nerdy dad rafe cameron.
nerd!dad!rafe who still wakes up some mornings, looks at you, with your ring on your finger, luca down the hall, and has that quiet, disbelieving thought of ‘how did i get this lucky?’ or ‘we made him, we made this whole life’ like even now, he hasn’t fully processed that this is his life, but he’s sure as hell not complaining.
nerd!dad!rafe who is way more physically affectionate than he used to be, always finding some way to be touching you. his hand resting on your lower back when he walks past, fingers brushing yours in the kitchen, or pulling you into him absentmindedly like it’s instinct now.
nerd!dad!rafe who still gets a little nervous around you sometimes, like when you look especially pretty or laugh at something he says, he’ll smile, but there’s this slight flush to his face like you still have that same effect on him. and he’ll get a little shy when you flirt back, like you’ll tease him and he’ll look away for a second, adjusting his glasses, but there’s this a satisfaction in the way he smiles.
nerd!dad!rafe who sees himself in your son luca so clearly it almost throws him off sometimes. the same eyes, the same focus, even the tiny glasses perched on his nose. and it makes him emotional without even realizing it.
nerd!dad!rafe who spends hours on the floor building legos with luca, fully invested like it’s a real engineering project, explaining things in the simplest way possible, “okay, if we add more weight here, it might collapse, so we need better support” and luca is just staring at him like he hung the moon.
nerd!dad!rafe who absolutely cannot help himself and starts teaching luca the world. he’ll talk about, little concepts way too early. like gravity and matter, catching himself halfway through like “you might be slightly too young for this, but we’ll revisit it later.” just because he likes talking to him like he will understand one day.
nerd!dad!rafe who loves picking luca up from school more than anything, showing up a few minutes early every time, standing off to the side with that soft smile, posture relaxed in a way it never used to be
nerd!dad!rafe who works in psychology now, studying the brain and human behavior, and it bleeds so much into how he loves you. always trying to understand and analyzing. which causes him to sometimes overthink your emotions. because he tries to solve them instead of just sitting with you. “okay, so if we break this down, the root cause might be-” and you have to gently remind him you don’t need a solution, just him
nerd!dad!rafe who has a picture of you and luca on his desk, so when his coworkers ask, “is that your family?” he always corrects them with, “no, they’re my world.”
nerd!dad!rafe who adjusts instantly when you tell him that, nodding, a little sheepish, pulling you closer instead. “right. i’m sorry. okay. i can do that.” and just holds you, learning as he goes.
nerd!dad!rafe who still takes care of you in those quiet, thoughtful ways, bringing you water, making sure you’ve eaten, fixing little things around the house before you even notice they needed fixing.
nerd!dad!rafe who loves you in a way that’s steady, intentional, and deeply rooted, maybe not always perfect in expression, but so undeniably real that you never have to question it.
nerd!dad!rafe who might not always get emotions perfectly right. but he will always try, every single time, because he’s changed, like he’s fully stepped into loving you out loud, just in his own nerdy, intentional way.
nerd!dad!rafe who the moment luca was born, something in him just clicked. like his entire sense of purpose sharpened overnight, and suddenly all he cared about was making sure you and your baby were okay.
nerd!dad!rafe who wakes up instantly at night when luca cries, like he’s wired for it now, sitting up at 4am without hesitation, gently lifting him from the crib, whispering soft, sleepy “hey, hey, you’re alright” while rocking him back to sleep so you don’t have to wake up.
nerd!dad!rafe who insists you stay in bed when that happens, quietly telling you, “you need the rest more than i do,” like it’s not even a discussion to him.
nerd!dad!rafe who makes it a routine to wake up early anyway. running on minimal sleep but still in the kitchen making you breakfast, something warm and filling, because in his mind recovery equals nutrition plus rest, and he’s going to make sure you get both, everytime.
nerd!dad!rafe who always makes sure you and luca get the necessary amount of vitamins you need everyday, always looking at the ingredients because “my family will only get the best.” but is so quick to stuff his face in your favorite sweet treats at night after luca is put to bed.
nerd!dad!rafe who loves standing in the bathroom with you while you get ready. with luca on the counter, as he leans against the counter, arms loosely crossed, just talking, rambling about some random scientific concept or historical event he read about. both making you blush with how in awe they are with you.
nerd!dad!rafe who pauses mid sentence sometimes because he gets distracted watching you, like the way you concentrate on your makeup, and the small movements of your hands. and he just smiles a little to himself before continuing like nothing happened.
nerd!dad!rafe who drives an old sleek black 1973 jaguar e type car. because it’s beautifully mathematically engineered. he’ll geek to you over the car, muttering a “careful,” as he circles the front of the car. “the interior heats faster because of the angle of the windshield.”
nerd!dad!rafe who automatically opens your door, adjusts your seat, asks if the temperature’s okay, mutter a “i’m sorry love” because last time he drove luca was in the car and had to adjust everything. and he loves you being his passenger princess, watching you sit comfortably with a small smile, as the wind blows in your hair.
nerd!dad!rafe who loves your body in the quietest ways. like when you’re standing between his legs and he just wraps his arms around your waist, pressing his face gently against your skin, breathing you in like it’s enough to calm him down.
nerd!dad!rafe who doesn’t even realize he’s taught you a whole new kind of intimacy. one that isn’t rushed or intense, or even sexual. until you start leaning into it just as naturally as he does.
nerd!dad!rafe who keeps a mental and probably physical, log of luca’s routines. feeding times, sleep patterns, little behavioral changes, like he’s studying him, but not academically, instead with so much love behind it, because that’s how rafe shows he cares.
nerd!dad!rafe who reads parenting books and research articles in his free time, highlighting sections, occasionally going “this is actually really interesting, listen to this” while you’re half paying attention but smiling anyway.
nerd!dad!rafe who has gotten a little more confident with you, but in a subtle way, like murmuring things under his breath when it’s just the two of you. “you look so breathtaking today,” he says, because it’s his favorite compliment for you. with an occasional “perfect integer”
nerd!dad!rafe who because he speaks so highly of you around luca, when you’re getting ready, luca will say, “you’re so bweaf taking mommy!” randomly, and you look up at rafe, to see him smiling saying “she is, isn’t she?”
nerd!dad!rafe who gets quietly distracted by you more now, especially in basic moments, like watching you move around the kitchen, then stepping behind you, hands settling on your hips. “i think i’ve identified a problem,” he’ll say softly against your shoulder. you glance back, amused. “what problem?” “i’m significantly distracted,” he replies, completely serious
nerd!dad!rafe who kisses you more now, but still randomly. like he’ll lean in mid convo, cut himself off just to press a soft kiss to your lips, then pull back like nothing happened. “uh, sorry, i lost my train of thought,”even though he absolutely knows what he’s doing.
nerd!dad!rafe who always does this thing where he pauses in the doorway when he sees you and luca together. like you’re on the couch reading to him or helping him with something, and he just stands there for a second, quietly smiling because he’s so proud, before walking over.
nerd!dad!rafe who has a habit of narrating small things to luca. “okay, we’re putting on your shoes now, left foot first,” and you catch him doing it and smile because he’s been like that since day one.
nerd!dad!rafe who keeps one of luca’s tiny drawings folded neatly in his briefcase, completely unprompted, and if anyone ever asked he’d just say, “it seemed important to keep it safe.” nerd!dad!rafe who lets luca sit on the kitchen counter while he cooks, explaining everything he’s doing step by step, occasionally glancing over to make sure you’re watching too, like he’s teaching both of you at the same time.
nerd!dad!rafe who will absentmindedly reach for you while doing things, like pulling you into his side while he’s stirring something, pressing a quick kiss to your temple without interrupting whatever explanation he’s giving luca.
nerd!dad!rafe who takes way too long putting luca to bed sometimes because he gets caught up explaining random things in the middle of the story, turning a simple bedtime into a mini lesson about stars or dreams or how memory works.
nerd!dad!rafe who always checks on luca at least once after he’s asleep, standing in the doorway quietly, like he just needs to confirm everything is okay before he can fully relax.
nerd!dad!rafe who sits with you after long days, not always talking, just sitting close, one hand resting on your leg, thumb moving slowly back and forth like a calming habit he doesn’t even realize he has.
nerd!dad!rafe who notices when you’re overwhelmed before you say anything and will subtly take luca off your hands for a bit, “we’re going to go…run an experiment,” already leading him away so you can breathe.
nerd!dad!rafe who has little inside jokes with luca that don’t fully make sense to anyone else, but you hear them repeat something he said and it makes your chest feel warm every time.
nerd!dad!rafe who who looks at luca at sixteen and still has moments where he can’t believe that’s the same tiny kid he used to rock to sleep. now taller, with his eyes but your features, his childhood blond fading into your hair color. and he’s amazed at what your genetics made.
nerd!dad!rafe who bonds with luca over dirt biking in the most him way possible. standing off to the side with a notebook or his phone, quietly calculating angles, speed and timing. “hey bud, if you hit that turn a little earlier, by about 0.3 seconds you’ll have better control on the landing,” he says, completely serious. and luca will always listen.
nerd!dad!rafe who shows up to every single competition, always early. but you can tell he’s nervous in the way his arms cross tighter, or how his eyes track luca’s every move.
nerd!dad!rafe who doesn’t cheer loudly like other parents or like you, but the second luca finishes a run or race, there’s this look on his face of quiet pride. like ‘yes! that’s my kid!’
nerd!dad!rafe who doesn’t raise his voice easily, but when he does, it’s rare enough that it means something, so deep and sturn. and luca straightens a little every time, because he knows his dad doesn’t do that lightly
nerd!dad!rafe who struggles when luca shuts him out, giving rafe short answers, or closed off energy, because connection is how he shows love. but insead of pushing he adjusts, because he know luca is like you when he’s upset, saying, “i’ll be in the living room if you want to talk,” leaving the door open instead of forcing it.
nerd!dad!rafe who genuinely lights up, when luca starts talking about something he’s passionate about, even if it’s completely different from his own interests. he’ll listen fully, nodding, asking questions like it matters, because to him, it does.
nerd!dad!rafe who sometimes exhales hard at the end of long days, pulling you into him. “this is more complex than i anticipated,” he admits, and when you laugh a little, he smiles too, because even if it’s complicated, he wouldn’t trade being luca’s dad for anything.
