'Safe with Rafe' Y/N x Rafe Cameron

Chapter XX

"Hey!"
"Well, well, well, look who decides to make an appearance!" You hear Kie shout, causing the others to look your way.
"Sorry! Just uh, went somewhere with Rafe quickly." You reply as they look at you with concern evident on their faces.
"You can't just disap-" Jj starts before being cut off by Sarah, "so, one last dip before we head back?"
"Well, actually, I'm gonna head off with Rafe later on," you say gesturing towards Rafe in the background.
Everybody averts their eyes towards the dapperly dressed boy as he sets up what looks to be a picnic which earned you a suspicious glare from the boys.
" fraternising with the enemy?" Jj blurts from behind Kie and Pope before pushing his way to the front to make his presence better known.
"You know what Jj, would that be so bad?" You snap.

Jj had always been your closest friend since childhood but that also came with him being the most protective around you. His hard-headed attitude towards morality always clashed with his goofy personality, making it hard for anybody to read him properly.

Jj looks at you surprised at the fury emitting from your voice, "Sarah, tell her."
Jj stands with his hands on his hips, his head hanging low as he waits for anything from Sarah, expecting a supporting argument in his favour, but Sarah stays silent as she exchanges looks from John B to Pope.
"Jj..." Sarah reaches out before being cut off by Jj.
"Come on Sarah! Your brother, the enemy, one of them!" Jj exclaims as he points towards the kook neighbourhood, earning him unhappy expressions from you, Kie and Sarah. Leaving you mostly shattered at his choice of words. Given everything he knew about you and how open you had been to him about your family, and life back at home, he couldn't bring himself to not terrorise your upbringing in front of an audience.

"Are you forgetting who your friends are?" Kie asks tiredly as she rubs her forehead with the palm of her hand, clearly distressed.
"Don't bother Kie. Save yourself the trouble, he's incapable of actually caring about somebody else other than himself for once." You say carelessly as you pick up your towel you had brought earlier today.
"Y/N, don't give me that. Please! Don't give me that. I have done so much for you." Jj bursts, gathering the attention of Rafe.
"I never asked you to do a single thing for me!" You shout as you step closer towards Jj.
"But I looked out for you anyways. You wanna know why? Because we're supposed to be a team!" He shouts in exchange, "After all these years we've known each other... why would you- with him-" Jj struggled to string a sentence together through his mixed train of thoughts and emotions, unsure of what to say or what to do in this moment and over all feeling overwhelmed by his anger, he gives up. Throwing his arms against his sides. "And not one of you have something to say about this?" He asks calmly.
The group stands in silence before Jj speaks again, this time more daring.
"Fine. I'll do it myself."

Jj pushes past you and begins walking towards Rafe who's attention had already been plagued by the groups yelling.
"Jj!" You yell as you stand in front of him, stopping him in his tracks. He looks down at you with his messy mop of blonde hair draping over majority of his face, his jaw clenched tightly.
"Walk away." You say as you place a hand on his chest.
"Is there a problem?" Rafe questions as he approaches the two of you from behind.
Jj stares Rafe down as he fights the urge to say exactly what was on his mind, even if it was enough to ruin your friendship with him. He looks back down towards you for strength to hold back but being met with sorry eyes instead.
"Please." You plead as you press slightly harder against his chest. Rafe notices and feels a hint of jealousy course through his veins.

Is there something there that I don't know about? He thinks to himself as he stares at the connection between your hand and Jj's chest, your hand slightly shaking.

Rafe slowly slides his hand into your other, rubbing circles on the back of your hand with his thumb,
"Is everything alright Y/N?"
The sudden touch of Rafes hand pierced through the tension in the air, making your hand on Jj's chest falter back to your side.
"Yeah. Everything's fine." You state lowly before dragging Rafe back to your spot on the sand by his bike, leaving Jj standing in place as he ponders your hand in his.

Pope, Kie, Sarah and John B walk up beside Jj, unsure of what to say to comfort him.
"Thanks for having my back guys." He says sarcastically before walking off, feeling betrayed.

"What was that all about?" Rafe says, his hand still in yours as you dig through the bag for a mud shake.
"Just- typical Jj." You say, shaking Rafes hand out of yours and attempting to pry the bottle open.
"He doesn't like me. I know that, so you don't have to be so careful around me. You can tell me anything." He says softly as he takes the bottle from you, opening it with ease.
"Thanks." You laugh faintly, "You gotta know him to really understand. Even then, I still don't think I really understand." You say clearly troubled.

Rafe stays silent, giving you the chance to let out your emotions as he takes his place next to you on your towel, blanketed on the sand.
"Like? Does he think I can read minds or something?" You complain. He smiles at you as you start packing your mouth with Oreos in a pathetic fit of anger.
"Like a little, angry chipmunk." He laughs.
"Shut up." You smile back with a mouth full of Oreos.
"Gross." He teases.
"You love it." You tease back before taking another sip of your mud shake, staring out across the oceans horizon.
Rafe leans back on his elbows, admiring the way your hair flowed in the breeze.

"If only you knew."