ago all the pieces were starting to make sense. You could see the light bulb that’s located somewhere in his head slowly lighting up and paired along with the sudden realization in his blue eyes, he was finally putting 2 and 2 together.

"Can I get back to kissing you?" You pouted jerking your hips forward soliciting a deep groan from Rafe who nodded frantically. You promptly attached your lips back to his supple ones all the while continuing to slowly grind your needy pussy onto his growing cock. Rafe's hands soon found themselves on your ass and began groping and lightly smacking each one. From all the grinding and groping you were starting to get desperate. Rafe being the self-titled 'Sex God' he could sense it and was determined to make you cum at least twice. Normally, he'd shoot for more but time is a variable and not really on his side, so he settled on twice. He didn't mind if he was just being used as a rebound, he actually found it kinda hot or maybe it was just because it was you. Rafe halted your steady movements and forced you to stand up for half a second before turning you around to sit back on his lap. You couldn't even get a word in, because as soon as you were back on his lap with your back against his toned chest he had already shoved his hand down the front of the pants you were wearing, leaving you a shuddering mess. Just feeling how wet you were made Rafe let out a loud groan. 

"Is this all for me?" He whispered as his index finger teasingly rubbed quick circles around your swollen clit. His left hand wandered up from your waist to play with your tits, pulling and pawing at the soft skin. You couldn’t bring yourself to say anything as you were too busy whimpering and withering in his lap. Rafe turned the rolly chair to the side so you could place your feet at the edge of the desk and give him more access to your pussy. He loved how you bucked your hips against his hand as he made his way closer to your entrance. 

"God, please, just finger me already" your moan full of desperation. 

“As you wish” and with that, he plunged two long digits into your core.

“Oh, fuck!” your back arched in response and your grip on his arms tightened. His fingers slid in and out of your heat at an achingly slow pace. Mainly because Rafe enjoyed how his fingers disappeared in your pussy and how you rolled your hips against his hand a bit too much.

“Rafe, please--” you were losing your mind at how slow he was going, and all your desperate attempts to speed things up only made him go even slower. The warm fuzzy feeling that ruled your body remained stagnant and you were determined to reach your release.

“What is it baby?” he cooed into your neck, before latching back onto your neck surely leaving dark little marks. 

“Go faster” your breathing hitched in your throat as his thumb ghosted over your clit. 

“Faster?” his left hand left your tender breasts to focus on your clit, so his right hand could properly drill into you. His hands got right to work pounding and curling his fingers into you and with the added friction to your bundle of nerves you were a whimpering mess on his lap. That familiar build-up of heat in your lower abdomen was quickly approaching and you didn’t think you could hold on any longer. 

“Rafe, baby, I’m gonna cum” you squealed as he immediately drilled into your g-spot. When he hit the right combination of nerves your body was finally able to let go and you let out the most pornographic series of moans. 

“God, Y/N, that was hot” he gave your ass a hard slap before pulling his fingers out of you and holding them up to your swollen lips. You happily open your mouth and let him slip his fingers into your mouth. Your tongue slowly swirled around his digits, cleaning all your juices off of them before pulling them out of your soft mouth. Rafe couldn’t help but moan at your actions and he was surprised he didn’t just cum in his pants right then and there. 

"My turn" you placed a brief kiss on his cheek, before shedding the remaining clothes from your body and getting on your knees. Rafe couldn’t help but moan at the sight of you on your knees before him. You eagerly pulled out his ridiculously hard cock and your mouth watered, finally seeing it in its full glory. You rested your tongue at the base of his long girthy member, with your eyes fixed on his ecstasy filled features. Slowly you made your way to the tip and swirled your tongue around it collecting all the precum. Your left hand held a steady pace at the base of his cock as you paid extra attention to the head. His self-conscious whimpering encouraged you and as the whimpering turned into loud moans the more you got turned on. When he began to subconsciously buck his hips you took it as a sign to take him deeper into your mouth. His hands rushed to grab your hair which inherently made you moan sending chilling vibrations down his shaft. That alone made him push you further down and the farther he made you go the more you thanked god for forgetting your gag reflex. Tears still stung your eyes at the lack of breathing room and you could feel his cock twitch at the back of your warm throat as you messaged his balls. Rafe was so fucking close to cumming down your throat, but he wanted to save it for your pretty pussy. 

"I need to fuck you" He stated as he pulled you off his cock and stood up along with you. Rafe’s lips were immediately on your swollen lips and his hands traveled feverishly all over your body. He slowly backed you up until the backs of your legs touched the bed and he gave you a gentle push. 

“You look so fucking hot” he groaned as he stared down at your naked body and stripped out of his shirt and sweats. He rummaged through his nightstand for a condom and you bit your lip as you watched him roll it down his throbbing cock. Rafe climbed back on top of you and searched your eyes for any sense of doubt, which you were completely void of, you never wanted anything so bad in your life before. His dark blue eyes were glossed over in lust and his only priority was to fuck the sadness right out of you. You wrapped your legs around his waist as the tip of his shaft traveled through your slick folds properly lubricating his pulsating member. Rafe brought you into another kiss before he slowly began to push into your desperate core. You both let out pleasure-filled groans as he inched further into you. After he finally bottomed out he took a second to relish at the feeling of your tight pussy around his aching cock. 

“God, babe, you’re so tight,” he thought no matter how many times he will fuck you in the foreseeable future he will never be able to get over the feeling of your pussy. You’ve never felt so full and you just adored how his dick stretched you out. You already couldn’t wait to fuck Rafe Cameron again. He almost pulled out completely leaving the head barely in, before smashing back into you. The impact caused you to let out a loud moan, which Rafe quickly muffled with his mouth. He proceeded to relentlessly pound into your pussy. The short fast thrusts hardly let you catch your breath and the hand squeezing lightly around your neck wasn’t helping either. You could feel the warmness begin to boil in your stomach with each harsh thrust. Rafe was in love with the obscene noises that were coming from your dripping cunt with each one of his thrusts. He was also enamored by how your pussy would contract whenever he would apply even the slightest pressure on your beautiful throat. Rafe wasn’t going to last any longer and judging by the noises you were making neither were you. All you needed was just a little push, with his free hand he messaged quick little circles on your puffy clit. 

“Rafe-- I’m--” You let out a strangled cry as he picked up his pace and paid attention to your bundle of nerves. Your legs began to shake uncontrollably and you let your eyes roll to the back of your head as you let the crashing waves of your orgasm take over. You let out a series of ear-splitting profanities paired along with Rafe’s name. The increased tightness in your pussy that came from your climax was enough to send Rafe into his and after just a couple more thrusts he came. His little moans and whimpers sounded like a symphony of overdramatic angels. 

"We should do this more often" Rafe chuckled, before pulling out of you completely and leaned in for just one more kiss.

“Yes, definitely” you sighed in agreement and pecked his lips again as he was pulled away.

He rolled off of you and reached over to toss the used condom away. When he came back you lazily wrapped your arms around his neck and brought him down to lay on your chest. Rafe added on to the plethora of hickies that littered your neck as you played with his hair. You just wanted to stay that way forever encased in an intimacy you were scared of never feeling again, but like everything else it was short-lived. When you heard the sudden loud yammering of the girls busting through the front door both your bodies went rigid. 

"Fuck" you both jumped up from the bed and desperately put your scattered clothes back on. 

“Do I look presentable?”

“Almost--” He gently combed through your hair as you fixed his shirt and patted down his hair. The two of you took a deep breath before descending the stairs already being met with skeptical glances from the teenage girls sitting in the living room. 

“Are you guys ready?” your sisters groaned out a yes and bid their goodbyes to the Cameron’s.