'Safe with Rafe' Y/N x Rafe Cameron

Chapter XV

You, Sarah and Kie make your way down stairs to be met with a dining table covered in a fancy lace table cloth and on top, a variety of roast veggies and gravies, a roast loaf and chicken.
"Wow! This is amazing Mrs.Cameron!" You exclaim excitedly as you take a seat next to Wheezy and across from Rafe. Kie takes a seat on the other side of you and Sarah next to her brother while Rose and Ward sit on opposite sides of the table ends.
"Smells like heaven." Kie compliments.
"Well make yourself at home girls, any left overs will be thrown out so dig in!" Rose says.

"So, Kie, how's your mother doing?" Ward asks as he cuts into his loaf with a stainless steel knife.
"Just fine, she's been getting into painting lately."
"Oh that's good, that's good. And you? Y/N?"
"My mother? Um, well, she's definitely a lively one." You joke. Earning a small, awkward smile from Ward and a subtle smile from Rafe as he keeps his head down and shaking it slightly at an attempt to suppress his laughter.
You notice Sarah starting to giggle too so you kick her under the table but resulting in a glare from Rafe instead.
"Sorry!" You mouth silently to him.
Rafe delivers a soft kick to your shins in return but doesn't bring his leg back, instead, he rests his leg between your ankles as the two of you continue eating.

"Y/N dear, will midsummers be held at yours again this year?" Rose asks.
"Ummm, I'm not quite sure. My parents don't really talk to me about that stuff." You admit.
"Well, if you can encourage your parents this year, I can sponsor it as well. It can be a shared project." Ward says.
"Oh you don't have to Mr.Cameron, you're too generous sometimes." You reply innocently.
"It's no problem at all. Besides, it's a good learning opportunity for Rafe. I'm trying to show him how to run the family business."
"Oh?" You look up to Rafe to see his goofy smile suddenly vanish. "I didn't realise Rafe had an interest in all that stuff." You continue to chow down your loaf.
"He will. He doesn't know it yet but he will."

You can't help but feel an instant sorrow for Rafe in this moment. Ward was always good at playing pretend father. Putting on a sweet facade in front of guests. He was always good at it, could almost say that he was an expert. But you knew the real Ward. Kook gossip goes a long way and it was a known fact that Ward was not who he makes himself out to be. Knowing this though, his sudden brunt against Rafe surprised you, making your heart sink to your stomach.

You notice Rafes posture stiffen as he sits up straighter in his chair, pulling his leg back towards his chair rather than between yours. His face, seemingly emotionless as he cuts into his chicken.
You put both your legs around one of Rafes ankles, pulling his leg back towards you as a pathetic way to comfort him stealthily at the table.
He looks up towards you as you console him with a smile.
He returns the smile and keeps his leg positioned between yours, appreciating the small act of comfort.

After dinner, you decide to linger around the kitchen with Rose while Kie and Sarah finished their movie upstairs. You've always had a certain respect for her. She wasn't like Ward. Rose felt motherly, kind, understanding and you can tell that she genuinely means well.
"Hey, I'll do the dishes." You insist as you take the bubbly, half scrubbed plate from her ring crowded hand.
"Are you sure?" She yawns.
"Of course Mrs.Cameron. Get some rest." You giggle.
"You're too sweet Y/N, thank you."
"and thank you for dinner, it was the best dinner I've had since god knows when."

You reminisced the days before your mother developed a drinking problem and before your fathers heart hardened over with anger. Back to when the house felt warm and the dinner was fresh, just like Roses. The bitter-sweet memory plastering a frown upon your face which Rose easily took notice of. 

"You're welcome here anytime, alright?" She says sweetly as she places a hand on your cheek.
"Thank you, Mrs.Cameron."
"Oh pftt, no more formalities. It's just Rose, to you."

Everybody had gone to bed now, leaving you in the kitchen alone, scrubbing away at the gravy stained plates. The ones you left for last becoming increasingly harder to scrub as the food dries over.
But you didn't mind. Although you weren't technically alone, silence in the air and a dark house always kept you on your toes and the dishes served as a distraction.
You look up from the soapy sponge in your hands upon seeing a dark figure moving in the corner of your eye.

"Ssssshit!" You whisper shout as you clutch at your chest with your wet hands.
"How long have you been standing there?!"
"5 minutes, more or less." Rafe says as he leans against the kitchen arch way.
"5 whole minutes? What are you? Some stalker?" You tease.
"Just wanted to see how long it'd take you to notice. Which was far too long by the way, might wanna work on acknowledging your surroundings."
"Pftt, not necessary." You laugh.
"Until you get kidnapped by some weirdo on the street." He jokes as he leans against the kitchen island opposite of you.
"Rafe Cameron, I have never had a weirdo stare at me in broad darkness until tonight. I think I'm safe."
"Or so you think." He smiles as he adorns your laughter before speaking again, "need help?"
"You can dry them after I wash them if you're seriously asking?" You reply.
"Of course." He wanders around the table before stopping closely beside you.

The kitchen was cold and airy now. The fresh night air flowed through the house with ease. Rose had forgotten to lock up before heading to bed so the large windows of the dining room had been left open. The sheer curtains blew almost enchantingly with the moon light shining through the thin material. It was cold but refreshing.

"So that movie thing you were talking about..." you start.
"Yeah?" Rafe continues to drag a cloth across a shiny plate.
"Was that tomorrow night?"
"Yeah it is, did you change your mind?" He asks as he places the plate down onto the clean pile.
"No but I told Sarah about it-"
"You told Sarah?" He quickly downturns his gaze to you.
"She said you can tag along with us whenever, so I said that you'd be joining us for the movie." You whisper, making sure not to be too loud at this hour.
"So it's a group thing now?" He sighs.

Rafe wanted to feel relieved at his sisters approval. Approval of hanging out with you, of course. But he couldn't shake the annoyed feeling off without knowing he lost his opportunity at a maybe-date.
He knows he couldn't blame you though. He relaxed his stance and his tensed shoulders as he acknowledges the fact that he didn't really ask you on a date, so how could you have known?

He smiles at your cluelessness and pokes your sides, making you jump at the ticklish feeling.
"Group date it is."