Curate, connect, and discover
Word count: 1402
A/n; I'm proud of this (hope I did this properly) tiny last minute editing.
Warnings; bad day, angst with a happy ending, Rafe being boyfriend material pet name (pretty girl) hurt x comfort
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Rafe Cameron, prideful, persistent, and above all punctual.
Admirable, aggravating.
When Rafe texted you and said he was coming by, you knew that meant 10 minutes max, before he would be knocking on your door.
You were paniced, reasonably so. You had just stepped out of what was supposed to be a relaxing shower, your skin pricked with goosebumps as the cold air hit your exposed skin.
10 minutes, and here you were debating if you wanted to respond or not, but anything was better than staying at that house any longer.
Love would not be enough restraint for you if you had to deal with another one of your family's feuds.
It soon hit you that time was ticking, your hands tossing your phone into the pile of pajamas you were in earlier as you quickly got to work dying yourself off.
As soon as he approached the porch you appeared in the doorway, a soft smile tugged at his lips seeing you standing there.
Hips leaning against the doorway, arms crossed, and your beautiful face staring expectantly into the distance.
Even still he walked up the creaky steps, hands open to relieve you, but when you remained planted, eyesight shifting towards his polo, the closed collar underlining his broad chest, and muscles caught your gaze.
He countered the hug within distance, slugging an arm around your shoulder, he leaned down, pressing his cold lips against your heated skin, causing your cheeks to bubble, lips pursing in a supressed smile. "Missed me didn't you?" He cooed, the keychain circling his index jiggled, the tip of his finger teasing the underside of your jaw.
You stiffened at the action, taking the first step forward, muttering a quiet 'sure'.
"Ahha," he chuckled dryly, following your lead.
Even if you didn't share the enthusiasm he was happy to see you.
You approached the car, Rafe cutting you off mid step to pull back the handle, the dark paint job facing you now as you scoffed playfully circling the door.
"After you milady," You rolled your eyes at his antics, kicking one foot into the car, the other followed by your chin pressing sharply into your chest as you ducked the roof of the car, settling side.
You wiggled in your seat, immediately reaching for the seatbelt, pulling it smoothly across your chest.
You let out a breath you were holding. Had it got stuck or you couldn't adjust it just right and you had to wrestle it, you'd scrap the whole car. Even if it wasn't yours, you were especially fragile right now.
Rafe got in the driver’s side, the engine roared to life at the twist of his hand, a triumphant grin crossed his face, his nose scrunching as he did so, looking at you excitedly.
Would it be rude to ask why he was so...energetic...today?
The answer?
He saw it.
Through his tinted shades currently sitting in his cupholder.
The attitude in your body language, the shift of weight from one leg to the other, the strain in your formerly guarded form, the unhappiness in your features, and especially the wrinkles siding beside the corner of your eyes. They weren't from smiles, but from heavy glaring.
And smiles would be evident in the way your cheeks pigmented a visible tone after long periods of laughter, and how puffy the corners of your mouth got.
It didn't at all sound attractive when he brought it up to you, but he explained his admiration for your joyous nature, and how when you smiled you smiled big.
And despite your objection in his words, your lips wavered, peeling back into the corners of your face, showing him just what he thought to be true.
"Did you..." You paused, his attention immediately turning on you. "Have you been hanging around Barry again?" Was the only respectful way you could ask.
He didn't take offense, instead braced his hands against the steering wheel, "No," he drew out, putting the car in reverse.
You nodded, awkwardly placing your hands in your lap.
At first being home free helped. Something about the drive around, loud music, and sea salt in the air had made you forget the knot swelling inside various places.
Just as progress was made a flip switched.
It was the song playing on the radio. Something you didn't care to remember because you felt it.
Those sick, unwell feelings form in the pit of your stomach at the words, and now more than ever a raw intensity pulling within you drawing you back to a place of anger.
A place of hurt.
Rafe noticed at first, it was subtle. The head nodding, rolling your eyes as he turned the volume up. He paid attention.
He knew these.
He knew you.
Then a couple miles down, you were singing along, looking as you did do, but he could feel you loosening up.
But just as fast as it appeared it stopped.
He turned the music down, hoping you would continue, but you didn't.
Back to silent nodding and now something else. Your eyes. They were blinking... rapidly.
Now he knew something was up. Something heavy.
Little did he know the events of the morning lingered a dense electric gray over your head, and rain would soon pour from your clouded irises.
"Did something happen? You're all sad and,"
"And shit," you responded, tilting your head back.
"Yeah... all sad and...shit," as you had not so eloquently put it.
"It's nothing," by now it was everything.
"That doesn't sound right," he countered, his foot applied pressure towards the break, the wind breaking acceleration had decreased to the speed limit at best.
And you held back a couple of tears, but that didn't stop strays, warm against your skin. You could feel a burning in the top of your nose, and a climbing temperature around your ears indicating you were about to cry.
"Do you want to talk about it? I can listen," he offered.
You simply sniffled, you palmed up, roughly pushing against your skin, wiping tears. "Do you even know where we're going? We've passed that same park like three times," you said referring to the open field with 101 benches placed too close together.
Sometimes your deflection could be ignoring his question, answering vaguely, or in this case, insulting his navagation skills.
"No, no," he played along, "That's the country club, it's got an expansion, pretty much every road has a view of it."
That actually makes sense now.
Still.
He continued to examine you, your body language.
It was just as tense as before, if not more.
Your little breakdown had only gone on for a quick minute and then you were back to being stone.
If only he could turn you into statue.
Unlike your earlier suggestion before you the dizzy world had slowed and vision returned.
Not before the sight of a concerned smile, his hand parked over the steering wheel, the other resting on the armrest, his torso twisted to meet you.
This time he didn't try to convince you, he let his sad, pretty eyes manipulate you into a sharing state.
"It's just not my day today," you confessed, a little bob in your head confirming that.
"Well, we can change that," his ringed fingers found there ways rubbing against your salted skin swiping tears.
He leaned forward, his lips pressing to your cheekbone, lingering over your skin, the edge of his nose rubbing up the bridge of yours, traveling kisses planted on you in various spots.
He made it to your hair, letting out a hum, tilting his head against yours, making himself level with you, you looked up through your eyelashes to find his comforting gaze on you already, promising better.
Amist the intimate gesture he leaned into it, his elbow honking against the wheel, a bold whistle vibrated through the car, making you jump.
You felt his long lashes tickle your cheek, an embarrassed sigh left him, his forehead still pressed against your face.
And while he thought the accidental honking had ruined the slow, intimate vibe, it tickled you.
His reaction of resignation and reserveness had made it better, and you couldn't hide the smile on your face, the peaks of your teeth peering through and a hearty laugh escaping you.
Rafe carefully kissed your jaw once more, slipping back into his seat, both hands holding the seatbelt at the chest, as he was still fixated on you.
You were smiling.
Rafe made a face, to which he followed up with "there she is," and the mellowness of his tone was enough to make you melt.
"There's my pretty girl."