#cruel summer series

[driversatellite]

cruel summer | r.c | part two

synopsis: after she had been left heartbroken by jj maybank, y/n had felt herself feeling withdrawn from everything around her, it seemed that nothing could make her feel better, except for maybe her best friend sarah’s older brother, rafe cameron. the two had a rivalry that began before either of them could remember but after her heart was broken y/n found herself enjoying rafe’s presence more and more, maybe he wasn’t who she thought he was.

rafe cameron x desi!reader  

part two: said “i’m fine,” but it wasn’t true

word count: 3.7k

a/n: hi guys!!! i hope you guys liked the first part of this series! i’ve been working on trying to get the skeleton of the series done so it’ll be easier for me to write and post in a timely manner and so far it’s been working. as always endless love to you all and i hope you guys like this part!!!! (likes, comments, and reblogs are very much appreciate <3!!!)

series masterlist | main masterlist | last part | next part 

It had already been a couple weeks since JJ’s bombshell announcement and Y/N would be lying if she said she felt better. Sure, she was over him and their relationship, but it still stung to see him move on this fast. She had expected to see Rina and JJ around sometimes, but it felt like the universe was truly against her, because it seemed like everywhere she went there they were, shoving their new relationship down her throat. She didn’t know how much more she could handle it, she just needed some time away from them. 

Currently she was laying stomach down on Sarah’s bed with her legs up in the air, flipping through a catalog of her favorite boutique, all of the summer festivities were quickly approaching and she’d need new dresses for all of them. Sarah was sat at her vanity painting her toes as she rambled about her and John B’s last date and Y/N just hummed along. She loved that her friend was still in love, but it did sting hearing about how in love they were, but she could suck it up for Sarah. 

Sarah was in the middle of telling a funny story about how John B had fallen off the HMS Pogue and into the marsh when her phone started to ring, she glanced down, “Oh, it’s John B,” She quickly swiped to answer the call and brought her phone up to her ear, “Hi, I’m with Y/N, what’s up?” Y/N could hear that John B was saying something, but couldn’t quite make out his words, but she saw Sarah nodding along, “Yeah, that sounds good, we’ll be ready.” Sarah nodded once more before bidding him a goodbye and hanging up the phone. She turned to Y/N who wore an inquisitive look on her face, “They’re coming to pick us up, we’re gonna have a marsh day.” 

“Right now?” Y/N questioned and Sarah nodded, “Is Rina gonna be there?” She and Sarah hadn’t really talked much about JJ’s new girlfriend, Sarah had tried to get Y/N to open up to her, but Y/N refused to say anything negative. She had told her best friend that she was okay with it and that she was over JJ, while the latter was somewhat the truth, it did still sting that JJ had moved on so fast and that he pranced his new girlfriend all over town and brought her to all of the pogues’ hangouts. Rina was there so much that Y/N just couldn’t handle it, she started going to the chateau less and less and staying on figure 8 more and more, she knew JJ wouldn’t bring Rina to figure 8, he didn’t have a reason to. 

Sarah frowned at Y/N’s question, she had noticed her best friend starting to pull away as well, and she didn’t want her to stop hanging out with the friend group because of JJ’s new girlfriend. She also knew that her best friend was stubborn and if she didn’t want to spend time around Rina, she would make sure she wouldn’t be spending time with Rina. She thought maybe if she made it seem like Rina wouldn’t be there then Y/N would be more likely to come. The rest of the pogues had expressed that they had missed seeing Y/N, because it had been a bit, because she had been keeping to herself and Sarah wanted Y/N to be able to have fun with her friends and not worry about JJ and Rina, “I don’t think so. John B didn’t say anything, he just said the normal crew is going to be there. 

Y/N nodded and sighed, she could tell that Sarah wanted her to come, she could read her and she knew Sarah could read her too, but unfortunately for Sarah, she just didn’t feel like it. She knew no matter what she’d get thrown pity looks the entire time and everyone would try and get her to talk about her feelings, which wasn’t something she wanted to do at the moment, so she fake a small cough, “Well, I’m not feeling too well, I think I might just head home and get some rest. I think I may be coming down with something.” 

Sarah knew Y/N was lying, it was easy to see through it, but she knew that Y/N probably had a valid reason for not wanting to go and she respected that, but she didn’t want her to be alone and wallow in self pity, “Your parents aren’t home and Neal’s not gonna take care of you, just stay here. Rose and Wheezie can help you feel better and keep you company, I can stay if you want too.” 

Y/N shook her head, the last thing she wanted to do was keep Sarah cooped inside with her, “No, no, it’s okay. Go have fun. I think I just need some rest.”

Sarah nodded, “Okay, just rest here, I’ll tell Rose and Wheezie that you’re here. Rose will probably order you soup, that’s what she does whenever one of us is sick.” 

Y/N smiled at Sarah, she knew that her best friend only wanted what was best for and it was hard for Sarah to see her like this, but she appreciated that she understood not to push her. She also thought that Rose ordering them soup whenever they felt sick was totally on brand for her. Sarah made sure that Y/N was comfortable and all tucked in before she left. It wasn’t much later that Y/N fell asleep. 

She wasn’t asleep for too long, she guessed she just needed a quick power nap, she was feeling quite refreshed afterwards. She rolled over and grabbed her phone and saw some messages in the groupchat, but decided to ignore them for now. She went on to instagram and saw a story from Cleo and quickly clicked on it and instantly regretted it. The video started off normal, just showing all the pogues on the HMS Pogue having fun, but in the back she could see JJ and Rina all cuddled up and to make matters worse Rina was wearing her sweater, one that she had left at JJ’s place. She couldn’t believe him. She couldn’t believe that he felt so comfortable flaunting her all around town and giving Rina her sweater. She quickly felt her resolve cracking and before she knew it she was crying again. 

She was getting sick of crying, but she somehow found herself crying a lot nowadays. She wondered why she wasn’t enough, what had made JJ dump her, what did Rina have that she didn’t? JJ wasn’t the first guy to dump her either, her freshman boyfriend had also dumped her for unknown reasons and it killed Y/N, she just wanted to know why she wasn’t enough. She was so lost in her thoughts and her sorrows that she didn't notice the footsteps approaching the door and the door opening. 

Rafe had practically turned the house upside down looking for the keys to the druthers, he couldn’t seem to find them anywhere and his father refused to give him the spare keys, berating him for losing them. He had said that if Rafe wasn’t responsible enough to keep track of the keys he wasn’t responsible enough to take the druthers out. The only place he hadn’t checked was Sarah’s room, he knew that Sarah had taken the keys a couple nights ago for when Kiara, Y/N, and Cleo had come over to sleepover and he thought she must have forgotten to put them back, which is why he found himself barging into Sarah room. He had thought that her room would be empty, because he had heard Sarah saying bye to Rose, but when he barged in he was surprised to see a weeping Y/N sitting on Sarah’s bed. 

“Shit, sorry. I thought Sarah left.” Rafe mumbled out causing Y/N to look up. She didn’t even bother wiping her tears, she didn’t care enough. 

“She left.” 

Rafe’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion, “Then why are you still here?” 

She let out an exasperated groan, “Can you just let me cry in peace Rafe?” 

Rafe didn’t know what to do, he could listen and leave her alone, but his pesky conscience wouldn’t let him, he decided to put their rivalry aside for now, “Do you want to talk about it or something?” Y/N just shot him an incredulous look and he sighed, “Sorry, I don’t really know how to deal with crying or emotions.” 

She just gave him a blank stare, “Yeah, I know.” 

“So, do you want to talk about it?” Rafe asked once again and she gave him a look, but saw that he seemed like he’s being genuine. 

“I thought you hated me.” She mumbled and Rafe gave her a small smile. 

“Hate’s a very strong word, let’s just say I like getting on your nerves. It’s fun getting you all riled up.” Rafe told her as he took a seat on the edge of Sarah’s bed. She just rolled her eyes at his statement and grabbed the closest throw pillow and tossed it at him, which he easily dodged and laughed. 

Y/N sighed as she looked to Rafe who wore a genuine look on his face, “Fine, I don’t know why I’m telling you this because I haven’t even told Sarah, so if you open your mouth Cameron, you’re done.” Rafe just smiled and held his hands up in surrender and nodded before pretending to zip up his mouth and throw away the key. The action causing her to roll her eyes and shake her head, “Well, I don’t know if you know already, but JJ decided to dump me and now he has a new girlfriend and he’s been flaunting her around town and they’re acting all coupley and in love and it just really fucking sucks to see that cause that was us like a few weeks ago. It stings how quickly he moved on and it’s just hard cause like did I really mean that little to him? And I can’t talk to any of my friends about it because then it’ll be this whole thing in the friend group and the last thing I need is drama. Plus everyone but Sarah has been friends with JJ longer, so they’ll probably take his side and I just don’t want to deal with all of that.” It felt good to finally get it off her chest. She had been holding it in for so long and telling someone had felt like this weight on shoulders had been released. 

Rafe didn’t really know what to say, he had an inkling that JJ and Y/N had broken up, but to hear that he had dumped her made him mad, he didn’t know why he felt so strongly about it, but the thought of JJ being the one who dumped her made him feel a certain type of way, “Well, I never thought that he deserved you. You’ve always been too good for him.” 

She glanced at Rafe before slumping back into Sarah’s countless pillows, “So why did he dump me then? Why did he move on so quickly? It seems like I wasn’t good enough. Am I not good enough? What’s wrong with me?” She could feel tears welling up in her eyes once again and she hated it, she hated that a boy could get her to cry this easily. She wished she was stronger, but unfortunately she was someone who felt almost everything and anything. Her parents had always told her that she was compassionate and that it was good and the fact that she felt so deeply was a blessing, but in that moment it felt like a curse. 

Rafe scooted closer to her, he didn’t know the right thing to do, this was all new territory to him, “Hey, nothing’s wrong with you, he’s the one in the wrong.” His words seemed to calm her down a bit, the tears weren’t falling as fast, but they were still falling. Rafe moved even closer to her, “Like I said, I’m not good at this shit, but I was gonna take Wheezie to go get some ice cream, you can join us. I know it’s not a lot, but it might cheer you up.” 

Y/N looked up at him and wiped some of the tears off of her face, “Really?” 

Rafe nodded and felt a little proud at the fact that he had been able to calm her down, “This doesn’t mean we’re friends though.” 

She let out a small laugh and rolled her eyes, he was still Rafe, “Whatever Rafael.” 

Rafe just smiled and got up and started towards the door before turning around and motioning to his face, “We’re leaving in like five, so you might want to go wash your face.” 

Y/N let out a scoff before throwing another one of Sarah’s throw pillows at him, but he dodged it again, laughing as he left the room. He was still incorrigible 

She did listen to him though and quickly washed her face before slipping off her loungewear and slipping on a sundress and grabbing her phone and bag before heading down the stairs to see Wheezie and Rose walking into the foyer. 

Rose smiled warmly as she spotted Y/N, “Are you feeling better dear? Sarah told me you weren’t feeling well, I was just about to order some soup for you.” 

Y/N smiled and nodded, “I’m feeling better, I guess I just needed some more rest.” 

Rose nodded, “Rest is always good,” It was then when Rafe walked into the foyer, his keys dangling from his hand, “Well I won’t keep you guys, have fun at ice cream.” 

The trio bid their goodbyes to Rose before heading out and getting into Rafe’s truck. The ride to the parlor was quick and went by even faster with Wheezie’s rambling. Y/N had missed spending time with the youngest Cameron. 

They walked into the ice cream parlor and Y/N smiled, it had been a while since she had been there, but it always brought her comfort. It was one of their go-to places when they were kids and it seemed like nothing had changed. It still felt like it was right out of the 1950s and she loved it. 

“God, it’s been so long since I’ve been here.” Y/N murmured as she looked around. 

“Rafe takes me here every week, it’s kinda our new tradition.” Wheezie tells her before rushing up to where she could order. Y/N smiled at Wheezie’s words, she found it hard to believe that big bad Rafe Cameron took his sister to get ice cream every week, but when she spotted him animatedly conversing with the old owner she couldn’t help but smile, it was kinda adorable that he did this for his sister.

She quickly shook those thoughts away and headed towards the counter and marveled at all the flavors. There were still a lot of the same flavors, but there were a few new ones sprinkled in there as well. 

“Do you still like the blueberry cheesecake and salted caramel flavors?” Rafe asked, causing Y/N to jump a bit, he had snuck up on her, but before she could scold him for that, his words sunk in. 

Y/N’s eyebrows scrunched up in confusion, “What are you? A stalker? How do you know that I like those flavors?” 

Rafe shrugged, “I’m observant. We’ve been coming here since we were little and you always got the same thing, no matter what. Well except for that year where you only got chocolate chip cookie dough.” 

She was taken aback by Rafe’s observation, he was right of course, but she was surprised that he had noticed that at all, but she couldn’t lie and say she didn’t know just as much about him. Growing up together really bonded you to a person, “Do you still always get mango and pistachio?” 

Rafe nodded, “Looks like I’m not the only one who’s a stalker.” She just rolled her eyes and went to order her one scoop of blueberry cheesecake and one scoop of salted caramel. She heard Rafe order his usual mango and pistachio as well and smiled, at least she was right. She got to the cash register, it was a bubbly teen girl who was working there, she thinks she might have seen her at one of the boneyard parties, but couldn’t really remember at that moment. She went to put down her card but Rafe beat her to it, and nudged her to the side and put his card down, telling the cashier that he was paying for all three ice creams. 

“Rafael, I can pay.” Y/N grumbled as he signed the receipt. 

Rafe just nodded and handed Y/N her ice cream and nudged her towards where Wheezie was sitting, “I know you can, just go sit with Wheezie and eat your ice cream.” She went to say something but Rafe just nudged her closer to the patio and she just let out a huff and headed outside to the table that Wheezie was sitting at. 

Y/N settled into the seat next to Wheezie and dug into her ice cream, she turned to Wheezie after she had taken a few bites of her ice cream, “So, how’ve you been Wheeze? It feels like it’s been forever.” 

Wheezie smiled and finished her last bite of ice cream before replying, “It has been a while, I’m okay. The real question is how are you doing?” 

Y/N swallowed and looked down and started to play with her ice cream, “You know?” 

Wheezie nodded, “I didn’t mean to eavesdrop or anything, but you and Sarah talk really loudly and you talk a lot in the open spaces at home. It was hard not to hear.” 

She sighed, “Well, it really does suck, but things happen and I guess I just have to toughen up and move on.” 

Wheezie gave the older girl a soft smile, before moving her chair closer to her, “It’s okay to not be tough for once Y/N, you don’t always have to be okay.” 

Y/N gave the younger girl an inquisitive look, “When did you get so wise Wheeze?” 

Wheezie shrugged as she dug into her ice cream once more, “I’ve been reading books.” 

Y/N laughed at the younger girl, spending time with Wheezie never failed to put a smile on her face, “Maybe I’ll join you in reading and I can be as wise as you. I have the time now.” 

Wheezie lit up and nodded her head excitedly, “Yeah! You can come with me to the beach, sometimes Rafe comes too, I go to read and when he comes he usually just sleeps or surfs, so he won’t bother you.” 

Y/N smiled and nodded before glancing to Rafe who had gone to grab some more napkins and water for them. Even though he liked to act like he was a big tough bad guy, it seemed that Rafe Cameron wasn’t who he said he was. 

Rafe headed back to the table, napkins and water in hand and set them down before seeing the looks on Y/N and Wheezie’s faces, “What are you two gossiping about?” 

Y/N rolled her eyes, but took the water from him, “We weren’t gossiping.” 

“I told Y/N that she should come to the beach with us sometime.” Wheezie said excitedly. 

“She probably has other things to do, Wheeze.” Rafe said as he took a bite of his ice cream. 

Y/N shook her head, “I’d love to come to the beach with you Wheeze.” 

Wheezie grinned and excitedly rambled on about how they could go to the bookstore and pick out new books and grab snacks before they went to the beach and Y/N just smiled and nodded along. 

Wheezie quickly ate her ice cream and begged Rafe to get seconds and he begrudgingly agreed, making her promise not to tell Rose. Wheezie nodded and promised and Rafe handed over his credit card and Wheezie rushed back inside to get seconds, leaving Y/N and Rafe alone. 

She looked at Rafe who for once seemed pretty relaxed, “So is this what you do all day? Spend time with Wheezie?” 

“What did you think I did?” Rafe asked. 

She shrugged, “I don’t know, golf, play video games with the guys.” 

Rafe shook his head, “Nah, golf is every Sunday and video games are just every other day.” 

She just gave him an amused look before smiling, “You’re something else Rafael.” 

Once Wheezie had gotten her seconds and finished it the trio was back on their way to Taneyhill. They would have left earlier, but Rafe was very particular about not wanting food in his truck, so they had to wait for Wheezie to finish. 

“We’re going to the beach in a few days, if you were serious about coming.” Rafe tells her. 

“A nice reading day would be nice.” Y/N sighed, she had missed doing simple things like that, with the pogues, it seemed like they always wanted to do something fun, they couldn’t just sit still for one moment, it would be nice to have a relaxing day, free of any worries. 

“I’ll let Wheeze know and she can text you all the details.” Rafe said and Y/N smiled. 

“I’m gonna head back home, can you let Sarah know I’m feeling better? And tell Rose too.” Y/N asked and Rafe nodded and watched her walk over to her house. 

The day had been surprisingly nice, it might have started out sour, but it ended on a high note. She couldn’t believe that Rafe Cameron of all people had made her day better, but sometimes the most unexpected things are the best things. She also thought that the Rafe she had spent the day with was far from the Rafe she grew up with, it seemed like he had matured and maybe this new mature Rafe was someone she was willing to be friends with. 

---

#rafe cameron x reader #rafe cameron #rafe cameron x you #rafe x reader #rafe x you #cruel summer #cruel summer series #obx #outerbanks #sarah cameron #summer romance #forbidden romance #wheezie cameron

[hiddenwritingsintheworld]

Cruel Summer sneak peek

 “I heard your feet paddling against the floor Y/N…open the door please?” You opened it to see Evans standing there smiling. “Hi...can we talk?” he asked tucking his hands into his pockets. 

You stepped aside and opened the door, “Um sure come on in.” you glanced out of the door before closing it behind him. “What brings you to California?” you asked walking past him back over to your spot on the sofa. Evans looked around the hotel, before looking back at you. “Shopping for the wedding…heard you had a concert here and figured I’d stop by…..visit with an old friend,” he smiled taking a seat next to you on the couch. 

#chris evans characters #chris evans x you #chris evans x reader #chris evans smut #chris evans fanfiction #chris evans imagine #chris evans hot #cruel summer #cruel summer series

[liiilyevans]

No cameras catch my pageant smile I counted days, I counted miles To see you there, to see you there It's been a long time coming, but

Or, Draco has a desire to learn more about Astoria when he sees her again.

Note: I really struggled with this song! I started this fic in Astoria's POV and scrapped the whole thing about half way through and started writing from Draco's POV, which I find quite funny at certain points in this fic. Anyways, I chose to focus on a few lines from the song such as, 'no cameras catch my pageant smile,' 'you play stupid games, you win stupid prizes,' 'no cameras catch my muffled cries,' 'and I don't want you to (go), I don't really wanna (fight),' and of course, the title lyric 'voted most likely to run away with you.' I hope you enjoy! Thank you to the @cruelsummer-ficfest mods for the challenge of this one!

Read on AO3

His parents were upset. Since he was a baby, he’d spent every Christmas with them. The only one he’d missed was in fourth year when he went to the Yule Ball. Now, he was abandoning them to globe trot with his friends for five days. At least, that was what his mother said. Her glare had been so icy when he’d walked out the front door that he thought shards would be embedded into his jacket. Theo met him at the gate of Malfoy Manor and then they were Apparating to the Portkey site. 

When Theo had asked Draco to come to Athens, he’d been surprised then suspicious. Pansy and Blaise were the ones who invited him to social events. Theo was quiet and kept to himself, but he and Draco had a pleasant enough relationship over the years. When they were in school, Theo had been the only roommate who Draco could stand. Crabbe and Goyle were both loud sleepers and dead to the world once they were asleep. Blaise had been entitled and pushy. Theo was quiet and took up little space. Most times, Draco barely noticed he was there. Besides, Athens would be a good way to get his mind off of Astoria Greengrass dancing all over his heart on the Zabini’s dancefloor. 

Since the Zabini wedding at the beginning of summer, Draco had been steadily avoiding her, only giving her clipped responses when she approached him at any pureblood soirées and more often than not, making excuses not to talk to her altogether. By the end of the summer, Astoria seemed to finally take the hint. She hadn’t spoken to him since. 

Which was for the best. Someone as clean as Astoria Greengrass didn’t deserve to be tainted by his reputation. 

Or him with his tainted hands and battered soul. 

When they arrived at the suite, Theo pushed the door open. Draco stepped into what looked like a sitting room levitating his luggage behind him. It was pristine with a white couch and two armchairs gathered around a table. The kitchen was right next to it, marble countertops gleaming from the light over the sink. There were four doors, two on each wall, leading to what Draco assumed were bedrooms and a beautiful balcony overlooking the city. 

Daphne was seated on the couch, her legs tucked underneath her, and her blonde hair pulled into a high ponytail. Across from her sat Marcus Flint, which shocked Draco to the core. He was still as broad as ever, dwarfing Daphne. He was clean shaven and was eying Draco with a look of surprise and confusion. Theo hadn’t told Daphne that he was coming then. 

Draco nodded to the older man. “Flint.” 

“Malfoy,” he said pleasantly enough. Off the pitch, Flint wasn’t so bad to be around, a bit rough around the edges though. 

Daphne’s brow furrowed. “I didn’t realize you were bringing company, Theo.” 

Theo shrugged. “I didn’t think you’d mind.” 

“I don’t,” she said. “Draco, you knew Marcus was my cousin, didn’t you?” 

Draco shook his head. He’d never really paid attention to the Greengrass family tree. 

“Well, now you do,” she said. “He’ll be vacationing with us.” 

Draco didn’t know why she felt the need to state the obvious. 

“In here,” Theo said, nodding to one of the rooms.

Rolling his eyes, he stepped into the room Theo was staying in and let his luggage drop to the floor. He hadn’t expected the twin beds, and Theo was steadily avoiding eye contact with him. 

“Why are we sharing a room?” Draco said lowly. 

“What? You don’t fancy bonding with me?” Theo said with a quirk of his eyebrow. 

“I had enough bonding with you when we shared a dorm at Hogwarts,” he said. Merlin, that had been an adjustment. Until that point, Draco was used to being an only child and that meant having a whole manor to himself, dozens and dozens of dust covered rooms to explore. Having to share a room with six different boys had been a nightmare. 

Turning on his heel, Draco marched back into the sitting room to demand that someone switch rooms with him only to be met with the rich brown eyes of Astoria Greengrass. The Greengrasses were clearly in the middle of a reunion, Astoria still in Flint’s arms and Daphne grinning broadly at both of them. There was shock in her eyes as she watched him, and Draco felt the urge to turn back around and spend the rest of this vacation locked in that bedroom with Theo, as unpleasant as that would be. 

He wasn’t afforded that opportunity though. 

“We should all go out to celebrate,” Daphne said, clapping her hands. “We haven’t seen Marcus in ages, and I know where we can get the best wine in the city.” 

#

As it turned out, Daphne didn’t end up getting any kind of wine. Instead, she downed four margaritas in such a quick succession that she was ten times more talkative than usual. Lucky for Draco, she sat next to Theo. His evening was filled with watching Theo squirm as Daphne prattled on, only barely letting him get two words in edge wise. Draco thought it served Theo right for tricking him into coming on this trip. 

If there was one word that summed up Theodore Nott, it was observant. He was sure to have noticed that Draco had avoided Astoria after the Zabini wedding. For some morbid reason, he seemed to find Draco’s discomfort amusing. Little did anyone know, he’d been ready to bare his soul to Astoria when she’d stranded him on that dance floor. It was truly a blessing that she left when she did. It saved him the trouble of picking up the pieces of his shattered heart later on when he was more invested in . . . whatever it was they had been dancing around. 

Draco rolled over for the fourth time. This bed was small and terribly uncomfortable — much too firm compared to what he was used to. As he glanced over at his roommate, Theo seemed quite content. He was facing the opposite wall, his breathing even. Rolling his eyes, Draco climbed out of bed and grabbed his wand — a habit Aunt Bella had instilled in him. Fresh air would clear his head and hopefully zap some of the energy out of him. 

Gently, he opened his bedroom door and slipped into the sitting room. The moonlight was streaming in from the balcony, casting a soft glow on the room. The door to the balcony was cracked. Palming his wand, Draco slowly slipped over to the edge of the door, careful to keep himself out of sight. When he glanced outside, he saw Astoria and Flint sitting in the lounge chairs, their backs toward him. Astoria’s hair was loose and curling around her shoulders. It reminded him of the night she’d let it down on the dock before Pansy’s wedding. She had looked beautiful with those brown eyes high from the joint they’d been smoking. He had no doubt that she looked just as beautiful now, though he couldn’t see her face. However, he did spot another cigarette hanging between her fingertips. 

“I didn’t realize you were on a first name basis with Malfoy,” he heard Flint say. 

Astoria didn’t say anything for a moment. “What gave you that impression?”

“Earlier when I asked if you knew that he and Nott were going to be here, you said, ‘Daphne only told me Theo was coming, not Draco.’” 

“We’ve talked before,” Astoria admitted, and Draco felt a spark of outrage. If she dared to say one thing about the time they’d spent together — dared to tell Flint that she’d touched his Mark — he would burst onto that balcony now and obliviate them both. He didn’t care if it was illegal. 

“He’d be bad for you.” Flint’s voice pulled Draco from his anger. “He’s entitled and selfish. He only looks out for himself. You could do better.” 

Flint was right. Astoria could do much better than him with her witty remarks and her stunning smile. Merlin, even Potter talked to her if the rumors from the Ministry were anything to go by. And Draco was bitterly jealous because all he could think of was that night on the dock when she’d touched his Mark. It felt like someone had really seen him for the first time in a very long time. And just as he’d been ready to share his darkest moments with her, she’d left him on that dancefloor.

Astoria scoffed. “I didn’t see you complaining about his entitlement when you got a Nimbus 2001 out of it.” 

“This isn’t Quidditch, Astoria,” Flint said, and Draco could hear his eye roll. Flint didn’t say anything else for a moment. Just as Draco thought their conversation was over, Flint spoke again. “How much of that do you take now?”

From where he was standing, Draco could see Flint nod to the joint between his cousin’s fingers. Astoria simply lifted the cigarette to her mouth and took a long drag. Draco had never wanted to be an inanimate object more. 

“Enough,” she said. “Why are you so concerned?” 

“I’m always concerned about you, Astoria.” It was the first time Draco had heard Flint sound honestly sincere. Even though he couldn’t see the older man’s face, Draco could tell that he was staring at Astoria intently. Almost as intently as she was avoiding his gaze. 

“Well, stop worrying about me,” she said finally. “It’s bad for your blood pressure.” 

There was an undertone to their words. Though they seemed like simple questions, Draco got the feeling that they were talking in some kind of code. Flint wasn’t talking about her drug intake, at least not entirely. Draco leaned toward the glass door unconsciously. He was beginning to realize this is what Astoria did to him — made him want to learn more about her and store each golden nugget of information away for later use. His knee loudly knocked the table in front of him, and he quickly grabbed it to keep it from toppling over. Angry footsteps sounded on the balcony. He was going to die. 

Quickly, Draco cast a disillusionment charm and pressed his back against the wall. 

Flint yanked the glass door all the way open, and Draco flinched at the rage that covered his face. He scanned the room slowly, his eyes narrowed. Glancing down, Draco noticed his wand was in his left hand and his sleeves were rolled up, his Dark Mark on full display. When Draco’s gaze returned to the older man’s face, he was looking directly at Draco, squinting slightly. Fear slithered up his stomach and into his throat. Flint was going to hex him, possibly kill him. 

“Quit being paranoid, Marcus,” Astoria called. She hadn’t even bothered to turn around from what Draco could see. “It was probably just the wind.” 

Marcus glanced around the room once more before firmly shutting the glass door. 

Draco let out the breath he’d been holding. After waiting a few moments and sneaking a few glances out of the glass door to make sure Astoria and Flint weren’t suspicious, Draco hurried back to his room and promptly closed the door. 

Theo was still sleeping. The bastard. 

#

The only good thing about shopping in Athens was that he couldn’t go wrong with whatever he decided to buy his mother. The mink stoles were just to her taste, the feather hats just the right mix of delicate and sophisticated, the pearl bracelets just expensive enough without being gaudy. Draco knew he couldn’t come back empty handed if he wanted to spend the next few months without her silent glares of judgement. His father was the tricky one. While his mother liked expensive things, his father liked rare things — things that he could drag out once a year to show his friends. Draco would find nothing like that here. 

“That has to be the ugliest hat I’ve ever seen.” 

Draco’s head snapped to the right as Astoria came to stand beside him. She was as stunning as usual in her dark red lipstick, long sleeved green dress, and green beret. It should have been ridiculous — especially since they were in Athens, not Paris — but Astoria pulled it off beautifully. Draco thought she could pull off a potato sack. She fixed her dark brown eyes on him, a smile starting to curve at the corners of her mouth. 

“I don’t think you could pull it off,” she said, nodding to the red and black monstrosity he’d been examining. 

Draco sputtered. “It’s not for me.” 

“Oh.” She turned back to the hat. “Well, that’s good because it wouldn’t suit your complexion at all.” 

Rolling his eyes, Draco turned back to the display of hats. If he ignored her, she would get bored and leave, or Flint would pull her attention away from him. Then he could go on about his day trying to forget that she smelled like jasmine or the soft feel of her back against his fingertips or the gentle way she’d run her fingertips over his Mark. Yes, it was best to forget all about those things before she made him do something that was likely to get him hexed by Flint. 

“You really shouldn’t eavesdrop on people, you know,” she said casually. “Your mother would find it obscene.” 

Draco froze, the silk brim of a hat still between his fingers. With his heart beating rapidly, he tried to think of a moment during the previous night that Astoria might have caught a glimpse of him. However, she’d had her back turned to the glass door the whole time. There was no way she would have seen him. 

“I didn’t-” Before he could even finish his lie, Astoria roughly pinched his bicep.

Draco yelped and stepped away from her. 

“You play stupid games, you win stupid prizes,” she said, never taking her eyes off the display in front of her. Anger surged up inside him like a tidal wave. Who did she think she was? Stomping all over his newfound hope one minute and physically abusing him in public the next? Draco would not stand for this. 

“You have no idea-”

“You could just talk to me, you know,” she said, turning to him suddenly and stepping forward. As she invaded Draco’s personal space, his mouth went dry and any harsh words he was going to say before were now drifting from his mind like a soft breeze. Astoria’s eyes were beautiful, especially when he could make out the different shades of brown in them — the light caramel, the deep umber, the rich coffee. They held sincerity and an earnestness that Draco wanted to believe in so bad. Yet he couldn’t forget the last time he’d let himself believe that anyone might be willing to look past the picture that was painted of him after the war — couldn’t forget the way his heart had shattered when she’d turned and practically run away from him. 

“I have nothing to say to you,” he whispered lowly. He couldn’t even manage a decent glare, only a slight narrowing of his eyes. 

“Right,” she muttered, looking down. “Well, if you change your mind, you know where to find me.” 

#

Draco swore that he wasn’t going to go out on the balcony that night. Even if Theo was as silent as the dead in his bed, Draco was positive he could hear him breathing. That was the reason he was climbing out of bed, not because he hoped to see a certain brunette in the moonlight again. It was more than any sane person could be expected to bear. His father would never have stood for it. As Draco softly closed his bedroom door, he glanced toward the balcony. He wasn’t going out there. He was just going to sit on the couch; maybe sleep there since he knew that he wouldn’t be able to sleep in that room with Theo. Without even realizing it, he was already standing in front of the cracked sliding door. 

Astoria was just as beautiful as she had been the night before, the moonlight casting an ethereal glow on her. Her hair was pulled back into a slick ponytail this time, and Draco could make out the sides of her face — her delicate nose that she shared with her sister, the dark lipstick she hadn’t taken off yet, the high arch of her eyebrow. There was weariness there, too — in her pale skin, the faint dark circles under her eyes, the slight droop of her shoulders. She was never so vulnerable in the day with those pageant smiles and barbed words that she wore like armor. Yet here in the dark, she seemed to have shed them like a snakeskin. 

Draco silently pushed the door open. 

When he took a seat next to her, she didn’t seem surprised, didn’t even bother to spare him a second glance. Nerves settled in the bottom of Draco’s stomach. Perhaps, he should have stayed in the sitting room. The couch was far more comfortable than this chair anyway. But curiosity overtook him. 

“How’d you know it was me last night?” 

When she finally looked over at him, Astoria was grinning. “Because Daphne would have come outside, and Theo wouldn’t have gotten caught.” 

Draco sputtered as his cheeks bloomed red. This was obviously a horrible idea. After all, Astoria only ever insulted him or used him to cure her morbid fascination with the Dark Lord and his followers. But she started to laugh at the look on his face, and Draco flopped back in his chair pouting. How was he ever supposed to leave her be when her laugh sounded that lovely? 

“Do you enjoy inadvertently insulting people?” he asked, crossing his arms. 

“Only you,” she crooned, and Draco thought he could live with that. 

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her reach into a small plastic bag and begin to roll a joint. So, she rolled them herself. Fascinating. When she had finished, she pressed the cigarette between her lips and lit it with her wand. After she took a drag, she offered it to Draco. Silently, he snatched the cigarette from her fingers and inhaled. 

“Where do you get this?” he demanded when he handed the joint back to her. “It doesn’t feel like back-alley shit.” 

She laughed. “Do you think I’d buy back-alley shit?” 

He shrugged. “Who’s your dealer?” 

Astoria took a drag. “That’s none of your business.” 

Draco didn’t bother to dignify that with a response. If she wanted to be evasive, let her. He could be evasive, too. 

“So, are we going to talk about Venice?” she asked. 

She was looking directly at him now, but Draco avoided her gaze. They’d done enough talking in Venice, and he was not about to open himself up to her again. So, silence would do. Besides, he was too intoxicated by the scent of jasmine to form a coherent thought anyway. 

Astoria swung her legs over the lounge chair to face him. “Let’s play a game.” 

Draco rolled his eyes. “What kind of game?”

“A questions game,” she said. “I ask you a question and you have to answer honestly. Then you ask me a question. And so on.” Draco glared at her. He was not born yesterday, and he was not playing that game. “You can go first.” 

It was tempting. Learning about Astoria was like trying to break into a vault at Gringotts. All Draco really knew about her was that she was Daphne’s sister, she stood strongly against the Dark Lord, and she currently worked in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. She’d never shared anything deeply personal with him, but now she was offering. 

“Who’s your dealer?” 

“Pass,” she said. When Draco tried to protest, she shook her head. “We both get one pass. Ask something else.” 

“Why is Flint so protective of you?” 

A soft smile fell over Astoria’s face. “Marcus has always been that way. He’s like my older brother.” He’d never seen her this soft before. Her eyes weren’t as guarded, instead open; her body wasn’t tense, just relaxed. Draco wondered if that was due to the marijuana. “When we were kids, he’d get us out of trouble or cover up for us. For me really, because I was the one who dragged Daphne into trouble.” Draco snorted, which earned him a smile. “And if he’s harsh, it’s because the world has been incredibly unkind to him.” 

Draco rather thought that it was the other way around. Marcus Flint had a reputation among the Death Eaters. He was ruthless. Whenever the Dark Lord had needed someone to disappear or needed information out of someone, there were a select few Death Eaters that were called on. Flint had been one of them. None of those on trial had mentioned his name because they were terrified of what he would do to them. According to rumors, he had a long reach, possibly even from inside Azkaban since the Ministry did away with the Dementors. His reputation contrasted starkly with the man who was currently on vacation with them. 

“Who were you looking at that hat for?” she asked. 

“My mother,” Draco said. That was easy enough. 

Astoria raised her eyebrows. “Your mother?” 

“Yes, my mother. She was upset when she found out I wouldn’t be spending the holidays with her and Father.” 

“Why aren’t you spending the holiday with them?” 

“It’s not your turn,” Draco said. Astoria rolled her eyes as if the rules were stupid, and she hadn’t come up with them herself. “When did you start disagreeing with what our society says about Mud- erm, Muggleborns?” 

That hard look was back in Astoria’s eyes. She leaned back on her hands before she answered him. “I’ve never agreed with it. My father taught me to use my brain and to think critically before making any kind of decision. The idea of ‘pure blood’ always seemed ludicrous to me. It makes absolutely no sense. But if you’re asking when it solidified for me, it was my first year.” Astoria bit her lip, and Draco was transfixed. “The first person I met after the sorting was a boy named Lucas. We were really good friends, just one of those instant connections. He was a Slytherin and a Muggleborn. So, his life wasn’t easy. I couldn’t do much. Snape wasn’t much help. I was eleven, but I told Daphne to make sure he was safe and left alone, and I always stood up for him when I saw the older kids bully him. But that wasn’t enough. I don’t know who did it, but someone went into his dorm and painted the word ‘Mudblood’ over his bed, left his sheets in ribbons, and tore through his truck. He cried about it for weeks, which only made everyone tease him more. None of the Slytherins wanted anything to do with him and the other houses were wary of him because of the colors he wore. I’m sure it was a living hell. I found him trying to sleep on the couch in the common room one night, and I stayed with him. I’m pretty sure he cried himself to sleep. His parents pulled him out of Hogwarts two weeks later.” 

Astoria was looking away from him, and Draco felt sorry for his school actions for the first time. While he hadn’t been the one who painted that boy’s bed, he was sure he could have easily figured out who did it. He’d never really thought of his actions’ effect on other people, only the immediate high he’d get after he said something mildly clever, and his friends laughed. In his mind, the people he bullied never had feelings, and there were never any lasting effects to his hateful remarks. He was beginning to realize how wrong he was.

“I didn’t . . . I didn’t know about that,” he muttered. 

“Probably because you were too busy milking that hippogriff injury and trying to get Hagrid fired,” she said bluntly. 

Draco winced. Perhaps not his finest moment. 

Astoria stood then, stretching her arms above her head. Draco followed the movement, up her legs, past the strip of skin showing where her shirt had ridden up, onto the arch of her back and her breasts, until he reached her dark eyes. They were cloudy again, hiding the world’s secrets for all he knew. Suddenly, she seemed wiser than him. And closed off, he realized, because she was done revealing things about herself. A chill ran through him. 

“As fun as this has been, my sister has a full itinerary planned for tomorrow, so I need some sleep.” 

Draco stood quickly as she started to step past him and grabbed her upper arm. Her name slipped from his lips without his permission, and horror suddenly flooded him. He had absolutely no words for her, but she was looking up at him expectantly. 

He cleared his throat. “Will you . . . will you be here tomorrow night?” 

She smiled brilliantly. “I may be persuaded. Good night, Draco.” 

#

“What do you think?” Daphne asked, holding up two tops that looked exactly the same, but in two different colors. How they’d ended up alone in the shop was a mystery to Draco, but Daphne had insisted she needed a second opinion, and since Astoria had disappeared with Flint and Theo, Draco would have to step in. 

He’d never been particularly close with Daphne during their time at Hogwarts. She had flirted with Blaise all through their sixth year and started to date him in their seventh. At the time, Blaise had gotten on his nerves, too entitled and removed from the war for Draco to find him anything other than annoying and childish. There was also Pansy. Draco never found out what was between them, but Pansy was always passive aggressive with Daphne, like she posed some kind of secret threat. Because he hadn’t wanted to deal with one of Pansy’s tantrums, he had left Daphne alone and only spoke to her when necessary. 

“I think the gold is more flashy, but the silver goes better with your undertones.” Something he would not have known if he hadn’t been dragged on shopping spree after shopping spree with his mother and forced to listen to her and her seamstress talk about undertones and matching jewelry and clothes together. 

Daphne held the gold up to herself in the mirror then the silver. “Fuck, you’re right.” 

Draco rolled his eyes. 

“Your mother’s influence, I assume,” she said as she spun around to examine several skirts on the rack. 

“Well, it certainly wasn’t my father’s.” 

“No? He seems the type to know his undertone.” 

Draco snorted, and Daphne flashed him a brilliant smile. 

She was funny, he was realizing. There was a brightness to her that the world should have dimmed with its cruelness, but Daphne seemed determined to outshine that cruelty. Over the last hour, he’d heard about how Daphne’s grandmother and her father didn’t get along and how she didn’t know if she wanted to go to Rio in the New Year or Costa Rica. Daphne was an open book. 

The difference between her and Astoria was like dawn and dusk. Daphne was always bright and chatty, while Astoria was standoffish. While Daphne seemed to care what others thought of her, Astoria couldn’t give a flying hippogriff what anyone said. Despite their differences, they seemed to get along splendidly from what Draco had seen, giggling together at lunch and teasing each other easily. It made Draco wonder what having a sibling would be like — what the ease and camaraderie would feel like. 

“So, you’re avoiding my sister.”

Draco’s head snapped toward Daphne, but she was still examining the rack of skirts. 

“I wouldn’t say that.”

“You wouldn’t? You seem determined to ignore her at the past few social events, and you’ve barely spoken to her on this trip.” Daphne glanced at him over her shoulder, blonde hair falling around her face. There was no judgement in her eyes, just curiosity. Yet another marked difference between her and her sister. 

“Your sister is perplexing,” Draco said instead of answering her question. 

And that was the truth of it. Astoria had so many layers to her that Draco never thought he’d make it to the center of who she truly was. Then there was Venice. Even after their conversation last night and the promise of another conversation tonight, Draco still couldn’t make himself let go of what had happened. He wasn’t a forgiving person by nature, and this was no exception. 

Daphne hummed. “She is . . . special. Too good for this world.” Too good for him, he thought she meant. “I would not want to see her hurt.” 

“I don’t think your sister would give anyone the power to hurt her.” 

Daphne only laughed in response. 

#

That night, Draco and Astoria established their routine. He would go to bed, toss and turn until he couldn’t stand Theo’s unnatural stillness, and then make his way out to the balcony where he would find Astoria, with a cigarette in hand. They ended up sitting on the edges of their seats facing each other with their knees brushing. Draco could smell the Mary Jane every time she exhaled above them. 

“Why’d you start smoking?” he asked. They continued the game. Though Draco had been reluctant to answer her questions, he was curious about her, trying to get to the center of what made her tick. And she never asked anything that made him pass on a question; always things about him, like where he liked to vacation most, what his favorite dessert was, why he’d been such an asshole in school. That last one had been tongue in cheek. 

But there were barbs in his words. Pansy and Blaise’s wedding had been brought up at dinner earlier. Very innocent really. Flint had asked about the wedding, and Daphne had started talking about it in minute detail with several sarcastic remarks from Astoria. During the whole conversation, Astoria’s eyes had kept sliding towards him, like she was trying to figure out what was going through his mind. Draco had left a bored expression on his face. If living with Death Eaters had taught him anything, it was how to wear a mask. 

Astoria took a long drag before answering. “I was in . . . a very bad place after the war. It was hard for me to function sometimes. So, I got weed. It helped a little. At least I could function and if I needed a boost.” She put the cigarette to her lips and inhaled. “That’s all there was to it.” 

Draco nodded. 

“Why’d you take the Mark?” 

Draco thought about passing, about brushing off the brutalness of the question and trying for something lighthearted. Astoria might let him, judging by her kind eyes and the gentle turn of her lips. 

“I wanted to,” he said simply. “I wanted to make my father proud. My aunt as well. It was everything I’d grown up with.” Everything that he’d always been taught would bring him greatness. “I thought if my father was in Azkaban and my family’s reputation was in shambles then taking the Mark would be the first step to fixing it. I thought . . . I thought I could show the Dark Lord how valuable I was.” Instead, he’d been left with a shattered heart and a manor full of ghosts. 

Astoria glanced away from him, her lip caught between her teeth. This was the part where she told him he should have known better, should have been smarter, should have seen that it was all a set up from the beginning. He braced himself for it, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the edge of his lounge chair. 

“I’m sorry,” she said. It was the same thing she’d said when they had talked at the Goyle ball eons ago. No one had ever apologized for what he’d gone through; most people thought he brought it on himself. 

Draco relaxed his grip slightly. If she was going to ask hard hitting questions like that, then he would do the same. Fair was fair, after all. 

“Why’d you leave the Zabini wedding early?” 

He could see her stiffen instantly. It was like he found her Pandora’s box, the one thing he wanted to desperately open, but she kept under lock and key. They’d been at the game for an hour or so, and she hadn’t used a pass yet. Draco thought she might use it now. 

Then, “I was sick. Dizzy. Lightheaded. That’s all.” 

It seemed too simple an answer, too calculated. 

“Dizzy?” he said. “That seems a bit anticlimactic for how quickly you ran away.” 

She returned her gaze to him then, outrage clearly painted on her face. “Well, I’m sorry my bout of dizziness wasn’t climatic enough for you. Next time, I’ll let myself faint in your arms, would that make you happy?” Her eyes were blazing now as she swung her legs over the edge of the lounge chair. “Then you can be the charming gentleman who caused the delicate lady to swoon?” 

Anger eddied through him, causing his grip on the chair to tighten again. She was being condescending, and perhaps with good reason. However, she had started this game, and she had chosen to answer the question. If she didn’t like being pressed, then she should never have answered the question.

“No,” he snapped. “I would like to know why you left me after I offered you a goldmine of information on the Dark Lord to feed your morbid fascination with him.” 

Hurt shot across her face before it was quickly washed away. 

“I was never fascinated with him,” she said. Then her question hit him like a hex. “Why don’t you say his name? Are you still that scared of him?” 

Draco leaned away from her like she stung him. She spoke as if it were easy, forgetting all the terror that the Dark Lord had instilled in his followers. Even his most loyal Death Eaters were not safe. He’d seen Aunt Bella come home with her eyes dull and bruises forming on her pale skin after a rough night. While the Dark Lord might be gone, the scars he left remained. 

“I can’t just . . . say his name,” Draco said, his gaze on the sky suddenly as Astoria siphoned the truth out of him. She was brave and clever; she would think less of him for his reasoning. “He was . . . more brutal than you could imagine. I’d prefer to forget he even existed.” 

“But you can’t let him have that power over you,” Astoria said fiercely. As she leaned toward him, jasmine filled his senses, and Draco dropped his eyes back to hers. “If you refuse to say his name out of fear or anger, you give him power, even from the grave. Voldemort is gone, and he is not coming back.” 

Draco flinched when she said his name. There was nothing else for it. In time, he might be able to hear it and not bat an eyelash, but he didn’t think he’d ever be able to say it. Instead of answering, Draco turned his face toward the stars. He could spot Orion’s Belt and Cassiopeia. The stars seemed so far removed from all their worries, like they were too busy shining brightly to really have any problems. If Draco were a star, he imagined his problems would be miniscule as well. 

Astoria sighed loudly, pulling Draco’s attention back to her. “I can’t figure you out.” 

Draco laughed bitterly. “Well, I can’t figure you out either.” 

She smiled at him and leaned forward like she might tell him a secret. “Perhaps we are both far more complicated than either of us imagined.” 

“Perhaps.”

Astoria’s eyes were glittering with mischief now, casting a youthful glow over her face. Even the dark circles couldn’t take away from that. It was that mischief that had Draco leaning forward and pressing his lips to hers. They were soft and full against his own, and she tasted like weed. A high set into Draco’s veins, almost like the effects of the weed were transferred from her to him. Only Draco realized she wasn’t kissing him back. 

His whole body went cold. Quickly, he pushed himself away from her, an apology already forming on his lips along with a cutting insult. Astoria caught the collar of his shirt, holding him within an inch of herself. Her breath danced across his lips, a teasing reminder of the kiss he had just given her. When their eyes meant, Draco was tempted to press his lips back to hers, just so he could have one last taste of her. 

“I-”

“Don’t,” she interrupted. Then she softly kissed him. It wasn’t rushed or forceful like his had been. It was simple, honest. When she pulled away from him, she let his collar go and stood up. Draco was too stunned to stop her. “I’ll see you in the morning, Draco.” 

Then she was gone, disappearing through the sliding door. 

#

When Draco and his family came to Athens, they always stopped by Antoni’s, a fabulous restaurant with some of the best cuisine and wine in town. After mentioning it to Daphne, she had insisted that they stop there for supper. It was as phenomenal as always. Theo was delighted to see that they had moussaka with lamb, and Astoria insisted on trying the loukoumades, fried dough topped with honey and nuts. The group topped off their meal with a red blend from Crete that had notes of cinnamon and allspice. 

Draco was listening to Daphne and Theo discuss who would be the next in their group to get married when he felt something brush against his calf. It felt like a foot. Astoria was sitting across from him, wine glass in hand, talking with Flint about Quidditch. When she noticed him examining her, her lips quirked upwards, and she took a sip of her wine. 

They hadn’t discussed the kiss from the previous night, and Draco didn’t want it to ruin their last night together. That kiss stayed with him all through the night and today, though. He was unable to forget how warm she had been against him. It had been a fluke, he had reminded himself to keep from going insane. When she’d kissed him again, Astoria was merely being nice because she was a kind person. After this trip, he would go back to being miserable in Malfoy Manor, and she would continue to rise in the Ministry. There was no place in her life for someone like Draco. 

“Astoria, come help me with a touchup?” Daphne asked as she stood up. Astoria quickly followed her. 

“I’m going to run to the loo as well,” Theo said. 

Then it was just Flint, Draco, and awkward silence. Wonderful. The only time Flint had been cordial with Draco was in his second year when he was handing him a Nimbus 2001. During practice, Flint was brutal, pushing his team to do their worst in order to win the Quidditch Cup. He’d been standoffish outside the pitch, much like he had been this whole vacation. Coldly friendly. Draco wished he’d gone to the bathroom with Theo; anything to be away from Flint’s stormy eyes. 

“You need to stay away from Astoria,” he finally said. 

Draco was so shocked his head snapped toward the older man. “Excuse me?” 

“Stay away from her,” Flint repeated. “You can’t handle being with someone like her.” 

He wasn’t surprised, especially after what he heard on the balcony, but it peeved him that Flint would discuss this topic so openly. They were in a restaurant, for fuck’s sake. Theo or the girls could easily walk back to the table and overhear their conversation. 

“And what is that supposed to mean?” Draco demanded.

“Just what I said,” he replied. “You couldn’t handle it. Besides, Astoria wants a career in politics, and she can’t have dead weight like you dragging her down.” 

Draco’s temper flared. “And you aren’t dead weight?” 

Flint smirked. “I’m only her cousin, and quite out of the public eye except for my Quidditch coaching career. And no one pays attention to the coaches. People pay attention to romantic entanglements though.” 

Romantic entanglements. Draco had never thought of them in that context. At least not until last night. 

“I don’t need you meddling in my business, Flint,” he snapped. 

“And I don’t need you fucking around my baby cousin’s feelings.” 

“Marcus, we just saw the most delicious looking baklava being served to another table,” Daphne said as she returned to the table. “We have to try it.” 

“It’s just food, Daph,” Astoria laughed. “Calm down.” 

Draco’s temper was flaring in his chest, but instead of offering a snide remark, he grabbed his glass of wine and downed it. Only Flint noticed, his eyes fixed on Draco the whole time. 

#

That night Draco made it out to the balcony before Astoria. It was only slightly chilly out, and he threw on an old button down and black trousers, not bothering to wait until Theo was soundly asleep. Draco had been subjected to enough of his sleep habits to last a lifetime. As he heard the glass door slide open, he looked over his shoulder to see Astoria closing it. She was wearing a pair of dark sleep pants and a tank top, both of which were silk. When she spun around, Draco caught a glimpse of her face. He noticed her eyes first. They were focused on him and slightly narrowed, determination shining there. Her mouth was slightly pinched into a frown. That frown sent a chill down his spine. 

As Draco opened his mouth to ask her what was wrong, she strode toward him quickly. Her warm hands found his shoulders, and she used them to steady herself as she positioned her knees on either side of his thighs. Shock rippled through him. Astoria was going to sit in his lap, he realized. Automatically, his hands found her waist, her skin solid under the soft fabric of her shirt. 

“What are you doing?” he hissed. 

“I want to ask you something, and I thought you’d be more honest this way,” she said as she shimmied around to get comfortable. Draco sincerely hoped that she didn’t brush against anything unseemly. “How many people have you kissed?” 

It was an odd question, which Draco might not have answered if her lips were not within inches from his own. She smelled sweet and spicy and everything about her was intoxicating. He had the urge to freeze this moment so he could feel her warmth against him, know what it was like to have her breath fanning against his face, memorize the curiosity painted in her irises. 

“Enough,” he answered roughly, his voice dropping an octave. 

“Good,” she said. 

Then her lips were pressing against his own, more insistent than the night before. Though he knew it was coming, surprise still snaked through him, his hands blindly clinging to her shirt. Astoria was fine wine, rich and tart and revealing more flavors to him the more he tasted of her. Unsure of what she would allow him to do, he put all his energy into pressing his mouth against her own. Her lips were soft but urgent, and he tried his best to keep up, but he felt like he was drowning in her. Astoria was consuming him with her pretty gasps, her sweet smell, and her soft lips. 

She asked him how many people he’d kissed, and now Draco was wondering how many people she’d kissed. It was clear she’d done this before by the way she was pressing herself against him in all the right ways. Draco had only kissed a handful of girls — Pansy, Tracey Davis, and some other Slytherins. He’d been intimate with even fewer of them.

She detached her lips from his mouth and started a trail of sucking kisses down his neck. 

Draco had to force himself not to let out the most obscene moan. 

“Why haven’t we been doing this the whole trip?” Astoria asked breathlessly. 

Draco groaned and tugged her closer to him. He could have had four nights of this endless bliss. Instead of responding, he pressed his lips against her neck, delighted at the feel of delicate skin. Dropping her head back, Astoria gasped and clutched at his shoulders. This was the only way he could stop her smart mouth apparently, and he was not in the least bit upset about that. 

Sliding his hand between her shoulder blades, Draco held her firmly while his lips continued downward. Gently, he swept his lips down to her collarbone, found the skin between her collarbone and shoulder, and bit down lightly. The smooth tips of her hair brushed against his hands, and Draco had to fight the urge to tangle his fingers in it. His other kisses had never felt like this. He had been attracted to the other girls, of course, but it was always physical. It was more about what he wanted and what those girls could offer him. With Astoria, it was more intense, more emotional. He wanted to please her, not just himself. 

Astoria dunked her head and caught his lips again. This time, Draco was unable to hold back his moan, his hands grasping the nape of her neck. She turned gentle slowly, pressing her swollen lips tenderly against his own until they settled into a languid rhythm. Finally, she rested her forehead against his own, sharing the same breath as him. 

This was what peace felt like, he realized. Quiet, Astoria’s fingers desperately clutching the collar of his shirt, his fingers brushing the edges of her jawline. Even before the war, he had never felt like this – had never been so content to sit in silence, sharing the same breath as another human being, and soaking in the glow of their presence. Draco thought he might like to live in this moment forever.

“Are you going to spend the New Year with your parents?” she asked finally. 

Draco meant her eyes and saw calm there for the first time. He thought maybe this was his favorite version of her. 

“Yes,” he said. 

“I see.” Astoria tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. “Shame we won’t be doing more of this.” 

“We won’t?” Disappointment colored his question.

She traced her fingertip over the top button of his shirt. “I don’t think so. You’ll go back to your manor and your self-imposed exile, and I’ll return to work and people who highly dislike you.”

Draco’s eyes narrowed. “Who?”

“Harry strongly warned me against coming on this trip if you were going to be here,” Astoria said with a grin. “He said you can’t be trusted.”

Draco scuffed. “Potter is a shithead with no taste. You shouldn’t listen to him.” 

She laughed then. “That still leaves your self-imposed exile from society.” 

Draco looked up at the sky, highly annoyed that she was right. Though he ventured into Diagon occasionally, he stayed on the manor grounds for the most part. It was far easier to come to foreign countries where very few people knew him and his reputation. Then he could be just another member of wizarding society and not a former Death Eater. 

“You go back to work after the New Year?” 

Astoria hummed. 

“That’s a week away.” 

“I know.” 

“The French Alps are beautiful this time of year.”

“Are they? Daphne chose Athens. It’s more of a summer vacation spot. She’s terrible at planning vacations.” There was a pause. “I think I’d like to see the French Alps.”

“As would I.” 

Quick as a flash, Astoria was climbing out of his lap, and Draco was following her into the flat. Gently, he closed the door behind him and slipped into his shared room. Theo was sleeping, his back facing the door. Draco rolled his eyes. If he had to share a room again, he would sleep on the floor in the living room. A quick spell had all his clothes flying into his luggage. After he tugged on a black coat, he reached for the door to his room. 

“Where are you going?” 

Draco spun around to see Theo staring at him, his elbows pressed into the bed. The bastard chose now to wake up? 

“My mother-”

“Don’t lie, Draco,” Theo said, and he had never wanted to strangle a person more. 

“To the French Alps,” he ground out. 

Theo nodded before rolling back over. “Tell Astoria not to break her neck if she goes skiing.” 

Draco ground his teeth and cursed his bad luck. Then he stepped out into the living room. Astoria was closing the door to her room, her own suitcase floating behind her. She’d changed out of the sleep clothes she had on previously. Now she was wearing a pair of high-waisted black trousers and a fuzzy green jumper. Her hands were wrapped in black gloves, sporting little gold buttons on the ends. Her hair was still slightly messy from earlier, but her eyes were bright with excitement. 

“The French Alps?”

Draco nodded. “Yes, I know a place.”

He slid his hand into hers and then they were gone. 

#draco malfoy #astoria greengrass #drastoria #daphne greengrass #cruel summer series #hp #my writing

[sadbeautifutragic]

Hang your head low In the glow of the vending machine I'm not dying ↳ Eras Tour Series Part 4/?

#taylor swift #cruel summer #eras tour #tswiftedit #taylorswiftedit #candy swift #tscreatorsnet #dailytayloredits #swiftcreators #tswift #tsedit #eras tour series #tswiftgraphic #userthelasttime #userleah #usergabbi #nessa007 #uservivaldi #edit #my edit

[ziellewrites]

Feel My Heart's Intention A03 Link

#bts fanfic #bts fic #cruel summer series #sope au #sope fic #sope #yoonmin au #yoonmin fic #yoonmin #jihope au #jihope #jihope fic #ziellewrites

[theclassymike]

Froy Gutierrez at the Beacon Hills Forever Con (2024)

#froy #froy gutierrez #beacon hills forever #teen wolf #mtv teen wolf #teen wolf series #nolan holloway #light as a feather #hulu light as a feather #cruel summer #initiation #liza on demand #hocus pocus 2 #actor #talented #hot guy #gorgeous guy #one of my faves

[exyzedd]

¯⁠\⁠_⁠ಠ⁠_⁠ಠ⁠_⁠/⁠¯

#six of crows #arthur x merlin #bbc merlin #merlin bbc #merthur #firstprince #rwrb #red white and royal blue #lana del rey #jujutsu kaisen #percy series #percy jackson #sherlock x john #kanej fic #kaz x inej #wesper #taylor swift #cruel summer #percabeth #merlin #kaz brekker #harry potter #henry x alex #shadow and bone #shadowhunters #gojo satoru #lana del ray aka lizzy grant #ineffable husbands #good omens #dark academia

[blairrwaldorfs]

Cruel Summer

Aaron Warner x Fem!Reader

Summary: You and Aaron Warner have been secretly seeing each other since the beginning of Spring. The problem is that your parents are part of Omega Point, the rebel group of The Reestablishment. While Aaron’s father runs The Reestablishment along with other leaders from other continent. From secret meetings to I love yous, you start questioning if all of this is worth taking the risk.

Author's Note: Okay, it's long, I know! I'm sorry. I keep yapping and yapping in this chapter. Anyway, there's a full on detailed smut in here so please take this as a warning. Anyway, this is the only fic I'm uploading this week because I'm going to be in Vegas. I'll be accepting requests in my box, while I'm gone. I'll be preparing two one shot fics when I come back. So, enjoy this for now! :)

Disclaimer: 18+, mention of violence, smut, MINORS DNI

Wordcount: 6.3K

part one - part two - part three - part four - part five

You fluttered your eyes open and slowly adjusted your vision. You heard the soft patter of the rain outside and watched the raindrops slide down the window. The blue hue that blanketed outside meant the day was slowly starting. Your eyes shifted at the clock on the bedside table and saw that it was 5am. You knew you had to go. You were already an hour late, and Kenji was probably worrying about you already. Worse, he was probably irritated over the fact that you were late again. 

However, you didn’t want to move. You didn’t want to go anywhere else. You just wanted to stay here. You and Warner had a long night last night, looking through all the documents again and still found nothing. It was the same every night. Just no evidence at all. Sometimes you both felt like giving up, but you both knew there was a missing piece of the puzzle that you both couldn’t seem to find. 

Feeling the bed move, you felt Warner’s arm wrapped around your waist and pulled you close to his body. Your back pressed against his chest, and a soft approving hum escaped his lips as he buried his face on your hair. You looked over your shoulder and smiled before softly rubbing his arm that was around you.

He was warm and his skin was soft.

It made you feel safe. 

“I have to go.” You whispered. 

You felt Warner’s arm tightened around you. You chuckled softly and turned your body around to face him. He only pulled you closer in his arms. Your index finger softly poked his nose, and he gave you a sleepy sleepy smile. His eyes were still closed as you studied his facial features in front of you. 

Beautiful. You couldn’t help but think.

So beautiful. 

“Kenji is going to be furious.” You added.

Warner exhaled a deep breath before opening his eyes slowly. His green eyes stared at you as you tried poking his nose again. He tried to bite your finger, but you pulled it away just in time, making you giggle softly. 

“You’re always worrying about Kenji, love.” His voice was tired and husky.

“He always covers for me and if Castle and my parents ever find out where I am, I don’t want him getting in trouble.” 

Warner didn’t say a word as he pulled you in his arms tighter, your face pressed against his chest, and he tucked your head under his chin. 

“Stay for a little longer.” Warner murmured.

If it was up to you, you would stay here forever with him. You didn’t know exactly what kind of relationship this was between the two of you but the more you spent time with him, you knew you were falling for him even more. You didn’t know what Warner felt about you. You couldn’t help but wonder if this was just a physical relationship to him. You wondered if he ever decided that he was tired of you, he would just leave. The thought of him leaving you made a knot in your stomach as you reminded yourself to not give in to your emotions. You knew falling for him would break you into a million pieces, and you already have risked a lot by sneaking out every night with him. 

But it was worth it, right?

As the question lingered in your mind, you realized you didn’t even know the real answer to that question. This could just be a physical thing and you were risking everything just for a little summer hook up? Slightly pulling away from him, you gave him a small smile, pressed a soft kiss on his cheek before sliding yourself away from his arms. You picked up your clothes from the floor and put them on and when you turned around, you saw Warner watching you the whole time. A small smile tugging on his lips.

“What?” You asked. 

Warner got up from the bed, put on his pants and walked around the bed before wrapping his arms around your waist. His emerald eyes studied you carefully. You felt the blood rushed to your cheeks as he studied each of your features and his hand cupped your cheek, his thumb brushing your skin gently.

“I can’t get over how stunning you are.” Warner whispered. 

You felt your limbs almost giving out, the wind almost knocking out the oxygen in your lungs as you wrapped your arms around his waist. A whine caught in Warner’s throat as you left kisses on his bare chest. You looked up at him with half lidded eyes as he closed his green ones. You could feel the heat radiating between the two of you, and you couldn’t help but wonder just for a moment…

One moment. 

Maybe all of this was worth it. 

“Please…” Warner breathed heavily, his eyes fluttering open so carefully. “Don’t leave so soon.”

“I have to.” You finally pulled away but Warner pulled you back in his arms, his face nuzzling your neck. 

“Okay, but I’ll see you tonight?” He murmured.

“Of course.” You grinned before finally pulling away completely from his arms. 

You felt the hole in your chest as soon as you left the cabin. Warner’s absence made you feel empty. He was like a missing piece of puzzle in your life that you couldn’t seem to understand. He fits perfectly but somehow, whenever he wasn’t around, you felt that hollow emptiness inside of you. 

As you carefully walked back to the base and shook out the thoughts from your mind, you held your knife tightly in your hand, ready to attack just in case. The walk back to the base was always hard, you could always feel yourself getting anxious that you might get caught but so far, you were okay. 

You hoped.

“You know, one of these days, I don’t know what I’ll have to tell them.” Kenji said as soon as you arrived back at the base.

“It’s fine, Kenji. I will take the blame, I promise.” You said, entering your room. “I won’t let them get you in trouble for my mistakes.”

You sighed and flopped yourself at the edge of the bed. Kenji closed the door behind him and saw the melancholy in your eyes. He walked up and sat next to you. For a moment, there was a comfortable silence in the room and then you sighed and laid on your back, staring at the ceiling. 

“What happened?” Kenji asked. 

“Am I insane?” You asked, running your hands through your long hair. “I know this all started because I want to make sure Omega Point takes down The Reestablishment but how come…” 

You shook your head, a heavy breath escaping from you. You closed your eyes and Kenji looked over his shoulder and studied your expression. Kenji technically didn’t really understand your feelings towards Warner. He didn’t understand why you would sneak out every night to see him even if you had mentioned that what you and Warner have was just a physical relationship. That you both probably just got too lonely in that cabin. 

“You love him.” Kenji muttered.

Those three little words made your body stiff. You couldn’t move, your cheeks flushed as you stared at the ceiling. It was just a simple three little words, so how come it was making you feel like this? How could those three little words inject so much emotion through your veins? It was almost like a drug that made your head spin. The thought of Warner made everything spin. 

“What?” You were finally able to move your body as you sat up. “No, I don’t.” 

Kenji tilted his head and raised his brow at you. He wasn’t stupid. He was your best friend, and you have known him for years. He could tell when you were lying. You may be saying that, but your eyes were saying something else. 

“If you say so, Princess. I, too, would be risking everything for someone that I’m not in love with.” A hint of sarcasm was in his voice.

Your face flushed even more. You bit your lower lip and sighed, laying on your bed again and grabbed your pillow, burying your face on it. Kenji chuckled softly and patted your knee before getting up. 

“C’mon, Princess. We have lots to do today.” Kenji said. 

“I’ll be there in a sec.” You murmured through your pillow.

“Okay, well, hurry up before Castle thinks there’s something wrong.” 

You heard your door open and closed as Kenji walked out of your room, leaving you in your own thoughts. After a few minutes, you finally got up, changed into some fresh training clothes and met Kenji at the training room. The two of you had been training to fight. Castle had suggested for you two to learn just in case it would be needed in the future. That whole idea got your mind pinwheeling again, wondering if Castle and your parents knew something that they weren’t telling everyone else. You even noticed that Sonya and Sara had been spending too much time in their laboratory. You wonder what kind of medicine the twins have been trying to prepare for all of you. 

“Do you know what’s going on?” You asked Kenji later that day.

“What do you mean?” Kenji was lifting some weights as you stood on the corner, watching him.

You were taking a break after finishing cardio, and you were sort of feeling lazy to do weights today. Setting the weight down, Kenji sat up and took a big gulp of his water and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

“You know…” You shrugged. “What Castle and my parents are planning. I mean… It’s sort of obvious there’s something. You and me training? The twins stuck in their lab? They must be creating some type of medicine for everyone.”

“Sonya and Sara are always trying to create some type of medicine.” Kenji said, nonchalant. 

“But no, Princess. Castle hasn’t told me anything. What about you and Warner? Besides the constant sex…anything?”

You threw your towel at him and rolled your eyes so hard, it almost fell off your head. “No, he can’t find a real record of why those kids are disappearing. There’s one thing though… they’re put in some kind of asylum? Some kind of prison?”

“Where’s the prison?”

You tilted your head, giving him a glare. “You really think I would withhold that information from you if I knew?”

“Maybe Warner knows.”

“No, he doesn’t.” You answered that too quickly and confidently. 

A playful smile tugged on Kenji’s face as he started lifting weights again. You sat on the mat and sighed, your head hung low as you played with your fingers. You couldn’t get the thought of Warner out of your mind. You kept asking many questions that you didn’t have the answers to. 

“You know, Princess.” Kenji said, sitting up again. “Sometimes it’s better not to overthink too much. You will make yourself crazy.”

“Yeah.” That was all you could manage before getting up from the mat and started weight lifting with Kenji.

The rest of the day was slow. You had taken a nap right after training. You were so exhausted that Kenji had to come knocking on your door to wake you up when it was time for dinner. However, you couldn’t manage to get up from your bed and eat dinner with everyone else. You couldn’t seem to face everyone and act like you haven’t been sneaking out every night and seeing Warner—the one person they probably thought was their number one enemy. You couldn’t face them and act like you haven’t been fucking their enemy. 

You knew they would never understand. 

So, you sneaked out of the base a little early. Kenji was going to be furious at you, but you needed to get out of there. Sometimes it felt suffocating just to be stuck at the base doing training and preparing to take down The Reestablishment. Sometimes you just need a different environment.

Your hand was in your jacket pocket as you walked towards the forest. You held the knife tightly inside your pocket, prepared for anything that could come up behind you. As you gazed up at the sky, you noticed that you could actually see the moon tonight. Sometimes the sky was so cloudy or was covered with a thick fog that you could barely see it. 

Tonight though, it was bright and big. 

You couldn’t help but stand on the front porch of the cabin and stared at it for a moment. It was a reminder that this world used to be so beautiful, so enchanting. Now, it was all left in ruins, and it was just the moon that was left that could remind you that there was still so much out there. So much you didn’t know and haven't seen. You wondered if anyone out there was looking at it too and thinking about the same thing. You wondered if people out there missed how this world used to be. 

Were you ever going to see the other continents out there? Were they suffering the same as everyone was here in Sector 45 and North America? Was this going to be forever? How will Castle and your parents manage to rebuild everything if they were successful with their plan?

“Hey, love.” 

Your thoughts were interrupted when you heard the cabin door creaked and opened. Looking over your shoulder was Warner standing in front of you, his hand held out for you. You couldn’t understand how he managed to look so beautiful all the time even with just the light inside the cabin illuminating from behind him. Every time you looked at him, he was so gorgeous. So beautiful. You couldn’t find the right words to really describe him because there were moments where you wonder if he was even real. 

The heavy feeling that you were feeling in your stomach immediately faded as your hand touched his. He always managed to make your insides calm and peaceful. Just one touch. One kiss. All your fears would perish. 

“What are you doing out here, love? It’s dangerous.” Warner whispered, pulling you into the cabin. 

“I was admiring the moon.” You said. “We barely see it these days.” 

You didn’t notice it then when you were outside because it was so dark but now that the soft light from the lamps that illuminated the cabin surrounded you, you noticed something in Warner’s eyes. 

Fear. 

“What is it?” You asked. 

“I think my father is hiding something from me… besides the missing children.” Warner heavily sighed, walking closer to you. 

“Why do you think that?”

“I mean, I’m not surprised that he is hiding something, but it’s the thought of him knowing about you.” 

Warner’s concern for you made your heart swell a little bit. You saw the terror in his eyes as he gently brushed your hair away from your shoulder before cupping your face in his hands. His eyes stared deep into yours, his face inches away. Suddenly, the clock stopped. Your pulse was wild. Butterflies invaded your veins as he gently brushed his thumb on your cheek. You kept reminding yourself that this was just a physical relationship but how come, it felt like it was something else? 

Something more. 

“I’m—I’m fine.” You tried to find your voice. “I’m okay.”

“You don’t know the capability my father has,” Warner said. “If… he takes you away from me…”

He shook his head repeatedly, his eyes closing like he was in pain. Like he could feel the pain in his core from the image of you being taken away from him. 

“Warner, I’m okay. I promise.” You reassured him. “No one followed me here.”

“I know, love.” He murmured.  "I know you're always careful."

You reached your hand to touch his cheek gently, his face leaning against your touch. His chest was heaving as he pulled you in his arms for a tight embrace. You have never seen Warner like this before. The terror in his eyes and the way he held you. It was almost like if he would let you go right now, he would lose you forever, and you didn’t like that. You didn’t like how he was this terrified because you were okay. 

Everything was fine. 

You didn’t want him to worry about you at all. 

“Do you want to go see the moon?” You asked, trying to make the subject lighter. Your cheek was pressed against his chest, and your arms were wrapped around his waist tightly. 

“It’s gorgeous tonight.” You added, lifting your head up to look at him. 

A soft approval hum escaped him as he buried his face on your neck, a soft kiss planted on your skin. His hands gripped your hips tightly, pressing your body against his. Then, his hand slipped under your shirt, caressing your sides softly and feeling your heated skin under his touch. 

“Lift your arms up.” He whispered in your ear, kissing the line of your jaw. 

You did what he told you to do as he pulled your shirt over your head and found its home on the wooden floor of the cabin. His hands roamed your body from your sides to your back and then, he found the hook of your bra. 

“Take it off.” You whispered, kissing him deeply. 

And just like that, your bra had joined your shirt on the floor. Your fingers fumbled on the buttons of his shirt and slipped them off his broad shoulders. Your hands studied every inch of his heated skin, sliding them on his chest, down the curves and valleys of his muscles on his stomach and then, you slid them on his back. You felt him slightly flinch under your touch, and you immediately pulled away. 

“Sorry.” You breathlessly pulled away from the kiss. 

Warner shook his head, gazing down at you. His eyes were dark and full of desire. 

“Don’t apologize.” He said. “I’m just not used to it. I… I want you to be able to touch me with no limits.”

“I don’t want to make you feel uncomfortable.” 

“You could never.” He murmured before pulling you in his arms again. 

This time, he scooped you up and carried you towards the back door of the cabin. There, the moon illuminated the lake, and it looked so magical. Almost too unreal that the water was still fresh and untouched unlike the rest of the world around you. Warner smiled, setting you down in the water, making you shiver slightly from the cold soft breeze that was hitting your skin. Under the moonlight, Warner’s eyes glimmered. It made him even more beautiful through your eyes. 

“I have never felt this much peace before.” Warner said, his hands finding your waist. “You’re the only one that understands me. I know I’m someone who really doesn’t know how to communicate well but with you, I feel… different.”

“Warner.” You whispered, your hands sliding up his chest.

“No,” He said. “It’s Aaron. I want you to call me by my name.”

“Aaron.” You whispered.

A smile lit up his face, dimples indenting his cheeks as he brushed your hair back, leaning down to press a soft kiss on the blade of your shoulder. You breathlessly gasp as you slide your hand at the back of his neck, pulling him close to you. Feeling his skin with yours was the kind of connection that you never had before. It made you feel closer to him. 

“I love that.” He said. 

Then, his green eyes went soft. His eyes studied your features, his whole expression turned into something so peaceful. You have never seen it before as he cupped your face between his hands. You gazed up at him, feeling your heart beating right out of your chest. There was something about the look on his face that made you nervous. Made you forget about the world around you and made you forget the running thoughts that have been occupying your mind lately. 

“I love you.” He whispered, his voice full of emotion. 

You heard yourself let out a gasp. Your limbs were petrified, and you couldn’t move an inch. Warner—Aaron just told you he loved you. You had to blink your eyes a few times to make sure that you weren’t dreaming. That you heard him correctly. You didn’t know how long you were paralyzed like that until you had noticed his soft eyes turned into worried ones.

“Love?” He murmured, brushing your cheek with his fingers. 

“Aaron, I—” 

“I mean it, love.” He breathed heavily, his whole face was full of emotion for you.

Then, he said the words again, carefully and word by word. “I love you.” 

When you were finally able to feel your muscles move, you pulled away from him. You found everything so dizzying. It was happening so fast that you could barely find your footing as soon as you found yourself back on the rocky ground. Grabbing the towel, you wrapped it around your body as Aaron followed right behind you. Your back was turned to him, and you stared up at the night sky, holding in your tears that were welling up in your eyes. This was something you have been thinking about. Something that you wanted, but you were also too terrified that this was not going to work out. 

Everything was too complicated.

Too dangerous.

“Love, I could feel your emotions towards me.” He said, carefully taking your hand in his and turning you to face him. 

You could barely find time to get some air in your lungs when Aaron held you in his arms again. Every part of you was slowly cracking into pieces. You couldn’t breathe, you couldn’t adjust your vision clearly, and you wondered if this was it. You wondered if you were slowly dying, and if this was what it felt like to die. You stood in front of Aaron, you felt his embrace in yours, but your soul was suspended in the air. You were looking down at this moment from above, and you kept telling yourself to move. 

To say something. 

Anything. 

You told yourself to go back down into your body. 

“Aaron,” You finally were able to manage to find your voice. 

“I know how you feel about me. How much you love and want me. I could feel that in every bone of my body, love. I could feel everything that you feel about me. Your fears, your love for me… The way you want me like the way I want you too.”

Your heart has fallen to the ground. 

You couldn’t find the bandwidth to take in anymore of his words because if you heard one more word from him, you were sure you would completely break into pieces. You would collapse right here in front of him. Aaron took a step back from you, both his hands rubbing both of your arms softly. He could feel your body shiver from under his touch.

“Let’s go inside. You’re cold, love.” He said, wrapping his arm around you. 

As soon as you arrived back inside, you picked up your clothes and slipped them on. Aaron slipped on his pants before wrapping a blanket around your shoulders to keep you warm. He could see you shivering from the cold, and you weren’t really sure if it was because of the cold or because of what just happened. 

“Love—” 

You shook your head, holding up one hand to stop him from continuing. You stood there and stared at him for a moment. He was in his grey sweatpants, no shirt on, and his eyes were staring into yours. Your lips trembled as you played with your fingers nervously. You could see the hesitation in Aaron’s eyes as he slowly and carefully took a step towards you. 

“I… thought…” Aaron murmured. “...we have something.”

“We do.” You answered him too quickly. “Do you know how long I have been dreaming of this moment?”

You saw Aaron’s tensed shoulders dropped, his jaw unclenching as he crossed the room and cupped your face. His eyes were full of different emotions and as you whispered his name, he kissed you so softly. So soft and gentle and at the same time, it was desperate and hungry. You have been wanting this. You have been dreaming of this, and it was here. It was happening in front of your eyes. It was happening so fast, and everything was spinning. 

Your legs were almost giving out, but Aaron was quick to catch you in his arms and pinned you against the wall. You couldn’t remember when the blanket had found its way to the floor, but you didn’t care. You only cared about this moment. A breathless gasp escaped from him as he parted from the kiss, pressed his forehead against yours and smiled. 

“Aaron, I’m scared.” You whispered. “I’m so scared.”

“I’ll protect you with my life, love.” He pressed a soft kiss on your forehead. 

“I can handle myself, you know?” 

Aaron’s smile grew wider, his fingers softly stroking your cheek. “I know that. I know how strong you are, and I know how smart you are but that doesn’t mean I won’t do everything to make sure you’re safe.” 

You exhaled a sharp breath, your arms wrapping around his neck. “We’re gonna die.”

“Let all hell break loose then.” He said before pressing your body against his and kissed you deeply. 

You ran your fingers through his golden hair as Aaron tugged on your shirt lightly. Pulling it over your head, he pressed soft kisses on your neck. You threw your head back against the wall, closing your eyes as you felt your skin caught on fire from every spot that he kissed. A moan was caught in your throat as Aaron smiled through the kiss and trailed his lips down your collarbone. Your hands gripped his shoulders tightly as he slipped his hands under your thighs and lifted you up, your legs wrapping around his hips. 

“God,” He whispered. “You’re so beautiful. So gorgeous.” 

You felt your cheeks flushed as Aaron carried you towards the bedroom and set you down gently on the bed. He used his inner thigh to part your legs and set his knee between them, towering over you and leaning down to kiss you passionately. You could feel the heat that was washing over his body as you let your hands roam on his bare skin. Your lips were caught on his jawline and down his neck as Aaron breathed heavily, his fingers tangled through your hair. He pulled you close as you continued to kiss down his bare chest, your hands softly roaming the sharp muscles of his arms. 

“Aaron…” You whispered, pulling away. “I love you.” 

Something sparkled in Aaron’s eyes as soon as he heard those words from your lips. His hand slipped at the back of your head and kissed you deeply.

A soft moan escaped from you, and you felt his fingers tugging on your pants.

“Please… take them off.” You begged.

In one smooth motion, Aaron’s hands found the waistband of your pants and immediately pulled them down together with your underwear. You have been naked in front of him many times. Almost every night. But this time, it felt different. Like this was the first time you were intimate with him in a different way. Back then, you could care less how you would look in front of him but this time, you didn’t know why, but you sort of felt insecure. As if he was seeing the real you for the first time. 

You felt your cheeks flushed along with the rest of your body as Aaron’s eyes studied every inch of you. It made you feel vulnerable, and you carefully covered your chest with your arms, looking away from him. 

“Hey,” He smiled, gently taking your arms away from your chest. “Don’t hide from me, love. You’re so beautiful.”

You gazed up at him with half lidded eyes before you felt his lips kiss your chest. You bit your lower lip as he squeezed your breast softly with his hand, his mouth sucking on the other one that made you moan loudly. Your fingers had found his hair again as you arched your back, while his lips trailed down your stomach. Soft and gentle kisses covered your skin, his hands gently sliding down your sides before Aaron stopped right at the bottom of your torso. You were breathing heavily, and he could see your chest heaving when he looked up at you. One hand clutching the bedsheet in a fist, while the other in his hair. 

“Aaron…” You whispered his name, and it made his eyes go darker with desire. 

“Yes, love?”

“I… need you.” You opened your eyes and found him towering over you again. 

A smile tugged on his lips as you flipped both of you over and you straddled his hips. He still had his pants on, and you couldn’t help but wonder how it was so unfair that you were completely naked in front of him already and there was this piece of fabric blocking you from touching him skin to skin. You tugged down on his pants and threw them on the floor with the rest of your clothes. You left heated kisses on his chest, your hands touching every inch of his body. Every curve and hills of his muscles. You kissed the tattoo that sat right on the bottom of his torso. 

You kissed every word, every letter of it.

Every pain that he suffered through his life. Every dark thought. You wanted to kiss away all of it. 

Your lips trailed down and kissed his inner thigh and smiled when you heard Aaron moaned softly from your touch.

“Come here.” He whispered, pulling you up and pressed your naked body against his.

He flipped the both of you over again, hovered over you, leaving heated kisses down your body and parted your legs before kissing your inner thighs. You gasped softly as his fingers found your wet clit and gently played with it. 

“Aaron—” You whined, arching your back.

He moaned softly, kissing your other thigh before his mouth found you. You bit your lower lip to keep yourself from screaming his name as he licked and sucked you on the right spot that made your legs tremble. Aaron trailed his lips back up to your body before kissing you again, tasting yourself in his lips. His hands slipped under your thighs, letting your legs wrap around his hips. He trailed kisses down your neck and sucked on your skin lightly. 

You breathlessly gasp at each kiss he left as you gripped on his shoulders. 

“Aaron, please….” 

“Tell me, love.” He whispered in your ear, kissing the spot just below it. “Tell me what you want me to do.”

“You… I need you inside me.” You lifted his head, cupping his face in your hands. 

His green eyes were full of want and desire. He set both his elbows on either side of your head and smiled softly at you. You have never seen him like this before even after the many nights you have spent with him in this bed. Tonight was different. Tonight, he was showing you every vulnerable part of him. Tonight, this man in front of you was different.

This was Aaron Warner.

The real Aaron Warner.

The one who has been hiding behind a cold façade. The one who suffered from his father’s violent behavior. 

The one that loves you. 

Taking his member, he carefully slipped himself inside of you, soft gasps escaped from the both of you. He slowly thrusted and kissed you deeply, your moans being muffled by his kiss. He buried his face on your neck as he continued to move, and his thrusts started to quicken. Your hands gripped tightly on his shoulders, nails digging into his skin.

You wonder if this was a good way to die.

This moment where everything was just you and him. This moment where you could drown in forever. 

You wonder if you were now in heaven. 

Because everything stopped. Everything was now all hazy as you felt him move deeper inside of you. You were feeling all the emotions that you haven’t felt before. You heard yourself make sounds that you haven’t heard before. You could barely open your eyelids as you pressed your forehead against the blade of his shoulder. 

“God, Aaron.” You moaned loudly, and it only made him thrusts deeper and faster inside of you, hitting you at the right spot.

“Yes, yes—!” You whispered through his fiery skin.

Aaron groaned softly, his mouth finding your breast again as he sucked and licked on it and kept his thrusts at a pace. You arched your back, your eyes closing, and your head started spinning. You have forgotten everything around you. You have forgotten where you were or who you were. You have forgotten your name. All you knew was this. 

This moment right here.

You felt your walls tightened around Aaron, feeling the pleasure building up inside of you. He reached up to you, kissing you deeply as he hit you on the right spot once more. His kiss muffled your screams. He moaned your name in your ear, feeling your walls tightened around him. Pleasure washing over the both of you. 

Everything shattered into pieces. Everything unraveling, coming undone and coming together at the same time. Stars were twinkling in your vision as he kissed you once more and slowed his thrusts inside of you. Both of your bodies flushed and both of you were panting heavily. Your face pressed on his neck and your nails were still digging on his shoulders. You could feel your legs trembling as you slowly unwrapped them from his hips. 

“I love you so much.” He whispered breathlessly.

He pressed a soft kiss on your forehead, while you closed your eyes and enjoyed this peaceful moment with him. This was something you never thought you would ever have in your life. After everything that happened in this world, you never thought that someone could love you. Someone could care about you. You never thought you would experience love in this dark and shattered world. He gazed down at you, carefully pulling himself out. His absence inside of you already made you miss him. 

“I never knew what life was like until you.” Aaron murmured, fingers brushing your cheek. 

Then, he brushed a strand of hair away from your sweaty forehead, still trying to catch his breath. You could see his face and body were all pink and flushed. 

“You gave me a reason to keep going. To stay alive. A reason to fight something for.” 

His voice cracked as he lightly grazed his nose against your cheek, breathing you in. 

Tears welled up in your eyes as you turned and pressed a soft kiss on his lips before parting again. You knew about the struggles he has faced. The violent upbringing he had because of his father and hearing those words escape from his lips, you couldn’t help but feel all the emotions washed over you. You never wanted him to feel like that again. You never wanted him to experience that kind of violence again. You never wanted him to feel as if his life was nothing because to you?

He was everything.

Aaron furrowed his brows as soon as he saw the expression on your face.

“Hey, what’s wrong, love?” He asked, cupping your face, worry washed over him. “Are you hurt? Did I hurt you?”

You shook your head as you took his face in your hands. You couldn’t really say anything. You couldn’t manage to find the right words as a tear rolled down your cheek. Aaron’s thumb gently brushed the tear away, his eyes still full of concern.

“You gotta tell me what’s wrong, love. I need to know if you’re hurt or not—”

“I—I’m not.” Your voice croaked. 

You saw the muscles in Aaron’s body unclenched as he blinked his eyes for a moment. He settled himself next to you, pulling the covers over the both of you and reeled you in his arms. 

“What is it, love? What’s on your mind?” He asked, his voice was almost a whisper, you barely missed it.

Your heart was still pounding hard in your chest, you could hear it drumming in your eyes as you let your nose softly grazed on the line of his jaw. Aaron’s one arm was around you, his hand softly rubbing your arm. You set a hand over his chest, just right above where his heart was, and you could feel it beating hard. 

And you kept thinking that it was beating hard for you.

“Everything you went through…” You breathed him in, pressing your face on his neck. “You deserve so much more.”

You felt Aaron pulled you tighter in his arms. He didn’t say a word for about a minute before he set his index finger under your chin, lifted your head and gazed down at you. 

“You’re the only one I care about now.” He whispered. “I’ll do anything to protect you. To be with you.”

Pulling him in, you kissed him deeply. Aaron cupped your face as he smiled through the kiss. At this moment, you didn’t want to think about anything else. You reminded yourself that you also deserved to be happy. You just wanted to enjoy this peaceful moment with him. This happy bubble that surrounded the both of you. You knew this was a breakable heaven, but with Aaron, you’d fight for anyone and anything now. 

You’d fight to keep this. 

You’d fight, not just for him, but for your friends and family too.

You’d fight for love. 

**********

Taglist:

@gracie-221 @his-littlefox @hannahmarie71 @ecliphttlunar @indythefandomhoarder @reminiscentreader @hrtsbecca @soulaires @shattermelyhfmlblog @wildesqdreams @pookiebearnancy @ant-thebooknerd @aaronwarnerobsessedmylove @boliviajane

#Aaron Warner #Aaron Warner x Reader #Aaron Warner x You #Aaron Warner x Fem!Reader #Aaron Warner Imagines #Aaron Warner Fics #Aaron Warner Fanfics #kenji kishimoto x reader #kenji kishimoto #kenji kishimoto x you #kenji kishimoto fanfics #kenji kishimoto imagines #shatter me #shatter me series #shatter me fanfics #shatter me fics #shatter me trilogy #blairrwaldorfs #cruel summer

[riordanness]

🎟️ no rules in breakable heaven,,

-> 🩰 ᯾ 👙 ❀ 🌸 ✞ 👛 ☘︎︎ 🦩 ༄

miss ma’am emma !! she/her. christian. swiftie. audhd. australian. barista. seventeen. writer. chocoholic. hopeless romantic.

official troubled kid. jesus freak. percy jackson’s babydoll. cruel summer enthusiast. avid book lover. reputation girlie. professional half-blood. aphrodite daughter.

-> masterlist. -> requests (open!). -> fandoms.

-> things percy jackson would say to me if he was real.

#get to know me #fandoms #fanfiction #writer #writing #percy jackson #taylor swift #wonka #to read #pjo #fanfic #pjo tv show #percabeth #timothée chalamet #walker scobell #annabeth chase #little women #percy jackson and the olympians #percy jackson fanfic #percy jackson x reader #taylor swift aesthetic #pjo series #wonka 2023 #cruel summer #olivia rodrigo #chase atlantic #reputation #daughter of aphrodite

[vellichxrr6782]

CRUEL SUMMER —

childe x fem! reader.

SYNOPSIS: you and childe are a-list actors, always the leads of most blockbuster movies. while you’re both usually portrayed in romantic relationships in your movies, you certainly had never actually liked childe in the romantic sense. in fact, you didn’t really like childe at all; he was rather infuriating to you and his prideful demeanour was quite annoying, to the point where being around him got unbearable.

so that’s probably why you nearly lost your mind when your managers suggested a fake relationship to combat your sharp decrease in fans. the idea was simple, since a new actor took the scene, they assumed till your both’s new movie released, you’d barely be a-list actors anymore, so they wanted a long-awaited relationship to take the headlines and make you both the talk of the film industry.

the idea was simple, but carrying it out was very, very, very, difficult. but hey, your money was important to you, and so was your reputation. and you were willing to risk it. in theory, you just had to hold hands, hug, maybe kiss, post a few cute pictures, that’s all.

i mean, how bad could it possibly be?

CHARACTERS: childe, kamisato ayato, diluc, zhongli, jean, kaeya, yae miko, albedo, xingqiu, lisa, yunjin, kamisato ayaka, scaramouche, and many, many more.

GENRES: romance, fake dating, celebrity au, (sort of) enemies to lovers.

TW/CW: swearing, cheating [not by the reader or childe], reader is a bit dense, alcohol usage.

TAGLIST: @ajaxstar, @ruufei, @kiryoutann, @duckyyyx, @gojoandelsalovechilde, @daeruh, @katthecatnapper, @r0ttenhearts, @arizzu, @starg1rlie.

CHAPTERS: chapter one : fever dream high. chapter two : in the quiet of the night. chapter three : you know that i caught it. chapter four : shiny toy with a price. chapter five : you know that i bought it. tba!

© all works belong to vellichxrr6782 on tumblr unless stated otherwise. plagiarism / reposting is strictly prohibited, thank you.

#[🔖 vellichxrr writes ] #[ 🎬 cruel summer ] #childe x reader #genshin childe #childe genshin impact #childe #childe tartagalia #tartagalia x you #genshin tartagalia #tartaglia #childe x y/n #genshin impact #genshin impact x reader #genshin x reader #genshin series #genshin self insert #genshin impact childe

[seriesluticons]

like or reblog if you save. ♡

#icons #cruel summer #cruel summer season 2 #sadie stanley #megan landry #lexi underwood #isabella larue #griffin gluck #luke chambers #freeform #tv show #tv series

[driversatellite]

cruel summer | r.c | part three

synopsis: after she had been left heartbroken by jj maybank, y/n had felt herself feeling withdrawn from everything around her, it seemed that nothing could make her feel better, except for maybe her best friend sarah’s older brother, rafe cameron. the two had a rivalry that began before either of them could remember but after her heart was broken y/n found herself enjoying rafe’s presence more and more, maybe he wasn’t who she thought he was.

rafe cameron x desi!reader  

part three: you know that I caught it

word count: 3.0k

a/n: hiii guys!!! thank you so so so much for all the love on this series, i appreciate it so much, like fr it means the world to me that you guys take time to read my silly little stories <3!!!! this story will be somewhat of a slow burn (not too slow burn i promise), but i promise it’ll be worth it! anyways i hope you enjoy this part!!!! (likes, comments, and reblogs are very much appreciate <3!!!)

series masterlist | main masterlist | last part | next part 

The sun was shining and Y/N couldn’t help but feel happy when she spotted a grinning Wheezie hanging out of the passenger side of Rafe’s truck waving wildly at her. She laughed to herself and tightened her grip on her beach bag as she made her way to the car. She had been looking forward to her and Wheezie’s beach day and she didn’t mind that Rafe would be joining them, ever since she had spilled her guts to him, he hadn’t been up to his usual antics. 

She slipped into the back seat and set her bag down and Wheezie turned around in her seat to converse more easily, “I’m so excited, I always ask Sarah to come read with me, but she doesn’t like reading.” 

Y/N laughed and nodded, her best friend didn’t particularly enjoy reading which is why she hadn’t been able to do a lot of reading in the past couple years. She was always with the pogues and they were always up to something, they didn’t have much down time, “I’m excited to, I brought two books.” 

Wheezie grinned and smiled and rambled about the books she had brought and Y/N just smiled and nodded along to the young girl, seeing Wheezie always made her happy. She had glanced over to Rafe a few times while Wheezie was distracted, but he hadn’t said anything since she got in the car, he seemed to be focused on driving. 

They ended up at the club and headed through the club to get to the private section of the beach that the club owned. It was nice and quiet and there were no rowdy tourons there, the perfect setting for a peaceful beach reading day. Y/N and Wheezie set up their reading spots, since they were at the club they grabbed a beach cabana that had three lounge cushioned lounge chairs and set down their towels and Y/N made sure to put sunscreen on herself, Wheezie, and Rafe, who was being uncharacteristically quiet. She didn’t question Rafe’s silence too much, she just thought maybe it was too early for him and left it at that, as the girls made themselves comfortable Rafe grabbed his surfboard and headed straight for the waves. 

It had been a few hours and Y/N had finished the first book she had brought, she was already half way through it when she started reading that day, but she still felt accomplished as she read the last page. She set the book down and stretched a bit before asking Wheezie if she wanted anything from the beach bar, Wheezie said she just wanted some fries and some lemonade and Y/N nodded before slipping on her sundress and heading to the beach bar. 

“Hi, can I get two ice waters, a lemonade, the arancini balls, and some fries?” She asked the attendant working the bar. The attendant nodded and let her know that it’d be a few minutes. She nodded and looked around the club, trying to spot any familiar faces, but didn’t seem to find anyone. It was still early, so maybe that was why, she then felt her phone buzz and glanced down to see Sarah texting her. She felt bad, she hadn’t told Sarah that she’d be hanging out with her siblings that day. She knew that Sarah was hanging out with pogues and if she knew that Y/N was spending the day reading with the other two Cameron siblings she’d drag her along with her and hanging around JJ and Rina was the last thing Y/N wanted to do. Everything was still too fresh for her. 

She sucked in a breath and opened Sarah’s message, as predicted it was asking her to reconsider and come with her to hang out with the pogues, she sighed and then typed out her response. 

y/n: sorry sar, i’m just super tired today, i’m spending the day at the club’s spa to rejuvenate

sarah: :( ok, rest up and feel better so you can come next time, everyone misses you

y/n: i miss them too, ttyl <3

As soon as she finished texting Sarah the attendant came back with the drinks and the fries and Y/N slipped her phone into her pocket and used both hands to carefully carry the tray of drinks and snacks back to the cabana. To her surprise Rafe was sitting on his lounge chair drying his hair as she approached and at the sound of the sand beneath her feet he looked up and sprung up and grabbed the tray from her hands and placed them down on the small table. 

“I could’ve done it.” Y/N said as she grabbed her water and settled into her lounge chair. 

Rafe shrugged and continued to dry his hair, “I know, but if you dropped it then I would have to go all the way there and get all new things and I didn’t want to take that chance.” 

She rolled her eyes and slipped her sunglasses back on and grabbed her next book, “Whatever Rafael.” 

She had decided that she was done depriving herself of romance novels, maybe they’d be able to mend her broken heart, which is why she decided to reread one of her comfort novels, as cheesy as it sounded, Pride and Prejudice, was one of her all time favorites. There was just something about the way Jane Austen wrote the novel that brought her to life, she truly loved the book. 

“You must allow me to tell you how much I ardently admire and love you.” 

Y/N whipped her head to look at Rafe who was staring at the cover of her book, “What?” Her eyebrows were furrowed in confusion as she stared at the boy quizzically. 

“It’s from the book.” Rafe said, nodding towards the book and Y/N had to hold in her gasp. She couldn’t believe that the Rafe Cameron was quoting Pride and Prejudice to her. 

“You’ve read Pride and Prejudice?” She questioned as she sat up and Rafe nodded. 

“Is it that hard to believe?” Rafe questioned. 

She shook her head, “No, I’m just surprised. I didn’t take you for a classic literature guy. Actually I didn’t even know you liked reading.” 

Rafe crossed his arms against his chest, “I never said I liked reading.” 

Y/N rolled her eyes, “Well, Pride and Prejudice was never one of the books we had to read in high school, so either you read it for fun or for something else, but definitely not for school.” 

Rafe just nodded, “Okay, maybe I did read it for fun.” 

“I knew it.” She grinned, she loved being right. 

“Can you guys be quiet, I’m trying to concentrate?” Wheezie whined from her lounge chair. Rafe just grinned but quieted down and Y/N went back to her book. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Rafe reach into his beach bag and pull out a book and settle into his lounge chair. Maybe Rafe Cameron wasn’t too bad. 

“We needed this.” Sarah sighed out as she relaxed into the salon chair and Y/N nodded. The girls--Sarah, Y/N, Kiara, and Cleo--were all at the nail salon getting mani pedis. Sarah had suggested it and all the girls agreed that they needed some time to relax and who could ever turn down a mani pedi. 

“It’s been so long since I’ve gotten my nails done. I missed the feeling.” Y/N said from her salon chair. They were currently getting their pedicure and their feet were being massaged in the hot water, this was the perfect way to end the week. 

“We missed you the other day y/ n/n, Sarah said you weren’t feeling well.” Kiara said and Y/N slightly frowned, she felt bad for ditching her friends, but she knew she couldn’t stomach another day with Rina being all over JJ. 

“Yeah, I don’t know, I guess I just needed some more rest. I had a relaxing day reading.” Y/N told them. 

Sarah eyebrows furrowed in confusion, “I thought you went to the club's spa?” 

Y/N’s eyes widened and she internally cursed, she had forgotten that she had told Sarah that, “Right, yeah, I went to the spa in the morning and then spent the rest of the day reading. Sorry all the days kinda blur together now.” 

Sarah nodded and Y/N could tell she had bought the lie and she relaxed. It was hard keeping secrets from Sarah, but she didn’t want to tell her that she had ditched her to hang out with her siblings, Sarah’d probably be pissed. It would be her secret for now, but she promised herself that she’d come clean to her soon. 

It was a couple weeks later and Y/N was currently lounging poolside at the club. Sarah had left her alone when she spotted John B, but Y/N didn’t complain that just meant she could focus on her book more. She had been reading a lot more now, she had also been spending a lot more time with Wheezie and Rafe whether it was at the ice cream parlor or at the beach and she couldn’t help but feel happier. 

She found herself smiling whenever she was with the oldest and youngest Cameron sibling. It wasn’t that she didn’t like spending time with Sarah anymore, she loved Sarah and she always would, but Sarah would always talk about the pogues and would--as much as Y/N hated it--always mention JJ. 

Apparently at their latest hangout, one that Y/N had opted out of going to, JJ hadn’t brought Rina and begged the girls to be nicer to her because according to him she hadn’t done anything wrong. JJ told them that yeah he felt really bad about how everything went down with Y/N, but their relationship just wasn’t working anymore and he just wanted to move on. The girls agreed to not ice the new couple out anymore and after Y/N’s insistence on being fine, they all agreed that things could go back to normal. And as much as Y/N had insisted that everything was fine, she couldn’t help but feel sad still, it just bothered her how fast JJ had moved on, he had begun dating Rina barely a week into them breaking up, but she didn’t bring that up to Sarah, who seemed much happier now that the friend group was back to “normal”. 

She was flipping to the next page of her book when a shadow loomed over and she looked up to see Rafe, “What are you doing here?” 

“Came to golf, I’m grabbing a drink before going out on the green.” Rafe told her and Y/N nodded and remembered what day it was. 

“Right, I forgot it’s a Sunday.” 

Rafe’s lips quirked slightly at Y/N’s comment but he ignored it, “So Wheezie wants me to take her to the mainland cause she needs a dress or some shit and Sarah and Rose are both busy and I’m probably not the right person for dress shopping, so do you want to come?” 

She nodded and smiled, “Aww, I’d love to come help Wheezie. Is she looking for midsummers dresses?” 

Rafe shrugged his shoulders, “I guess, you know how Rose is.” 

Y/N smiled, “Well, I’m happy to help, just let me know when.” 

Rafe told her that he’d text her the details before heading towards the bar and she settled back into her chair, she now had something to look forward to. She loved dress shopping but she especially loved midsummers dress shopping, there was something about summer formal dresses that just made her feel some sort of way. 

The next day Y/N was up bright and early and met the Cameron siblings in front of her house and they made their way to the mainland where all of their favorite boutiques were. 

Wheezie was excitedly talking about how she’d stayed up and spent the whole night on Pinterest scouring for the perfect dresses and Y/N smiled at her enthusiasm, “I’m so excited, I can’t wait to try on the dresses, midsummers is my favorite.” 

Y/N nodded along, “It’s my favorite too.” 

The car ride was filled with Wheezie’s rambling and Rafe and Y/N arguing over the music, but before they knew it, they had parked on mainstreet and hopped out of the car and headed into their first boutique. 

As soon as they got in the store Wheezie ran around grabbing dresses like a kid in a candy shop and Y/N beamed at how happy the young girl looked. She was casually looking for midsummers dresses, she hadn’t planned on starting now, but since she was already there, she thought it couldn’t hurt to look. She already had an idea of what she wanted in mind, she just hoped she’d be able to find it. 

“Are you looking for midsummers dresses too?” Rafe asked as he looked through the racks with her. 

“I mean since I’m here, I’ll look. It doesn’t hurt to start looking early.” She said as she flipped through the dresses, nothing she saw was drawing her eye or making her want to say “I need this dress”. 

“Midsummers is so easy for me, I just get a new suit and wear whatever Rose gets me.” Rafe said and Y/N rolled her eyes. It was always easier for the boys, but before she could make a comment, Wheezie called them over to the dressing room to watch her try on the dresses. 

The pair made their way to the dressing room where a small loveseat was positioned with a glass and gold side table that was set with a tray of small finger foods and two flutes of champagne. 

The two took a seat on the loveseat, the sofa was small, so they were practically touching and Y/N felt on edge at thought. She could feel the heat radiating off Rafe and she couldn’t help but like it, but she shook those thoughts away and tried to concentrate on anything but Rafe and how good he smelt. Thankfully for her Wheezie stepped out in her first dress, it was a navy dress that had white flowers scattered all over it, it was a cute dress.

“You look so beautiful Wheeze.” Y/N told her as Wheezie spun around and looked at herself in the mirror. 

“I like this one, it just looks super similar to the one I wore a couple years ago.” Wheezie remarked and Y/N thought back to what dress she was referring to. She was right, it was a bit too similar and Rose would not like that, so she suggested to try on the next one. Wheezie tried on the rest of the dresses at that boutique but nothing seemed to please her, so they were on to the next boutique. The same pattern happened at the next two boutiques, it seemed that nothing was good enough. 

They were at their final boutique of the day and Rafe and Y/N were seated on an even smaller loveseat, this time their thighs brushed against each other and Y/N felt her heart rate pick up, she didn’t understand why she was feeling this way. She once again shook those thoughts away and focused on Wheezie. This time she had picked out a few for her to try, she had picked out a beautiful sage green dress that she thought would be perfect, she just hoped Wheezie liked it. 

Wheezie came out in the first few dresses and nitpicked about each one of them and Y/N felt bad, she knew how stressful dress shopping for an event like midsummers was, “Why don’t you try on that sage green dress I picked out, I think it’d look great on you.” 

Wheezie nodded and went back into the dressing room and the attendant helped her put Y/N’s choice on and Wheezie felt a grin grow on her lips, Y/N had a good eye when it came to fashion. She came out of the dressing room with a wide grin on her face, “I love it! I’m obsessed. I think I want this one.” 

Y/N beamed at Wheezie’s happiness, “You look stunning in it Wheeze. You’ll be the Belle of the ball.” 

Wheezie just smiled and wrapped her arms around Y/N, “Thanks for doing this, I appreciate it so much.” 

Y/N smiled and wrapped her arms around Wheezie, “Of course, I’m happy to help.” 

They spent a few more minutes in the dressing room discussing alterations and the attendant took a few measurements and booked a fitting appointment. Wheezie slipped back into the dressing room and Rafe and Y/N made their way to the front so Rafe could pay for the dress. 

“Thanks for coming, Wheeze needed someone other than me to give their opinion.” Rafe thanked as he tapped his card to the card reader. 

“Of course, I’d do anything for Wheezie, plus I got a head start on looking for dresses.” Y/N told him. 

Rafe glanced around the boutique and then back to Y/N, “Did you want to try on anything?” 

She shook her head, “No, I don’t think I’ve seen anything that calls to me yet.” 

Rafe smiled, “Picky, picky, just like you used to be.” 

She shrugged, “What can I say, I like only the very best.” Rafe’s lips quirked up at her statement and he just shook his head and Y/N laughed as they waited for Wheezie to finish up in the dressing room. 

It wasn’t much later that Wheezie came out dress in hand. She handed the dress to the attendant at the cash register before the trio headed out. Wheezie mentioned being hungry and Rafe suggested that they grab something to eat before the drive back, which is how they found themselves sitting on the patio of a small Italian place. 

Rafe was laughing at something Wheezie had said and Y/N was watching him, she hadn’t noticed it before because she was so adamant on despising Rafe during their rivalry, but Rafe Cameron was beautiful and she couldn’t help but admire his beauty. 

---

#rafe cameron #rafe cameron x reader #rafe cameron x you #rafe x reader #rafe x you #outerbanks #obx #wheezie cameron #cruel summer #cruel summer series #best friend's brother #brother's best friend #summer romance #forbidden romance #sarah cameron #kook reader #rafe cameron x kook!reader #rafe cameron x kook #rafe cameron fanfiction #rafe cameron fanfic #rafe #rafe outer banks #rafe obx

[hiddenwritingsintheworld]

I'm looking at expanding my platform and posting my series on other places...

If I were to add another site to my work catalog, would you follow me on that site too?

#supernatural #dean winchester #sam winchester #spn #supernatural imagines #supernatural fan fiction #supernatural one shots #supernatural imagine #supernatural one shot #dean x reader #chris evans #chris hemsworth #jason momoa #aquaman #frontier au #cruel summer series #rich mans world #man after midnight #midnight rain #vigilante shit #lavender haze #midnights era #1989 tv #taylor swift edit #my alpha series

[liiilyevans]

Because I dropped your hand while dancing Left you out there standing Crestfallen on the landing Champagne problems

Or, Astoria accidently shreds things when she's unwell. (A big thanks to the @cruelsummer-ficfest mods for the luck of getting this song as a follow up to my last fic!)

Read on AO3

The last place Astoria wanted to be was on a boat in the middle of the Gulf of Venice with a pretentious group of snobs. The things she did for her sister. She adjusted her dark sunglasses as she glanced around at all the boats in the marina. The wind whipped salt into her face, and Astoria fanned herself trying to cool down. How was she supposed to find Blaise’s boat among all these monstrosities? 

Annoyed, she continued down the dock, her heels clicking loudly against the wood. If one thing could be said for Astoria Greengrass, it was that she had an outfit for every occasion, which was the only good thing that her mother had taught her. Today she wore high waisted white pants with a white bow tied around her waist and a bodysuit with orange flowers and spaghetti straps that tied into neat bows on her shoulders. The heels weren’t practical — at all — but she wanted these motherfuckers to know she was coming. 

She stopped in the middle of the dock again, huffing as she searched for the Zabini boat. Surely, it was as ostentatious as Blaise was. Then she spotted it farther down, the Serafina, named for his mother. One of the bigger boats in the harbor, the Serafina had three decks. The back of the first allowing access to the boat and hosting two sets of stairs that led to the second deck. There was also a shaded outdoor sitting area, located under the second-floor deck. Astoria could see polyester couches and lounge chairs, all bolted down no doubt. On the second deck, there was a crescent sofa with a table in the center. The top deck was a replica of the second deck, but with more lounge chairs, for when Pansy wanted to tan most likely. 

Astoria hoped she burned and looked like a beet root on her wedding day. 

As she marched up the boat ramp, she heard the conversation on the boat quiet down, then Theodore Nott’s head was poking over the railing. His brows were furrowed in confusion until he spotted her. He grinned. Astoria hid her own smile as she waltzed onto the deck. 

The first thing she saw was the astonished face of Pansy Parkinson. Since school, she had let her hair grow out to her shoulders, though that hadn’t helped to disguise her hooded eyes. Draco Malfoy was there as well, his blonde hair shining so brightly it nearly blinded her. Daph had mentioned he’d be here. Like Pansy, he looked none too pleased to see her, his eyes narrowed slightly. The only person who looked remotely happy right now was Theo as he leaned against the railing a smirk in place. 

“Lovely day for an outing,” Astoria commented as she strode past them toward the inside of the boat. 

Pansy finally found her voice. “What are you doing here?” 

Spinning on her heel, Astoria whipped her glasses off, anger eddying through her. The gall of these people never ceased to amaze her. Marching back to Pansy, she pointed the tip of her sunglasses in the older girl’s face. “You had the nerve to ask my sister to be in your wedding when you’re marrying her ex-boyfriend, and I will be damned if I’m going to sit back and watch you rub that in her face.” 

When she finished, Pansy was sputtering loudly. Satisfied, Astoria placed her glasses back on her face. She turned around and spotted Draco, his mouth agape, and Theo, his hand covering his mouth, no doubt hiding his laugh. 

Just as she was about to walk away again, Pansy hissed, “Where is your sister anyway?” 

Daphne wasn’t here yet then. Good. Best to put everyone in their places before she got here and became embarrassed by Astoria’s behavior. “She’s on her way.” 

With that, she turned and marched toward the inside of the boat, intending to find her sister’s room and have a nap before she had to deal with these imbeciles again. 

#

It was going to be a very long weekend, and not even the alcohol could numb the sea of sharp smiles and barbed words. The only thing the alcohol managed to do was dull the headache that Astoria had gotten from listening to Pansy drone on about her honeymoon plans — a trip to Bora Bora apparently. Astoria would have been content to remain in Daphne’s room if Theo hadn’t coaxed her out with the promise of food. That was clearly a mistake. At least Theo was keeping her entertained with his facial expressions as Pansy prattled on. Clearly, she wasn’t the only one who thought the bride was ridiculous. 

Though she tried to stop herself, she couldn’t help sneaking glances at Draco. He was sitting across from her, his foot resting atop his opposite knee. She’d never admit it to anyone, but he looked nice in his light yellow shorts and blue and white checkered button-down. The sleeves weren’t rolled up, unlike Theo’s, and the cuffs buttoned. Odd considering it was a warm night. Pansy and her other bridesmaid, Tracey Davis, were standing next to Draco’s chair chatting away. If the way Draco was quickly sipping his wine was any indication, he was not enjoying the Bora Bora conversation either. 

They hadn’t spoken since their conversation at the Goyle ball a few months ago. Astoria never thought she’d be so intrigued by Draco Malfoy, but she was and she wanted to talk to him. However, he avoided her at all costs. Like right now, he wouldn’t even look at her, despite the fact that she’d been glancing over at him all night. 

“Are you trying to melt the side of his head with your eyes?” Theo asked quietly, taking a sip of his wine. 

Astoria sent him an annoyed look. “No, I’m not.” 

“Could’ve fooled me,” he muttered. 

Carefully crossing her legs, Astoria leaned toward Theo. “Tell me something.” 

“I thought you didn’t gossip,” he said. 

Astoria took another sip of her wine, ignoring the jab. “Why is Draco Malfoy being so quiet? He’s barely said two words all evening.” 

“He’s terribly in love with the bride and doesn’t know how to tell her,” Theo said seriously. She might have believed him if his lips didn’t twitch upwards in a smirk. His sense of humor had always been her favorite thing about him. When they were young, Theo would say the most ridiculous things with the most serious face, and Astoria had always found it hilarious. 

“Really,” she said. “Be serious.” 

Theo shrugged. “Maybe he’s afraid you’re going to bite his head off.” 

“Why would I do that?” 

“Because you almost took Pansy’s head off this afternoon?” 

Astoria couldn’t stop the smile that took form on her face. Pansy deserved every thorn she tossed in her side and more. Who in their right mind asked their fiancé’s ex to be in their wedding? Then again, who wanted their ex-boyfriend in their wedding? 

Apparently, an insecure Pansy Parkinson. 

To Draco’s credit, Astoria wasn’t sure that he and Pansy had even really dated. She had only heard rumors from Daphne that they had been together in their sixth year only for it to deteriorate in their seventh year. The rumors might have been just that — rumors — but Astoria didn’t really believe that considering how lecherous Pansy was. If that were the case, Draco seemed very unbothered by the whole affair, quietly sipping his wine and avoiding Astoria’s gaze. 

“Astoria, Pansy told me you’d be here.” 

Astoria glanced toward the edge of the boat and saw that the groom was finally making his appearance, his silhouette standing out harshly against the star flecked sky. Blaise Zabini was, by all standards, beautiful. He had the perfect facial structure, everything annoyingly symmetrical. Deep brown eyes sat perfectly in his face, and his nose was flat and sat just the right distance away from his mouth, which was constantly smirking. His dark skin stood out beautifully against the stars. But he had the personality of a viper and that completely ruined all his beauty. 

Blaise came to stand in front of her chair, then leaned his hand on the arm, trademark smirk in place. “How is your sister?” 

He knew better than to ask, the bastard. The arrogance in his voice coupled with the fact that her sister had yet to arrive caused Astoria’s ire to rush to the surface quicker than usual. Instead of answering, she stood up, making sure to press the tip of her heel into the top of Blaise’s shoe. His eyes widened as his breath hissed out through his teeth. Astoria didn’t move her foot until she was standing completely. 

“I think you should worry about yourself,” she said. “It looks like you’ve hurt your foot.” With that, she breezed past him, leaving a gaping Pansy and Tracey in her wake. After grabbing a bottle of Dom Pérignon off the drinks table, Astoria climbed the stairs to the second deck and didn’t stop until she’d reached the third and final deck. Finally, some peace and quiet to get rid of this headache. 

She sat down on the round table, not bothering with propriety. Raising the bottle to her lips, she took a long swig that her mother would have killed her for before flopping back on the table. The stars were beautiful tonight. She could see Ursa Major and Minor, and Cepheus and Cassiopeia next to him. She often wondered what it was like to be a star burning so bright that the whole world noticed you for a short time, knowing that one day soon all your fire would be gone and your light extinguished. Sometimes, she wondered if it was similar to how she felt. 

Quickly, she took another swig of champagne, trying to force her headache out of existence. After two more gulps, she realized that wasn’t working and sat up. Big mistake. The world started to spin. She closed her eyes, breathing in the salt of the ocean and feeling a light breeze brush against her skin. The sound of giggles reached her ears carried by the splashing of the ocean. Pansy and Tracey must have gotten over her outburst quickly, though she had no doubt that Blaise’s foot was still aching. That made her smile. 

A sudden feeling of loneliness swept over her as she listened to the waves crash against the boat. Though Theo might prefer her to everyone here, he wasn’t about to go out of his way to spend time with her. He was all about keeping his head down and surviving, like he had in the war. Where was Daphne? If she were here, they’d be silently communicating through shared looks, a secret language they had developed as children. Instead, she was stuck with a bunch of heinous idiots, one indifferent friend, and a mute pariah. 

Astoria kicked off her heels, messaging the arch of her foot. It was a shame the only way she could make herself taller was with heels. They were bloody useful weapons though. Taking another large sip of Dom Pérignon, she stared out over the faint lights of the marina. Her head was still pounding, and the alcohol couldn’t seem to chase it away. She spotted a man several boats down pulling his shirt off. As she took another swig from the bottle, she continued to watch him. A woman joined him on the deck of his boat wearing some long coverup. The man slid his arms around her into the coverup and, what was he doing? They weren’t planning to do something scandalous out in public, were they? 

Astoria was nosy as fuck, so she stood up quickly, only wobbling a little, much to her pride and astonishment, and climbed up onto the couch that was bolted into the deck next to the railing. The man had definitely grabbed her ass under that coverup. Squinting, Astoria leaned forward, her hand resting on the back of the couch for stability. She couldn’t see his other hand, but it had to be doing something as well. Faintly, she heard someone yelling Theo’s name, but she couldn’t be bothered with the menaces below right now. She thought she could make out the outline of the man’s hand sliding up the front of the girl’s cover up. Theo called her name; from rather close by, too, which was odd. Astoria chose to ignore him. The man was whispering to the woman now, no doubt muttering all sorts of obscenities. 

“Astoria!” 

She straightened up and turned to see what the ruckus was about. If Blaise was causing trouble again, she was going to take her high heel and ram it through his jugular. But it was only Theo approaching her slowly, both his hands in the air. Behind him standing near the stairs was Draco Malfoy, looking adorably rumbled by the wind, his grey eyes flicking between her and the railing. 

“Tori,” Theo said softly. “Come down from there, please.” 

Astoria glanced down at the couch then over the railing at the calm sea below. 

She sent Theo an annoyed look. “I’m not suicidal.” 

“No,” he agreed. “But you are very drunk.” 

Astoria rolled her eyes. As she was about to answer, she heard her name called from somewhere below. Glancing over the railing, she saw her sister on the boat ramp, her eyes blown wide as she stared up at her. Well, it was about fucking time. 

“Astoria!” Daphne called. “What are you doing here?”

Astoria held up the Dom Pérignon. “Drinking champagne.”

“Wh-” Daphne cut herself off and rested her head on her fingertips. “Nevermind. Just stay there. I’m coming up.” 

She turned back around to watch Theo and Draco watch her. They were both still clearly concerned, and Theo was biting his lip, a nervous tell of his. Astoria simply took another long drag from the bottle, which Draco didn’t seem to appreciate at all judging by the way he crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes. Holding eye contact with him, Astoria continued to drink from the bottle until her lungs were burning. His eyes were like needles dragging across her skin, and that thrilled her; anything to focus on other than the pounding in her head. 

Daphne appeared then, pushing past Draco, not a hair out of place. Her sister was always perfect like that, with her blonde hair pulled back into a slick ponytail and not a flyaway to be found. Her looks were in such contrast with Astoria’s, the dark to Daphne’s light. Her sister stepped past Theo and offered her a hand. 

“Will you please come down from there?” she asked. 

Astoria shrugged, ignored her hand, and jumped down, wobbling only a little. She was quite proud of that. 

“What took you so long to get here?” she asked. Without her heels on, she was reminded of how short she actually was. Theo and Draco would both tower over her if she stood close to them, and Daphne was a good three inches taller than her. 

“Mum wanted me to do some errands today,” Daphne said. “What in the world are you doing here?” 

“I wasn’t leaving you with these people for a week,” she said, gesturing towards Draco and the bottom deck. 

He looked highly offended. 

Daphne dropped her head into her hands. “Oh, Astoria.” 

Astoria simply patted her on the arm before marching toward the stairs. All this excitement had made her tired. As she passed Draco, he glared daggers into her back. 

#

“I love you,” Daphne said, but Astoria could hear the exasperation in her voice. 

Her only response was to retch loudly into the toilet. If Blaise heard her, she would never live this down. Wiping her mouth, she gulped down air that smelled like cleaner and vinegar. After a few moments nausea free, Astoria gently braced her hands on the toilet bowl. She felt Daphne’s warm hands grasp her elbow and guide her to her feet. The sharp sound of water hitting the porcelain sink did nothing to lessen the raging sea in Astoria’s head. She cupped her hands under the cool water and splashed some on her face. The freshness and chill of the water was a nice contrast to the ache behind her temples. When she looked up, her eyes were rimmed in purple and bloodshot; looked like today was going to require a lot of concealer. Her skin was pale, too, like she’d stolen powder from an Inferi. 

“What are you doing here, Astoria?” Daphne asked. Looking through the mirror, Astoria could see that her sister had her arms crossed over her chest and her blue eyes fixed on her brown ones. Never a good sign. 

“I told you last night,” she croaked. “I’m not leaving you here with people who clearly like to see you suffer.”

“I can take care of myself, Astoria.”

She loved her sister, but no, she couldn’t — not when it came to her feelings. As much as Daph hated to admit it, Blaise leaving her for Pansy still bothered her, which Astoria was well aware of, and she was sure that Pansy knew that, too. 

“Why are you even in this wedding then?” she asked, her brown eyes studying her sister’s bright blue ones through the mirror. Daphne broke first, dropping her gaze and wrapping her arms around herself. Astoria always had the stronger will of the two of them. 

“Daddy and Mr. Parkinson are close,” Daphne muttered. “You know that-”

Astoria spun around, ignoring the nausea that hit her like a Reductor Curse. “I love Daddy but fuck him.” She grabbed her sister’s hands. Nothing mattered more when her sister was upset, not even her father. Astoria would hold the sea back to stop her sister’s tears. “Let’s get off this boat and find some nice villa to piss off to for the rest of the weekend. We’ll drink mimosas and find cute Muggles to show us the city.” 

Daphne gently untangled her hands from Astoria’s, shaking her pretty blonde head. “I can’t, Astoria. I said I was going to be in this wedding, and I meant it.” Daph blew out a breath. “I know Pansy meant the invitation to be a bridesmaid as an insult, but I want to prove to everyone that I can handle this without breaking.” 

Astoria shook her head. It was cruel, but she didn’t know if Daphne could do that. She wasn’t going to let her crumble alone though. 

“Alright. If you want to stay, we’ll stay.” 

#

Astoria needed two seconds where she didn’t have to listen to the high-pitched squeal of Pansy Parkinson or see the smug smirk that would slither across Blaise’s face whenever his eyes slid to Daphne. If she hadn’t walked out of that restaurant a few minutes ago, she would have flown across the table and punched Blaise right in the windpipe. They’d gone to a high-class restaurant near the end of the marina, and those two had been insufferable all night. Daphne was holding up admirably, but Astoria had to fight the urge to fling her steak knife at them to shut them up. So, she’d stepped out for some air and to make sure that her concealer and foundation were still holding up. 

Digging in her clutch, she found her plastic bag of Mary Jane and hemp paper inside it. Quickly, she rolled herself a joint. She supposed she looked rather scandalous; that was certainly what her mother would say. In her pretty blue halter dress with the back cut out of it, balloon sleeves hiding her arms, and a skirt that barely hit her mid-thigh, rolling a joint of marijuana. How unseemly. With a snort, she put the joint in her mouth and lit it. At least her headache was gone today; no more pounding behind her eyes making her feel like her brain was going to be washed out of her head. 

“What are you doing, Greengrass?” 

Astoria’s head whipped around, a loose strand of hair smacking her face as Draco made his way towards her. He looked as finely dressed as he always did, in a white button down, brown slacks, and a black jacket, which wasn’t a bad idea as there was a chill coming off the water tonight. His hair wasn’t slicked back today, instead resting softly against his forehead. He looked halfway normal, and not like pureblood royalty. 

Astoria took a long drag before answering. “I can’t be in there right now.” 

Draco glanced behind him. They were a good distance away from the restaurant, not that Astoria would have minded if anyone heard her. They already knew she detested them. She took that moment to study Draco. He seemed relaxed, no bunched muscles or nervously glancing away from her. It was unlikely that he’d put their previous conversation behind him — Astoria certainly hadn’t — but he seemed willing to let that go for tonight. When he turned back around, Astoria was still staring, and her own eyes caught his grey ones. If she squinted, she could make out little specs of blue. He seemed peeved that he’d caught her staring, but Astoria just took another drag from her joint, holding eye contact the whole time. 

“So why did you come out here?” she finally asked. 

“Your sister wanted to make sure you were ok,” he said, stuffing his hands into his coat pockets. 

“And she sent you?”

“I volunteered.” 

Astoria raised an eyebrow at that, and Draco only offered a shrug in response. When he stepped closer to her, Astoria held her ground, but he just walked to her side and rested his forearms on the railing. His gaze was fixed on the water, and he didn’t seem to be in a very talkative mood. That was alright. Astoria was sure she’d be able to coax a reaction out of him. 

“Are you just going to babysit me?” she asked. 

Draco sent her an annoyed look out of the corner of his eye. “No.” 

She took another drag of her joint before offering it to him. His eyes ran up and down her body suspiciously. That was fine. Astoria would be suspicious, too. She didn’t give things away for free, and the Mary Jane was her way of worming more of the truth from him. If alcohol persuaded him to open up before, surely this would mellow him out enough for her to wheedle more information out of him. 

Who knew she would be so interested in Draco Malfoy’s past? 

Finally, he took the joint from her, their fingertips brushing, and took a drag. Astoria let him keep it as she turned to lean against the railing too, close enough that their elbows brushed. After he took another hit, Draco offered the cigarette back to her. Gently, Astoria took it, rolling it between her fingertips. Until this moment, she hadn’t realized how intimate sharing a cigarette was. His lips had just been wrapped around this hemp paper and if she took another drag, that would mean that, in some abstract way, their lips had touched. It was conflicting. She didn’t want to touch Draco Malfoy’s mouth, but the thought wasn’t wholly unpleasant either. Trying to decipher her emotions could be so confusing. 

So, Astoria took another drag, letting the smoke sting her lungs and relaxation sweep through her body when she exhaled. 

“Why are you here?” she asked when she finished her cigarette. 

Draco gave her an incredulous look. “I’m in the wedding.” 

“No, I meant, why are you in the wedding?” 

Astoria couldn’t fathom why anyone would want to be involved in Blaise and Pansy’s wedding, yet here they all were. 

“Because Blaise asked me to be?” Draco said it like a question. His eyes ran over her again, and Astoria shivered. 

“But he’s marrying your . . .” She glanced up and down at him. “What is Pansy to you exactly?” 

Draco rolled his eyes. “Pansy was my occasional distraction from the real world. That’s all.” 

“So, you had sex with her to divert your mind from having to kill your headmaster? How original.” 

Draco’s head whipped toward her, and she thought he might berate her — tell her she was callous and cruel. Instead, he just let his eyes run over her, like he couldn’t believe that she’d said something so harsh. She expected some biting remark, was spoiling for one actually, but he was quiet, offering only a slight shake of his head. Then he pushed off the railing. 

“Let’s take a walk, Greengrass.” 

Astoria looked back at the restaurant. “But my sister-”

“Your sister can handle herself for a few hours,” Draco said. “But if you’d rather stay.” Then he shrugged and started toward the marina. 

Biting her lip, Astoria tried to decide whether to follow him or not. Daphne was certainly capable of holding off the vipers in that restaurant for a few hours, and she had Theo, who though he wouldn’t get involved, would offer her sympathy. There would be no one to siphon their poisonous words off Daphne. However, her sister made a point of telling her often throughout today that Astoria needn’t have come here in the first place, that she was capable of handling these snakes. She glanced at her watch. In the end, the temptation of Draco Malfoy proved to be too much. 

Hastily, Astoria bustled after him, careful not to catch her high heels in the cracks between the boards. When she reached his side, he didn’t stop or offer her any words, just kept walking along the dock. In moments where her feet ached from her heels, she remembered why she hated being short so much. It didn’t help that Draco was several inches taller than her and his stride much longer. Finally, they stopped near the end of the marina where there were very few boats docked. 

Astoria raised an eyebrow. “Is this where you lure young women to brutally murder them?” 

Draco scoffed. “Do you think about being brutally murdered often, Greengrass?” 

“Only the normal amount.” She stepped closer to him. “And you can call me Astoria. I did share my marijuana with you, after all.” 

He looked away from her, out toward the ocean, and what looked like a genuine smile swept over his face.

Astoria was entranced. 

“Alright. Astoria.” 

His eyes slid back to her as her name tumbled from his lips. Something fluttered softly in her chest for a brief moment. Before now, she hadn’t realized how beautiful his eyes were, how intricate the grays and blues were. It was mesmerizing. The fluttering was gone as quickly as it appeared, leaving Astoria staring embarrassingly into the depths of Draco’s eyes. Nimbly, she reached down and pulled her high heels off. 

“What are you doing?” Draco asked. 

Astoria didn’t answer, simply dropped her shoes on the dock and then sat down on the edge of it. The waves were gently tapping against the wood, almost like a drumbeat. Though slightly chilly, the water had no bite to it. Astoria kicked some water away from her, fighting back the urge to giggle. She doubted Draco had ever done anything so simple as stick his feet in the ocean before. 

“Are you just going to stand there?” she asked. 

He huffed. “What is the point of this?” 

“There isn’t a point,” she said, looking up at him. He was studying her as if she were some exotic sea urchin. “It’s just for fun.” 

Turning away from him, she began to undo the twist her hair was in. As it fell below her shoulders, she heard Draco exhaling sharply and the sound of shoes scraping the dock. He sat down next to her, and Astoria didn’t say a word as she shook her hair out, the curls justling around her face. When he dropped his bare feet into the water, Draco hissed and she nudged him with her foot, the water eddying around them. 

“Do not splash me,” he warned darkly. 

Astoria couldn’t help it; she laughed. “You can’t say that and then expect me not to do it.” 

He glared at her. “If you splash me, I will shove you off this dock.”

“How very ungentlemanly of you,” she gasped, pressing her hand to her chest. 

“I never claimed to be a gentleman.” 

“I think your mother would be scandalized by that statement.” 

“You don’t know my mother.” 

“No, but I know mine, and I imagine they’re a lot alike with their standards of how one should behave in society.” 

She kicked the water then, thoughts of her mother causing anger to swirl in her like a monsoon. Her mother’s feelings for her were complicated, Astoria knew, because of her father and his insistence they try to have one more child after Daphne. Though the Greengrasses were hoping for a boy, that child had been Astoria. Her father had accepted his losses and, by all accounts, groomed her to be his heir and run the Greengrass estate when he was gone, surpassing Daphne completely. Her mother was not forgiving. She had never wanted Astoria and turned her nose up at her younger daughter whenever she got the chance with disparaging comments that cut Astoria like the winds of a gale. She shivered as she thought about it. 

“Here.” Out of the corner of her eye, Astoria watched Draco shrug out of his coat. He refused to look at her as he did so, and as he offered his coat, Astoria saw why. With his sleeves rolled up, his Dark Mark was on full display, the skull’s mouth open and the snake winding across his inner forearm. It was a dull grey color, not at all like the vivid black that Astoria had been told it was before the war. It looked like a simple tattoo now. Albeit an ugly one. 

Gently, she took the coat from his outstretched hand, careful not to brush his fingers again. When she pulled it on, she was enveloped by the scent of oak and vanilla. It was still warm, and Astoria was reminded that she had once again inadvertently touched Draco. The thought sent yet another rush through her chest, just as quick and strong as before. 

“Thank you,” she said, trying her best not to look at his mark. “Did you know that Pansy wanted her bridesmaids and Blaise’s groomsmen to alternate in hair color? Blonde, brunette, blonde, brunette.” 

Draco snorted. “As usual, Pansy got what she wanted.” 

“That’s why Daphne said she was in the wedding. Because of color coordination.” 

He still hadn’t looked at her, so Astoria pulled her eyes from his face. It was another clear night out and the stars were shining just as brightly as the night before, burning ever brighter towards their ends. She could see Cygnus and Cepheus. Ursa Minor was directly above them, and Ursa Major to the left of Minor. 

“I can see you,” Astoria said. 

“What?” Draco was finally looking at her again, confusion once again swimming across his face. 

Astoria pointed to the sky and the constellation he was named for, resting just above Ursa Minor. While he studied the stars, Astoria took the time to study him. He almost looked approachable, with his platinum blonde hair tousled by the wind and his sleeves rolled up. Eyes drawn to his forearm, Astoria couldn’t stop herself from studying it as well. When he first took the Dark Mark, it must have been so intricate. Even though it was faded, she could still make out some of those details, the chips in the skull, the scales of the snake. Unable to help herself, Astoria leaned closer to Draco. He jerked slightly, his brows rising high on his forehead. 

“What are you doing?” he demanded. 

“I’m not going to push you in,” she teased. 

When her fingers found his forearm, he sucked in a breath. 

“Does it hurt?” she asked as her fingers traced the outline of the mark. 

“No,” he breathed. “Not anymore.” 

“So, it’s like a scar?” 

“It’s more than a scar.” 

She thought he might pull away from her then, but he didn’t. Just stared at her. They were sharing the same breath as she continued to trace the outline, moving past the skull and onto the snake. The skin wasn’t raised like she expected. Instead, it was soft and smooth. Then goosebumps were rising under her fingers, and a smile tugged at Astoria’s lips. 

“Are you cold?” she asked. 

“What?” he said, his breath fanning against her face. 

“You’ve got goosebumps.” 

He did pull away from her then, mouth pressing into a thin line. Fine, then. Astoria looked back at the calm ocean, kicking her feet softly. Silence suited her just fine, and she had a feeling it would erode Draco’s will long before hers. She was right. 

“Most people are afraid or angry when they see it,” he whispered. Most likely why he’d kept it covered this weekend. 

“It’s going to take a lot more than a drawing of a snake to scare me, Draco.” And she meant that. She had never liked fear tactics, and this was no exception. If Voldemort was determined to use that mark to instill fear in people, then Astoria was determined to look at it and feel nothing at all. 

“We should go,” Draco finally said. He tugged his feet out of the water and stood up, leaving his trousers rolled up to his knees. “The others will be looking for us, especially your sister.” 

“They probably think I’ve strangled you,” Astoria said mildly. 

When he offered her his hand to stand, Astoria took it, his palm warm and rough against her own. The callouses weren’t extensive, but they were noticeable; probably earned from flying a broom if she had to guess. Without her heels, Astoria could just see over Draco’s shoulder. Merlin, it was annoying how everyone was taller than her. 

“Here,” she said, starting to take his coat off.

“Keep it,” he said. His eyes ran over her, and Astoria swore she saw them darken. “You’ll need it more than me.” 

She tucked the smell of oak and vanilla tighter around her. “Alright.” 

#

The wedding had gone off without a hitch, much to Astoria’s dismay. Her sister looked beautiful despite the ugly sage dress that Pansy had forced her into. Daphne always had that elegant grace about her, even when she was dressed in unflattering clothing. Astoria, on the other hand, had wanted to wear black, but Daphne had been horrified at the thought. So, she’d settled on a fitted silver number that would allow her to brood at the back of the party unnoticed while she nursed yet another headache. If her parents weren’t in attendance, she would have rested her sweaty glass of champagne against her forehead in hopes of some relief. As it was, the alcohol was doing very little to numb her. 

The chair next to her scraped against the floor, and she saw Draco taking a seat next to her, looking as put together as always in his own wedding attire. 

“Greengrass,” he said. 

“Astoria,” she gently corrected him.

“Astoria,” he said. It was soft, like the sea caressing the beach at low tide. It sent a chill up her spine though she refused to admit it. Instead, she took another sip of champagne. 

“Has the new Mrs. Zabini finally let you free of your groomsmen responsibilities?” 

Draco shrugged. “I’m sure she’ll want us for something later. Your sister was over by the dance floor a moment ago.” 

Astoria snorted. “My sister is probably heading for the bar, so the next time you see her, she’ll be tripping over her own feet.”

And honestly, good for her. She’d put up with Pansy’s bullshit for two straight days. She deserved the best cabernet that the Zabinis had. 

The music overtook them, Astoria trying hard to ignore her headache and Draco sitting silently next to her. She realized that she had an ally now, someone to sit in dark corners with and pass the time during the pureblood social season. It might have been the only positive outcome from this weekend. 

“Would you like to dance?” 

Astoria’s head whipped toward Draco. His grey eyes were intent, and his bottom lip was sucked between his teeth. Surely, she’d heard wrong. No one ever wanted to dance with her during these events. That was always Daphne’s place, the center of attention waltzing around the ballroom floor. Her place had always been in the corner, with her outspokenness and her ‘radical’ opinions. 

“What?” she said. 

“I thought you might like the opportunity to walk off some of the alcohol you’ve consumed.” He was leaning back in his chair now and picking at his nails. “Unless you think you’re too drunk to keep up.”

“I can keep up.” Astoria sat her glass on the table roughly. “And I am not drunk.” 

She stood up, wobbling only slightly, and noticed the hint of a smirk on Draco’s face. Annoyance washed over her. Snatching his left hand, she marched toward the dance floor, trying to ignore the tempestuous heat in her stomach that had nothing to do with the alcohol she’d consumed. When they reached the dance floor, Astoria turned to face Draco and noticed the mischief rippling through his grey eyes for the first time. Her breath rushed from her lungs as he slid his hand around her shoulder and stepped entirely too close to her body. 

They were going to be talked about after tonight if he wasn’t careful. Her, the social outcast of their high society who sat in dark corners brooding, and him, the formerly perfect pureblood prince who had fallen from grace when his master had been defeated. The old cynics would be relentless, but Astoria couldn’t bring herself to care as the warmth from Draco’s hand swept into her back. Another shiver ran through her. 

It was easy to fall into the waltz, muscle memory taking over from the torturous lessons her mother had put her through. Her instructor had carried a cane and would often whack her arms when they slumped from exhaustion. Draco was a good partner, easily guiding her through the steps with gentle pressure from his hands. 

Dancing with him was surprisingly intimate. Theo had asked her to dance once or twice, and it had never felt like this. Perhaps, she’d had too much alcohol after all. As Astoria tried to ignore the heat that burned her skin, Draco guided her easily around the floor, never once bringing her close to the other couple. It should have been freeing — trusting herself completely to another person — but it only left more room for Astoria to focus on the insistent ache in her skull. It was a heady mix, the warmth from Draco causing her stomach to roil and the ache in her head. 

When the song ended, they separated and clapped for the band along with the other guests. Silently, Draco offered his hand with the arch of a brow. The thunder in Astoria’s head had turned to a full-on gale that was threatening to drown her. She rested her palm in his, delighting in the slight roughness of his hand. This was a dangerous tempest. 

“Why did you ask me to dance?” she said because if she stayed silent for a moment longer, she was going to combust from the storm inside herself. 

Draco furrowed his brow. “Because I wanted to.”

“And you always get what you want?” 

His arm tightened around her. “Mostly, yes.” 

It was arrogant and exactly what she thought he would say, but it still pulled a smile from her, as she tried to fight off the nausea that was quickly rising to the surface with her headache. 

When that song ended, Draco and Astoria were near the edge of the dance floor, and he didn’t release his hold on her to clap like he had moments before. Astoria barely noticed, her head feeling like it was about to burst from her skull. 

“Did you mean what you said?” he asked.

“What?” she said, gripping his shoulder a little tighter. 

“About talking to someone about the war?”

She was going to be sick all over his shoes, and the alcohol she’d consumed was going to burn more coming up than it had going down. 

“I need to find my sister,” she mumbled, her other hand finding his shoulder as well to steady herself. 

“What?” he said, his other hand resting gently on her waist. When had he moved them from her shoulders? “I don’t . . . Are you alright, Astoria? You’re very pale.” 

She knew she should have added another layer of foundation this morning. “I need to find my sister,” she said. Gently, she slid her hands down his arms and untangled his fingers from her dress. “I’m . . . so sorry.”

Then, she turned and hurried away from him. She checked the bar first, but only found a slightly buzzed Theo, who raised his glass in salute to her. When she searched the tables, she was unable to find Daphne there either, only the bride and her other bridesmaid gossiping about Diane Carter. Where was she? Hastily, Astoria clicked through the hallway and into the larger dining room of the venue. Daphne wasn’t there either. She forced herself to stop and lean against the wall for a few moments. Deep breaths; otherwise, she’d throw up. 

Exiting the big dining room, she rushed toward the sitting room. There she located her sister talking with Mr. Parkinson. As soon as Daphne saw her, she sat her wine glass on the nearest available surface, panic obvious in her eyes. Astoria found herself being hauled out of the venue by the elbow and into the courtyard of the villa. The fresh air slapped her face, and she took several deep breaths. 

“How long have you been ill, Tori?” Daphne asked, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. 

“All weekend,” Astoria muttered. 

“Why didn’t you say anything?” she demanded. “Or go see a Healer? Like a sane person?” 

Astoria squeezed her eyes shut. She would not be sick. She would not be sick. “Because I wasn’t about to leave you in that den of-”

“Forget them, Tori,” Daphne said. “And I can take care of myself. I’ve told you that all weekend, and you’ve suffered all weekend.” When Astoria opened her eyes, she was hit with the tide of her sister’s anger. “And I’m too drunk to Apparate us anywhere, and you can’t Apparate.”

“The hospital is a few blocks down,” Astoria wheezed. “I checked before I Portkeyed in.” 

Daphne huffed in annoyance, and Astoria knew she would have done the same had their positions been reversed. Her sister still wrapped an arm around her waist and guided her out of the venue and towards the hospital though. Daphne always was the better of the both of them. 

#

“Your condition is exceptionally rare, Ms. Greengrass. You’re quite lucky that your sister brought you in when she did. Another few hours and . . .” Healer Bianchi clicked his tongue. “Luckily, we were able to get all of your paperwork from St. Mungo’s transferred to us in time. Merlin knows what we would have done without Healer Holmes’ notes. The case could have been quite dire.” He flipped through his papers. “How long have you had this condition, Ms. Greengrass?” 

Astoria was sitting in a bleak hospital room, her arms crossed and fighting very hard not to throw her glass of water at this Healer’s head. “Since I was five.” 

“Fascinating.” 

Astoria was glad someone found her blood curse fascinating. She certainly did not, nor did she enjoy the constant trips to St. Mungo’s she had to make since she was a child. It had been a week since that dreadful wedding, and Astoria was still stuck in Italy. It was such a shame. The weather was beautiful and Venice was a lovely city and Astoria was stuck in this drab place with a macabre healer. 

“Glad I can keep you entertained,” she snapped. 

Healer Bianchi cleared his throat. “Your blood letting went well. We were able to get out all the contaminated blood, and replace it with new blood, though there was quite a lot of contaminated blood. You really should have come in sooner. You wouldn’t have had to stay in here for a week if you had.” Astoria rolled her eyes. “You’ll be in a bit of pain for a couple weeks, but you take cannabis sativa for that, don’t you?” 

“Yes.” 

“And how is that administered?” 

“I smoke it.” Astoria was pleased when a look of disapproval crossed the Healer’s face. 

“Well, I can make up a potion for you, if you like. Won’t take any time at all.” 

“That won’t be necessary.” 

Healer Bianchi sighed. “Well, you’re free to go then. Just keep up on your treatments and do come in to see a healer if you get any kind of chronic headaches, nausea, or shortness of breath.” 

Finally, the Healer disappeared, and Astoria turned to face Daphne. Her sister’s eyes were narrowed, and her arms were crossed over her chest. Her hair, which was usually styled, sat limply around her shoulders. There were dark circles under her eyes, too.

“I could kill you,” Daphne said. 

“But your life would be so dull without me,” Astoria said. 

“You could have died.” 

Astoria looked away from her. “I’m in danger of dying every day, Daph.”

“And you exasperate it.” 

“I am not living my life beholden to this disease,” she snapped, slamming her fists down onto the bed. Even doing just that zapped her of energy. Astoria took a deep breath. 

“I have a Portkey ready to take us home at three,” Daphne said softly. “Unless you’d rather stay here for a few days.” 

“No,” she said. “Let’s go home.” 

#astoria greengrass #draco malfoy #drastoria #daphne greengrass #my writing #cruel summer series #hp

[nellarw95]

Happy Birthday Sarah 🥳🎂🎈🎁🎉

April 14,1977

Buon Compleanno 🥳🎂🎈🎁🎉

14 Aprile 1977

#sarah michelle gellar #actress #world cinema #cinema #movies #film #tv shows #i know what you did last summer #cruel intentions #harvardman #scooby doo #scooby doo 2 monsters unleashed #the grudge #suburbangirl #possession #veronika decides to die #swanscrossing #all my children #buffy the vampire slayer #angel tv series #buffy summers #ringer #wolf pack #daphne blake #celebrity #happy birthday

[ziellewrites]

"I Love You, " Ain't That The Worst Thing You Ever Heard? AO3 Link

#bts fic #bts fanfic #ziellewrites #the playlist series #cruel summer series #taekook au #taekook #taekook fic