i got a soft spot for you / r. c | part three

pairing: rafe cameron x female reader

cw: exes to lovers, angst, rafe redemption arc, brief mentions of alcohol/substances, some swearing, there's sweet and fluffy reconciliation at the end.

summary: y/n breaks up with rafe due to his problem with alcohol/substances. summer passes by and they find themselves at the same place one night. rafe is determined to prove he's changed for the better.

inspiration: soft spot by keshi

♫ don't like anybody, tell me why it's different with you

don't believe in love, but no one makes me feel like you do... ♫

. . .

sunlight poured into rafe’s bedroom, stirring him from a restless sleep.

the remnants of his dream flittered behind his eyes, glimpses of you played on like his own personal film.

you teaching rafe how to bake your favourite cookies. staying up all night on your roof to stargaze. that road trip you took to the west coast.

your last kiss . . .

if rafe thought hard enough, he could still feel your lips on his. the scent of your perfume. the adoring look in your eyes.

he turned onto his side, shying away from the light of day.

his heart felt heavy, his mind weighed down by his encounter with you the night before. he lazily opened his eyes.

on impulse, he slid his hand underneath the adjacent pillow. the side where you always slept.

under it, stashed safely away, was a framed photo of the two of you from your first date. rafe had taken you sailing. he had been so excited that he woke up at sunrise to wax his boat.

the photo showed you tucked under his arm as you blew a kiss into the camera. rafe hadn't bothered to look into the lens, instead keeping his eyes trained on you.

he could recite everything that happened on that date, it was one of his favourite memories after all. that day had been the beginning of you.

i love it j love it j love it

i got a soft spot for you: part two

pairing: rafe cameron x female reader | exes to lovers

cw: brief mentions of alcohol/substance abuse.

inspiration: soft spot by keshi

♫ you know i got a soft spot for you

baby, can't you see?

i need you 'cause you're everything that i’m not...

. . .

the last place you wanted to be was in a random kildare bar, flanked by sweaty bodies while electronic music reverberated through your skull.

your friends had somehow convinced you this was just a part of the “healing journey” after your breakup.

it sounded like a good idea on paper - or rather, text. but once you put yourself into your favourite outfit and took a shot of liquid courage, the novelty was already wearing off.

you missed him.

him being the only thing on your mind all summer. you thought that time would naturally heal the wound you were nursing, but it soon became evident the gap was too big to fill.

besides, filling it with alcohol and parties — given what you’d been through, was laughable. in a not-so-funny manner.

before your mind could slip further away from the present, you heard the sound of your name pull you back.

“it’s y/n, right?” a guy in a fitted polo chimed as he saddled up to your section of the dance floor.

you didn’t recognize him. a slight panic began to crawl up your throat.

it was extinguished by a tap on your shoulder, as one of your friends revealed themself.

they shot you a wide grin with two thumbs-up before ushering the rest of the group away.

just great. i’ve been ambushed with a set up.

you pushed out an exasperated breath and retrained your focus on the guy in front of you.

“sorry, uh — i don’t know your name…” you replied, offering a polite smile.

maybe this was good. talking to someone new could be good for you.

he was fairly handsome, blonde waves kissing the top of his shoulders and a pair of deep brown eyes.

“i’m paul. i’m in town for an estate sale,” he grinned, but it didn’t feel overly warm. there was an air of arrogance embedded in his expression.

“oh! well, that’s pretty interesting…” you trailed, waiting for him to continue.

when he didn’t, you nodded awkwardly, absently searching for your friends.

paul must’ve registered your lack of interest because he worked quickly to remedy this sinking ship.

“look — i’ve kinda been working up the courage to talk to you all night,” he said, before scratching the back of his head. “care for a dance?”

without waiting for your answer, paul reached out his hand just as a new song began playing, something with a slower tempo.

“i gave the dj a ten to play this song, what do ya say?” he gave you a toothy smile.

deciding quickly that one dance couldn’t hurt, you placed your hand in his as you began moving to the beat.

halfway into the song, paul took it upon himself to twirl you outwards, leaving you to follow his lead.

you tried to focus on the moment as the strobing lights flashed overhead and the music swelled.

but just then, the dam you'd built so high, abruptly broke.

a singular memory from a year ago burst through with a force strong enough to put your next step off kilter.

“you’d think you were born with two left feet, rafe cameron,” you giggled as rafe struggled to avoid stepping on your toes.

you were suddenly transported back in time to your cousin’s wedding a year ago.

“listen, we all can’t be as graceful as y/n l/n,” rafe sighed, exacting another misstep. but there was a smirk on his face, the kind of smirk where his eyes would crinkle with pure admiration.

“i told you we should have practiced before — ah!” your next sentence was cut short as the two of you fell into a tangled mess of limbs in the middle of the dance floor.

the absurdity of the situation outweighed any embarrassment and soon, the both of you were in uncontrollable hysterics.

a giggle tumbled from your lips as you spun before evolving into a full unabridged fit of laughter.

your heart pinched, the memory wedging itself deep within it. an overwhelming feeling of longing came next, just as the song was ending.

paul spun you inward to his body, before dipping you downwards to end your dance with a flourish.

blood rushed to your head, and it wasn’t due to being propelled downward, although that added a dizzying pressure behind your eyes. you needed some air.

you would thank paul for the dance, exit quietly and —

“wow. a girl as gorgeous as you AND a great dancer?” paul leaned in. too close. “i’m in love,” he murmured in your ear.

“i’m so in love with you, rafe.”

and with that, the dam was shattered.

“why is that not good enough for you? are the drugs and alcohol all you fucking care about?”

that morning was now playing on a vicious loop in your mind. you, standing in front of rafe on his porch, packed bags hanging from your arms.

“of course not! fuck — y/n, baby, please. i’ll get better — i will. i will. i’m sorry!”

tears stung your eyes.

“i’ve heard that so many times before, rafe. but you know what i haven’t heard once come from your mouth?”

“i’m sorry — i have to go,” you shook from paul’s hold, leaving him stunned and alone in the middle of the bar.

you began to rush towards the exit, running past your confused friends as you clutched a hand to your heaving chest.

“i’ve never heard you say you love me.”

barreling through the side door, you spluttered out a few ragged breaths, the scent of sea salt reaching your nose.

you teetered towards the shore of the beach opposite the bar, feeling an overwhelming urge to sink your knees into the cool sand to ground yourself.

all of a sudden, a familiar voice cut through the night air.

“y/n?”

your head shot up, never expecting to hear your name pass his lips again.

rafe’s blue eyes held you in place.

you drank him in. his hair was buzzed and he appeared to have packed on some muscle. he looked healthy.

when your gaze finally settled on his, his throat wobbled. his next intake of breath thick with emotion.

here he was, in all his glory. time seemed to come to a halt.

slam.

“wait! y/n…” paul appeared, throwing the back door open. he was panting slightly but righted himself when he spotted you.

this could not be happening.

rafe had been in the middle of taking a step towards your crumpled form, burning with the need to hold you. he retracted, standing up tall and shoving his hands into his front jean pockets.

he felt like a fool as he followed your line of sight to paul, agony flashing across his face.

unable to steal another glance at rafe, you slowly rose, making your way towards paul.

wiping your tear-stained face, you offered an unconvincing “hey.”

paul seemed to clock rafe’s facial expression, the desire apparent.

his jaw ticked and suddenly, the suave aura paul had exuded, evaporated. once you reached him, he scoffed incredulously, earning a confused look from you.

“so what? you ditched me to run out here for another guy?” paul spat, crossing his arms defensively.

“what? no - i just needed some — ”you began.

“save it. girls like you aren’t worth my time.”

you were suffering from whiplash. this guy, this stranger, had just shown his true intentions.

discomfort bloomed in your chest.

“woah — listen here, dumbass,” rafe snarled, taking large strides towards paul, venom oozing from his voice.

“stop. it’s okay, rafe.”

and rafe did indeed stop.

because you had said his name and it sounded so good.

“think whatever you want,” you replied, not giving paul the decency of eye contact. he huffed before muttering some other insult and stormed back towards the bar.

the only sound to be heard was the gentle lapping of waves against the sand. you were suddenly feeling very tired.

you turned to rafe, who was now only a few steps from you, his towering frame just about absorbing all of the light the full moon had to offer tonight.

your heart ached as you instinctively wrapped your arms around your body. rafe noticed and cleared his throat, becoming overly invested in the pavement beneath his feet.

“uhm… thank you. for being there while he…” you had no idea what you were saying. heat rose to your cheeks.

rafe shook his head swiftly and waved you off.

“no — i mean, i didn’t do much. you were, you were great. you handled that very well, i mean,” he mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck.

a small smile pulled at the corners of your mouth, but you were brought back to reality when you remembered the memory you were recounting before you broke out into tears in the middle of a crowded bar.

“look, y/n i — ” rafe started, capturing your stare, wanting to be in your presence for just a little longer.

“no, please. i’m not interested in hearing what you have to say. i can’t handle any more empty promises,” you remarked, recalling how many times rafe would apologize and claim he would change his destructive habits.

“but i’ve actually been doing pretty well,” rafe spoke quickly, desperate to keep your attention. he didn’t have the words to express himself.

a humourless chuckle left your lips.

“and i’m happy for you, rafe. really, i am. but you’ve already shown me that i don’t fit into your life,” you sniffed.

great, the tears were threatening to spill once more. how pathetic.

it was like you had slapped rafe square across the face. that’s what you thought of him?

pure shame and regret bubbled in his chest as he combed through every stupid mistake he’d made that led to this moment.

rafe then noticed his face was wet. silent tears were streaming down his face. he hastily brushed them away before you could see, coming to terms with the fact he was losing you all over again.

if only he could hear you say his name one more time. if you would just look at him.

unable to say more, you turned to trudge back towards the bar, determined to find your friends so you could go home.

“you’re the only piece of my life that made sense,” his voice was raw, ladened with truth.

the confession nearly stopped you in your tracks as you shuddered an uneasy breath.

you willed yourself to keep your head forward, denying the urge to turn around and take one more glance at the boy you had loved so deeply.

“just let me prove it to you…” rafe whispered as he watched your figure disappear into the bar.

. . .

too late, don't wanna fall, baby, i just

don't need somebody else to throw me aside

but i’m up all night, thinkin' "bout how

it could be you to change my heart... ♫

-

a/n: AHHHH. i really enjoyed writing this part. getting insight into y/n’s mind during the bar scene and then their encounter under a full moon on the beach. the next part will be the finale, so keep an eye out for it! i’m planning to get it out quickly.

also, thank you so much for the engagement on part one! i was thrilled to see even a few people are enjoying this little story. it’s very encouraging and i appreciate it!

MY HEART I NEED THEM YOU BEAUTIFUL WRITER YOU

i got a soft spot for you: part one

pairing: rafe cameron x female reader | exes to lovers

cw: brief mentions of alcohol/substance abuse.

inspiration: soft spot by keshi

♫ i don't go out, but i’ll do it for you

you never liked it when i drink too much

i hate to dance, but i’d dance with you

'cause i’d do anything to feel your touch...

. . .

the condensation from the full glass of whiskey pooled in rafe's grasp.

he hadn’t had a drop, instead opting to swirl the amber liquid in a circular motion. he let out a small sigh as he ran his fingers over a fresh buzz cut.

it was his first night out in weeks, his inner circle dragging him from his house to "let loose". once arriving at the bar, one of them shoved a glass in his hand and left him to stew in a faraway corner.

rafe was heavily considering taking a sip, giving in, letting all of his progress go to waste.

that is until he spotted you from across the room.

his heart clenched at the sight of your smile, directed towards a group of your friends. you looked happy. without him.

it had been an entire summer since the break up and you were clearly handling it well.

rafe on the other hand, was in pieces.

unbeknownst to you, he had been diverting all of his frustrations into getting clean.

he moved towards the spiral stairs to get to the upper level without catching your gaze. he knew your fun would end if you caught sight of him.

rafe's stomach bunched in knots as his hand gripped the railing. he was stumbling, failing at pushing down the onslaught of thoughts threatening to consume him.

"don't you think you've had enough, babe?" you nudged rafe's shoulder, unable to disguise your concern. he hated when you looked at him like you were almost afraid of what would happen next.

you were at a pool party and rafe's inebriated state was resulting in hushed whispers throughout the crowd.

"i know when to stop, love. don'tcha worry, let's just have sum good ol' fun." he slurred back. then, before he could take another sip of his beer, rafe was tripping over his own two feet into the pool, bringing you down with him.

rafe felt hot wet tears line his lids as he recalled that night. the night that broke all of your resolve. the next morning, you were packed up and out of his life. he couldn't blame you, he knew he was a disgrace.

it hadn't been the first time his drunken state had caused a problem in your relationship. but to you, it would be the last.

the already raw revelation stung all over again as rafe looked on over the dance floor from the upper balcony of the bar. you looked amazing, absolutely perfect and - were now being chatted up by some glorified finance bro.

rafe could tell the guy was asking you to dance, by the sheer shit-eating grin on his face as he placed an outstretched hand in your direction. when he saw you hesitate, his heart lurched, begging you to decline.

the moment dredged up another memory - this time, one he couldn't dare to misremember.

"come on, baby," you grin, tugging gently on rafe's ring clad hand. "i really want to dance, everyone is already on the floor!"

rafe beamed up at you, your infectious smile giving him the necessary energy to get up from his seat.

he would rather soon drop dead than attempt to dance, but the look on your face was immeasurable and he would never give up the opportunity to feel your touch.

that was just a month into your relationship, but rafe knew. he knew he was wrapped around your finger as he ambled across the dance floor at your cousin's wedding with the dexterity and grace of a newborn fawn, your laughter filling his ears.

rafe all but threw the glass down on a nearby table, whiskey sloshing from the rim. he jammed his palms into his eyes, willing himself to use the breathing exercise you taught him for when his anxiety rose to a dangerous level.

when he removed his hands from his face, rafe wished to be anywhere else. the deepest depths of hell would be more appealing.

on the floor below, you were in the middle of that mellifluous laugh as your new dance partner was spinning you in circles.

rafe scaled the stairs to the back entrance, battling the pure anguish in his chest.

he couldn't breathe.

swinging the door open, rafe stepped into the humid night.

. . .

i’m wrapped around your finger and i can't stop

you know i got a soft spot for you... ♫

part two

-

a/n: hello! this is my first fanfic i'm posting. i am not a whiz at tumblr but i really love the community on here so i'm taking a shot at contributing to the throes of rafe cameron fanfiction. this will be a three part mini series, inspired by soft spot by keshi. let me know what you think; likes, reblogs, and comments are greatly appreciated. thank you! <3

oh so you want me to feel pain??????? valid