For Your Love // Rafe Cameron X Reader

𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐋𝐕𝐄

"Where are we going?" You whisper, your tiny fingers looped with Rafe's. You'd been playing hide and seek in his mansion when he stopped the game quickly and even at your young age, it didn't take long to figure out the coincidence of him stopping it exactly at the same time his dad's car pulled into the drive.

He'd jumped from his hiding spot with a frightening roar from underneath the piano, scaring you half to death and making you squeal and laugh, before taking your hand and sneaking you out the back door through the kitchen. 

You were ten. Rafe was growing more and more each day it seemed and his mischief seemed to only grow with his physical form. He shoots you a grin over his shoulder as day turns to night, leading you into the swampy woodland that opened up not far from his house. He had the forethought to bring flashlights at least and, though it wasn't fully night yet, you were grateful of the light as fear crept up your spine. 

But you were safe with Rafe. Always. 

The fear came from the chirruping sounds from animals buzzing through the trees that you couldn't see. Insects freaked you out but Rafe was always so brave that you tended to find yourself putting up a similar front, even if your gut was wrenching at the notion of what might be lurking in the dark.

"I found this place a few days ago." His tone was quiet despite nobody else being around. There was something about darkness that made people want to whisper, you noted. "Relax." He gives a reassuring squeeze of your hand. "You're going to love it."

A small smile peeks through the trepidation wrenching at your lips and your shoulders release a fraction of tension as you navigate through the forest behind him. His hand was warm in your own, protective and secure, even at his young age, making you feel eternally safe. Rafe was your best friend in the whole world. Sure, you both had other friends at school, but the pair of you were inseparable and every minute spent with him had you eased into a strange sense of calm despite his usually tempestuous nature.

He made sure every day was fun. That was the important thing.

But you worried that, as you got older, that you'd drift apart. Your friend Casey was always complaining about her older brother and his friends and how gross they were especially when it came to girls. She kept telling you recently that one day Rafe wouldn't want to be friends with a girl anymore and would leave you for his friends that were boys since he'd have more in common. 

You didn't want to believe it. But the doubt was beginning to fester and blossom the longer you worried about it.

Either way, Casey wasn't a friend anymore. You refused to entertain anyone that would speak bad about Rafe.

Your focus is drawn back to the moment as Rafe drops into a crouch behind a bush, just as a clearing opened up in the trees. "Shh.." He whispers, tugging you gently down to match his posture. "Look. Just there." He points with his free hand after taking both your flashlights and turning them off, setting them on the ground, the night sky making the illuminations of the fireflies grow as they flit around beautiful flowers that cover the clearing. 

A small gasp is pulled in between your lips, smile growing wider. 

Sure, you hated bugs. They freaked you out. But these ones didn't count; their almost sci-fi glow glittering as they weaved around the clearing. You couldn't count exactly how many there were but it looked around forty. "They're so pretty!" You whisper-shout, a gleeful noise slipping from your mouth. 

You'd never seen anything like it and you could hardly believe your eyes, whipping to face Rafe with a jovial grin. He was so young still, cheeks doughy and flushed a pale tinge of red. He wasn't very good at being... Well, good. But in rare moments like this, his sweeter and softer side came out, however embarrassed he was to being showing it.