Luna - she/her, 29, UK ~ I'm LunarOpal on AO3, and I'm slowly teaching myself digital art ✨ Currently obsessed with LaDS, but also many other fandoms ✨ This is my new blog, nuked the old one for a fresh start ✨ 18+ only ✨
Title: Favorite Girl | Rating: teen and up | Words: 7,096
Pairing: all guys x reader (we love harem in here 💜)
Tags: fluff and angst, domestic, texting, chubby!reader
Summary: Rafayel just wants to enjoy a nice meal at a restaurant with you when he overhears two women saying mean things about you. Rather than chewing them out right there, he pulls out his secret weapon - the groupchat with your other four boyfriends. The thing is, you don't know yet that they all know about each other.
R: I’m at the restaurant now soooo you guys better all keep quiet
Rafayel looks down at his own message in the group chat and waits for someone to respond, but it stays surprisingly quiet. For once, his usually irritating group of unwanted acquaintances behaves, so Rafayel pockets his phone to give you his full attention instead.
The second he walks into the restaurant, he immediately spots you all across the room in a quiet corner. Perfect. While he certainly likes to take you out to nice places, it still can’t hurt to have some peace so he can fully enjoy your company. Rafayel waves away the maître d’, letting him know that he already knows where to go, and his eyes never leave you as he comes closer.
As always, you’re beautiful. You made a bit of an effort, especially with the dress, but for all Rafayel cares, you could sit there in your pajamas and he’d have a hard time not wanting to draw you, to keep a handmade copy of your glow and warmth in exactly this moment.
“Why even come here?” an unfamiliar voice interrupts Rafayel’s thought, and he is forced to look at two women who’s table blocks his way. As he walks around, the other woman answers.
“Yeah, no way she’s meeting anyone. At least she had the sense to stick to the corner.”
The first woman lets out a huff. “Imagine the guys who would go for her at all. No way such losers could afford this place.”
Rafayel doesn’t mean to, but he moves to the side and steps into a corridor. The place isn’t exactly packed, but aside from the two women, all Rafayel could see were some couples and a table full of businessmen. The only one sitting alone, especially in a corner, is you.
The women keep talking and giggling, insulting your dress and even worse, your looks, especially how you could really use a diet. Hot anger flares up in Rafayel’s chest and he’s about to step forward and give these hyenas a piece of his mind, but his eyes fall on you instead. Your shoulders are drawn up and although you’re not looking at the two women, your jaw is clenched and you’re overly focused on something outside the window. You’re trying not to cry. You must have heard them.
Rafayel takes another step into the corridor when a tickling feeling runs up his entire body. He’s this close to completely losing control. With a huff, he reaches for his neck, hoping that he’s not already growing scales. He needs to calm down, now, or those women will soon know what it means to drown in a sea of fire.
He breathes for a few seconds, ignoring whatever they are spewing right now, and instead takes out his phone. A plan is forming in his mind, but he’s not sure if he will get the support he needs.
R: I know we didn’t want to tell her buuut these two women at the next table called her fat and ugly and I’m in a mood to cook some seafood
X: where R U
X: I can be there in 10 seconds
X: I just need some clothes without blood on it first
S: Please don’t torch the place, Raf. I’m on my way, I’m sure we can handle this more quietly.
C: Sy can you spare a gun or do I need to bring my own?
S: Do you really have to ask?
Z: I’ll be out of the hospital any second. Can you all refrain from homicide for the moment?
R: trying
Rafayel takes a quick look around the corner. You’re resting your head in your hand, still turned to the window. He wants to console you, of course, but more importantly, he wants you to feel desired, to feel as special, important and wonderful as you are. Putting a muzzle on these horrible women would be an added bonus.
With a sigh, Rafayel checks his phone. Everybody agreed not to maim and kill, and although today was supposed to be a day just for you and him, he feels that being selfish is not the right thing to do. There are four men on his phone who - just like him - would drop everything for you. He has a powerful army on his hands.
R: let’s make her feel special
R: all of us
There’s a pause, and Rafayel has to appreciate that the other guys are giving this some thought. Things will change once you know. You might not want to see any of them ever again.
R: don’t care if she’ll know then
X: I’m outside the restaurant
X: she’s sad 😥
S: I’m 15 minutes out.
C: me to. let’s meet up there
Z: I got held up, but I will join later. Do not mess this up before I’m even there.
R: I’m going in
R: Xav, call me in 10 for the first switch
Rafayel takes a deep breath. Showtime.
He puts the phone on silent and presses it against his ear as he walks into the other room as if it’s his restaurant. “I already told you, Thomas. I don’t care about the gallery opening. I’m going to spend some time with my special lady instead.”
The two women stare at him as Rafayel makes his way toward their table, but he doesn’t even give them a glance as he puts his phone back on vibrate and slips it into his pocket. He quickly pushes past them and can feel their eyes following him while he is focused on you now.
Considering how loud he’s been, you also turned your gaze, and Rafayel is happy to find you smiling at him, with that hint of amusement and tiny bit of scolding that shows him that he might be too dramatic.
Arriving at your table, Rafayel scoops up your hand and bows down to plant a soft kiss on your skin. “Hello, my beloved,” he hums, before leaning in and stealing a kiss from your lips as well. “Sorry I’m late. Thomas wouldn’t stop yapping.”
He slips into the other chair, but doesn’t let go of your hand, fully intending to make you feel as much warmth and love as possible tonight.
“Rafayel,” you say in a barely scolding tone. “You didn’t tell me about any gallery opening.”
Rafayel loves that you used his name. First of all, he loves how it rolls off your tongue, and second of all, the mean girls must have heard it. Even their tiny minds must have an idea who he is, and that he’s sitting here with you, and not the likes of them.
“How often do I have to tell you this, cutie,” Rafayel says, deliberately dialing up the drama, “spending time with you is much more important to me than anything else. I’m appalled that you still haven’t gotten that in that pretty head of yours.”
You look down at the table with a small smile, and Rafayel wishes he could kiss you stupid. It’s the cutest thing when you get all shy over the simplest compliments.
He reaches over to carefully lift your chin. “Now, have you picked out what you want to eat? And we’re not doing anything under three courses. I want you to try everything.”
A soft giggle breaks out of you, and Rafayel’s heart soars. There’s nothing better than being the source of your joy. He boops your nose and you give him an eyeroll, but actually dive back into the menu.
He props up his face on his hand and listens to you making suggestions, teasing him with all the options you know he wouldn’t like. Rafayel forgets all about the plan, too lost in your voice and the way your lips move, until his phone vibrates in his pocket. He pulls it out and squeezes your hand.
“I’m so sorry, cutie. I do have to take this, but I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
-
You watch as Rafayel leaves the way he came, phone at his ear, but still turning around to give you a wink. It’s quite rare that he would take a call while you’re together, so it must be urgent. He probably left Thomas hanging one too many times, and while Rafayel sees his art as something fun, it’s still supposed to be a business after all.
Thinking back to the last gallery opening you attended sends a bolt of warmth into your stomach. No matter how many people approached Rafayel that night, he stuck to your side, whispering in your ear, with his hand low on your back, acting as if you were the most precious piece of art in his collection.
You wallow in the warm feeling until a sharp whisper catches your ear. “Seems something else is more important after all.”
The two horrible women next to you are back at spewing vitriol, and you wish you could ignore them or get angry over what awful people they are, but their comments hit deep.
You’ve spent quite some time in front of the mirror before you came here. Rafayel is absolutely gorgeous after all, and you’ll never match up to him, but you at least tried to do your best, following his advice to wear what makes you feel pretty.
Before, you thought you were fine, that your positive attitude would carry you through the night, and that you’d be able to enjoy yourself, but now you’re right at the bottom again. Despite your training, you even gained a bit of weight, and you like to blame it on the fact that muscle is heavier than fat, but what if Rafayel catches on? What if he begins to see what these women see?
“Excuse me,” a soft, familiar voice says next to you, ripping you out of the mean thought spirale. “I’m usually not that bolt, but may I buy you a drink?”
You stare up at the man next to the table, your throat closing up. Xavier.
Panic grips you, and you glance at the direction where Rafayel left before you look back up at Xavier. He can’t know. Xavier already gets jealous when you talk about other men, let alone to other men. He’s going to blow up the whole restaurant if Rafayel dares to call you “cutie” in front of him.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to surprise you like this,” Xavier says with a smile, a hint of amusement tainting his voice. “Your beauty has a way of making a man’s brain all fuzzy. If you like to join me at the bar, could I make up for it?”
He holds out his hand and you know you should throw him out this second, but you can’t remember the last time you said no to Xavier. He never asks for something you don’t want.
The second you touch your hand to his, he lights up, the room growing a little brighter, and he carefully pulls you to his side. He even keeps holding your hand as he walks you past the table of the horrible women and leads you to the bar, a few steps away, but close enough that they must still be able to hear you.
“What do you like?” Xavier asks, his eyes dropping to your lips. “I enjoy the taste of cherries.”
“I’m-” you start, but can’t make the words work. Xavier knows what you like, and it only occurs to you now that he’s acting as if you're a stranger and he just happened to see you for the first time.
The two of you pretended not to know each other many times before, but that’s usually a work thing. It’s still a mystery to you how he’s even here. Maybe it’s an awful coincidence. Xavier is wearing a nice shirt and slags, not what he would wear for a mission, but it could be a disguise. He could be on a mission and just makes use of your presence to fulfil it, counting on you to be his partner like so many times before.
If only there wasn’t Rafayel to think about. He could be back any minute, and you have no idea how to explain this. There is a slight chance to move this along, though. If you help Xavier, he could be done with his mission and out of here before Rafayel is back. It’s the only hope you have.
“Just pick and surprise me,” you say and Xavier nods.
“As you wish, my queen.”
He turns to the barkeeper to order and you can’t help but glance around, making sure Rafayel isn’t staring daggers at you from the other end of the room. Without meaning to, your eyes fall on the two women for a second, and they are gawking at you and shutting up for once, faces full of disbelief.
They can’t know that you are very well acquainted with Xavier, so well that he could tell them what your body tastes like. Every part of it. Heat shoots up your neck at the thought and you try to get rid of it, but it is quite satisfying to think about the women’s point of view.
You started out alone in a corner, but then were joined by a beautiful, well known artist, only to be invited by a sweet prince of a man to join him for drinks the second the artist left. It sounds like a bad romance novel plot, but here you are, living it.
“I like this,” Xavier says next to you, looking down at your arm. You’re wearing a bracelet Rafayel gave you with small sea shells and colorful pearls. Xavier reaches out and runs his fingers over the jewelry, not caring that his fingertips ghost over the sensitive skin on your wrist. "It suits you. Do you like the beach?”
“I do,” you say, unable to hide the feeling, pictures of a smiling Rafayel filling your mind. He’s both most nostalgic and happiest by the sea. Your little fish out of water. Then the picture in your mind changes. Xavier looking up into the sky, a soft breeze fluffing up his unruly hair. “I like it at night. When it’s quiet, and the stars and moon are glistening on the waves.”
You try your hardest to put the sentiment into your words, making him feel how sincere you are, and he gives you a mischievous look, holding out his fist. When he opens it, a small bunny made out of light hops out of his hand and over to yours, giving the necklace around your wrist a little tap with its nose before it disappears.
In its stead, the barkeeper puts down your drink and you realize that Xavier didn’t order anything for himself. He leans in, lips so close to your ear that you feel his warm breath. “Your beauty rivals all the stars in the universe. In fact, they’re no real competition.”
You’re not sure what to say, especially not with the way he holds your gaze for a moment. After you barely manage to whisper, “Thank you,” he gets up and takes your hand to leave a chaste kiss on the back of it.
“Enjoy your drink, miss.”
-
You watch Xavier leave, not sure what just happened. Was he on a mission and just took the chance to be sweet with you for a second before he had to soldier on? Or did he find you on purpose? You wouldn’t put it past him, considering how cuddly and clingy he gets when he hasn’t seen you for a day or two. They’re actually quite similar that way. Rafayel and Xavier.
Your breath hitches for a second as you notice that you never thought of them this way. Two of their names, side by side. For so long, you’ve been struggling to make up your mind, but how could you when they’re everything you ever dreamed of?
The others, too. Zayne. Sylus. Caleb.
You ball your hands into fists, trying to keep tears from welling up. They all found their way into your heart in different ways, and now you don’t want to lose even one of them. They’re precious, and they deserve so much better, but you’ve been trying so hard with each of them, to be what they needed, to love and cherish them. Maybe, if you just do whatever you can, give everything you have, you'll be allowed to keep them. At least for a while longer.
All those memories, smiles and sweet words, soft touches and precious moments, careful kisses and hot embraces, they’re stored away deep in your soul. If you guard this wonderful treasure, if you never take any of them for granted, maybe, just maybe, the universe will grant you this one wish. That you might keep them in your soul, too.
“Mmm, look at that, finally something worthwhile to look at,” one of the awful ladies says behind you, taking you away from your somber thoughts, her friend agreeing immediately.
“Yum,” she says with a pop of her lips and fans herself with her hand. “I like me some boyish charm. And that built. You can have the tall glass of water.”
“You don’t have to ask me twice,” the other one agrees. “Wouldn’t be above calling him daddy.”
They cackle, and a shiver runs up your spine. Maybe you should just text Rafayel to meet you outside. It’s been quite a while since he left anyway, and you wonder what he’s doing. Before you can take out your phone, you look over to where Rafayel left and your body freezes up.
Just like the witch ladies said, two men entered the restaurant and took their seats at the bar. You know them both. Sylus and Caleb.
They’re just sitting there, nicely dressed, but nothing too out of the ordinary, talking as if they’re old friends. The barkeeper puts drinks in front of them, and you’re so distraught, you pick up your own and take a sip. It’s perfect. Your favorite. Xavier knew, of course.
Setting your glass back down, your brain goes into mission mode. What would Xavier do? Slice everything into pieces? Not an option. Disappear? Sylus and Caleb haven’t seen you yet, if you manage to sneak into the bathroom, you can probably climb outside, meet up with Rafayel and get out of here. The mystery why Sylus and Caleb are so chummy with each other will have to wait for another day.
“Well, who would have thought,” a now sadly familiar voice says behind you, and you wish you could just shut this woman up without making a scene, but with no chance of that happening, you have to listen to her friend as well.
“They’re actually coming over to us,” she says, her voice turning even more snide. “At least some men still have taste.”
Of course you know who they’re talking about, and two emotions start to fight a battle to the death inside of you. On one hand, you don’t want Sylus and Caleb to find you here. No matter how they happen to know each other, they probably won’t take kindly to the fact that you know them both, and very intimately at that. On the other hand, you can’t believe that either of them would betray you, especially by even considering having a conversation with two women as gastly as the two behind you. You’d rather blow up your relationship with either of them than have those harpies all over them.
“Hello there, pretty lady,” a lively voice quips next to you, the tone so familiar as if it’s your own, followed by a deeper voice with that rasp that always has your skin prick up all over your body.
“Would you mind if we keep you company for a while?”
You’re beginning to think that this is a dream. After having almost dinner with Raf and Xavier making eyes at you, ending up being hit on by Sylus and Caleb at the same time can’t be real. It just can’t. You turn your head, looking at them both and always-teasing-Caleb uses the chance to slip over to your other side so you end up right between them. You certainly had dreams like that, but they never included two open mouthed hags that stare at you as if they want to claw your eyes out.
“If you’re looking for a good time-” one of them actually starts, and Caleb gives her a death stare while Sylus holds out his arm and raises a single finger at her while still looking at you.
The woman falls silent immediately while Sylus inclines his head toward you. “I only want to hear from her.”
“We’d be honored,” Caleb adds, taking a small bow as he says it, and the most insane giggle breaks out of you. He always does this nonsense, knowing quite well how to break you.
You do feel broken. Your mind still can’t process what’s happening here, but deep inside, you want to put these two women in their place, so you muster up all the courage you can. “Please, join me.”
They both put their drinks down next to yours and while Sylus sits down, Caleb turns and leans with his back against the bar, almost as if he wants to make sure that the women don’t dare to butt in again.
“Have you enjoyed your evening so far?” Sylus asks, and you’re not quite sure how to meet his gaze.
This isn’t an interrogation. His voice is soft, interested. He’s not asking for information but genuinely wants to know how you feel. For that alone you wish you could pamper him with kisses, but the whole situation is still so surreal. You have no idea where you stand with these men, what they think about you now, what they feel.
“A little overwhelmed,” you say, trying to be honest with that at least.
Caleb smiles next to you. “It’s understandable to be a bit overwhelmed, but someone as gorgeous as you should get used to being the center of attention for more than just one man.”
Just like Sylus, he doesn’t sound angry or bothered at all, but his words still send a chill down your spine. Is he talking about Sylus and himself, or is it even worse? Could they know about any of the others?
Rafayel still hasn’t come back. Something must have happened, there is no way he would keep you waiting for so long. All of this is so wrong, but your brain can’t come up with a single thing to say.
“He’s not wrong, you know?” Sylus says, taking a sip from his drink before he nudges your glass. You follow the silent invitation, taking a sip, only to be reminded of Xavier again. And Sylus watches you as if nothing is amiss. “Maybe this isn’t the best place to discuss this. What do you think, sweetie?”
“I guess not,” you manage to say, so used to coming out with your feelings when he looks at you like this. Even now, you feel safe.
“We better give you some space then,” Caleb says with the slightest nudge of his knuckle against your cheek. “We won’t be gone forever though. Promise.”
They both get up and without even acknowledging the two women, they walk outside, side by side, as if that’s the most normal thing in the world. Only when they’re gone from your view, you can breathe a little lighter. Still, you feel tired, overwhelmed, and as if your whole world has broken apart.
You stare at the three glasses in front of you, knowing exactly what Caleb and Sylus have been drinking. After another deep breath, you take a sip from your own drink, trying to somehow clear your mind, but you don’t really get a chance.
Someone steps up next to you. Rafayel. “Let’s get out of here, cutie. We’ll get food somewhere else.”
You do as he says, not sure what you could even say to him, and you sure don’t want to ask where he’s been for so long. You’re not sure you want to hear the answer.
After a few steps, Rafayel stops. “Give me a second.”
He puts a quick kiss on your cheek before turning around and unlike the other boys, he gives the two gastly women his full attention. He folds his arms and looks down on them as if they were vermin, his voice coming out a lot deeper and harsher than you are used to. “I usually say that all humans are awful, but you two are some of the worst. You are an insult to nature and you better make sure never to run into me again or I will have to burn out your ugly souls. Do better, yeah?”
They both stare at him, completely baffled, but Rafayel doesn’t wait for an answer anyway. He puts his arm around your waist and moves you along. “Come on, cutie, let’s go.”
Your heart beats faster as you make a beeline for the exit, and finally, at least one chip falls into place in your mind. Rafayel must have overheard the two women talking about you, and he obviously didn’t like it. You wish you could ask him about it or at least thank him, but he already holds the door open, and the second you step outside into the street, your world crashes and burns once again.
Rafayel. Xavier. Sylus. Caleb. They’re all here.
Then, someone else walks around the corner, taking rushed steps. Zayne.
He stops, his eyes wandering over the assembled people, finally landing on you. “I’m sorry, there was an emergency at the hospital, but I came as quickly as I could.”
A huff breaks out of you, cracking you open in the process. Somewhere deep down in your brain, you must have held onto the thought that at least Zayne wasn’t part of this. He was your last line of defence, the one constant you had left. A lifeline to your past after your world got turned inside out and upside down. Now you know, he’s part of whatever this is, too. It feels like a betrayal.
“Why?” you shout, the word bursting out of you. “Why are you even here? Why are all of you here?”
They all look at each other and back at you, and finally Caleb is the first to speak. “It’s Raf’s day, so he should exp-”
“No,” Rafayel interrupts him immediately. “This is not how I imagined my day would go. You do it.”
Before Caleb can react, Sylus grabs Xavier by the shoulder and pushes him two steps forward. “You do it.”
“Me?” Xavier asks so befuddled as if he’s an innocent bystander. Sylus nods anyway.
“Look at you, bunny face. She could never be mad at you.”
Somehow nobody speaks out against this and Xavier takes another step towards you. “We’re all here for you.”
He looks at you with that innocent, sweet as all hell face, and you believe him. You don’t know how they all knew to come here and why they’re not at each other’s throats, but they’re here for you. And you betrayed all of them.
Every messed up, conflicting feeling you had ever since you set foot in that restaurant decides that this is exactly the right time to come out. A hysterical laugh wrings its way out of your throat, but dies down quickly as your shoulders begin to shake. Tears rush out of you so quickly that you can’t even try to hold them back, and then the floodgates open.
You sob uncontrollably in the middle of the street while your mouth takes on a life of its own. Fighting the tears, you babble on about how you betrayed them all, trying your hardest to apologize, but judging by Xavier’s face, you’re either not making much sense or your voice has reached ultrasonic again.
Somebody else steps up to you, but you’re barely able to see through your tears. He holds out his arms. “Come here, kitten.”
For the first time, you don’t think at all about what any of them might feel about this. You’re sinking fast, and you need something to hold on to. After flying into Sylus’s arms, he lifts you up and the familiarity of it makes you cling to him like a koala. You bury your face in the crook of his neck, just breathing him in as much as you can between each sob.
A warm hand wanders slowly up and down your back, and Sylus’s chest vibrates against your body as he hums soft words into your ear. You don’t even understand what he’s saying, but after a while, your heart calms down, and the fog lifts at little.
“I’ll set you back down, alright sweetie?” are the first words you understand Sylus say.
You know he’s asking for real. If you wanted to, he’d keep carrying you around forever. Still, you nod slightly against his shoulder. As he sets you down, Zayne appears next to you and hands you an actual handkerchief, not just a cheap tissue. That’s so Zayne that you can’t help an amused huff before you disappear behind the thin fabric to clean yourself up.
It’s quiet then, all of them looking at you, and you raise your shoulders, not quite sure where to even start. Then Zayne holds out his arm to you, once again the perfect gentleman. “Come on, let’s take a walk.”
Nobody objects, and you let Zayne lead you away along the street and into a small park. You keep walking among the trees, only dim lights around you, and you breathe a little lighter as all the chaos from the restaurant is left behind you.
Zayne doesn’t say anything. You know he’s waiting for you to start whenever you’re ready, so you dare to make the first move. “I’m sorry for yelling at you.”
“It’s alright. In all fairness, I think it was justified.” His tone is soft, understanding. As always. “You need not worry about that now.”
“But I do worry, you know?” you say, unable to keep out the frustration and worry. “I swear, I didn’t mean to hurt any one of you. I feel so guilty, but that’s no excuse. I messed up so badly, and I just- I can never make up for it.”
“I don’t think you messed-” Zayne starts, but you interrupt him.
“Zayne, I lied to all of you! I couldn’t decide, so I was selfish. I justified keeping all of you by trying to be the best partner I could be. As if I deserved any one of you when I couldn’t even choose who I love the most.”
You wish you hadn’t shouted at Zayne again, but all your thoughts and feelings are still swirling around inside of you while he just keeps walking, brows furrowed as if you’ve given him a patient file and he has to come up with the best course of action.
“So, that’s why,” he states. “You couldn’t let us go.”
If he says it like this, it sounds so simple, not comparing at all to the turmoil you went through, but all in all, he’s not wrong. “Yes, I guess not. If you put me on the spot, I couldn’t, even now.”
“If that is your fault, then we are even,” Zayne says. “We couldn’t let go of you either.”
It’s strange to hear him talk like this about the other men. As if they have things in common. They’re no longer strangers, but allies, close enough that he dares to speak for all of them.
“How did you even find out? All of you.”
Zayne huffs as he looks into the distance, sounding amused. “You might think that Caleb and I never liked each other, but we still cross paths once in a while. Xavier got concerned about your health and he’s incredibly perceptive while he’s awake, so it wasn’t hard for him to find out that you know the both of us. Then you seemed to spend quite some time in the N-109 Zone, and Sylus didn’t like us snooping around there. And finally, we all ended up at an art show where Rafayel couldn’t help but vex poetically about the woman who inspired his best art piece to date, and we all agreed that the resemblance to you was uncanny.”
For a moment, you feel anger rise, considering how they all investigated you, but to be fair, they weren’t wrong. You went behind their back all the time after all. “I feel stupid. How could I have ever thought that I could keep this secret? And to put you all through that when you just wanted me to be safe. For how long did you know?”
“Months,” Zayne says without missing a beat, so it has been going on for a while. “We have a group chat.”
Your brain stops for a moment. The mere thought of them texting each other is just too ridiculous. “A group chat? The five of you have a group chat?”
“Caleb deliberately annoys us with memes,” Zayne says while pinching the top of his nose as if the mere thought brings him close to a headache. “Sylus and Xavier have talked about food, Rafayel tried to send us on errands for art materials and I have to say that not one of them has what you could consider a healthy lifestyle.”
“Are you criticizing my boyfriends?” you ask before you can stop yourself.
It’s a horrible joke to make, but the hint of a smirk crawls onto Zayne’s lips. He gets you, even in a situation like this. “It’s hard to criticize their choices when one of them is you.”
You walk for a bit in silence while you let the new information sink in and then muster up all your courage to say what you have to say. When you stay still, Zayne comes to a halt beside you, and you turn to him, taking both his hands into yours. “I’m truly sorry, Zayne. I wish I could have had the courage to tell you myself. I have no idea how to make it up to you.”
Zayne studies your face, his thumbs tracing small circles over your skin as he holds your hands. “I’m not going to pretend that I wasn’t upset, but I fell in love with who you are. You’re a wonderful person, with so much love to give. It would be quite arrogant of me to assume that I’m the only one you could ever love, and I’m particularly qualified to judge how impossible it is not to fall in love with you. I think I found a way to accept that this is the only possible outcome.”
It’s rare for Zayne to speak this much from the heart, every word having weight. He doesn’t just say things he doesn’t mean, but you still have that horrible knot in your belly. “Does that mean you’ll stay?”
He lets go of your hands, but only to pull you into a hug until your face ends up pressed against his shoulder, his arms surrounding you like a warm cocoon. “As long as you’ll have me, I’m not going anywhere,” he says with so much conviction in his voice that you could never doubt him.
“Thank you,” you mumble into his shoulder, getting hugged tighter for your trouble before Zayne puts a soft kiss onto the top of your head.
“It’s getting late, and you must be exhausted after all that emotional turmoil,” Zayne says, his voice warm but with that tone that doesn’t allow any backtalk. “I think it’s time to get you into bed.”
“I’m not sure I can sleep,” you say, burying your face deeper into his shoulder as if you could stay there forever if you only dig deep enough.
Zayne hums, which usually means that something important occurred to him, and he pulls his phone out of his coat pocket. “I will make sure that you can.”
He types, and you wonder what he’s doing, but before you can ask, someone steps out of the trees next to the both of you.
“I’m here.”
It’s Xavier, smiling at you as he comes closer, and the knot appears in your stomach again. It can’t be great for him to see you pressed against another man, but for once, he doesn’t look bothered. Still, Zayne lets you go and takes a small step aways from you. “If anybody can get you to sleep right now, it should be him. I like that better than a prescription for sleeping pills.”
You’re still baffled by how they interact with each other. Xavier doesn’t snap at Zayne at all and Zayne knows about Xavier’s affinity for sleep and approves of it. It doesn’t make much sense in your mind yet, but you’re too tired to think about it.
“Do you want to go?” Xavier asks and you look at Zayne, feeling warmth at the thought that he promised to stay with you.
“Night, Zayne,” you say and he nods with a soft smile.
“Goodnight.”
He turns around and leaves you, and instead, Xavier holds out his hand to you. Once again, you can do nothing else but take it, and he leads you to the next exit of the park so you can head home. He doesn’t say anything, but there’s a soft glow around him, as if he needs to be a light for you in the dark.
“I’m sorry about hurting you,” you say, having to get it out there, squeezing his hand in hopes of him not letting go. “Are you angry?”
“No,” he says, but then rubs the back of his head and furrows his brows as if that’s not the whole truth. “I was sad at first, thinking that you might leave me. I didn’t understand how you could care so much about all of them, but I think I do now.”
You can’t help but stare at him, wondering if after all this time, there were still layers to Xavier that you don’t know about. “And you think this will work?”
“It has so far,” Xavier shrugs.
“And they don’t bother you?”
Xavier lets out a little chuckle and glances down to the pocket where he usually keeps his phone. “They do, sometimes. And then I get to bother them right back.”
“That easy?” you wonder. “Is it not hard for you?”
“I’ve often been alone in my life. I thought it was the way I needed to be, and that I had to do everything by myself, but I don’t think that’s true anymore. You taught me that. If I can’t protect you, they will. For that alone I’m grateful. And it’s hard to feel alone like that.”
He touches his hand to his pocket and you take a deep breath, trying to steady yourself. It’s hard enough for you to believe that the guys get along, you never would have thought that they might like each other and become friends.
“I don’t want you to be alone,” you say, squeezing Xavier’s hand. “And I would never leave you.”
You press your shoulder against Xavier to drive the point home and he lets out a little chuckle before he puts his arm around you and lifts you up. “Let’s get home quicker.”
Before you can protest, he has already transported you both back to your building and follows you into your apartment, making sure that you get ready for bed right away. Once you’re in comfortable clothes and tightly snuggled into your bed, he lies down next to you and you take the chance to cuddle up to him.
His heartbeat is once again weirdly slow, but you focus on it while Xavier pets your hair and counts bunnies in his softest voice. It’s unfair really, since you don’t think you should fall soundly asleep when you still haven’t figured out things with all of your boyfriends, but once Xavier sets his mind to something, he gives it his all. There is no way he would let you leave this bed before you are fully rested.
You fall into a deep slumber once Xavier has counted to 38.
-
You’re still in bed while staring at your phone. Xavier is doing something in the kitchen judging by the sounds, but what woke you up was the buzzing of your phone. There’s a message. From Caleb. You open it with shaking hands, hoping that you won’t lose the best friend you ever had. The message is short, and you almost believe it’s an old one, but the timestamp is from this morning.
C: good morning pipsqueak
Taking a deep breath, you force your fingers to type a message back.
You: good morning
You think hard about what to write back, but before you can, Caleb already does.
C: you don’t know what to say but you feel bad about everything that happened
C: it’s alright
C: you know I can’t be mad at you
C: I will still insist on a formal apology though
C: face to face
C: assuming that you survive Xavie’s breakfast ;)
A little chuckle breaks out of you and you are close to typing all your feelings out, but Caleb gave you an out for a reason. He’s right. You will have to talk to him alone, but for now, he lets you off easy.
You: you call him Xavie?
C: what can I say, he grew on me xD
C: he has some issues with jealousy though
You can’t help but snort, glad that you’re doing this texting or Caleb would make fun of you for the unbecoming sound you let out.
You: unlike you
C: I’m rightfully annoyed when your attention gets misplaced
C: there’s a difference
Again, you can’t help but laugh a little and you throw your earlier thought right out the window.
You: you have to know how sorry I am
You: I never wanted to hurt you
C: if there’s anything you think you need to be forgiven for
Title: Take What's Mine | Words: 5,159 | Pairing: starfish | Tags: some fluff, a little pining, alcohol mentioned (past intoxication), college AU
Rafayel hates when people call him dramatic, especially on the occasions when he’s way less dramatic than he could be.
Right now, he’s standing in front of the building that houses the administration’s office. The door is locked since they decided that some repairs needed to be done the same day Rafayel has to get in there and set the record straight on paperwork about his housing situation.
And right when he notices the small handwritten note on the door to tell him about this tragedy, the heavens open up and it’s raining buckets while Rafayel is wearing thin slacks and a white shirt that will cling to him and turn see through the second he steps out into that downpour.
So yeah, it would be totally justified to be dramatic right now, but instead, Rafayel is calmly typing a message to his bestie that he might be late for dinner later. At least if he doesn’t drown like a lost dog in the street once the water level rises up to his chest. Nothing dramatic.
“Excuse me,” a soft voice says next to Rafayel and although he can barely hear it over the rain, Rafayel jumps in surprise before taking a step to the side to give way to the stranger.
The guy folds his umbrella and steps under the small canopy that serves as Rafayel’s only defence against the gushing water from above. He reaches for the door, notices the note just like Rafayel did a few minutes ago, and sighs. “That’s unfortunate.”
“They couldn’t have picked a better time,” Rafayel grunts, more to himself than the stranger, but now the guy focuses on him.
“Do you need to be somewhere?”
Rafayel looks over to him and while he’s usually quick with his words, they get stuck somewhere on the way to his lips. The stranger has wonderfully blue eyes that almost get covered by a few strands of his quite unruly ashblond hair. His features are so fine that Rafayel is reminded of a few angel paintings he saw a few weeks ago.
“Yeah,” he starts, his mind racing to come up with more words. “Actually anywhere but here.”
The stranger looks around as if to determine what Rafayel means, but then he nods. “You don’t want to walk through the rain.”
“This doesn’t go well with water,” Rafayel says, gesturing down his frame, and the stranger follows the movement with his eyes. Maybe a little too slowly for Rafayel’s taste. He’s about to say as much, but then the stranger grabs one of Rafayel’s hands and puts his own umbrella into it.
“Here, take my umbrella. I can face the rain.”
Before Rafayel can react, the guy turns and just walks out into the pouring rain, lifting his face up a little as if to welcome the water. His hair gets flattened to his face, but he only carelessly brushes it aside and keeps walking.
“Hey!” Rafayel shouts after him as he finally recovers. “What’s your name?!”
“Xavier!”
The stranger smiles at him, and Rafayel wonders how his voice makes it through the ruckus of the rain, but the name wraps around him like a blanket, and before Rafayel can ask more questions, Xavier disappears around the next corner.
Rafayel stares down at the umbrella before hitting the button to open it up. While it’s black on the top, the underside is way more impressive. As Rafayel lifts the umbrella, a dark blue night sky appears above him, covered with a myriad of stars. It almost feels like this is where the stranger came from. The heavens. Like an angel.
Shaking his head, Rafayel tries to get rid of the stupid thought and steps out into the rain. His shoes are not made for this kind of weather, but thanks to Xavier, he at least should be able to make it back to his small studio without getting soaked. Once there, he’ll have to cancel dinner with his friend. What he needs now is a hot bath and a plan to find out who his savior is and where to find him.
-
“You know I’d love to help you, dear, but I can’t give out any information about the students.”
“I know, Miss Marshall,” Rafayel says, making a particularly upset face, “and I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t so important. It’s just that he really needs these notes and I can’t give them to him if I don’t know where to find him.”
“I think I told you to call me Gwen,” Miss Marshall says while playing with the cord that keeps her glasses around her neck. “And I thought you young people write everything on your phones these days.”
“See, that’s the problem. I’m such an idiot. I lost his number and now he might get into trouble because of me.” Rafayel leans over the huge printer on Miss Marshall’s desk, doing his best to be as dramatic as possible this time. “Please. Gwenny. You're my last hope. Pretty pleeease.”
Rafayel knows he’s laying it on thick now, but he grabs Miss Marshall’s hand and holds it between his own while giving her the saddest puppy dog eyes he can manage.
“Oh well,” Miss Marshall says, a faint hue of red rising in her cheeks, “just this once. And don’t you tattle about this.”
“I would never,” Rafayel says, putting one hand over his heart while still holding on to Miss Marshall with the other. “And I owe you.”
Miss Marshall puts her glasses on and takes her sweet time letting go of Rafayel’s hand so she can type. “What’s his name?”
“Xavier.”
“And?” Miss Marshall asks while typing. “You can’t expect me to find him just with that.”
Rafayel touches his hand to his forehead as if he’s desperately searching for a name before looking at Miss Marshall in defeat. “I don’t knooow. We don’t call each other with last names. I fully trust in your abilities to find him anyway.”
Miss Marshall gives him a scolding side eye, but her benevolent smile gives her away and after typing for a bit, she pushes her glasses further up her nose before grabbing a piece of paper to write something down. “Luck is with you, dear. He’s the only Xavier listed right now. Here’s his building and room number.”
“You are the best, Gwenny,” Rafayel squeals while snatching the piece of paper from her fingers. “Chocolates. Flowers. Perfume. All yours.”
“Oh you,” Miss Marshall huffs, her face turning a deeper shade of red. “Just go. And don’t ever ask me for such a favor again.”
“I can’t promise that,” Rafayel says with a smile. “After all, I need an excuse to come here.”
He winks at Miss Marshall and while he’s already floating away through the door, he can distinctly hear her giggles following him. Hopefully, the angel will be just as smitten when Rafayel shows up at his door.
-
Rafayel hates being dramatic, but while walking into Xavier’s building, his insides feel as if they decided to take up step dance as a new hobby. It’s idiotic, really. Xavier is just some guy. Pretty, yeah, but still. Hell, he’s a bit of a weirdo considering how he walked out into the rain as if he enjoys it. Rafayel shouldn’t be nervous, or worse, worried.
Walking along the corridor to find the right room number, Rafayel takes a few cleansing breaths. He’s dressed in a white shirt again, for brand recognition, but topped it off with his favorite cream colored cardigan. It had style, but could still be considered comfy, and above all else, Rafayel looks hella good in it. He’s as ready as he can be.
After finding the right door, Rafayel takes another deep breath and knocks. There’s silence at first, but then he hears movement and the door slowly swings open. There’s the angel again. Just different.
Last time, he wore a white jacket over black clothes. Today, he’s wearing a white button down shirt like Rafayel, but with his sleeves rolled up and simple white pants. Given the color, he could have looked even more angelic, but he’s holding his phone in one hand, a cup of ramen in the other one, and chopsticks between his teeth.
Looking at Rafayel, he raises his brows and probably tries to say something, but all that comes out is a muffled, “Huh?”
“I wanted to give your umbrella back,” Rafayel says, not quite sure what else to do. He was ready to put on his best smile and be charming, but he wasn’t prepared for the disaster in front of him. It’s oddly endearing. He didn’t plan for that. Especially not for the little tingle in his belly.
Xavier finally puts his phone in his pocket and grips the chopsticks with one finger from the hand that still holds the noodles to get one hand and his mouth free. He takes the umbrella from Rafayel, but furrows his brows. “How did you know where I live?”
“Oh, you know, small campus,” Raf says, trying not to gulp like a fish. “Anyway, I just thought you should have it back.”
Xavier still looks confused, but finally graces Rafayel with a soft smile. “You could have kept it. But thank you for making the effort to give it back.”
“I was just trying to be neighbourly,” Rafayel says, although the words feel heavy on his tongue. While Xavier is friendly, he doesn’t seem all that interested in their conversation, or Rafayel. He still hasn’t even asked for his name. “Anyway, I’ll let you get back to your dinner.”
Xavier looks down at his hands as if he’s just now remembering his food and nods. “Alright. Have a nice evening.”
“You too,” Rafayel says, forcing a smile on his face until Xavier steps inside and closes the door with a light kick from his foot.
It falls shut with the sound of Rafayel’s broken heart. No, he’s not being dramatic. After all, it’s not like this guy is the best Rafayel can do. Still, it’s rare for him to be met with such nonchallance. Even straight guys often do a double take at him and get overwhelmed or flustered when he turns on the charm. He’s not used to such indifferent treatment.
With his head held down and hanging shoulders, Rafayel walks out into the night, wondering what Xavier’s deal is and if he might see him again. Rafayel could probably find out what Xavier studies and make sure that they cross paths again, but that would make him an obsessive weirdo. His pride already took a small hit today, he won’t stoop so low as to actually run after a guy.
Straightening himself out, Rafayel takes another deep breath and moves with more purpose. Maybe all he needs is a quick drawing session to get Xavier’s angel face on a piece of paper and out of his mind. Then he can go back to normal and never think of him again.
It’s a good plan and it might have worked if the universe didn’t have it out for Rafayel. Caught up in his thoughts, he didn’t notice the small dark spots on the pavement, but then a raindrop graces his cheek. He immediately picks up speed, but so does the rain. Thicker drops land on his arms and shoulders, seeping into the wool, and he can feel them on his head, dampening his hair and sending a shiver down his spine.
Swearing, he looks around for some shelter and when he spots a bus stop, he breaks into a run but still ends up soaked by the time he reaches it. His shirt clings to his frame and his hair is matted to his head. It’s the first thing he shakes out like a dog and then runs his fingers through to hopefully get some volume back.
Meanwhile, the rain gets worse, making sure that Rafayel will be stuck there for a while. He turns around to check the bus schedule and of course there won’t be one for at least an hour. Thinking about his mediocre budget, Rafayel pulls out his phone with a sigh to call a taxi when a few rapid sounds make it through the rain to his ear. Footsteps.
Hey,” a familiar voice says and when Rafayel looks up, Xavier is smiling at him despite his heavier breathing. “I thought you might need this again.”
He’s holding up the umbrella, and something sizzles in Rafayel's heart as if he’s been hit by lightning. Xavier didn’t just come after him to help him out, the way he breathes, he must have tried to catch up with him. “Did you run here?”
“I saw that it started raining and tried to catch up to you before the rain. I’m sorry that I’m late.”
Rafayel’s heart skips a beat. Then one more. He’s not dramatic though. It’s normal to be flattered when someone makes an effort for you. This guy literally ran after him. “Don’t worry, cutie. I appreciate the effort.”
“Oh,” Xavier says as if he remembered something, not reacting to the nickname at all. His eyes rest on Rafayel’s drenched shirt for a moment before he pulls his own sweater over his head. He must have put it on before going after Rafayel, and now he’s holding it out to him. “Take it. You can put it on instead of your wet clothes.”
Without thinking, Rafayel grabs it, and while it feels nice to the touch, he’s not sure what Xavier wants him to do with it. “Instead of? You think I’ll undress right here?”
“Do you want to get sick?”
Xavier looks at him tilting his head and raising his brows like a curious puppy, as if the choice to get sick is valid if Rafayel wants it that way. It’s endearing. Again. It brings the tingling feeling back to Rafayel’s stomach. He’s not being dramatic. Xavier is just awfully cute. “Of course I don’t want to get sick.”
“Alright.” Xavier opens the umbrella and holds it to the side, then he turns around and positions himself next to it to build a makeshift screen to protect Rafayel’s privacy. “Make it quick. Nobody’s around right now.”
For a second, Rafayel stills. He wants to be dramatic and annoyed, but Xavier’s pragmatism sounds a lot more appealing when a shiver runs down Rafayel’s entire body. He hurriedly peels both his shirt and cardigan from his body and slips into Xavier’s hoodie. It’s still comfortably warm and Rafayel can’t help but inhale the scent lingering on the fabric. It smells like wooden furniture and old books, and deep in Rafayel’s mind a picture begins to form. It’s inspiration for something he can’t quite see yet.
“Are you done?” Xavier asks, and Rafayel grabs his clothes and starts wringing them out.
“Yeah, all good.”
Xavier turns to him but keeps the umbrella open and for a moment his eyes wander over Rafayel like the first time they met. Heat pools in Rafayel’s chest, and once again he’s about to tell Xavier off who’s still quicker than him. “We can go back to my place first, it’s nearer than yours.”
“I guess,” Rafayel huffs while shaking his cardigan to keep it in form, but then Xavier’s words truly register in his brain. “Wait, how would you know that?”
“Small campus,” Xavier says with the tiniest shrug and the most innocent expression on his face.
They both know that the other has done something questionable for information they shouldn’t have, but to call it out would mean to confess. Xavier doesn’t even give Rafayel the chance to think about it. He turns around and Rafayel has to make a few quick steps to rush under the umbrella and stay dry.
It’s a tight fit. They’re both about the same height, but also have the same broad shoulders, and this umbrella was probably not made with two grown men under it in mind. At first, they bump shoulders and can barely take normal steps forward unless they want to spill out on both sides as soon as the umbrella isn’t perfectly centered.
Again, Xavier is the one to fix the problem in a pretty unconventional way. His arm slides around Rafayel’s waist, pulling him closer. The only thing Rafayel can do is put his own arm over Xavier’s shoulder so it won’t get squished between them.
“Much better,” Xavier mumbles before taking bigger steps.
Rafayel wishes he could be dramatic right now, make a scene, tell Xavier off. Instead, he battles his inner turmoil. Xavier is warm and steady the way he’s pressed against his body, and Rafayel feels buzzing and hot as if lightning struck him again.
Xavier’s fingers slightly dig into the fabric of the sweater and also Rafayel’s side. It makes him tingly all over, and while the sweater’s fabric is soft, it’s still not made for naked skin. There’s just the smallest rub against his nipples, and the sensation keeps Rafayel on edge in a way that’s dangerous so close to a potential crush.
It doesn’t help that Rafayel’s arm still rests on Xavier’s shoulders. They feel broader than they look, sturdy too, as if he’d be able to carry Rafayel. Xavier’s features look nice in the light of the streetlamps, and Rafayel has to keep himself from petting Xavier’s neck or running his fingers through his hair. He just has this deep urge to touch Xavier more than this. Way more.
“Does this happen often?” Xavier asks into the quiet and it’s due to his soft tone that Rafayel doesn’t startle this time. Still, he’s not sure he can follow Xavier's train of thought.
“Does what happen?”
“The rain,” Xavier says with a nod to the thick drops falling in front of them. “You seem to attract it.”
Rafayel wishes to attract something - or better - someone else, but he’s not sure if he can say that out loud without spooking Xavier. Even their close proximity seems like something that he finds helpful in the current situation rather than enjoyable. “I don’t know why it does that.”
Xavier looks over to Rafayel for a moment with a thoughtful expression on his face. “Maybe it’s because you’re a mermaid.”
Pictures flash in front of Rafayel's eyes of a Halloween party he went to last year. He was all dressed up with a long haired wig, meticulous symbols on his face, chest and hands, and his upper body only covered in jewelry he made together with his bestie.
He’s about to ask Xavier if that’s what he means, but Xavier finally lets go of his waist and hops out from under the umbrella to open the door.
“Alright, come in.” By the time Rafayel closes the umbrella and catches up to Xavier, he’s already opening the door to his apartment to head inside. “I’ll get you a bag for your clothes.”
He walks into another room while fishing out his phone from his pocket and Rafayel places the umbrella next to the door to step inside. The student apartments aren’t particularly big, so Xavier probably went into his bedroom while the room in front of Rafayel must be his living room and study place with an adjacent tiny kitchen.
The whole place is stuffed with books and comics in old wooden shelves which might explain the smell that lingers on Xavier’s hoodie. There’s also a telescope placed at one of the windows and the pillows and a blanket on the couch make it seem as if Xavier might fall asleep here quite a lot.
What also stands out is a desk with an array of scattered papers and all kinds of writing utensils. Rafayel steps closer and discovers some stationary and special pens for calligraphy and something tickles his mind. That spark of inspiration he felt earlier feels fuller now, like a picture is coming together.
If Xavier’s voice didn’t come from the other room, Rafayel might have kept looking, but now he slows his breathing and stays still, trying to catch what Xavier is saying.
“Can I borrow your car? - It’s raining and I want to drive a friend home. - I have them, I don’t introduce them to you. - That’s not an answer to my question.”
The pauses in between make Rafayel wonder what the other person is saying, especially when Xavier comes back into the room, still on the phone. He hands Rafayel a shopping bag from a luxury clothing store in the area, nodding to his wet clothes before shaking his head, probably at the person on the phone. “You could have just said yes. - Alright, bye.”
As Xavier hangs up the phone, Rafayel spots a picture of an attractive guy on the screen with silver hair, captivating eyes and a daring smirk that probably dropped a few panties before. It stings at first, but it might explain why Xavier didn’t lose his mind over Rafayel like some other guys would. He’s obviously used to attractive men around him.
“We can take a friend’s car, so let me get you home safe and dry,” Xavier says, and while he steps out before Rafayel, he holds the door open for him before taking the lead again to show Rafayel the way down into a small parking garage.
Without pause, he walks over to the most expensive looking car and opens the door for Rafayel, who at this point feels like he’s on the weirdest date ever. Xavier is treating him both so well, and so nonplussed at the same time. He’s friendly about it, with soft smiles and little nods, but also so focused as if he’s on some sort of mission.
Still, Rafayel accepts the invitation and slips into his seat, taking a look around while Xavier rounds the car. It’s extremely clean and smells fresh, as if the car was just delivered by the dealership. The only thing showing something about the owner is a tiny crow figurine that dangles from the rearview mirror.
When Xavier gets into the car, Rafayel can’t help but watch his every move. He pulls his seat up and adjusts the mirrors, but all of it is quick and precise. He must have used this car before.
“Ready to go?” he finally asks and Rafayel nods.
The follow up “yes” he had planned gets stuck in his throat when Xavier reaches over to put his arm behind Rafayel’s seat and reverses out of the spot in a perfect arc, his hand gliding over the steering wheel in a fluid motion. When he shifts gears, Rafayel remembers to close his mouth, but he still has a hard time getting a grip on himself.
Xavier’s just driving, it shouldn’t be so hot. And yet, Rafayel gets more and more intrigued. Something about Xavier keeps nagging deep in his mind, especially when he remembers what he said about Rafayel being a mermaid. He needs to investigate.
“Why did you say that I’m a mermaid?”
Xavier’s grip tightens on the steering wheel for a second, but then he looks over at Rafayel with the same unfazed expression. “I remember that I saw you before. In front of the administration’s office wasn’t the first time.”
“So you were at that halloween party,” Rafayel says, trying to hide the giddiness in his voice. Xavier remembered him. “What was your costume? You have to show me.”
“Maybe another time.”
Rafayel can’t help the huff that escapes him. Someone wants to play hard to get? Xavier wouldn’t be the first one with a hard shell that Rafayel eventually cracks. He’s not much about luck. If he wants something, he takes it. “If you remembered, then why didn’t you say something?”
Xavier keeps looking at the road this time, but his lip twitches lightly. “The only thing I could have said was ‘Hey, you look familiar. Have we met?’ As beautiful as you are, you must hear that all the time. I was sure you would think it was a line.”
Rafayel swallows a few times as if that could help the heat that is crawling up his cheeks. Xavier ran after him, and now he said that Rafayel was beautiful. He’s not dramatic, but there are butterflies taking off in his belly. “You still could have said something.”
“I’m not good at flirting.”
The irony of that statement has Rafayel holding in a nervous giggle. Although Xavier looks like he’s just trying to be polite, he hits all the right buttons and Rafayel wouldn’t mind hearing more. “So far, you’re doing alright, cutie. Just try it more.”
Judging by Xavier’s reddening ears, Rafayel has landed a blow, too and he can’t help his smug smile, but Xavier focuses on the road and it takes a minute before he speaks again.
“I liked your singing,” he says, looking over at Rafayel as if to check his reaction in real time. “You have a nice voice.”
Pictures flash in Rafayel’s mind and he huffs a laugh. “I was pretty drunk, that’s why I sang at all. There was this nice guy who brought me home and I think I might have given him an encore in the car. Lucky me that he didn’t kick me out.”
Xavier’s brows furrow as if he’s mulling over Rafayel’s words in his mind and he finally draws a conclusion. “So you’re a damsel in distress?”
Dramatic Rafayel might have made a scene and told him off, but he can’t deny that from Xavier’s point of view, it looks like he’s constantly in trouble and needs saving. He might as well lean into it. “I don’t mind being a damsel if it attracts such a handsome savior.”
Rafayel does his best to pronounce the last word like Xavier’s name to get it a double meaning and Xavier actually chuckles. With his ears still tinted with a soft shade of red, he looks incredibly cute, but Rafayel keeps that to himself for now. No drama.
Although they both stay quiet for the rest of the drive, Rafayel doesn’t mind. It’s a comfortable silence, and now he knows that there is a way to get to Xavier. All he needs is more patience.
He looks around and enjoys the ride, sneaking glances at Xavier whenever it feels like he might get away with it, and finally the car stops. Right in front of Rafayel’s studio.
Xavier gets out and rounds the car while Rafayel wonders if he needs to bring this up after all. Xavier opens the door for him and even goes so far as to hold out his hand to help Rafayel out of the car before pulling him under the umbrella again. The motion and how the touch of his hand feels against Rafayel’s skin has something tickling his brain. He needs answers.
“Cards on the table, how do you know that I live here?”
Xavier looks at the building and while they’re walking to the door, he takes a deep breath as if to prepare himself to answer, but then he looks straight at Rafayel, almost like he’s judging him for asking. “I was here before.”
As the words hit, pictures flash in Rafayel’s mind. Blue eyes framed by a mask, strands of blonde hair falling over them as they gaze at him with such an intense look that it makes him shiver.
Back at that party, Xavier was dressed as Lumiere. Despite the movie coming out the year before, it was still pretty popular and Xavier looked like a perfect copy of the animated hero. He acted like him as well. When some drunk guy kept hitting on Rafayel and tried to get handsy, Xavier stepped in and basically threw him out.
To his shame, Rafayel then proceeded to follow Xavier around, telling him how much he liked Lumiere, and not so subtly flirting with him. And then the final piece of the puzzle hits Rafayel’s mind. When the party neared the end, Rafayel was barely able to walk straight, so Xavier took him home, arm around his waist, his gloved hand pressing into Rafayel’s side, just like it did under the umbrella.
More and more memories flicker through Rafayel’s mind from that evening, all of them bringing heat to his cheeks. “You brought me home and put me into bed. Guess I really am a damsel."
“Yes,” Xavier says, not clarifying what exactly he agrees with. Instead, he takes a step closer and Rafayel gets the live version of that intense gaze he remembers, this time without the mask covering Xavier’s face. “There’s something I wanted to do that I couldn’t do back then. If you allow it.”
Rafayel should ask what he means, after all, he doesn’t know Xavier enough to just give him the green light, but he’s always been adventures, and the way Xavier looks at him has a storm brewing in his belly. “Do it.”
Xavier doesn’t hesitate for a second. They’re already close under the umbrella, but he still leans in as his hand reaches up to cradle Rafayel’s cheek. He’s not pulling him in but holds on with a barely there touch as his lips press against Rafayel’s. He’s warm, and so incredibly gentle as he guides Rafayel to deepen the kiss, their lips sliding against each other until Xavier teases him with his tongue.
As small huff escapes Rafayel’s lips and Xavier just lingers for another moment before he presses a last firm kiss to his lips. Then he’s gone, leaving Rafayel to fight his way back to reality.
Xavier’s eyes still hold him, his expression sweet as he presses the umbrella’s handle into Rafayel’s hand. “You need that more than me.”
Before Rafayel can recover, Xavier hops out back into the rain to get to the car. He slips into the seat and as it roars to life, he gives Rafayel a small wave before he takes off, leaving him to stand there open mouthed, staring after him.
It’s rare to make Rafayel speechless and right out impossible to force him to stay still, but Xavier has done both. Rafayel can do nothing but stare after him and wonder what just happened. His heart is beating faster while his cheeks burn, and something wild dances around in his belly.
Somehow he ended up being the one who got charmed, and although Xavier pretended not to be great at flirting, he did quite a number on Rafayel. His stupid little crush is not so little anymore, and inspiration floods his mind. Warmth and protection, the smell of wood and books, blue eyes hidden by tousled hair, strong hands and stars in the night sky.
Rafayel has to paint. Right now. And tomorrow, he’s going to visit Miss Marshall again. He needs information, a lot of it, and he doesn’t care if he’s being dramatic. No matter what he has to do for it, that sweet angel will be his.
