'Safe with Rafe' Y/N x Rafe Cameron

Chapter LXXVII

The boat jolts as Ward brings it to a stop by his own pier before Rafe gets out to tie it down to the dock.
The air between them is silent.
Rafe isn't interested in what his father cares to think or say about you, it's all false news, anyways.
Rafe cares far too much about you to let his fathers poisonous and pointless input get in the way of the two of you and besides, he does trust you. He does; but with Toppers words playing over inside his head from last nights conversation, it was hard not to think anything else other than you're changing your mind.

"...when that Jj dude comes swooping in again, she'll reconsider."

Rafe finishes tying the boat to the family dock, hurriedly finishing the knot to escape from his fathers lousy company as he feels another word from Ward and he would have a lot more on his hands than just rope burns.

As he begins to walk away, Ward calls him back to his attention, causing Rafe to pause in his tracks and obediently turn his body towards his father who stands with an expression easily read as amused.
"Rafe!"
He only stares for a few seconds, finding Rafes situation nothing short of laughable while Rafe stares back, not as pleased as his father seemed to be.
"Not gonna help me with the fish?" He finally asks.
"I've seen you handle bigger loads, dad."
"My back is tired today, Rafe." He lies.
Rafe licks his teeth as he watches his fathers entertained smile fade into a scheming one before willingly choosing to walk back to the boat, picking up a cooler while Ward handles the rods.
"I noticed your ring is missing." Ward says out of the blue.
"Yeah, gave it to someone special."
Ward laughs to himself, knowing exactly where it was. "Well that backfired, didn't it?"

Rafe feels his heart rate pick up pace with the aggression that came along with it, quickly associating it with the last few moments he could recall in front of Kelce before he lost control of himself, and although he feared his new capabilities, he was terrified of his father more. He had no choice but to endure the torment all the way up until they reached the house.

"What's your issue?" Rafe asks.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"You keep warning me about Y/N's family and their history and all this useless bullshit but you don't actually have anything against her. Not directly."
"She's a bad influence, I've told you this many times Rafe-"
"Why? Because she knows what's best for me? Better than you do? Seriously, would it hurt to try a little harder as a father?"
"The only thing that matters right now is the future of this family and you're fucking that up already!"
Ward shouts furiously, more enraged than Rafe would've liked to see. Instead, he was scared.
Rafes ocean eyes begin to glass over as he frowns at his fathers words, the heart shattering words that no son wants to hear.
Then silence.
"If you keep this up, don't bother coming home anymore."

The walk to the door felt like an eternity but he finally reached it, wasting no time in pushing it open with a strong force before placing the cooler on the kitchen counter top and making his way upstairs with not a single hello to Rose or Wheezy at the table.
"What was that all about?" Rose asks as she looks towards the stairs where Rafe had disappeared to.
"Ah, just sea sick." Ward smiles.
"Oh. Alright..."

Rafe paces through the long hallway and towards his room, shutting the door calmly to avoid further evoking before leaning against it with his back. His hands move to his face as he rubs at his tired eyes that were growing dark with exhaustion but he was met with no relief as every time he closes his eyes,
he only sees you and Jj.
He exhales bitterly.

Knock, knock.

Rafes hands drag down his face and through his hair, straightening himself back up before pushing his body off of the door and opening it with stone cold eyes and a suppressed frown, expecting to come face to face with his father but his eyes soften when he isn't.
"Wheezy?"
"Hi."
"Dude, what do you want? Now's not the time."
"Just checking in."
Rafe sighs as he looms over her, glaring down with fatigued eyes. Although Wheezy had a knack for being annoying, he could never find it in his heart to be harsh on her.
"She's outside, by the way." Wheezy says.
"Huh?"
"Y/N." Wheezy says plainly, "she's in a van outside with Sarah."
Rafe adjusts his stance at the mention of your name as he feels the first glimmer of happiness he had felt at all that day, "Just Sarah?"
"-and some boys. The ones she always hangs with."
"Jj." Rafe murmurs under his breath, "uh...yeah, not today, Wheezy."
"Did you guys break up?"
"Wha-? No. That's...none of your business and how do you know about us anyways?" He asks with a confused expression and a gentle shake of his head.
"I over heard dad talking to somebody through the air vents."
Rafes heart almost stops in his chest. His not-so interested stature hovers over her now intrigued as he leans down to her eye level, closing in on the space between Wheezy and himself, desperate and pressing for answers.
"To who?"
"I don't remember, it was mostly muffled but the name was something short. One syllable, maybe?..." she says with her head tilted in thought.

Rafe leans backwards and back inside his door frame again as he thinks as well.
There were so many people out to get him that it could be just about anybody at this point.
He ponders on the thought, almost sure of himself for a second that it could've been Kelce for what ever reason his tie with his father was, but then he remembered Zane who was just as close to his family as your own.
It couldn't be Jj, right?

"...are you...okay?" Wheezy asks, suspicion in her voice.
"Yeah, yeah, no- I'm fine, Wheezy." Rafe says, "Why don't you just... go back to whatever it is you 13 year olds do."
"You seem on edge," She responds, just as puzzled as Rafe was. "It's only dad, anyways."
He only huffs a small laugh, amused at her obliviousness. "Nothing good ever happens when dads around. You'll understand when you're older."
Wheezy crosses her arms across her chest as she averts her eyes towards the end of the hallway, mentally piecing together the words that Rafe had chosen and wondering what exactly he could've meant by that; but she is at a loss.
Nobody ever bothered to include her in family happenings, similar to Rafe, she was only living in Sarah's shadow.

"Hey." Rafe softly says.
"Hm?"
He leans against his door frame with a faint smile and ruffles Wheezys hair with his hand.
"You always were my favourite sister."
Wheezys subtle frown perks up into a small smile again, her eyes seemed even brighter than her pearly whites as she beams gladly at him.
"Now, get outta here." Rafe chuckles as he begins to close the door on her.
"Don't have to tell me twice, shit was starting to get a little too sentimental."
"Language."