Bsf!Rafe Cameron x Reader
Summary: A viscous thunderstorm hits the OBX and the only person Rafe is thinking about is his best friend, who has the biggest fear of them.
Rain came fast in the Outer Banks.
One second it was calmβhumid, gray-skied, the kind of heaviness in the air that warned you something was coming. The next, the sky cracked wide open and the storm fell in sheets. Loud and unapologetic.
I flinched, pressing my head against my blanket-covered knees as another boom shook the walls. My hands flew to my ears instinctively, trying to block it out. The thunder rolled again, louder this time, and I squeezed my eyes shut, focusing on my breathing. But it was no use. The storm was getting worse.
Rain pounded harder against the windows, each drop sounding like a warning. My breath hitched with every crack of thunder, matching its rhythm in a way that made my chest feel tighter. I grabbed the remote and turned up the volume on the movie playing in front of me, hoping it would drown it out.
The voices from the screen felt distant, muffled by the storm outside and the fear twisting in my stomach.
These were the moments I realized just how much I took the sunny days for grantedβthose slow, golden afternoons with Rafe. The way the light hit his eyes, the warmth of his voice, the ease that came with just being near him.
Even just the thought of him made my chest feel a little lighter, like I could breathe again. A small smile tugged at my lips as my eyes drifted to my phone, sitting untouched at the edge of the bed.
I reached for it quickly, curling back into myself as another low rumble shook the house. One arm remained tightly pressed over my ear, the other fumbled to unlock the screen.
His name was the first one on my messages. Of course it was.
Our last conversation from less than an hour ago still sat thereβlight teasing, a joke about the ridiculous smoothie heβd made earlier. So casual, so normal.
My thumb hovered over the call button.
I wanted to hear his voice. Just for a second. He always knew how to calm me down, like his words could wrap around me and make everything feel safe again.
Heβs probably busy, I told myself. He has better things to do than deal with this. With me. With my stupid storm anxiety.
The thunder cracked again, louder this time. My finger flinched, still hovering. Just thinking about him helped. But I couldnβt help but wonderβ¦ if he knew how much I needed him, would he still pick up?
A sudden boomβsharper, louder than all the ones beforeβripped through the air and shattered my train of thought.
I let out a small yelp and, without thinking, flung my phone across the bed. My body curled in tighter as I yanked the blanket over my head, desperate for some kind of shelter, some kind of buffer between me and the storm screaming outside.
It was silly, I knew that. A blanket couldnβt protect me from thunder. But in that moment, it felt like all I had.
The sky had been gray all day, but it wasnβt until the thunder started that Rafe really noticed.
Heβd been pacing around his room, half-listening to whatever song was playing on his speaker, when the first low rumble shook through the house. He paused, mid-step. Looked out the window.
Rain was coming down hard nowβfast, steady, and angry.
He didnβt even have to think. The moment the second, louder crack of thunder hit, he was already pulling his phone from his pocket.
Her contact was right thereβtop of the list, like it always was. Heβd just texted her earlier. Dumb stuff. Nothing serious. But now he was staring at her name, thumb hesitating over the screen like it might bite him.
He could practically see her in his mindβknees pulled to her chest, blanket over her head, hands clamped over her ears.
He remembered the first time he learned that. They were thirteen. A hurricane had been rolling in, and theyβd taken shelter at Tannyhill with the rest of the Kooks. Sheβd sat on the floor, arms wrapped around her knees, face pale.
She hadnβt even told him. Heβd justβ¦ seen it. The way her hands shook. How she flinched at every crack of thunder. The way her voice was so quiet when she finally whispered, βI hate this.β
Sheβd always been that wayβgentle, soft-spoken. Sweet in a way that made the world feel quieter when she was around. Rafe had never really been quiet. He wasnβt sure he knew how. But with her? He could breathe.
He pressed call. It rang. And rang. And went to voicemail.
She always answered. Always.
Without thinking, he grabbed his hoodie from the back of the chair, yanked it over his head, and headed for the front door.
Sheβd kill him for driving in this weather. But the thought of her sitting there alone, scared, with no one to talk her downβit made something hot and unbearable rise in his chest.
He didnβt even bother grabbing an umbrella. Didnβt tell anyone where he was going. He just drove.
Because thatβs what he always did. He showed up for her.
And this time would be no different.
By the time he pulled up to her house, the rain was coming down in full sheets, wind shaking the branches overhead. Her car was in the driveway. Good.
He sprinted to her front door, knocking hard.
He knocked again, then pressed his forehead to the door and called out, βItβs me.β
Seconds later, it creaked open.
Oversized hoodie swallowed her frame, sleeves pulled over her hands, eyes wide and red-rimmed. Her hair was pulled back, a few strands sticking to her forehead from humidity, and she looked so small that it made something in Rafeβs chest ache.
βYou okay?β he asked, voice softer now.
βI didnβt know it was gonna storm this bad,β she said, words wobbling like she was trying not to cry. βI didnβt wanna bother you, I know you wereββ
βYouβre never bothering me.β His tone came out sharp, a little too urgent. He exhaled, took a step inside. βI saw the clouds and justβI had to check on you.β
She stepped back to let him in, closing the door behind him. The storm outside roared.
βLights flickered a couple times,β she murmured. βI thought they were gonna go out.β
Another crack of thunder. She winced.
Without thinking, Rafe pulled her into a hug.
She stiffened, just for a second, and then melted against him.
βI hate this,β she whispered into his chest.
βI know,β he said, one hand coming up to the back of her head. βI remember.β
His heart was beating too fast. She felt warm against him. Fragile.
βYou always remember,β she said after a moment.
He pulled back just enough to look at her. ββCause youβre my best friend.β
Her eyes lifted to his, and for a second, he wondered if she was about to say something. Something he wasnβt ready forβor maybe had been waiting years to hear.
But instead, she whispered, βCan you stay until itβs over?β
He smiled gently. βI was planning on it.β
They had settled into the living room, the low flicker of the TV casting a gentle glow over them. The storm outside had only grown louder, thunder cracking like a whip in the sky, rain slamming against the windows in relentless sheets.
She was curled up on the couch, wrapped tightly in a blanket, but it was Rafeβs presenceβhis warmthβthat made her feel grounded. He sat right beside her, their sides pressed together, his thigh solid and steady against hers. She didnβt shy away. In fact, she leaned inβshoulder brushing his, her head resting lightly on his bicep.
Every time the thunder roared, she flinched just a little, and every time, his hand found a new place to soothe. First, it rested on her knee, his thumb drawing slow circles. Then it slid up, fingers tracing her arm gently, until it settled against the curve of her waist, warm and grounding. Later, he wrapped his arm fully around her shoulders, pulling her closer, letting her sink into him like he was the safest place in the world.
It was quiet for a while. Just the rain, the occasional rumble in the sky, and the soft sound of her breathing, which was finally starting to slow. She hadnβt fallen asleep, but she was nestled into his side now, the blanket half-forgotten in her lap. Her hand rested on his chest, just over his heart, fingers gently fidgeting with the drawstring of his hoodie.
βYouβre warm,β she murmured, her voice a little hushed and hoarse from earlier tears.
Rafe smiled softly, his chin dipping to rest on top of her head. βThatβs what happens when you run through a downpour like a maniac.β
She let out a small laugh against his chest. It was muffled, but he felt it. She tilted her head to look up at him, cheek still pressed to his shoulder. βYou didnβt have to come over.β
His eyes met hersβstormy like the sky outside, but softer, vulnerable in a way she rarely got to see. βYeah, I did.β
She blinked, not looking away. βWhy?β
Rafeβs jaw flexed like he was trying to keep something in. He looked away for a moment, toward the rain racing down the windows, then back to her.
βBecause youβre my girl,β he said simply. βStorm or not.β
Her breath caught, just slightly, but she didnβt speak. Didnβt have to.
He kept going, quieter now. βAnd because the thought of you sitting here, scared, without meββ He broke off, shaking his head. βI donβt know. I couldnβt sit still.β
She reached up then, brushing his damp hair back from his face, fingers lingering a second longer than necessary. Her touch was soft, but it was full of things she hadnβt said out loud yet.
βYouβre kind of stuck with me, you know,β he added, a crooked smile tugging at the edge of his mouth.
She smiled back, small and real. βI know.β
Her hand slipped down from his face, trailing along his jaw before resting back against his chest, over his heart. His hand slid down to her waist again, pulling her in even closer, and neither of them said anything for a long moment.
The thunder rolled again, but this time, she didnβt flinch.
βHey,β she said softly, barely above a whisper.
He hummed in response, already watching her.
βI like being stuck with you.β
And somewhere between the steady rhythm of the rain and the warmth of his arms around her, the line between best friends began to quietly blurβshifting into something softer, something more.
