Middle of The Night
Summary: Yours and Ray’s relationship has always been complicated, right up from the moment you met, to each time you and he briefly see each other throughout the years. Though he wants more, yours and his lives are too different right now, but when you confide in him about your troubles, he suddenly doesn’t care about the very real consequences of having a more permanent place in each other’s lives.
Word Count: 6.3k | I do not give consent to having my work republished or posted to any other platform or profile other than my own. | Masterlist
Warnings: angst, smut, oral (f receiving), hair pulling, swearing (like, a lot), descriptions/mentions of an injury, unprotected sex, angst again, be warned, mentions of guns, mentions of drugs, reader’s job isn’t specified, but implied that it’s dangerous, both touch starved ray and reader, that may be all, enjoy x.
It’d been a long day, one full of chasing after men Pearson had told Ray were a liability, and he was required to put them down in case they were to expose anything about the… business Pearson has been running all over London.
He’d gotten his hands bloody, had to chase off a bunch of men who’d witnessed it, and destroy any and all evidence that he’d done anything to begin with.
It was late when he got home, nearing midnight when he finally walked through the door. He was done with everything, his back aching a bit as he shrugged out of his jacket, and he didn’t even bother to take off his shoes by the door - instead heading straight towards the kitchen, where a beer was calling his name.
It wasn’t often Ray drank beer, but today was exhausting, and he needed something to relax him and take the edge off, and he didn’t feel like smoking right now. He opened the fridge and grabbed a bottle, tossing the cap into the recycle bin once he’d taken it off.
But he didn’t get the chance to take a sip before he heard the sound of one of the floorboards in the den creaking - something he’d been meaning to fix since the noise was starting to drive him up the wall every time he walked in that area, but he hadn’t gotten around to it yet.
Someone was in his house.
Ray paused instantly, the beer bottle quickly forgotten on the counter as he grabbed his gun that had been tucked away in his slacks. He lifted it and aimed it as he took a step towards the den, then another, his eyes expertly scanning each room and doorway he passed as he crept closer. Each step was measured and careful, allowing him to get the jump on whoever was here if he needed to.
He reached the den, his eyes squinting as he pointed the gun at the dark corner, knowing that was the only place to hide in the open space of the room. Ray locked his jaw, not appreciating the fact that some fucker had decided to choose tonight to break into his house when he’s already had a long day.
“Who is that?” he asked, his voice deadly and calm, his posture damn near perfect and lethal.
Then he heard the sound of heels, and he straightened up a bit. And then he saw a face he hadn’t seen in months.
You stepped out of the shadows, clad in heeled boots, a form fitting black dress, a long coat and red gloss on your lips. Your own gun was raised, pointed at him as his was at you, and Ray saw that you had a faint bruise under your eye that was half-healed and faded.
A smile formed on your lips as you kept your gun pointed at him, and he recalled a conversation you and he had a year ago after he’d finished fucking you into the next week - you’d been trained to never be the first one to put the gun down.
“Ouch,” you said, your voice low and teasing as you took another step towards him. You pouted at him, lifting a brow as your eyes flickered from his to his gun, a knowing look on your face. “This doesn’t feel like a very warm welcome, baby.” you observed, poking at your inner cheek with your tongue.
Ray’s eyes narrowed as he looked you up and down. Fuck, you looked good. Too good.
That dress hugged every inch of you, and those boots made him want to bury his face between your legs, preferably keeping them on while he got you off with his tongue.
He lowered his gun first, also well aware that he should never be the first one to do that, but as he held your gaze, he knew he had nothing to worry about.
“A warm welcome? After breaking into my house like some fucking thief?” he asked, tucking his gun into the waistband of his slacks as he closed the rest of the distance between you and him. He lifted his hand, tilting your face up slightly as he looked at the bruise marring your skin. “What happened here?” he asked, his other hand grabbing onto your hip with a certain possessiveness he’d never felt before he met you.
It was obvious you’d gotten into it with someone, though this seemed to be the only injury, so it hadn’t escalated too much. Still, someone put their hands on you, and that didn’t sit well with Ray, even though he knows how dangerous your job and life are.
You lowered your own gun, tucking it into the deep pocket on the inside of your coat as you looked up at him. “Business transaction gone wrong,” you answered, vague and blunt, as if you were talking to anyone other than a man you trusted completely. You lifted a shoulder in a shrug, clearly trying to brush it off even though he could tell the bruise had been a few shades darker only a couple days ago. “I failed to meet a quota last week. Boss wasn’t very happy with me. But it looked worse before. Trust me, this is nothing.”
Ray’s jaw locked once more, a muscle twitching in his cheek as his thumb gently moved along your wounded skin. “I should pay your boss a quick visit. Teach him what happens when he touches things that aren’t his to touch,” he thought out loud, “Should’ve called me. I would’ve handled that cunt for you.”
You rolled your eyes, but there was a fond smile on your lips, one he knew was reserved for just him. “I can handle him myself, Ray,”
He moved his hand upwards, tucking your hair behind your ear. “How long have you been here? In London?” he asked, wanting to shift the topic as quickly as possible since he didn’t like thinking about all the things you get up to whenever you and he part ways.
“Couple hours,” you said, placing your palms flat against his chest. “I came straight here, then let myself in when I saw you were out. I wanted to surprise you but that stupid floorboard gave me away. Oh, and I don’t think it counts as breaking in if I have a key.” you added, reaching for the thin chain around your neck and lifting it up, showing him the key that was attached to it.
He’d given it to you a while ago, and told you that if you ever found yourself in trouble, if you ever needed to hide or if you needed anything at all, you could come here.
“Yeah, been meaning to fix that,” Ray leaned down, pressing his forehead against yours as he breathed you in, your familiar scent he’d missed so much grounding him in a way nothing else ever had. “How long do we have this time, love?” he asked quietly, his hands moving down to your hips. “Tell me you’ll stay longer than a night. Tell me you’ll stay for two.”
Your shoulders dropped at that, your hands coming up to grab onto his cardigan. “I can’t tell you that,” you whispered, your fingers twisting the fabric as you pressed your forehead more firmly against his. “But we have tonight, right? And tomorrow morning…” you offered, pulling back to look up at him as one hand lifted to caress his cheek.
Ray sighed, exhaling through his nose as his fingers dug gently into your hips. One night. That was all he ever got to have with you for as long as he’s known you, with the exception of the weekend you and he spent together when you first met. If he’d known that those two days would be the longest he’d spend with you at a time in the future, he would’ve made the most of it a lot more than he already had.
But he was greedy, and even though he wanted longer with you, he’d take whatever time he could get with you. “Yes. We have tonight,” he agreed, “And I plan to make the most of every second of it.”
His hands moved down to your thighs, and he lifted you up, your legs wrapping around his waist like second nature as he turned and carried you towards the bedroom. The same routine he’d done with you for the last couple years now, and one he always hoped to continue doing in the future every time you and he have to part ways.
“I have a feeling that I need to remind you who makes you feel so good,” he murmured, wondering if there will ever be a day where he can confidently say that you are all his, and that no other man has been with you after him.
You’d implied in the past that your life is too chaotic for a real relationship, and hookups were a lot easier to handle, and he didn’t like to think that was all he was to you. But you’d also implied that you hadn’t been with anyone since meeting him, and he was too afraid of what you might say if he were to ask you - just to confirm it.
Ray’s grip on you tightened as he carried you down the hall, your soft laugh filling his ears. “You act like I’ll ever be able to forget you,” you teased, wrapping your legs tighter around his waist as you leaned in and brushed your lips against his ear. “I don’t know if you’re aware of this, but you’re kind of hard to forget, Ray. Like, impossible, actually.”
He let out a short laugh as he entered his room, not bothering to turn on a light as he set you down on the edge of the bed - king sized, fit for a king. Or so you’ve told him in the past. “Good. ‘Cause you’re branded on me, love. Couldn’t forget you if I tried to,” he said, leaving out the parts where he almost tried to, because he couldn’t fathom that you’d managed to capture him so entirely.
He took a step back, shrugging off his cardigan and letting it drop to the floor before he was unbuttoning his shirt, his gaze never leaving yours. He could see the way your shoulders rose with every shaky breath you took, trying to come off as if you weren’t as desperate for this as he is.
“You’re like a drug I can’t quit,” he muttered as his shirt fell to the floor as well, almost annoyed at having his heart belong to you in full. It wouldn’t be so bad if he could see you more than a handful of times a year, if that, but he belonged to a woman he didn’t even know the location of most of the time. “Tell me you feel it too. I’m not alone in this.”
Your eyes flickered down to his chest, and you swallowed harshly before looking back up at him. “You know I do,” you murmured, lifting your hands and placing them on his abs as he towered over you. You leaned in, brushing your lips against his stomach and leaving behind a glossy red stain. Your eyes fluttered shut as you peppered kisses along his skin, breathing him in and leaving him no choice but to believe your words. “I do…”
Ray tangled his fingers in your hair, tugging your head back gently so you were holding his gaze again. “Then prove it,” he challenged, his other hand coming up as well to hook his fingers under your chin.
He dipped his head down just as you leaned up, your lips connecting in a deep kiss that you had both been waiting for since you saw each other again. His tongue slipped into your mouth as you moaned, and his hands grabbed onto your coat and slid it down your shoulders, letting the heavy fabric hit the ground gently, the muffled thud of the gun barely audible.
You grabbed onto his face, kissing him harder as you moved further back on the bed, laying down properly. Ray grunted into your mouth as he followed you down, settling between your thighs as he caged you in with his arms.
He broke the kiss, letting you get some air as he pressed kisses down your jaw and throat, his teeth dragging along your skin. Your dress rode up a bit, letting him feel the heat between your thighs as he pressed himself against you. “Mm, you’re dripping, aren’t you?” he mumbled, grinding his hips against yours as his hands pushed your dress up further, his palms smoothing over your thighs. “Gonna let me taste you? Been too long since I’ve had your sweet pussy.”
You let out a needy moan, biting down on your glossy lip. It was smeared and messy from the kiss, and yet you still looked fucking perfect as you ran your hands up and down his arms. “You know I’d never say no to that,”
The corners of Ray’s lips turned upwards at that, and he hooked his fingers in the waistline of your panties, tugging them down your legs and tossing them aside. At the sight of your bare core, he hummed in appreciation as he pushed your thighs further apart, making his way down your body. “She’s just as pretty as I remember,” he observed, and you let out a laugh.
“You act like it’s been years. It’s only been, like, five months,”
“Six and a half,” Ray corrected, looking up at you briefly before he guided your legs over his broad shoulders, his eyes level with one of his favorite parts of you. “And that’s a long fucking time, love.”
And it really was. This has been the longest time you and he have gone without seeing each other in the nearly four years you’ve known each other.
You opened your mouth to shoot another snarky reply his way, but he effectively shut you right up as he ducked his head down, his tongue parting your folds and collecting your wetness like he’d been deprived of it.
His eyes shut for a few seconds as he tasted you on his tongue, and he had been fucking deprived of this. It’s his favorite taste and he only gets it every once in a very long while, for fucks sake.
At your soft moan, he buried his face in your pussy, his lips wrapping around your clit and drawing it into his mouth. Your body jolted as soon as he gave it a gentle suck, your head tipping back on the bed and once again fully igniting the fire that had been burning inside him since the night you met.
“Fuck,” you sighed, spreading your thighs more and opening yourself up completely to him. Your hands reached down and tangled in his hair, your fingers creating a mess of it that he’d only ever allow you to get away with making. A quiet, needy laugh left your lips as you bucked your hips against his face, “So good.”
Ray grunted against your core as he grabbed hold of your hips, holding you still as he flicked your clit with his tongue. He licked along your folds, drinking you in like a man starved for you, and he didn’t even care that he was exactly that. A man unbelievably starved for a woman he feared he’d never be able to truly have.
“Tastes so fucking good,” he praised, uncaring about the mess your slick was making on his face and your inner thighs. His distaste for that went out the window every time he’s with you. “Could eat this sweet cunt for hours. Keep you right there ‘til you’re begging me to let you cum.”
You whined at that, rolling your hips against his hands as you shook your head. “You wouldn’t dare,” you said, tugging harder at his hair. “You love making me cum, Ray. I know you do, you’ve said it to me before. Pretty sure you were pussy drunk, but the point still stands.”
He couldn’t even deny that, because it was true. He rather enjoyed getting you off far more than making you wait for it, especially after you both had been waiting for this for way too long now.
Letting out a deep laugh against you, he pulled back just slightly to look up at you through the increasingly fogging lenses of his glasses. “Pussy drunk on the finest cunt in London,” he agreed, lips and chin glistening with your arousal. “And I just know what I want, and right now I want to feel you cum on my tongue.”
You whined loudly, your eyes shutting as you arched your back, your breasts nearly spilling free from the top of your dress. “Fuck,” you whimpered, all but yanking on his hair now and pulling him close until his face was buried against you once more. “God, yes.”
Ray sucked on your clit again, sliding two thick fingers inside you and stretching you out. “That’s my girl,” he praised, his voice deeper than before as he flicked his tongue over your clit quickly, his fingers thrusting in and out of you. “Gonna cum for me, aren’t you? Can feel how close you are for me, baby.”
A soft moan left your mouth, the sound filling his room that seemed to have come back to life now that you and he had reunited again. “Oh, fuck. Yes, Ray. Fuck yes, I’m coming,” you gasped, your nails scratching at his scalp as your thighs tried closing around his head. He felt the way you coated his fingers, your warmth washing over him as he dipped his head down and collected some of it with his tongue.
Ray groaned against you, working you through it as he watched your face for every reaction he coaxed out of you. Once you stopped shaking, he slowly pulled his fingers out of you, bringing them up to his mouth to suck clean, a muffled groan vibrating against his digits.
He crawled up your body, kissing you deeply and letting you taste yourself on his lips and tongue. His teeth tugged at your bottom lip as he tangled one hand in your hair, angling your head so he could kiss you even deeper. “Missed you,” he muttered against your mouth, his hips pressing against yours.
You moaned softly, looking up at him with a lazy smile and hooded eyes. “Missed you,” you said back, the two of you having agreed to not say much more than that whenever you found yourselves in this exact situation. It was supposed to make it easier, but the longer this went on, the harder it became.
Ray sat back on his knees, his hands sliding down your legs until his fingers brushed along the tops of your boots. One by one he unzipped them and let them thump gently on the floor, his eyes never leaving yours as he did so, the sight of you sprawled out on his bed one he hopes stays branded in his mind forever.
“Been so long since I’ve been fucked,” you confessed, pulling him back down and reaching for the zipper on his slacks. “Since the last time I was here with you.”
He liked that you added that, because you’d been his last time too, and the thought of you with another man made his blood boil.
You pushed down his slacks and boxers, and he kicked them off, as well as his shoes, before crawling up your body again. His hand slid under your back, his fingers finding the zipper of your dress, and he tugged it down before guiding the tight fabric off your body.
“Been so hard for you. Needed you so bad,” he confessed back, settling between your thighs once again, his heavy cock pressing against your slick folds.
He reached down and guided himself inside you, the lack of condom all too familiar since you and he had never used one. He probably should, seeing how you and he aren’t officially together, but he knew he was clean, and he trusted you are as well.
It also made him feel closer to you, but that was a bit too much to admit to right now.
“So goddamn tight. Couldn’t forget how perfect you feel even if I wanted to,” he muttered, one hand sliding under your back while the other tangled in your hair. He gave you a moment to adjust, your walls just as tight as he remembered, then started to thrust into you with deep, steady strokes.
Ray leaned in and kissed you deeply, swallowing your moans as he rocked his hips against yours, making love to you in a way he hoped came off as just sex, because he knew that was all this could be for now and possibly forever.
Your moan was muffled against his mouth, your hands coming up to grab onto the sides of his face. Your legs wrapped around his waist, heels digging into his lower back and trying to pull him closer. “Oh, fuck,” you moaned, breaking the kiss with a gasp. “Feels so fucking good. God, baby, needed this so bad.”
Ray grunted as your heels dug into his back, his grip on you tightening as he angled his hips to reach the sweet spot deep inside of you. “You take me so well. Fuck, that’s it, baby,” he rasped, his hands sliding down to grab onto your ass. He dipped his head down and wrapped his mouth around one of your nipples, your soft skin pressing against his face with every thrust.
Your body jolted against his as he increased both the pace and force of his hips, but his grip on you kept you flush against his chest. Your teeth dug into your bottom lip as you tugged on his hair, pulling his mouth back up to yours for a deep, messy kiss that was all teeth and tongue.
With every roll of his hips, the headboard hit the wall over and over again, the creaking of the bed mixing in seamlessly with yours and his sounds. “Feels fucking perfect, love,” he muttered against your lips, swallowing your moans with every deep kiss.
You kept your mouth attached to his as you grabbed onto his shoulders, pushing up against him and rolling over so he was on his back and you’re on top of him. “Feels so fucking good,” you groaned, clearly needing his as badly as he did. Your hips rolled against his as you braced your hands on his chest, your eyes hooded and your lips parted. You rode him like your life depended on it, every grind of your body making him feel more and more feral for you.
“Fuck, just like that. Ride me, baby,” he grunted, grabbing onto your hips with a tight grip. The new position made him feel impossibly deeper inside you, reaching parts no other man ever had before. His fingers dug into your ass, his eyes flickering down to where you and he are connected, and he watched through foggy lenses as your tight pussy gripped his cock like a second skin, his entire length glistening with your arousal. “Such a good girl, taking my cock so well. Gonna… fuck, gonna cum soon. Wanna feel you cum with me.”
One hand moved around to your front, and he used his thumb to rub your clit, wanting to feel you let go first. You cried out helplessly, your body moving on autopilot as your nails dug into the dips of his abs. “Yes, fuck yes. Yes yes yes,” you slurred, grinding against him as you clenched around him tightly. You came with a choked moan, your body stuttering on top of his as you fell apart for him.
“Fuck, that’s it, cum on my cock,” he murmured, taking it upon himself to give a few more deep thrusts before he was there too. He filled you up, white ropes marking you as his from the inside out, his hands planted firmly on your ass. “Fuck…” he panted, his chest heaving with uneven breaths as he wrapped one hand around the back of your head and pulled you down for a sloppy, open mouthed kiss.
You and he kissed for a long moment after that, Ray’s hands moving up and down your slick back as you both came down from the most overwhelming highs you’d had in months. A soft laugh left your mouth and entered his as you pulled away just a bit, your eyes flickering up to his. “I think you’re a bit fogged up there,” you teased, pushing at the bridge of his glasses.
Ray let out a deep laugh that vibrated through his chest and into yours. “It’s bloody hot in here,” he muttered, nuzzling his face into your neck and breathing in your scent, hoping to brand it into his senses like he did every time. His hands ran up and down your back, committing every inch of you to memory once again since he refused to waste a second not touching you.
Moments like this were precious, rare, and ones he cherished above all others, and he’d always savor every single second. After all, he never knew when he’d see you next, or if this was the last time.
He took off his glasses and set them aside, still able to see you through the blurriness in his eyes. He looked down at you with a small, genuine grin on his lips as he lifted a hand and smoothed out your hair. “I have something for you,” he said, then reached over to the nightstand and picked up the joint he’d rolled the previous night but didn’t get around to smoking. “It’s quite fresh still. Rolled it last night.”
You took it from his fingers with a soft gasp, as if he’d just presented you with the best gift you could ever ask for. “I’ve missed your joints,” you groaned, leaning in and pressing a series of kisses to his cheek. “I almost want to save it. Take it with me and light it when I start to miss you.”
Ray hummed, wincing as you finally lifted yourself off him and reached over to set the joint down with more care than needed on the other nightstand that was closer to you. He pulled you back into his arms and cradled you against his chest, pressing a firm kiss to the top of your head. “You won’t miss me as soon as you leave again?” he asked, unable to stop the accusing tone from bleeding into his words, but he hated not having you around, and he hated never knowing where you were unless you were right in front of him. “‘Cause I know I’ll fucking miss you. I miss you every time you leave. Do you not miss me as much?”
You propped your chin up on his chest, your eyes soft and your expression sweet - two things he knew were reserved for him. “You know I do,” you whispered, running your fingers along his jaw. “Every single time I go. It’s not easy for me, Ray. It’s actually really fucking hard.”
Ray’s gaze softened as he looked down at you, and he cradled the back of your head in his hand. He hated the thought of you out there, putting yourself in danger because of your job. It never failed to leave a bitter taste in his mouth, and it fueled the growing need he felt to do something to get you away from that lifestyle. To keep you safe.
“I know, love. I know it’s not easy. I know,” he said, gently tangling his fingers in your hair. “It kills me every time you leave. I hate… not knowing if you’re alright.”
You gave him a small smile. “You know I’m always careful, Ray,” you said, “You don’t need to worry about me.”
He wanted to say that he’ll always worry about you, but he bit his tongue, a muscle in his jaw twitching as he nodded. “Right,” he agreed, pressing his forehead against yours. “We’ll just make the most of the time we have, like we always do. But promise me something, yeah? Promise that you’ll always find your way back to me. It doesn’t matter how much time has passed. I’ll always want you.”
Your smile faded a bit at that, and you pressed your cheek against his chest. “I’m here now, right? I don’t think I could ever stop coming back to you. You’re the one thing keeping me sane, Ray,” you mumbled, pressing your palm flat against his abs. “I’m still here… even though I should be out there trying to make up the money I failed to deliver to my boss. He’s still expecting twenty grand by the end of the week. But I’m already fucked, so why not pop in and actually get fucked by you?”
Your voice held a hint of teasing in it, but he could feel the way you’d become a little on edge, and Ray also tensed up at your words. “Twenty grand? By the end of this week? The hell have you gotten yourself into?” he asked, sitting up slightly and looking down at you.
You just shook your head, trying to shrug the conversation off. “It’s just my job, Ray,”
But he wasn’t having any of that as he ran a hand down his face. “Look, I can help with the money, okay? It’s not a problem, just tell me how to do it without drawing… unnecessary attention,” he said, knowing he had that kind of money handy to him - the perks of being close with his boss.
You let out a huff of air as you rolled onto your back and looked up at the ceiling, reaching up to play with the chain around your neck. “It’s because I missed the quota. He’s… really fucking stingy with that kind of thing, hence the… you know,” you gestured to your eye, and his own dropped down to the bruise again. “I was short two grand and he tripled the original price, made it twenty. But I’ll figure it out, Ray. I don’t… I won’t take your money.”
Ray let out a scoff at that, an anger beginning to build up inside him. Your boss fucking hit you, and probably did worse than that, more than once. The thought had his jaw locking. “He hit you because of two grand? That fucking cunt hit you because-” he had to hold off on saying what he wanted to say, because as much as he wanted to go off on your boss, it wouldn’t help right now. “Listen to me, you helped me out of a tight spot once, it’s about time I returned the favor, yeah?”
“Ray-”
“Don’t. Don’t give me that shit about not taking my money, alright? I think we’re way past that, love. I’m not letting you deal with this shit alone. No fucking way is that happening,” he said, cradling your jaw in his hand and turning your head so you were looking at him again. He leaned in and pressed a hard kiss to your lips before pulling back again. “I’m not offering out of pity or because I feel obligated to. I’m telling you to let me help you because I love you, you stubborn woman.”
Your breath hitched at that, and your eyes visibly widened, and he knew why. He’d never said that to you, that he loves you, but he does, and he has for a long time now. He just held the words back in hopes he could save them for when you came back to him for the last time, and you and he could finally be together, but he couldn’t stop himself from saying them now.
He loves you, and he wants, needs, to help you out of a situation that would no doubt just get worse if you couldn’t find a way to get that money by yourself. You protect him, and he protects you. That’s the way it’s always been.
You raised a hand and cupped his cheek, your head shaking slowly. “I’m not your responsibility, Ray. You have no reason to help me or take care of this for me. It’s all on me. I did this to myself,”
Ray shook his head right back, his gaze intense as he held your stare. “Did no one ever tell you that you can ask for help when you need it? You’re not some burden, baby. What happens to you affects me, that’s how it’s always been,” he said, pressing his forehead against yours. “Let me do this for you, love. Please.”
You furrowed your brows, and it was obvious you were having an inner debate with yourself, and he didn’t know what side would win, but he was more than prepared to convince you more if he needed to.
But you just gave him a defeated smile and nod as you tugged him down into a firm kiss.
Ray melted into you, kissing you back as he pulled your body flush against his. “There’s my good girl,” he murmured, “Was that so hard?”
You nodded again, sliding your fingers into his hair as you pulled him down on top of you. “It was very hard,” you confirmed, then pulled him into another kiss.
-
The next morning, after spending the rest of the night tasting and touching each other, you fell asleep in his arms.
It was one of the best sleeps Ray has gotten in a while, and he knew it was all because of you.
You were finally letting him in, letting him help you. You weren’t alone in this anymore.
You’d woken up before him, that much was obvious when Ray woke up to the feeling of your soft lips on his, and your hands placed gently on his chest. “I love you too,” you said quietly, and the lazy smile that formed on his face was instantaneous.
He was well aware that you hadn’t returned those words to him when he said them to you last night, and while he didn’t need you to, he just wanted you to know, there was no denying how happy he felt that you loved him too.
His eyes opened slowly, expecting to have a rerun of last night before you had to go again, but when he tried to reach for you, he found one of his wrists tied to the headboard. By his own fucking tie.
He tested how tight it was by pulling on it, only to find that it was extremely tight, because of course you knew how to tie someone up and keep them from getting out. “The fuck,” he muttered, looking over at you with narrowed eyes. “Untie me. Now.”
You gave him a miserable shrug as you moved out of his reach when he tried to grab you with the hand that wasn’t tied to his fucking headboard. “I can’t involve you in this, Ray. I guess I love you too much for that,” you said as you stood up, and you had already put your dress and boots back on while he was asleep. “It’s not your responsibility. It’s mine. I’ll be okay, I promise.”
Ray let out an annoyed grunt as he pulled on the tie again, but it was still secure. “Goddamnit, don’t you dare fucking walk out that door,” he said when you took a step away from the bed. “There is nothing responsible about risking your life for a piece of shit who puts his fucking hands on you. Do you hear me? Don’t you even fucking think about leaving me like this.”
You took another step away, pressing your lips together. “I’m sorry-”
“I love you. You hear me? I love you, even though you fucking piss me off all the time. Like right now,” he cut you off, “Let me help you, love. I can help you, alright? Please. Don’t leave me like this. Don’t make me lose you.”
Your eyes teared up at that, and you cleared your throat as you looked away. “You can’t lose something you never truly had, Ray,” you said quietly, and somehow those words hurt more than anything else. “Thank you for last night. For everything.”
You reached down and grabbed his phone from off the floor, tossing it at him so it landed beside him on the bed.
“Sorry, you’ll have to call Pearson to come help you out of that. I hope it’s not too embarrassing,” you teased, even now as you gave him a watery smile. “I’ll see you soon, Ray. Promise.”
Then you were turning around and heading for the door, each step you took making Ray’s chest clench more and more. He watched as you disappeared around the corner, leaving him lying there, still completely naked with just the sheets pulled up around his hips, and his wrist tied to the headboard.
He should’ve known you’d never actually let him in all the way, or let him take care of you. You’d always been independent, stubborn as fuck, and too proud to ever let someone help you even when you so clearly need it.
“Not too embarrassing,” he scoffed, shaking his head as he reached for his phone. Of course this was going to be fucking embarrasing, and this won’t look good to Pearson - his best man being tied to his own bed after spending the night with the woman he’d warned Ray about each time you were brought up. Even his boss could see how much you meant to Ray, and while he usually encouraged him to keep things close that make him happy, he still wanted him to be wary of you. “Bloody hell.”
He slumped back against the pillows and let out a laugh of disbelief, not at the fact that you’d pulled this little stunt, but at the fact that, despite you taking Ray’s pride and ego with you, he still loves you.
-
First Ray fic, wooo, feels good. Thank you for reading x
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