Rafe Cameron Imagines

Stay With Me🤍

It was late—well past midnight—when you heard the sound of a truck pulling up outside your house. You didn't even have to look to know who it was.

Rafe.

You sighed, stepping onto the porch, arms crossed over your chest as you watched him lean against the driver's side of his truck. Hood pulled up, hands stuffed in his pockets, body language screaming exhaustion. You knew that stance. You knew that weight he carried—felt it in the way his shoulders were stiff, in the way his jaw was locked tight.

You didn't say anything at first. Just watched.

Finally, you broke the silence. "You're late." You weren't mad, but there was an edge to your voice, the kind of edge that came from knowing him too well.

Rafe scoffed, shaking his head with a humorless chuckle. "Yeah, well. Got held up."

You exhaled slowly, stepping off the porch, closing the space between you. "You could've called."

His eyes flicked to yours. Hesitant. Searching. His lips parted slightly, like he wanted to say something, but then he just shrugged. "Yeah. Should've."

Your fingers brushed against his, just barely. A simple touch. But it was enough.

Rafe's hand caught your wrist, and in an instant, he was pulling you into him, arms wrapping around you tightly—almost too tightly. The kind of hold that told you everything he wasn't saying.

You let him. Let him breathe against you, let him hold onto you like you were the only thing grounding him.

"I'm right here, Rafe," you whispered, fingers threading into his hair, nails scratching lightly against his scalp. "You don't have to do this alone."

His chest rose and fell in a shaky breath. His grip on you tightened, like he was scared that if he let go, you'd disappear.

He didn't say anything for a long moment.

Then, his voice broke through the quiet. "Just—just stay with me tonight, okay?"

You nodded immediately. "Of course."

His jaw twitched. Like he wasn't used to people agreeing so easily. Like part of him had expected a fight.

"Say it again," he murmured.

You frowned slightly, shifting so you could look up at him. "I'm here, Rafe. I'm not going anywhere."

His throat bobbed as he swallowed, his fingers tightening briefly against your waist before he exhaled. "Okay."

But you knew he didn't fully believe it.

Not yet.

—

The drive to his house was quiet. Not in an awkward way, just... in a way that let him breathe. His hand rested on your thigh, fingers twitching slightly, his thumb rubbing slow, absentminded circles against your skin. You caught him glancing over at you a few times, but he never said anything.

You didn't push.

When he pulled up to the house, the lights were off. The place was silent. You followed him inside, up the stairs, into his room. He sat on the edge of the bed, elbows on his knees, staring at the floor.

You stood in front of him, tilting his chin up so he had no choice but to look at you.

"Talk to me."

Rafe let out a bitter laugh. "What's there to say?"

You gave him a pointed look. "You know what."

His jaw clenched. His fingers curled into fists. "It's just—fuck, I don't know." He scrubbed a hand over his face. "It's always the same. No matter what I do, it's never enough. I try to handle everything, and it's just—it's like I'm running in circles."

You reached for his hands, prying them open, threading your fingers through his. "You don't have to handle everything."

His lips pressed into a tight line. "Yeah? Tell that to everyone else."

"I'm telling you."

Rafe scoffed. "Right."

You squeezed his hands. "I mean it. You don't have to prove anything to me. You don't have to be the perfect son, the perfect brother, the perfect boyfriend. I love you just the way you are."

His throat bobbed. His grip on your hands was almost bruising.

"You really mean that?" he murmured.

You softened. "Of course I do."

Rafe exhaled slowly, shaking his head. "I don't deserve you."

Your frown deepened. "Yes, you do."

His fingers twitched against yours. "Why?"

You sat beside him on the bed, shifting so you were facing him fully. "Because you try. Even when you think no one sees it, even when you don't think it's enough—you try. That means something, Rafe."

His jaw clenched. "Yeah, well. Trying doesn't change anything."

You sighed, reaching up to cup his face. "It changes everything."

Rafe stared at you, eyes flickering between yours like he was trying to find some kind of answer there.

His voice was quieter this time. "Stay with me?"

You smiled softly, pressing a kiss against his forehead. "Always."

His shoulders slumped, just slightly. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

You curled against his side, resting your head against his chest. "Lucky for you, you'll never have to find out."

—

But sleep didn't come easy for him.

Hours later, when the room was dark and the only sound was the steady rhythm of his breathing, you felt him shift.

"I can't sleep," he muttered.

You hummed, barely awake. "Why?"

"Can't turn my brain off."

You blinked, shifting slightly so you could see his face. "What's going on in that head of yours?"

Rafe let out a breath, shaking his head. "It's just... everything."

You reached for his hand, lacing your fingers together. "Tell me."

He hesitated. Then—"I feel like I'm waiting for everything to go to shit. Like no matter what I do, something's gonna happen. And I can't stop it."

You squeezed his hand. "Rafe, you're not alone in this."

His fingers tightened around yours. "Yeah, but... what if I fuck everything up?"

You tilted your head. "Then we figure it out together."

He let out a shaky breath. "I don't know if I can keep doing this."

You softened, shifting closer, your nose brushing against his. "Doing what?"

"Pretending like I've got everything under control."

You pressed a kiss to his cheek. "You don't have to pretend with me."

Rafe exhaled. Slowly. Carefully.

"You really mean that?"

You nodded. "Every word."

He stared at you for a long moment. Then, finally, he whispered, "I love you."

You smiled, brushing your fingers through his hair. "I love you too."

And for the first time in a long time, Rafe Cameron let himself breathe.