a/n: riara married couple
Kiara smiled at Rafe as he drove their truck out to a national park. He smiled back before taking her hand in his and bringing it to his lips. The longest stretch of highway lay before them, it would be hours until they reached their destination, but Kiara didn't care. As long as Rafe was by her side, it didn't matter where she was, or where she was going.
At the beginning of the summer, they decided to travel all across the United States because they wanted to explore together. It was now the fall, and this weekend would be their one year wedding anniversary. They decided to celebrate by renting out a cabin in the middle of nowhere, which is spoiling themselves because when they camped, it was usually in a tent.
They loved spending time in nature. It was where they felt most at home. Almost every weekend, they would spend their time in the woods doing various activities. Hiking had become their main hobby to partake in together.
Their wedding had even taken place in the woods. It was magical being surrounded by trees as they said their vows and tied their lives together. A beautiful celebration with family and friends. The dancing had gone well past midnight.
If you told sixteen year old Kiara that she would end up marrying Rafe, she would have laughed in your face. They never ran in the same social circles in high school, and all she knew about him was that he was Sarah's asshole older brother. Her opinion on him changed when they had a class together in college.
Years had passed since Kiara had talked to him, and as they partnered up to work on an assignment, she found he had changed a lot. He was... sweet. It threw her off, and eventually she was harboring a major crush for him. She couldn't fathom him reciprocating feelings, because what if he still saw her as his little sister's friend? But one day, when they had gone hiking on a nearby trail to clear their heads from school work, he had grabbed her and kissed her like his life depended on it, and she knew this wasn't a one way thing. Maybe because their first kiss had been surrounded by nature is the reason they kept seeking it out. It's like it was the place they were meant to be.
They began officially dating soon after, and Kiara found out a lot about Rafe that she never knew before. He opened up and admitted that once he was out of the Outer Banks and got a fresh start, that he realized there was a lot to work on. He sought out therapy provided by the school and discovered a lot about himself, he was finally getting the help he needed.
Kiara was proud of him. The more she found out about him, the more everything made sense. Now, he was doing the best he ever had. There were still moments of relapse with his mental health, but she wouldn't have it any other way. She loved every part of him, even the parts people would consider more 'distasteful'.
He was her other half and she didn't know where she would be without him.
And she found they had similar tastes in their... sexual adventures.
Which is why Kiara could hardly wait for dark as they pulled up to the cabin they were staying in. She marveled at the towering pines around them with the large mountains in the background. The air had a slight crisp feel to it, which was Kiara's favorite, especially when they would be partaking in strenuous activity.
They unpacked the truck and made the cabin their own. Rafe lit a fire outside to cook up their dinner while Kiara set up the hammock they would often lay in for hours, simply enjoying each other's company and sleeping in each other's arms. Sometimes, while Kiara was tucked into his side, Rafe would read to her. It was her favorite pastime. She loved listening to his voice, and it often lulled her to sleep.
After dinner, the sun was beginning to go down, and a chill went up Kiara's spine.
She looked to Rafe and found he was already staring at her. The hunger in his eyes made her throat dry. He nodded, it was time.
