꒰ 🦌 ꒱ N E R D ! R A F E … B A M B I ! R E A D E R
the store was beautiful..
soft lighting, polished floors, racks of delicate clothes that looked like they’d been placed there perfectly on purpose everything felt warm and dreamy, like something out of a magazine
you walked beside rafe, your hand gently wrapped around his bicep, fingers curled into the fabric of his sleeve like it was the most natural thing in the world
your eyes moved from rack to rack, soft excitement lighting up your face, little smiles forming without you even realising. you’d lean in slightly to look closer, tugging him with you as you drifted through the store
“rafe, look—” you murmured, stopping at a display, your grip tightening just a little “this is so pretty…”
he glanced at it, then back at you
“yeah” he said “you like it?”
you nodded quickly, reaching out to touch the fabric, gentle and careful
your smile faded just slightly
you let it fall back into place
“it’s nice” you said softly, already stepping away
but you were already pulling him along to the next rack, your hand still looped around his arm, like if you kept moving it wouldn’t matter
and for a while, it almost worked
you’d light up over something a top, a skirt, a soft little piece that caught your eye and every time, your fingers would brush it, your eyes soft and warm…
and then you’d check the price
“you’re not getting anything” he said after a while, voice low, observant
you shook your head lightly “i just like looking”
“yeah?” he glanced down at you “then why do you keep checking the tags?”
your fingers tightened slightly on his sleeve
“i just— i don’t wanna spend heaps” you said quietly
he didn’t respond right away
you were already moving again, pulling him gently along with you, your attention caught by something further ahead..
and then you stopped, completely..
your hand tightened on his arm without thinking
soft, delicate baby pink and yellow dress, almost weightless-looking the kind that looked like it belonged to you the second you saw it
you stepped closer, still holding onto him, your other hand reaching out carefully, brushing over the fabric like it might disappear
“it’s so pretty,” you whispered, eyes wide, completely lit up now. “look at it… i love it.”
he didn’t look at the dress
the way your whole face softened, the way your voice went quiet and full of something real
“yeah” he said after a second “you do”
you smiled, small and soft, before flipping the tag over
your expression fell, just a little
and without thinking, you stepped back closer into him again, your grip on his arm tightening slightly like it grounded you
“it’s okay” you said quickly, already shaking your head “i don’t need it”
that’s when he’d had enough
“stop what?” you asked softly
“that” he said, nodding toward the dress “you do that every time”
your brows pulled together slightly “i just don’t wanna—”
“spend my money?” he cut in
he exhaled, running a hand through his hair, clearly trying not to get frustrated but it still slipped through a little
“you think i brought you here so you could walk around and not get anything?” he said
“don’t,” he said immediately
“i don’t care” he went on, stepping a little closer, his voice lowering but staying firm “i’ll spend thousands on you. it’s not a problem”
your cheeks warmed, eyes dropping slightly “rafe…”
“no” he shook his head “if you like something, you get it. that’s it.”
“…it feels like too much”
his expression shifted slightly still rafe, still a little blunt but softer underneath it
his hand came up, gently pulling your sleeve away from where your fingers had twisted into it
“what’s too much” he said quieter “is you standing here acting like you don’t deserve it”
he glanced at the dress again
“you love that one, yeah?”
“then i’ll buy it for you”
he sighed under his breath, almost fond, before reaching past you and grabbing the dress himself
“rafe—” you said softly, still holding onto his arm
“what?” he replied, already turning toward the counter. “you said you loved it”
you followed him instantly, staying close, your hand still wrapped around his bicep like you weren’t letting go now
“…thank you” you whispered
he glanced down at you for a second
“course baby” he muttered
if anything, he slowed his steps just enough so you stayed tucked right beside him
like you were supposed to be there
s-u-f-j-a-n-s-t-e-v-e-n-s
snowghoul
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