Only Ever You
nice!rafe x mean!reader
Rafe was soft. Thoughtful. The kind of boyfriend who brushed your hair out of your eyes while you pretended not to melt, who remembered the way you took your iced coffee, who held your hand like it was something priceless.
And you?
Well… you weren’t exactly known for being “nice.”
Rafe found it amusing. “You’re cute when you’re mean,” he’d laugh whenever you rolled your eyes at someone, “but you never scare me.”
You’d always answer with, “I’m not trying to scare you.”
He’d grin, kiss your temple, and everything was fine.
Until it wasn’t.
Her name was Tina. She worked at the new smoothie bar by Boneyard and had one of those smiles, wide, bashful, glowing, like she had never known what insecurity felt like.
You and Rafe stopped by one afternoon, his hand in yours as usual. The wind was warm, salty, easy. You should’ve known peace never lasted.
Tina's smile locked onto Rafe like she recognized him from a dream.
“Hi! Oh my god, welcome! I really like your shirt,” she gushed.
Rafe blinked. “Uh, thanks.”
She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, still beaming, practically sparkling. “And I love your eyes, too. So blue. Sorry, that’s weird, isn’t it?”
You felt your jaw tighten.
Rafe just offered that polite, clueless smile back, too kind for his own good. “No, uh, it’s nice. Thanks.”
And you? You hated it. The way she looked at him. The way he looked confused but didn’t pull away. The way she was soft and sweet and everything you weren’t.
The way she made you feel… replaceable.
— — — —
It started slowly.
Ignoring texts for a few minutes longer. Walking a step ahead instead of beside him. Pretending to be busy.
Rafe noticed, he always did, but at first he didn’t push.
Until he did.
One night, you were lying on his bed, staring at your phone but not actually reading anything. Rafe came in, drying his hair with a towel, and stopped like he walked into an invisible wall.
“You’re mad at me.”
You didn’t look up. “No, I’m not.”
“Baby,” he said softly, and somehow, that made everything worse. “You barely look at me anymore.”
You shrugged. “I’m fine.”
Rafe sat beside you, close, knees touching yours. “You know you don’t have to pretend with me, right?”
Your throat tightened. “Maybe you should be with someone who’s easier.”
“Easier?” Rafe repeated, face twisting. “Where is that coming from?”
You didn’t answer, so he did the thing he rarely did, he raised his voice, just a little.
“Is this about that girl at the smoothie place?”
Silence. Your silence.
“Oh my god,” he muttered. “Baby, she was just being friendly. I didn’t even—”
“She’s nice,” you blurted. “Nicer than me.”
Rafe stared at you like you’d said something genuinely insane. “Why the hell would I want nicer?” he demanded. “I don’t want her. I want you.”
But you shook your head. “I don’t want to get in the way.”
Rafe’s expression shifted, not angry, not annoyed. Hurt. Deeply hurt.
“In the way of what? A random girl who barely knows my name?”
You swallowed the lump in your throat. “Maybe she’s better for you.”
Rafe didn’t say a single word after that. He just got up, grabbed his keys, and said:
“Come on.”
“Where are we going?”
“To fix this.”
He brought you back to the smoothie place.
You groaned. “Rafe, why—”
“Because you need to see,” he said firmly, “exactly what I think about her.”
The bell above the door jingled as you stepped inside. Tina looked up instantly, smile bright.
“Oh! Rafe! Hi!”
Rafe didn’t smile back.
In fact, he looked at her the way you’d look at someone who keyed your car.
Tina blinked. “Um… did I do something wrong?”
“Yeah,” Rafe said, sliding an arm around your waist and pulling you against him. “You made my girlfriend think she isn’t enough.”
Your heart stopped.
Tina looked mortified. “What? No! I didn’t— I would never—”
Rafe shook his head. “Look, you were being nice. Fine. But don’t look at me like that. Don’t flirt with me. Don’t talk like you know me. Don’t even try it.” His grip tightened around you, protective, grounding. “Because she—” he turned to you, eyes softening instantly, “—is the only person I’m ever looking at.”
Your breath caught.
Tina stammered out an apology, cheeks red, eyes wide, and Rafe didn’t even glance back at her as he guided you out.
The second the door shut behind you, Rafe cupped your face gently.
“Baby,” he whispered, forehead touching yours, “don’t ever think she could replace you. She couldn’t even replace a freckle on your face.”
You laughed wetly. “That’s a terrible line.”
“It worked,” he murmured, kissing your cheek. “Didn’t it?”
You wrapped your arms around him, burying your face in his chest, breathing him in as everything inside you unknotted. His hands rubbed slow circles on your back.
“You’re not losing me,” he said quietly. “Not because of her. Not because of anyone.”
You tilted your head up. “Promise?”
“Swear on my stupid boat,” Rafe said, smiling that soft, heart-melting smile that was yours and only yours. “You’re my girl. No one else even comes close.”
And when he kissed you, slow, warm, certain, you believed him.
idea by : @pinkprincessgirlyy
