Ambivalently Yours

Happy Accidents

As nice as it was to relax at home for a few days and visit with your parents and extended family, you couldn't help but feel relieved as you passed the welcome sign for your college town and took the familiar streets back to your apartment complex.

You had missed Rafe while you were gone, and the fact that you hadn't spoken much the last few days had made it worse. He'd been in a mood the entire time you'd both been at your respective homes. You assumed something had happened to upset him, but he was very tight lipped whenever you tried to ask him about it.

You text him that you're back once you pull into your parking spot at the apartment, then immediately pocket your phone and get out. You grab your small amount of luggage and head into your empty apartment. Liz wasn't going to be home for a few more hours, and you hoped your text to Rafe was taken as an invitation to come over.

As you take your bags back to your bedroom, there's a knock at your front door. "Coming!" you call out, tossing everything on your bed. You head back to the living room and open your door. "Hey, you," you say warmly, stepping aside to let your boyfriend in.

"Hey," he says flatly. He walks by you without so much as a kiss on the cheek, heading straight for the couch. You frown, shutting the door.

"How was home?" you ask carefully, joining him on the couch.

"Fantastic," he says, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "I got to alternate between being ignored and talked down to, and then I got to go meet with one of dad's clients and was treated like son of the year over nine holes of golf and lunch at the country club as they struck a deal," he says. "Always fun to be treated like shit until we're in front of someone that matters."

You reach for his hand and give him a sympathetic smile. "I'm sorry," you say softly.

"It's fine," he says dismissively.

"It's not," you reply.

"Yeah, well, that's how it's been for as long as I can remember, so no use in dwelling on it, am I right?" he asks.

You shrug, stalling for what to say. "I'm sorry," you say again after a pause.

"It's fine," he repeats with a sigh. "I'm back where I want to be now." He smiles at you, a genuine smile that tells you he means it. "So how was your trip home? We didn't talk much."

"Good. Relaxing. I'm glad to be back here, though. I missed you."

His smile grows wider. "You did?"

"Why do you sound so surprised? Of course I missed you," you scoff. "I slept alone four nights in a row."

He chuckles. "So it was the empty bed that made you miss me, not my actual presence."

"Don't be like that, putting words in my mouth," you say.

"I've got something else you can put in your mouth," he says slyly.

"Yeah? Is it food? I'm kind of starving," you reply.

He looks thoughtful for a moment. "Well, if you do it long enough, there's something you can swallow—"

"God, Rafe," you scoff. "You're disgusting sometimes."

"You love it," he says confidently.

"I'm not so sure I do," you retort.

"No?" he asks, leaning closer. "I was under the impression you liked the dirty things we do."

"Where'd you get an idea like that?" you ask, leaning into him.

He smirks, bringing his hand up to cup your jaw. "I dunno. I guess I imagined it," he says with a little shrug, planting a kiss on your lips. You grin as he pulls back.