You don’t know how you and Rafe had even gotten onto this topic. You’d been carrying on your usual banter as he drove you home from Topper’s party, him complaining about your ‘dick’ of a date who’d left you to find your own way home. And then it had turned into a conversation the two of you usually did your best to avoid, your dating lives. You’d thought for awhile now that whatever existed between you and Rafe was just a little bit more than friendship.

The two of you cancelled other plans to hangout with each other. You had whole conversations with just your eyes. You called each other in the middle of the night for no reason, other than the obvious one that you were thinking of each other. Friends don’t do that. But you and Rafe did. And you tried to ignore it, tried to deny the chemistry because Rafe just wasn’t that guy. He didn’t do relationships, and you thought being rejected by him would be the worst blow.

“You’re infuriating, you know that?” He huffs.

“I can be. You’re just mad that I pointed out you aren’t capable of being a good boyfriend. So, let’s just drop this”

His irritation with you grows a little more with each word out of your mouth. He didn’t like being told he wouldn’t be good at something. Sure, he’d never been the commitment type. All of his relationships had been casual and physical. He hadn’t spent anytime with them outside of hooking up at parties and his bedroom. He didn’t like someone pointing out his flaws, especially not you. He wasn’t dropping this. He growls in annoyance, trying to sound nonchalant.

“I absolutely could be a boyfriend. I could be the best damn boyfriend ever if I wanted to”

“Sure” you reply with a shrug, not eager to continue this conversation because it was forcing things to the surface you’d tried too hard to keep hidden.

His annoyance is reaching new levels now. It’s actually pissing him off how dismissive of his romantic capabilities you’re being. Just because he didn’t have experience being in a relationship didn’t mean he couldn’t do it and be damn good at it. He glares at you, feeling strangely flustered. Why is he trying so hard to convince you of something that until now he’s never had any interest in?

“Goddamn it, I would. I’d plan romantic dates, bring flowers, hold the door open. Do all that romantic crap.”