the soft buzz of music mixed with laughter, clinking glasses, and the low hum of conversations filled the room. your birthday party was in full swing, the dim lights draped from the ceiling flickering against the glassware and casting a dark, golden glow over the people who showed up to celebrate you.

you were glowing too, effortlessly flitting between hugs and stories, unwrapping little gifts with surprise, smiling like someone who had everything they needed.

rafe, on the other hand, had been standing in a corner for the past twenty minutes. he hadn't planned to come. he hadn't planned anything in a while, not since the last time you saw him, and the fallout that followed. he watched you from the moment he came, tucked into the shadowy corners, and you hadn’t seen him yet, part of him was relieved, part of him hated it. he couldn’t tell if you’d be mad or surprised.

everyone looked so at ease around you, like they belonged in your world. he felt out of place, like a ghost haunting a party he was never invited to. yet he still stayed, something about the way your laughter filled up the dimly lit house. it gave him a sliver of hope, that maybe things between you hadn't changed, not completely. you moved through the crowd with a drink in hand, your smile wide and distracted, until your eyes landed on him.

it was like everything else dropped out of focus, casting a spotlight on him straight out a euphoria scene. the exact same cocky, infuriating smirk you remembered was stretched across his face. no apologies, no explanations, just him. he raised his hand slowly, giving you a casual little finger wave, the golden rings wrapped around his fingers flashed under the lights like they had something to say too.

he saw the flicker in your expression, it gave surprise, sure, maybe confusion, and maybe a little bit of something else.

“happy birthday,” he mouthed from across the room.