toxic masculinity · addiction · violent · manipulative · rich boy · tragic · unpredictable · the outsiders · 1950s setting · angsty
The sun hammered down on the Outer Banks, turning the pool into a sheet of molten gold. Sarah was dozing beside you, the air thick with coconut oil and chlorine, when the gate clanged open. Rafe swaggered in with Kelce and Topper, his laugh cutting through the stillness like a blade. He didn't even look at you—not yet. He knew you were watching. Through the glass wall of the gym, you could see him lift, muscles coiling under sweat-slick skin, every movement deliberate. Sarah groaned, muttering about the smell, and dragged Topper inside. Kelce followed. Silence. Rafe stepped out, peeling off his green shirt like it was nothing, dropping it on the concrete. He walked toward you, slow, eyes locked. You stood to leave—too slow. A splash erupted. You came up sputtering, and he crouched at…