Rafe had seen you in a lot of states—happy, angry, half-asleep, completely in love with him—but this? This was new.

You were slumped in the passenger seat of his truck, cheeks puffy, eyes half-lidded, and mumbling nonsense through a mouth stuffed with gauze. He tried to keep a straight face, really, he did, but when you turned to him with the most serious expression and slurred, “Rafe, I can’t feel my tongue. Did they take it?” he completely lost it.

“No, baby,” he chuckled, reaching over to brush a strand of hair from your face. “Your tongue is still there.”

You frowned, deep in thought. Then, you stuck your tongue out dramatically, eyes widening in shock. “Oh my God. It’s THERE.”

Rafe laughed so hard he had to grip the steering wheel to steady himself. “Yeah, told you.”

You flopped back against the seat with a huff. “Rafe, you’re so smart. Like, so smart. How do you know things?”

He smirked. “Just gifted, babe.”

You stared at him for a moment, then reached up and poked his cheek with a slow, uncoordinated finger. “You’re so pretty. Like… like a Disney prince. But also kinda mean. Like… Scar.”

Rafe shook his head, grinning. “Scar? Baby, he’s the villain.”

“You could be a hot villain,” you argued, completely serious.

He sighed, fighting another laugh as he pulled into his driveway. “C’mon, let’s get you inside before you start giving me an evil monologue.”

But before he could help you out, you gasped dramatically, eyes shining with excitement. “Rafe! Can we get a pet ostrich?”

He groaned. It was going to be a long day.