OnlyStans

Stan leaned back in his chair, the last glow of his computer monitor casting pale blue shadows across the room. His fingers hovered over the keyboard, eyes fixed on the screen—but he wasn't seeing code anymore. He was thinking about Riley. His brother.

They hadn't spoken in months.

Stan had sent a few texts. A call on his birthday. A quick ping on Instagram, even though Riley rarely posted anything. Nothing back.

And then, a couple months back, all of Riley's social media went dark. Stan hadn't noticed at first. It's not like you get a notification when someone deletes their account, but it was alarming to see that it was gone. All of it. Maybe it was one of those slow-media decisions, a way to unplug for mental health. Whatever it was, Stan felt a little worried.

It wasn't like him. Sure, Riley could be a little self-centered, a little flaky, but he wasn't the type to ghost his own family. And with school starting soon—his freshman year, no less—Stan had figured they'd at least get in one last call before the chaos began. Maybe even a quick visit. He'd been thinking about driving down to campus that weekend, just to check in.

He sighed and leaned forward to close the laptop.

"Still nothing?" Gwen's voice drifted in from the kitchen. She was drying her hands on a tea towel, her blonde curls pulled into a loose bun at the top of her head.

Stan shook his head. "Nada. Radio silence. I don't know, maybe he's just caught up in orientation stuff."

"You should still go," she said, crossing into the room and planting a kiss on the top of his head. "It'd be good for him. You're his big brother."

He smiled at that, despite the worry knotting in his chest. "Yeah. Maybe I will."

Gwen turned toward the living room, where the giant flat screen waited, paused in the YouTube app. "You wanna finish the contour video before bed?"

Stan grinned. "Thought you'd never ask."

She flopped onto the couch and pulled the blanket over her legs. Stan joined her, hitting play as the soft pink glow of the video lit up the room.

GirleyRiley appeared on screen like a vision—haloed in soft ring light, skin glowing, voice lilting and sweet as she walked her viewers through her contouring routine. She wasn't like other influencers. There was something captivating about her. Something magnetic.

Stan couldn't explain it. Gwen couldn't either. They had each discovered her on their own, back before they even knew the other was watching.

Gwen had started with the makeup stuff—just casual curiosity, then fascination, then admiration. Stan had found her through some viral thirst trap a friend had shared in their group chat. He hadn't been able to look away. That face, that smile... those eyes. Something about those eyes. It was like he knew her.

But he dismissed it.

They were both hooked. And when they finally admitted it to each other—when Gwen confessed her obsession and Stan had pulled up his own bookmarked playlist—it felt like discovering a shared crush. Electric. A little embarrassing. And wildly sexy.

Now, it was their thing.

They cuddled on the couch, watching GirleyRiley demonstrate a new peach-toned highlight technique. Gwen leaned her head against Stan's shoulder, her hand brushing along his thigh beneath the blanket.

"She makes it look so easy," Gwen murmured.

"She could sell sand in a desert," Stan replied, slipping his arm around her. "I'd buy whatever she's using."

They kissed—slow, familiar, full of fondness. A married couple with years of rhythm, rekindling that same spark every time they watched her.

By the time the video ended, Gwen's cheeks were flushed, her smile dreamy.

"She's amazing," Gwen whispered. "Just… unreal."

Stan looked at the screen for a moment longer. Then he picked up the remote.

"Want me to show you something really good that she does?" he asked.

Gwen sat up a little, intrigued. "Yes. Definitely."

Stan scrolled through the apps on the TV until he found the familiar icon.

OnlyFans.

He clicked it, browsed briefly, and selected a video. The thumbnail alone was enough to make Gwen gasp—a soft-focus shot of GirleyRiley in sheer baby blue lingerie, biting her lip with one finger coyly hooked at her bra strap.

Gwen nestled back against her husband, her hand slipping into his sweatpants with a playful smile. Stan pulled the blanket over them both and kissed the top of her head.

The screen faded to black.

Then GirleyRiley appeared.

And the room fell silent, save for the sound of her voice.