'Safe with Rafe' Y/N x Rafe Cameron

Chapter XCVIII

Rafe feels bad for asking the friendly bartender about his love situation, but he wouldn't have guessed it would've been so bad to ask about himself if he was so insistent to know about you.
"Did?" Rafe asks, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked."
"Nah, you're fine."
"Can I ask what happened?"
"Well, she came to see me at work one night but just like everybody else, she fell for jerry..."
"How could he do that to you?" Rafe asks in disbelief as he judges him from afar. He notices Jerry the bartender placing a tall glass in front of you and you take it with pleasure while Jerry's gaze stays on you the entire time you taste the drink he's made.
"I can't blame him. He was always better than me in something, especially mixing drinks. His always seemed to get the girls going, that's for sure."
"Is that so?"

As Rafe stares across the room, he struggles to keep up a direct line of sight as people dance across the way.

Though when you tasted the drink the bartender had made for you, your expression afterwards didn't match up with the friendly bartenders claims at all. It didn't look like you enjoyed the drink, your face scrunched up as if it was sour.
Your reaction to the taste threw Rafe off, something about this Jerry's reputation didn't feel right and he wasn't going to wait around to find out why.
"How much do I owe you?" Rafe asks as he pulls his wallet out from his back pocket, flipping through his many cards.
"Ah, don't you worry about that. Friends discount."
Rafe looks up from his wallet, taken aback by the bartenders friendly gesture. "Are you sure?"
"Not often people would let me surprise them with a drink of my own." The bartender smiles, "What did you think of it, anyhow?"
"It's nice, keep it up." Rafe flashes him a quick smile before putting his wallet away again and tapping the counter top twice as a sort of 'cya later'.
"Will do, friend."

Rafe keeps his eyes on you as he squeezes through dancing strangers, some even offered him a dance but he was determined to get to you so he payed them no mind, not even a second glance.
As he got closer, his body was being pulled towards you like a magnet. It's like every atom in his body wanted you to himself and now that you were within his reach, he was becoming restless with possessiveness; and just in time because when he neared, the flirtatious bartender began to get grabby, running his fingers down a strand of your hair.

Rafe feels his knuckles stiffen as his fists clench by his side. His pace quickens, the storm in his eyes matches his every step, becoming more forceful as he pushes past the strangers until he finally reaches you, quickly flashing the bartender a look of smite before softening his eyes back at yours.
"Rafe?-" You ask in surprise.
His eyes trace you up and down, making sure you were okay but before he got the chance to ask, an interruption involves itself in the form of a douche.
"Do you mind?" The bartender asks.
"Yeah." Rafe says confidently, "I do mind, jerry."
"How do you know my name?"
Rafe doesn't care to answer, he only turns back to you, running his own hand through the same strand of hair and behind your ear where it stays.
"What're you doing over here? Why aren't you with Sarah or Kie?"
"They were dancing but I wanted to finish my drink first so they told me to wait here for them, it's fine Rafe...isn't it?" You ask with questioning eyes, worried that something might've happened to cause him to stumble over here in such a hurry.
"You got another drink...If you didn't like the one I got you, I can order you something else-"
"No! I like it but um- he insisted on getting me another one." You say, gesturing to the bartender.
"Yeah, On the house..." The bartender cuts in again.
"On the house, huh?" Rafe says with a vague hint of disapproval in his voice and in his glare towards the man who's own matched Rafes.
"So, who are you supposed to be? The boyfriend?"
"What's it to you?" Rafe asks.
"Heh, so you are." The bartender huffs before averting his stare down at you.

His stare was colder than it was before, like there was hatred in his heart for you for simply having a line not to be crossed on your own terms, and it sort of reminded you of somebody.
There was a lot of Kelce in his eyes for somebody entirely different. Different body, mind, soul and yet, you were suddenly afraid to be where you stand.

The bartender licks his teeth as he holds his stare, however, his hungry eyes were caught tracing down your neck, chest and across your bare collarbones as if he was undressing his prey with his eyes.
"So, I was just a joke to you?"
"I found it funny for a while..." You smile innocently yet awkwardly which made him huff an unimpressed smile, himself. It was increasingly obvious that he wasn't happy nor was the free drink plainly out of the goodness of his heart but because he wanted something in return. He was vexed that he couldn't win himself your end of the bargain in time before Rafe came in and even Rafe could tell, from one man to another, that his intentions were not pure.
"I'm going to hold my tongue because I don't want to lose my job but I'll just say this," The bartender leans over the counter and close towards Rafe, targeting him only.
"Keep your bitch in check-"

Not even a second after the last syllable could roll off his tongue smooth enough, a swift motion was fast to put him back in his place where he belonged, behind the counter.

Rafe had hooked the bartender right in the jaw, causing him to fall backwards against the many glass bottles and glassware as a few fall to the ground, clanging and smashing loudly against the cold tile and gathering attention from all over the club.
The man grasps at his chin as it hangs open in pain, and people can be heard gasping all around you before conjuring whispers.
You stare in shock before security could be heard trying to get to the scene as they yell from the outer boarder of the dance floor.

Everything felt frozen in time but you knew you had to make a run for it so you look up towards Rafe to see him too enraged to move. He was breathing deeply, anger in his muscles as they tense and prepare for any backlash from the bartender but even he was unable to move, fear kept him pinned to the wall of bottles, fingers clinging onto anything to keep him stable.
"Rafe- we gotta go."
The bartender looks at you which keeps Rafe looking at him, watching his daring eyes seek yours for help.
"Rafe!"
You grab hold of his wrist as his fists clench too tightly to be held, causing Rafe to finally look at you.
"Let's go home."