𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬 𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬

𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 » 𝘳.𝘤

word count: 1.1k

prompt: "Now the real horror begins: the hangover. Ugh."

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Your head ached and pounded as your eyes slowly opened, nothing but bright sunlight filling the living room of Tannyhill.

If you could even call it a living room at this point, given that the space was currently unlivable.

Red solo cups littered the floor, surrounding the legs of the furniture that remained askew from the previous night. Empty bottles, cans, random pieces of food that got left behind, and the sad, half-empty trash bags were now the main attraction of the once clean, neatly decorated room.

You shifted some weight to your forearm in order to lift your head up, spotting a sleeping Rafe on the other sofa.

The original plan was to take a nap, and then wake up to finish the rest of the post-party cleaning the house so desperately needed.

The Camerons had housekeepers, sure, but while Ward and Rose were away on business, Rafe made sure to take charge and give them the week off. Besides, if they saw this mess, there's no way they wouldn't give an honest report to Ward once he returned.

"Rafe." You groaned, tossing a nearby throw pillow onto him. "Wake up."

"Hm?" He hummed sleepily.

"Wake. Up." You repeated, tossing two more throw pillows for emphasis.

"Okay, okay. You can stop with the pillows now." Rafe grumbled, eyes now opening, but quickly squinting because of the harsh light. "Shit." He hissed. "I think we- uh, overslept."

"You think?"

"We needed the sleep, though. From what I remember, the party was insane."

You rolled your eyes, hands massaging your temples gently. "Never again."

"Always again. It was so worth it."

"It was so not! Because now the real horror begins: the hangover. Ugh. I hope you're just as miserable as I am right now."

"Nah. Hangovers aren't my thing, babe." Rafe quipped. "But my life's about to be miserable if this house isn't spotless by tonight."

"So much for our 2 hour nap."

Rafe sighed. "Take a nap break, they said. It will be alright, they said."

"Rafe, you said that! And that's not even the saying."

"I can't believe Top and Kelce bailed on us." Rafe grumbled, tossing cups from the coffee table into a nearby trash bag. "They had enough energy to party all night long though!"

"I'm pretty sure they hauled a few trash bags out of here last night. But on the bright side, the worst of the mess is already gone!"

Rafe paused, shooting you an unamused glare. He's not a morning person as it is.

"Eat up, losers!" Wheezie suddenly shouts, entering the room with several bags of food. "We have way too many treats leftover from the bake sale, so I need someone to eat all this food before the PTA moms realize we actually didn't sell out."

"Wheezie," Rafe began softly. "Lower your voice. Please."

"So much for hangovers not being your 'thing', hm?" You teased your boyfriend.

He smiled sarcastically, returning his attention back to his sister. "Weren't you supposed to be sleeping over at Stacey's? When did you get back?"

"I walked all the way here to avoid her mom. She couldn't see me with all these bags." Wheezie explained, offering a quick chuckle at her own slyness. "But it's past noon now. The sleepover ended hours ago."

Rafe sat down again, tearing open one of the paper bags and taking a huge bite out of a jelly donut. He hummed in satisfaction, gaining your attention as you sat beside him and tore the bag from his grip, eating a donut of your own.

"I see you two had an... eventful night." Wheezie observed, looking around the room and cringing at the mess, but not surprised. She knew the kinds of parties her brother threw, and she knew that the aftermath was Rafe's main reason for needing her to keep quiet about it. Though it looked like twin tornadoes blew through the place.

"First party of the fall." Rafe confirmed. "I say it was a success."

Wheezie laughed in disbelief. "And some success it was!" She examined the room, stopping at Rose's antique lamps that were no longer lamps, but piles of shattered glass on the floor. "How're you gonna explain this one?" She queried, holding up the lampshade, it's ivory color stained with some kind of alcohol.

"No!" Rafe gasped. "The lamps? How is Rose ever going to live!"

You swatted his bicep playfully, even though you cracked a smile at his sarcasm. "Not funny. She loves those lamps more than anything."

"Surely more than us." Wheezie blunted. "Oh well! Have fun with this." The brunette shoved the handle of the feather duster in the free hand of her brother, as his other hand held his second donut of the morning. Or technically, the afternoon.

"You're not gonna help?"

Wheezie scoffed. "Please, my silence and denial that I ever saw any of this— is more than enough. And I gave you guys food! I hope you learn your lesson, and some gratitude during your cleaning spree, Rafe. You need it."

And with that she was off, leaving you two on the sofa with bags and bags of leftover bake sale goods. In hindsight, it was a good thing the fall bake sale landed on the same weekend Rafe decided to throw a huge party.

"So, what are we gonna do about the lamps?"

"Nothing." Rafe mumbled, mouth full of a powdered donut.

"What's the excuse gonna be?"

"I don't know... we'll say someone broke in or something."

"Yes, Rose. Someone broke into the house, smashed your lamps to pieces, and left." You reiterated so he could hear it, nothing short of sarcastic. "She'll totally go for that."

"The burglar did us all a favor. Those lamps were ugly as shit anyways." Rafe acknowledged. "And, it'll give her an excuse to shop. You watch, she'll forget about those things by next week."

"If you say so."

"I know so. Trust me on this one, baby."

The first bag you both were eating out of was now empty, and as you sat back on the sofa and made eye contact you couldn't help but smile.

"What's so funny?" Rafe asked.

"Nothing. It's just hard to take you seriously with powdered sugar all over your lips."

Rafe cocked an eyebrow, smirking. "Why? You want some?"

He gave you no time to answer before his lips were on yours, his hands avoiding you because of his sticky fingers.

"Well, now that you mention it..." You smirked, kissing him again.

"All you had to do was ask, honey."