Rafe Cameron Imagines

Hanging On🤍

A/N: The song is above for the people who want to listen to it while reading this.

The sound of the rain against the window was rhythmic, almost soothing, but it did nothing to calm the storm inside you. You sat on the couch, wrapped in a blanket, staring at the flickering light of the TV that you weren't really watching. Your mind was far away, lost in a sea of overwhelming thoughts you couldn't control.

You'd been like this for weeks now—distant, anxious, unsure. The weight of everything—your responsibilities, the past you were still running from, the uncertainty about your future—felt like it was all crashing in on you. And every time you tried to reach out, you felt like you were pushing everyone away. Even Rafe.

You heard the door click softly as Rafe walked in, his boots light against the wooden floors, his usual cocky swagger tempered by something more tender in the way he moved around the room. You didn't even have to look up to know it was him. His presence had a way of filling the space, making everything feel a little less heavy, a little more bearable.

But tonight, even his presence wasn't enough to ease the weight on your chest.

"Hey," he said, his voice gentle as he leaned against the doorframe. "You alright?"

You didn't look at him right away. Instead, you shrugged, trying to keep the emotions locked inside where they felt safer. But it was hard to hide from him. Rafe knew you better than anyone, and he wasn't going to let you pretend you were fine. Not when he saw through every facade you put up.

You heard him move toward you, the sound of his footsteps softer than usual, as if he was giving you the space you needed but still letting you know he was there. He crouched down in front of you, tilting his head slightly as his eyes searched yours, full of concern.

"Come on, talk to me," he urged softly. "What's going on?"

The vulnerability in his voice made something inside you tighten. You didn't want to burden him. You knew he had his own demons to face, his own battles. The last thing you wanted was to drag him down with your mess.

"I'm just... I don't know," you mumbled, unable to find the words. "Everything feels too much sometimes. And I don't know how to fix it. I don't know how to make it stop."

Rafe's expression softened, and he reached out, his hand brushing gently against your arm, a silent invitation for you to lean on him, to let him in. "You don't have to fix it, love," he said quietly. "You're not alone in this. You've got me."

But even with his reassurance, a knot tightened in your stomach. You pulled the blanket tighter around yourself, a feeble attempt to shield yourself from the whirlwind of emotions inside you.

"I don't want to pull you into my mess, Rafe," you whispered, staring down at your hands in your lap. "I don't want you to have to carry it with me."

Rafe's face shifted, his jaw setting with an intensity that spoke volumes. He reached for your hands, taking them gently in his, lifting them so that you had to look at him. His gaze was steady, unwavering, as he spoke again, his voice laced with sincerity.

"Don't you get it?" he said softly, his thumb brushing over the back of your hand. "You're not a burden to me. Never have been. I'm here because I want to be. I want to help you carry it, all of it. That's what love is, isn't it? It's about being there for each other when things get heavy."

You could feel the warmth of his words sinking in, but the fear, the doubt, was still there. "But I'm not... perfect, Rafe. I'm not who you need me to be."

Rafe shook his head slowly, his expression softening as he squeezed your hands. "I don't need you to be perfect. I don't need you to have it all together. You just need to be you. The messy, complicated, amazing you. And that's more than enough for me."

You felt the tears building in your eyes, but you didn't want to let them fall. You didn't want to seem weak. But there was something in Rafe's words, something about the way he looked at you, that made it impossible to hold back anymore.

"I feel like I'm hanging on by a thread," you admitted, your voice trembling. "Like everything is slipping through my fingers, and I don't know how to hold on. I don't know if I can."

Rafe's grip on your hands tightened, and without hesitation, he pulled you into his arms. You buried your face in his chest, taking in the familiar scent of him, the steadiness of his heartbeat. For a moment, it felt like the world outside didn't matter. It was just you and him.

"I know you're struggling," he whispered, his voice soft and soothing, "but you don't have to do it alone. I'm right here, love. I'm not going anywhere."

You let out a shaky breath, feeling the tears finally spill over, but this time, they weren't filled with fear. They were filled with something else—relief. Because, for once, you weren't carrying the weight by yourself.

"But I don't want to be a burden to you," you murmured, your voice muffled against his shirt. "I don't want to drag you into all of this."

Rafe gently cupped your face, pulling you back just enough so that you could look into his eyes. "Stop," he said, his tone insistent. "You're not a burden. You're the one I want to be here for. And when things are tough, when you're hanging on for dear life, I'll be here, holding you up."

You shook your head slightly, still unsure if you were worthy of that kind of love. "But I'm not the shoulder to turn to," you whispered, the words almost too painful to admit.

Rafe's eyes softened even more, if that was possible. "You're wrong," he said, his voice firm but full of warmth. "You are my shoulder. And you always will be. I'm not just going to watch you from the sidelines. I'm in this with you. And when you feel like you can't keep going, that's when you lean on me. That's when I'll carry you."

A sob escaped from your throat, but it was different this time. It was a release, a letting go of all the things you'd been holding in. You wrapped your arms around him tighter, pressing yourself into him like you were afraid to let go.

"I don't know how to let go," you whispered, your voice trembling with raw emotion.

Rafe held you even tighter, his voice low and steady as he kissed the top of your head. "You don't have to let go all at once. You can take it one step at a time. And I'll be here, every step of the way."

You pulled back just enough to look at him, your eyes searching his. "I love you, Rafe," you whispered, feeling the weight of those words in your chest.

Rafe smiled softly, his thumb brushing against your cheek as he looked at you like you were the only person who mattered in that moment. "I love you too, more than you'll ever know. And no matter what, I'll always be here for you. No matter how heavy things get."

For the first time in what felt like forever, you believed him. You knew that, even when you were hanging on by a thread, Rafe would be the one to help hold you up.