Plot | waking up in Rafe’s dorm room is nothing new, being his friend and all. Until now. Until you’ve slept together. And now neither of you can decide what to do.
Content | lots of angst, sexual themes, smut, swearing, arguments, mutual pining, problems with feelings, !not proofread! [best read in dark mode]
Word count | 3.5k
Song for this chapter | About you by the 1975
Previous
“Get up, like now,” a pillow smacks you in the face, Mandy cackling when you spring up, head whipping around. A scowl settles on your face when you notice Mandy, pillow in hand, hunched over laughing.
“Very funny.” You mumble, rubbing the sleep from your eye. An entire week had passed, and so far- you’d managed to act normal whenever Rafe was around- which, admittedly, was not a lot. You only had necessary conversations with him. Avoided him the rest of the time.
If he’d noticed, he’d not said anything.
“-eed to get ready to set off,” Mandy comes into focus towards the end of her sentence, and you turn to look at her again, confused. Set off where?
She eyes you suspiciously, dropping the pillow back on her desk chair. “You know what’s happening yeah? The date today? The current president?”
Your eyes roll as you shuffle to the edge of your bed, pushing the covers back. “I know what’s happening.. but do remind me where we’re going?”
Mandy stands like a disappointed mother, hand on her hip as she gestures towards her packed bag. “The group is going upstate for the weekend. Remember?”
“Ah.” You hand finds its way to your hair, swiping it back out of your face. “Yeah. That’s happening.”
The pillow is swiftly thrown your way. Mandy demands that you pack and leaves to shower.
You’re sure it’s just slipped your mind. You’d been under a lot of pressure, recently at least. You pack fairly quickly, finishing before Mandy is out of the bathroom, and she beams a wide smile at your now half decent state and bag laid on your bed.
“Proud of you babes. You’ve got five minutes in the bathroom before we leave.”
Your eyes widen and she laughs again as you scramble towards the bathroom, only managing to brush your teeth and sort your hair out before Mandy is yelling for you to come out.
She’s pulling her shoes on as you throw your toothbrush in your bag and zip it shut, slipping into your own shoes.
“You’re riding with Rafe, by the way.” Your heart all but falls into your ass and you stop pushing your foot into your vans, turning to look at her.
Mandy looks like a mischievous little kid. She shrugs, grin plastered on her face. “What? You two are friends, aren’t you? It’s just a car ride.”
You open your mouth to protest, fight back- but you know you can’t. You hadn’t told her about your conflicted feelings, and how you’d been trying to avoid Rafe on the down low- and you knew that this was a ploy to get you to confess.
“Yeah, yeah. Friends.” She gives you the classic- I-don’t-believe-you look, that everyone seems to be giving you all the time- but doesn’t say anything. You finish putting on your shoes as there’s a knock at the door, the aforementioned Rafe peeking his head around.
Your heart lurches. He locks eyes with you for a second and smiles. “Mandy, are you decent?” You realise from where you’re stood, he can see you completely, but not Mandy.
She scoffs. “Thanks for asking. Yes.” He opens the door fully, choosing to lean against it, arms folded- and you’d be damned if you denied yourself a little stare. Those signature brown pants paired with a black t-shirt, hair tucked back in a cap.
You’re so fucked. So, astronomically fucked. A five hour car ride with him. “Pick your jaw up off the floor, woman.” Mandy pushes your shoulder, smirking at you. Rafe seems obvious to what she said to you, reaching forward to take her bag from her. You grasp your own, heart racing a thousand miles an hour.
“I’ll take that. We’re the bag car today.” Rafe’s fingers wrap around the strap of your bag and you touch for a second, eyes locking, Rafe smiling, almost forgetting how to uncurl your fingers- but it’s over just as quick, letting go of your bag and checking over the room one last time before locking the door and following the other two down the hallway.
Everyone else stands outside waiting. Topper, Summer, Kelce and Mandy were all going in Toppers truck. You were going in Rafe’s truck. With all the bags. Because of course you were. The stars really hated you.
Rafe chucks all the bags into the bed of his truck and pulls the top over them, shitting them in. After a quick discussion with Topper, you’re all climbing into your respective vehicles, you trying to stay as close to the door as humanly possible.
Rafe’s all smiles and conversing with Topper on the phone as he pulls onto the highway, leading everyone to one of his dad’s cabins in upstate New York. He’s got some songs playing pretty loud once he’s off the phone with Topper, and you slowly relax into the seat, staring out of the window.
“You’re awfully quiet,” You hum, eyes drifting over to look at him. He’s already looking back, barely paying attention to the road.
“Play attention to the road, idiot.” Rafe grins, turning back to the road.
“There she is. Where have you been?” You watch his fingers tap slowly on the wheel to the best of the song- which you realise is a Daniel Caesar song, something you’d have never thought Rafe would listen to, and you look back to the road.
Dark, bustling clouds roll in from the direction of you’re headed, and you can almost see the heavy rain from here. “Just tired.”
Rafe immediately reaches for the volume button on his stereo, turning the music down to a mull. “Bullshit. You forget I know you, inside and out.”
You grimace, the noise reverberating throughout the car and sounding like you’re about to be sick- but Rafe’s nothing short of amused, laughing his ass Off as he swerves on the road a little.
“Too soon?” He manages, coughing as he splutters the end of his laugh. You scowl at him, unsure if you’re actually upset or not.
Sex jokes used to be fine. Before you’d slept together. Now, they left a bitter taste in your mouth, one you weren’t sure about. He shouldn’t know you like that to make those jokes.
Not without it being a deeper connection. But it wasn’t, and never would be- so yeah, you didn’t like the jokes. Hated them, In fact.
“About ten centuries too early.” You turn to look out of the window again, a light spray of rain beginning to fall down on the truck. In the wing mirror, you can see toppers truck behind you- and you so god damn wish you were in that one instead of here.
“C’mon, lighten up,” Rafe knocks your knee with his hand, forcing you to look at him. Everytime he touched you- you felt it. More than you should. “We’re stuck in this car for four more hours. We need to talk.”
“Yeah. Just not about that, please.” You readjust in the seat, wrapping your jumper further around yourself. This time, Rafe raises one of his hands in self defence.
“Okay, fair enough. No sex jokes about us.”
You nod. “Thank you.”
“No problem, Pickle.”
You groan, hands splaying over your face. “Not that, either.”
Rafe chuckles, own hand coming to rest down on his thigh as he too settles into a comfier position in his seat. It’s embarrassingly hard not to stare.
“What? I can’t even talk about our greatest memory anymore?” You hear the humour in his voice and you recoil into the seat even more.
“No.”
“Not even if it’s really-”
“No, Rafe.”
“C’mon, Pickle! Lighten up. Nothing wrong with a nick-”
Your hand immediately reaches for the dial on the stereo, turning up the volume knob until it doesn’t turn anymore- but it doesn’t hid Rafe’s wicked cackle, his eyes darting between you and the now soaked road, as rain pelts down.
“It’s so funny because you’re embarrassed,” rafe huffs out, taking an exit off the highway. He turns the music down to an acceptable level and spares a glance over at you when you’re not looking.
He knows he shouldn’t. He knew he shouldn’t have crossed that line with you, knowing you’d react like this. He’d hoped you’d have still been in his bed that morning, the morning after- and this could’ve been a different story.
But no. You were gone. He knew where he stood, immediately. Friend zoned. What happened was a mistake, a drunken one.
As much as that pained him.
“Rafe? The lights green.” His eyes snap back into focus, pressing the gas pedal and getting through the light just as Topper honks his horn for an obnoxious amount of time.
The rain is pelting down heavily now, sky dark despite the early morning. He’s not sure how he’s going to make it through this weekend. Not sure at all.
When he joins onto another highway, he glances over at you again. You’re leaned against the door, head on the window, eyes shut. Peaceful. Just like that night.
He’s so screwed.
The truck comes to a stop outside a three storey cabin situated somewhere in a mountain range. You’re not sure exactly where you are, just somewhere upstate New York. You’d fallen asleep early on, waking up to the last half hour of the drive. Rafe, glowing in a different light- one you couldn’t quite place, didn’t really say anything to you when you woke up. Or for the rest of the journey.
The cabin is set back against a small lake, all different shades of grey, white and black. You’d only met Ward Cameron once- an unusual meeting at that- but this cabin made sense. It was Ward Cameron.
“This is it.” Rafe announces, unblocking himself and pushing open his door. He stands int the open door, stretching upwards, and you catch a glance of his stomach, toned and slightly hairy, underneath his shirt.
You busy yourself on unbuckling and climbing out of your own door.
Topper’s truck finally emerges into the driveway of the cabin, coming to a stop behind Rafe’s. Everyone’s quick to climb out, ecstatic at the sight of the massive cabin.
“Oh em gee! There’s a lake!” Summer squeals, jumping on the spot. “Let’s go, now.” She grasps Kelce’s hand, who laughs as he allows her to drag him along.
“Whoa. Wait, let’s get unpacked first.” Topper stops her. Summer huffs, crossing her arms over her chest like a toddler having a tantrum. You spare Mandy a glance who’s trying not to laugh.
Rafe opens the back of his truck and lets everyone grab their bags, leading everyone into the house. Summer calls shot gun on the biggest bedroom; despite it being Rafe’s family’s cabin- he doesn’t say anything though. Topper and Kelce pick two rooms next to each other- and Mandy picks the final room on that floor.
“There’s two bedrooms upstairs. Better views.” Rafe whispers, leaning down as he gestures to the stairs at the end of the hall. You swallow the lump in your throat. You don’t even want to look at Mandy to know she’s grinning like the fucking Cheshire Cat as you and Rafe climb the stairs, up to the top floor.
“Both rooms are basically the same. One faces the lake and one the mountains. These have got balconies too, so take your pick. I’m not bothered.” Rafe informs you, and you nod. The idea of seeing the lake isn’t as appealing as seeing the mountains, so you eventually pick the room with the mountain view- and it does not disappoint.
You drop your bag on the stool at the bottom of the bed, mesmerised by the view out of the doors and windows that completely cover the far wall of the room.
Pine trees line hills for miles, clouds of white and grey slowly wafting through them as the slip down the mountain. There’s a small stream running down too, off to the left side- barely visible other than the white crashes of water you can occasionally see- but it’s beautiful nonetheless. Not to mention the few other cabins you can see dotted around the valley.
Once you’ve snapped out of staring at the view, you turn back to your room. It’s considerably big to say it’s in the attic, basically- a big bed adorned with black sheets in the middle of the room, tv on the opposite wall, a door to the left of that that leads to a wardrobe.
You quickly discover that you’re sharing a bathroom with Rafe- said bathroom being between your two rooms. Like life couldn’t punch you in the face anymore.
“We’re all headed down to the lake in like ten minutes.” Rafe’s voice cuts through the silence and you jump, hand over your heart as you turn to him standing in your doorway. He’s already changed, a pair of swimming shorts on his bottom half and a buttoned up shirt on his top half- yet still in that hat.
You nod. “Mkay. I’ll get changed now.”
Rafe doesn’t move. He stands in your doorway, eyes slightly glossed over as you slowly unzip your bag, looking at him with a raised eyebrow.
“Rafe? Go away?” He snaps out of whatever he was thinking about, blinking a few times before he’s leaving without saying a word, closing your door.
Weird. You shrug your shoulders as you pick a bikini, looking out of the window. The rain had only just stopped when you’d woken on the way here- and you’d be lying if you said it wasn’t a little cold outside right now. That lake would be freezing.
Still, you change, throwing a long cardigan over the top and slipping into your vans again, grabbing your phone. There’s a text from Mandy- along with the others that she’d been sending you throughout the car ride. Admittedly, you’d been ignoring her messages when you were awake- because you knew, without looking at them, what they entailed.
Mands kiss and make up yet? 08.47am
Mands suck his cock yet? 10.53am
Mands this is so Jason voorhees coded 11.30am
Mands on your own floor, all alonneeeee 12.25pm
You roll your eyes at her messages and lock your phone, choosing not to reply. You’d see her downstairs in literally five seconds to whack her up the side of her head anyway.
You can hear everyone chatting on the bottom floor as you climb down the last of the steps, walking through the foyer to the kitchen. Everyone’s around the island, beers already in hand.
“Ah! Here she is, drink.” Topper practically shoves a bottle of corona into your hand, pulling you to join everyone.
“A toast. To our friendship and this awesome weekend.” He raises his glass, summer following suit, then Kelce, Mandy, Rafe, and then yourself.
You lock eyes with Rafe as your glasses clink together. He’s holding in a breath before he takes a swig, and breaks the eye contact first.
“Lake time?” Summer asks, but you know it’s not a question. You’re happy for the distraction, and everyone agrees to head outside.
The breeze has basically disappeared and the sun is beginning to peak through the clouds, much to summer’s delight. She’s shrugging off her coverup and wading down into the water before anyone’s even got chance to find their bearings.
Topper and Kelce wade in behind her, Rafe soon following suit. You take a seat on one of the loungers, watching as everyone begins to splash around and swim in the water.
“You didn’t answer my messages, bitch.” Mandy takes a seat next to you, laying back on the lounger. Her sunglasses perch on the end of her nose, giving you the perfect view of her eyes- full of questioning.
You sigh. “Nothing happened.”
Mandy scoffs, raising an eyebrow. “Sure.”
“I’m being serious. We shook on being friends, remember?”
“You pinky promised me that you’d let me see your answers for the pop quiz in class last month and you broke that. What’s a handshake to a pinky promise?” She smirks, taking a sip of her drink- something pink in a glass.
Why’d you get a fucking beer? You know she’s caught you, yet, cheeks burning.
“Mandy I’m serious. He doesn’t feel that way and I don’t. It was just a drive.”
She hums, swirling her straw in her drink. “If that’s so true then why’re you doing that thing where you can’t look at me?”
“I-”
Mandy cackles. Full, loud, enough for the guys in the water to turn up and look at the two of you. “You so have a crush still. It’s so obvious.”
“I do not. We’re just friends.”
“Yeah, babes, and I’ve got D cups.” She pats her boobs, giving you the look. The don’t-bother-lying-to-me look. Your shoulder sag, knowing there’s no point in lying to her. She truly does know you better than anyone else.
“Okay, so maybe-”
Mandy leans forward, now sitting criss cross on the lounger, drink placed on the little table between the two of you.
You can tell from the smile on her face that she’s absolutely eating every single bit of this up, despite how embarrassingly humiliating it is for you.
“Maybe you’ve got a crush and you’re stuck now because you said friends. Am I correct?”
You know she’s right. Sure, it might be embarrassing- but it’s nice to have the burden of thinking about it off your shoulders for a while. To share it with someone else.
“Yeah. Theoretically, yes. But he doesn’t feel the same.”
Mandy claps her hands together, eyes glinting. “We cannot confirm or deny. I know what to do.”
“No, Mandy no.”
Her smirk appears again. “Oh yes, babes. Yes. Mission get Rafe to fall in love is already in motion.”
lol!!! This feels rushed but most of it was travel/ bit of Rafe’s side of things lols. Next part will get good 😌
the other week i got reminded of the pomegaverse au that i've come across a few times in the past.. it's an au where if a character gets stressed or overwhelmed they turn into a pom, and the only way to bring them back is by giving them enough affection!
so i thought of remaking quincy and eiden's first encounter, where he went to the chaotic forest where eiden first met him battling the monsters ww
