you're barely around rafe that you'd think that there's nothing there between you.

especially since it's been like this 'you're my little sister's annoying friend' sort of dynamic, where you barely ever interacted.

i mean, sure, he'd occasionally make snide comments and tease or flirt with you, but it started to become something that was not so... meaningless.

so, it started to change into something like just him being a few years older, and it seeming like a 'protective' type of friend's older brother.

then, it grows once more.

does he talk his shit about pogues? and about how his little sister is running around with garbage?

yeah, that's a well known fact, even to you.

but, when it comes to it — to you — he just can't hate you.

so, when you go to a kook's infamous party with sarah — one that rafe, of course, is at because why wouldn't he — only to be very publicly humiliated by and broken up with by your — loser — now ex-boyfriend, that softness and protective instincts of rafe's starts to pipe up.

especially with you in tears, hair sticky from the drink your ex had purposely spilled on you, and your dress being as sticky and wet from that.

the idiot just got done yelling at you, insulting you throughout his whole 'public asshole break up' speech, leading you to hold back your tears as you turn around and walk outside — or more like stumbling — to the outdoor pool.

and rafe's rage and protectiveness becomes more visible at the fact that that asshole then mocks you leaving too, and god, he'd give anything to beat the idiot to a bloody pulp.

hell, he wouldn't hesitate to kill him.

now fighting the strong and overwhelming urge to crash out on this guy and beat the shit out of him, right then and there, rafe lets out a low growl, cutting off his conversation with topper and kelce, immediately walking away from them, and going after you.

you may be his baby sister's annoying, goody pogue princess that's younger by a few years, but he cares more than he lets on.

"y'know, he's an idiot, right?" rafe says, letting his presence known when he finds you, sitting by the pool, bare feet dripping into the water with your heels sat beside you, tear tracks on your cheeks.

his jaw clenches as he sees the clear embarrassment and hurt on your face, not liking seeing you so upset like this.

over that fucking idiot that didn't know what he had right in front of him no less.

"now, princess, i thought we talked about this," he says with a low chuckle, shaking his head, after pushing down his anger and concern for you as he heads over to you, before sitting down beside you. "don't date idiot narcissists."

he really hates seeing you like this.

and the only thing keeping him from crashing out on that idiot that's no doubt still shit-talking you right now, is you.