#raphaelcolt

there was a moment when she saw his steps fumble, that habit to split ways and head back down to the cells, but ayda was quick to let out a little sound to pull his attention back to her. “With me,” she said, a slight jerk of her head before steps picked back up. “I have paperwork to fill out.” and, quite frankly, she preferred to see his face when it all finally fell into place. Office door was pushed open, jacket sliding down her arms almost instantly, tossed to the couch to her left. It was all there, ready and waiting on her desk like she had asked it to be sunday before the auction. Bits and pieces were already filled out, leaving her with just a few signatures to place. “did you enjoy your weekend?” attention came to him, briefly as she scribbled, turning another page.

Ayda was hiding, somewhere in the mess of trees and bushes, tucked away  in the thick of it all, waiting for him to come find her.

“Hey... hey. What’s -“ words were soft but still retained some semblance of the laugh his greeting initially pulled from her. Ayda was accustomed to many different kinds of greetings from him, so much so that she never really knew what to expect. But this. There was something off in the way he practically ran to her. She could tell something was wrong. It was there, there in the way his lips were desperate to find hers. The way his hug clung, in how he still hadn’t let go of her. She felt his fingers tangled up in the fabric of her shirt, keeping her close in the same way she did to him. But it was the fact that she felt the slight tremble in his body that turned the slightly humored expression into one of worry. “Rafe.” His name still remained soft, a gift as it normally was, as she tried to untangle herself from him in the easiest way possible. “Hey,” now there was a firmness to her tone, one that eased only when she got her hands free and let them move to frame his face. To touch skin. To bring his attention to her own so she could search his face. “Baby. What’s wrong?”

“Listen.” He literally huffed a sigh of frustration at the realization he had clearly underestimated the requirements of his own self imposed doom. Ikea was a goddamn lie as far as he was concerned, and so were these stupid ass instructions. Paper was held out to the wolf like a plea for help. “I can’t do this, it’s a goddamn racecar bed not advanced rocket science.” Annoyance seeped into tone. “You seem like the type to build shit, so therefore you’re going to help me and preferably without telling her.” He paused, letting weight of grin settle on features. “It’s a surprise.”

They had spent the better part of the day laid up on the couch. Food and movies had been the plans. A distinct lack of work was brought home, focus put - as it should have been - on her claim. Ayda was having a particular moment of need as the water in her veins threatened to overtake. To dip her mood into an almost unrecognizable version of herself. And once again, Rafe had proven to be a gift. A tether. He didn’t ask questions, but was instead happy to just be. The movie choice probably wasn’t the greatest pick, admittedly, Ayda had a peculiar taste in films. The Warriors though, had always been a favorite of hers. “Yeah,” she said, fingers dancing up the side of his arm, “they’re chasing them.” There was a pause, focus remaining on the television. “Because they think they killed the big gang guy.” She shifted, her back wiggling to better situate herself against the arm of the couch, her knee lifting just on the side of him, keeping him tucked neatly between thighs. She breathed out a laugh, soft as she looked down at him. “It’s from the seventies, the best kind of terrible.”

“What is it?” Nose had crinkled in a clear cut disgust by the item that was currently being held between fingers. It was brought up to nostrils, trying to sniff out exactly what it was that he was holding - like it would have a fucking clue, but it only seemed to gross him out even more. It was held out to the wolf, like he better have an explanation for it, brows knitted together in confusion. Usually, their roles were reversed, Cain trying to make sense of...technology for him, but this time it was different. Call it a fucking miracle.

Ayda: want to play with me?