'Safe with Rafe' Y/N x Rafe Cameron

Chapter XCVI

"Who was that?" Rafe asks.
"Hm?"
"The weird guy."
"I wouldn't say he was weird..." You chuckle awkwardly, "He was kinda nice, actually."
"So, you guys are friends now?" Rafe prys over his shoulder to where the three strangers sit, making eye contact with the unpleasant one sitting on the table.
He seemed to be the head out of the three while the other two only followed him around. Rafe exchanges a cautious gaze with him while the one next to him playfully noogies the one that approached you.
"Well, no but I think his friends put him up to it." You respond as you place a hand on his cheek, turning him back to face you, "and don't stare."
"I don't trust him." He says wearisomely.
"He's harmless."
"Not him; the other one."

Rafe looks into your eyes, a serious sternness read deeply in his gaze which irked you. So, you decide to see for yourself exactly what it was that had him so on his guard and so suddenly, too.

You peer over your shoulder just like Rafe had done to see the boy continuously staring right back at you, and with an uncanny look in his eyes that you hadn't expected to see, even given his obnoxiousness earlier. He catches you looking and flashes you a half-assed smile, in-genuine to the core as his eyes stay dull and unmatched.
"Maybe you're right..."
"I don't trust this place." Rafe says as he takes a swig of his beer, "I got you that drink you wanted by the way, smells stronger than the ones back at home."
"Pope did warn us about the drinks here." You giggle as you take a sip, your face scrunches up the instant it touches your tongue.
"That bad, huh?" Rafe laughs.
"Oh it's awful." You laugh too as you hold it up towards his face, "Try some!"
"I think I'll pass."
"Come on! If I have to drink it, you do too!"

In the midst of your teasing, the others finally come back, all of them had a drink in either of their hands as they take advantage of the clubs unusual generosity with the alcohol to mixer ratio.
"Woah, you guys are loaded." You say with surprise.
"The night is young!" Kie exclaims as she holds up a blue drink that matched Sarah's that she had now finished, replaced with something clear and smelled of coconuts as she stands over you.
"Sarah, dad will kill me if you come home intoxicated so take it easy."
"God, Rafe- Live a little! How are you supposed to pass up on drinks as delicious as this?" Sarah asks with a cheery smile.
"It's called having a little bit of self discipline."
Rafe says, annoyed at his sisters disregard.
"I'm spending the night at John B's anyways...speaking of which, he brought you something."
John B comes in from behind your seat, placing down a tray of very small cups filled with a clear fluid that stung your nose to smell.
"Shots?" Rafe asks, feeling slightly excited at the strength of the scent that emitted from them, it reminded him of his high school days when he would go out partying relentlessly with Topper and Kelce.
"Yeah, why not? Think of it as an official welcoming to the pogue life."
"Wow." Rafe remarks, "That's...really nice of you."
"It's how we do it, baby." John B smiles.

Only moments after the shots, Jj finally emerges from out of nowhere with a fancy red drink in his hand and with closer inspection, it had heart shaped slices of strawberries on top and blue berries sinking to the bottom.
"Y/N-" He says, but just like last time, he hesitates.
He looks up at the others but spent a prolonged amount of time on Rafes gaze especially.
"Yes?"
"I- uh... It's rum." Jj says, making no sense at all.
"Sorry?-"
"I got you rum, I mean. I know how much you like rum..." He says again, placing the drink in front of you and right beside the drink that Rafe had gotten you, "To make up for calling you a play thing at the beach this morning, i guess I'm just...sorry."
"Oh."

At this point, the others stood around uncomfortably as they witness Jj's incredibly high ego completely plummet right in front of them as he pathetically try's for your forgiveness with a mere drink.
Rafe couldn't help but smile into his beer as he takes a sip, though it wasn't all out of amusement but rather a reaction to the malice he felt after seeing the theme of the drink, itself.

Hearts.

Whether you knew it or not, the drink obviously meant a lot more to Jj than just a peace keeper and if it wasn't for Rafes presence, would he have even considered apologising at all? Or was it just an excuse for being caught in the act of trying to slyly send you a message through a drink.

"Hearts." Rafe says unexpectedly, "that's cute."
Jj sighs as his head angles towards Rafes direction just beside you with his arm stretched across the back of your seat as if to subtly rub it in Jj's face.
A message to match his own.
"You're back." Jj says.
"Yeah, I only left to get Y/N a drink so she won't be needing that."
"Rafe-" You mutter under your breath, "Thank you, Jj."
"...Anytime, princess." Jj says, earning himself a condemning stare from Rafe in return.

Kie stares engrossed at the gracelessness of the conversation as it begins to turn into more of a staring contest between temperamental boys than anything. "Aaaalrighty-! Y/N, how about we go dance?" She asks.
"Sure!" You agree instantaneously, "Rafe, you wanna come dance?"
"I don't really dance..." Rafe says.
"I can come dance with you?" Jj daringly offers.
Rafe blatantly rolls his eyes before sighing, becoming slightly more ticked off the more Jj speaks; but thankfully, Kie easily catches on as she watches his body shift impatiently in his chair. Kie pitifully watches Rafe before he suddenly looks up to meet her eyes as well, exchanging a look of discontent and if eyes could speak, his would be screaming at her to intervene.
"Uhh...Sarah, why don't you come instead?"
Kie asks.
"Yeah, sure."

You pick up your half empty drink to take with you as Kie begins to tug you towards the dancing crowd so you bend down hurriedly, placing a quick kiss on Rafes lips.
"I'll be back."
"Be careful, alright?"
Rafe smiles at you as Sarah clings to your side and Kie on your other, an arm each around your waist as you skip cheerfully towards the centre of the floor and disappearing out of sight, causing his smile to fade and his nerves to kick in.
"Relax, she'll be fine." John B ensures with a smile.
"I hope so."
Then, silence. Until the voice he least of all wanted to hear spoke up and out of turn.
"You really oughta start loosening the leash."
Jj says with a snarky tone, his face however, stays plain. Not even a deceitful smile at his own means of starting trouble, he just seemed cold or distant.
"Loosen the leash?" Rafe asks with a sly smirk, holding back a malicious laugh at Jj's dense minded choice of words. "Look around you, Jj." He adds, gesturing around the club and at all the roughed up criminals, only looking for a safe haven away from the law, not a fun night out.
"You're not such a saint, yourself." Jj utters.
"Which makes Y/N better than me, she shouldn't be in a place like this."

Rafe stands up from his chair to get a refill as he holds a threatening amount of eye contact with Jj while John B and Pope stand close by, ready to come between them if anything were to get messy. Although, to their surprise, Jj didn't react because deep down, he knew there was truth to Rafes words. He just didn't want to be outsmarted by him.

"It's for the best." Jj says.
"I don't need you telling me what's best for her." Rafe says back with finality before walking away.