𝐏𝐎𝐋𝐀𝐑𝐎𝐈𝐃𝐒 𝐀𝐓 𝐒𝐔𝐍𝐒𝐄𝐓 ― rafe cameron

ογδόνταεπτά ; 87

song of the chapter:
SLOW DANCING IN THE DARK ; joji

The first few raindrops splattered against the sand, cool and heavy, but Margarita didn't flinch. She remained where she was, staring at the ocean, her knees pulled to her chest, as if the rain were a distant thing, unimportant. The clouds above opened up, releasing a steady downpour that quickly soaked through her clothes, but she welcomed the cold sting against her skin.

Rafe stood up, glancing down at her, brushing the droplets from his face. "Margarita, we should get out of the rain," he said, his voice gentle, but there was an edge of concern.

She shook her head, her eyes still on the horizon, rain mingling with the silent tears that had already stained her cheeks. "I don't want to leave," she whispered, barely audible over the sound of the crashing waves. The rain felt like an extension of everything she had been holding inside. It was raw, cleansing in a way that words couldn't be.

Rafe hesitated for a moment, his body tense as he debated pulling her to her feet, but instead, he let out a slow breath and sat back down beside her, letting the rain drench them both. His clothes clung to him, soaked, but he didn't seem to care. He didn't say anything either, just sat there in the downpour, his presence grounding her even as the storm raged around them.

Margarita finally turned to him, her wet hair sticking to her face, her green eyes dark and full of emotion. "Why do you always stay?" she asked, her voice shaky.

Rafe didn't answer right away, his gaze drifting back to the water. "Maybe because I know what it feels like to want someone to stay," he said, his voice low but steady. "And because you've stayed for me, even when I didn't deserve it."

Margarita's heart tightened at his words, the weight of everything between them suddenly crashing down. She didn't know how to respond, but it didn't matter. They sat there together in silence, the rain pouring down around them, and for the first time in a long time, the storm outside felt like it matched the one inside her.

The rain blurred the world around them, but in this moment, under the gray sky, Margarita realized that Rafe had become her anchor—just like she had once been his.

Margarita turned her head slowly to look at Rafe, her lips trembling as she spoke through the rain, her voice soft but clear. "Do you know what my number one bucket list goal is?" she asked, her eyes searching his.

Rafe furrowed his brow slightly, wiping the wet strands of hair out of his face. "What is it?" he asked, his tone curious but warm.

For a moment, she hesitated, the weight of her emotions making her pause. Then, with a small, almost shy smile, she said, "To dance in the rain... with you."

Rafe's expression softened instantly, surprise and something else flickering in his eyes. He let out a small chuckle, shaking his head in disbelief, but there was no mockery in it—only a quiet understanding. "In the rain? With me?" he asked, glancing up at the downpour still falling steadily around them.

"In the rain, with you." she repeated, her smile growing a little, the pain in her heart loosening, if only for a moment.

Rafe stood up slowly, his eyes never leaving hers. He held out his hand to her, rain dripping from his fingers. "Then let's do it."

Margarita blinked, her breath catching in her throat as she stared at his outstretched hand. It felt like the simplest, most impossible thing all at once. But then she reached out and slipped her hand into his, letting him pull her to her feet.

The world around them disappeared as Rafe pulled her close, his arms wrapping around her waist, her hands instinctively resting on his shoulders. The rain poured down harder, soaking them both to the bone, but it didn't matter. Margarita leaned into him, her body swaying gently with his as they began to move together, their steps slow and unhurried.

No music. Just the sound of the rain, the ocean waves crashing in the background, and their breaths mingling in the cold air.

Rafe spun her gently, pulling her back into his arms, and for the first time in days, Margarita felt something other than pain. She felt alive. She laughed—a real, honest laugh that bubbled up from deep within her, surprising even herself.

Rafe smiled down at her, his wet hair sticking to his forehead, his blue eyes softer than she'd ever seen them. In that moment, everything else—the heartbreak, the confusion, the hurt—it all faded into the background. It was just them, in the rain, dancing like they had nothing to lose.

And maybe, in that fleeting moment, they didn't.

--- end of chapter
     --- last chapter of the month gonna cry, so very thankful <3