WORTH THE WAIT

Anti

The description didn't fit, but Markus walked out hands raised placatingly up to his chest. He didn't want to agitate the nigga any further. The man was losing his shit already. He stood protectively behind Rachel who was rapidly descending into a bumbling mess.
He wanted to comfort her but knew that would be the match to the 6-foot flame across from them.
"Alright," he waited for raph-man's next move. Asserting his dominance in the situation he knew, would only trigger him further.

Raph didn't seem to have planned this far ahead. He slumped against the sofa just looking at both of them standing there.
Rachel took a step towards him
" Raph " Markus hated how gentle she sounded "it's not what you think but you are right to think it... " she didn't seem to know how to go on and Markus could see Raph's anger rising.
"Just shut up Rachel. How long yuh fucking him, -virgin??" Raph sneered the last word. He looked her up and down like she was scum.

Markus bristled. Then tried to use perspective.Raph felt cheated. If Rachel was a virgin then...
He hadn't been able to believe what he heard when Raph had started going off.Rachel a virgin? It would certainly explain a lot.
But he needed to calm down and go sober up. He could wait for Rachel to take the situation in hand but she was snot-crying and all right now and he knew he needed to do something.

"Bruh I haven't fucked your girl." Yet, Markus kept his tone neutral " I can see how you would think that but its not what's going on here. But you're making her cry unnecessarily" he couldn't keep the warning from his voice.
Noted he saw Raph's jaw tighten at his words. He looked at him head-on for the first time. Good looking nigga, toffee-skinned,sweats and hoodie and crocs. So this was Rachel's type?

"Yow mi nuh know yuh enuh bredda Suh fuck off n nuh address mi" Raph was on his feet now. Rachel was shaking her head as if by doing that she could make this less real.
"Markus maybe you should leave, I have to go talk to Raph" Rachel was easing him back. He hadn't realized he was so tense until he felt her slender fingers on his chest. They both soothe and grounded him enough for him to deflate and return to neutral. Having this welp tell him to fuck off had triggered him for a second there. Now he was back to viewing the chessboard.

"Yea Markus lif' up cuz right now mi nuh liable"

This likkle fuck.

Rachel wailed " Raph stop... He's a friend. Nothing happened. He'll leave and we can talk alright?" Raph crossed his arms and regarded them with hate. Whether it was false bravado or his rage in the moment, he didnt seem to be getting any calmer.

"Now u want to talk? Alright sure talk... Justify this pussyhole being here"

Markus decided he'd just about had enough. Everything today had been about de-escalating situations. He had been struggling to maintain his zen since that fuckery skype call with his mother this morning. Finally thought he was getting somewhere with this goddess...smh now this pickney madman was disrespecting him? Fuck being the bigger person. He needed to leave before he did something rash.

He turned to Rachel and gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze " when yuh finish wid this" he didn't keep the disrespect out of his voice." I'm going to be standing right outside." He waited to to see her nod before calmly brushing by Raph who was practically foaming at the mouth. Markus pulled the front door gently closed behind him.

He didn't want to wait in the car. Her soon-to-be-ex was rather angry and he didn't know if this was his usual temperament or just the situation. He decided it didn't matter, enough of being diplomatic.
Raph was enemy number one.
The wasteman had made her cry. Now that he'd seen it, Markus decided he wanted to be the man to never do that. She just had to give him a chance. There was nothing he could do now anyway, without seeming like a wasteman himself. Crossing his arms he once again waited. That seemed to be the order of the day.