Not What Was Expected
Next chapter for this little cute story. I know Rafael might seem a little out of character for this but I would argue that we haven't seen how he would treat someone he was interested in who also showed that interested back so....
Warnings: None. Just once again my attempt at flirtation. Hints towards something spicer.
Masterlist
Prompt List
One , Two , Four , Five , Six , Seven , Eight, Nine , Ten
You were standing at the meeting point in the park waiting for Rafael, one of your light scarves wrapped around your neck to help keep you warm. The weather still hadnât completely turned but the sun was hidden behind some clouds, and a small breeze was rustling through the trees, bringing with it the promised chill that makes itself known during the night. You had chosen comfort for the day but you had still strived to style your choices. You picked a pair of leggings that hugged your legs rather nicely, and you had paired it with a simple shirt that was slightly oversized with the front tucked in and the back hanging loosely. Over the top you wore a light coat that cinched a little around your waist before flaring slightly. Topped off with a pair of black joggers and your scarf you thought you looked rather cute. You had braided your hair to stop it from blowing in the breeze not wanting it to impede your view of Rafael.
You glanced down at your phone checking the time, it was 12:10, Rafael had messaged letting you know that he was going to be a little late. It was a quick message, and none had come since but you werenât concerned, knowing the work he did and that even though it was the weekend Rafael would still be busy. You rocked back and forth a little on your heels as you admired the gorgeous view of the trees and the colour their leaves were changing to. It was stunning.
âI am so sorry,â a voice huffed behind you. You turned to see Rafael, his cheeks flushed red as he took deep breaths.
âRafael,â you smiled. âItâs fine, you arenât that late and besides you let me know that it was a possibility. Though I must say I am ratherâŚpleased that you were willing to run here.â
Rafael took one last breath as it started to normalise, a chuckle interrupting it at the coy way you spoke. He ran his eyes over your form, taking in your slightly red nose and the few strands of hair that were falling out of your braid. He had hoped that he hadnât underdressed with his workout gear on with a scarf, although it was going to only be a walk he wanted to be comfortable for it and he was glad to see that you had done the same. Of course he thought you pulled it off better than he did but he maybe becoming a little biased when it came to you. He still found your red nose adorable.
âWell, you are definitely worth running to, Miss Librarian,â he grinned, enjoying the way your cheeks flushed red. He had noticed last night that you did so rather easily, along with how your eyes would skirt away from his when you got shy. âAnd you look lovely today.â
âThank you,â you said softly reaching up to brush away a stray strand from your face. âUm, this is my favourite walk in the park.â
âI can see why, it is rather beautiful,â Rafael nodded at the trees as the two of you set off down the path. You both walked close together, shoulders brushing every now and then.
âOne of the reasons I love this weather. Spring has beautiful colours of course but there is something about the colours in autumn,â you agreed. âPlus I enjoy being cozy, and that is difficult to do in summer with the heat.â
âCozy?â Rafael asked.
âYes, you know bundled up with a blanket, a good book and a cup of tea or a glass of wine, while itâs raining outside,â you nodded. âWearing thick scarves and coats, drinking hot chocolate after a relaxing walk. Cozy.â
âThat does sound rather nice Iâll admit,â Rafael agreed as his hand brushed yours again. He was tempted to take hold of it but didnât know if you would accept that just yet.
âHm,â you hummed a little glancing down at his hand that was very close to yours, the backs brushing when your shoulders did. You worried your bottom lip as you looked up at his profile. His strong nose and jawline catching your attention, he was breath taking. You reached your hand out a little, letting your fingers brush against his to test the waters before taking hold of his hand. âIs this okay?â
âOne little change I think,â Rafael whispered as he changed the grip you had made intertwining your fingers. âMuch better.â
A slight breeze carried a few leaves to float down around the two of you as you walked across the little bridge. It had been silent for a few moments but like at the restaurant not an awkward one. It was comfortable, as you lightly swung your joint hands between you. Rafael found the action adorable his eyes taking the chance to trace over your face as you watched the leaves flutter down onto the water.
âWere you in the office this morning?â you asked curious.
âYes unfortunately,â Rafael grumbled. âApparently the detectives got busy last night, I had yet more warrants to get for them as well as trial prep for a previous case.â
âVery busy morning for you,â you said. âI do hope that this doesnât put you behind on anything.â You didnât want to cause Rafael any stress in regards to how much work he had to do.
âNot at all, in fact it is a welcome reason to leave my office,â Rafael waved away your concern. âBesides, Liv has been rather good at keeping things off my desk unless necessary.â
âOh?â you were a little confused. âHow so?â
âNormally, my night would have been interrupted by what the detectives did last night but Liv knew I was at dinner with you and made sure we werenât disturbed,â Rafael smiled.
âThat was rather kind of her,â you said. âPlease tell her thanks from me? Iâm rather grateful that our night wasnât interrupted.â
âI will pass that on,â Rafael nodded. âOf course she will be smug about it all.â
âYou know from what you have told me about Liv, I already like her,â you grinned.
âYes, I am rather dreading when the two of you meet,â Rafael sighed. âShe teases me relentlessly and you have already shown you seem inclined to do that as well.â
âMr Lawyer, when I meet her?â you asked, Rafael realised how he phrased that comment. He debated correcting himself but he had never been one to do so, especially when he meant something.
âYes when,â he said again. âIf of course you want to, eventually.â
âWell, I would love that,â you said. âIâve already said I like her, and besides I canât wait to hear what stories she has about you.â
âI am already regretting this,â Rafael groaned hanging his head as you laughed at his response.
âToo late to take it back now, Iâm afraid,â you tapped him on the arm. He grabbed hold of those fingers in a teasing grip, the two of you had stopped walking standing to the edge of the path, hands still intwined. He lifted the fingers he had grabbed teasingly up to his mouth and pressing his lips to them softly, your mouth parted in a small âoâ shape, cheeks turning a red to match your nose.
âI must admit to once again being wrong,â Rafael stated, eyes roving over your face. âThis weather is rather good for a nice walk through the park.â
âOh? What made you change your mind?â you asked, a little confused by the change in topic but your mind was still reeling from the kiss he placed on the tips of your fingers. âYou said you preferred the summer?â
âOh I still do,â Rafael nodded. âBut how can I completely disagree when you look ravishing in this weather, it truly suits you.â
âYouâŚIâŚâ you stuttered unable to process a response. You had not been expecting that.
Rafael watched with a slightly guarded look, he was hoping that that hadnât been too much. Rafael was not the kind of man who half hearted things, he always put his all into his cases and his personal life got the same treatment. He wanted to start things off right, he wanted to be honest especially in regards to how he felt and thought about you. He had always been that way, it sometimes worked for the best but other times it had backfired. If it was going to do that with you, he wanted it to backfire before he got too deep, before the budding feeling of attraction grew, which it was slowly doing every minute.
âI hope that wasnât too much,â he whispered voice a little vulnerable. âI-â
âNo it wasnât!â you interrupted almost shouting. âI mean, I didnât expect it. But it wasnât too much, Iâve always rather liked the idea of someone who doesnât shy away from expressing themselves and their thoughts.â
âGood, good,â Rafael smiled, he started to walk again lightly tugging on your joint hands. âShall we continue?â
âYes,â you nodded, your face still incredibly red as you walked beside him.
You caught him glancing at you a few times, his jaw a little tense as if he was clenching it. You squeezed his hand, offering him a sweet little smile hoping to put him at ease. At first you hadnât been sure how to react to what he had said, people had commented on how pretty you are or beautiful but never had they said you looked ravishing, especially dressed in work out gear with your nose very red from the cold. But once what he said had actually sunk in, well, you became incredibly shy. It wasnât a common occurrence but this man, this bloody man seemed to bring it out a lot. With his smiles and serious eyes when he says things, that coming from others would be said teasingly or even mockingly but him, him they were said with such a serious tone and the look in his eyes when he said them, you couldnât take them any other way. And that intensity made you shy.
âHow was your morning?â Rafael asked, hoping to bring you back out of the shell you seemed to disappear into. He thought it was endearing, how you could become shy from things he would say or do.
âIt was good, didnât do much honestly,â you started. âI finished the latest book I was on and picked the next one out of my jar.â
âYour jar?â Rafael asked, curiosity peaked.
âOh yes, I have a lot of books, both physical and on kindle as I love buying books as much as I love reading them,â you explained. âAnd so itâs sometimes a little tricky to pick which book to read next so, I have two jars, one full the names of the unread physical books I own and one for my kindle, since I read that at work or if I decide to commute instead of drive.â
âThat is a genius idea,â Rafael said. âWhat book did you just finish? Was it a physical one or one on your kindle?â
âIt was a physical one, it was the last book in a series, the Ember Quartet by Sabaa Tahir, a rather good one actually,â you said, voice getting excited. âThere was a few things I didnât see coming and I was very happy with the ending. It was rather poetic in a way I suppose. It has a roman inspired world, with a fascinating magic system and some really good character development!â
You gestured with your hands as you talked, the one still linked with Rafaelâs hand bringing his with it. Rafael continued watching as you gushed about the book series, managing to talk about it without giving away any spoilers but still painting the world quite vividly. That light that he saw in your eyes last night when you discussed the importance of reading was back, and he never wanted it to leave. He loved listening to people talk about things they loved, they would always get so animated and he was a little chuffed that you hadnât let go of his hand. He was content to have his hand moved about in yours as you gestured.
âAnd it is best not to get attached to any of the characters,â you finished, looking over at Rafael. The look on his face was similar to the one he had last night when you had stopped yourself from rambling. It was soft. Gentle. And almost adoring. He had a small smile on his face.
âThat series does sound very good,â Rafael smiled. âIâm a little curious now, do you know if there is an audible version of it?â
âOh, um, Iâm not sure but I can definitely find out for you,â you grinned.
âThank you,â Rafaelâs smile changed to a cheeky one. âThough I wouldnât say no to you reading it too me.â
âOh, you donât want that,â you laughed. âIâd stop all the time to gush about something or another.â
âCommentary as well? Even better!â Rafael cheered, bringing your joint hands up to his lips to place a kiss on the back of it without a second thought. You were thinking that you would need to get use to the easy affection.
âI suppose I could be convinced then,â you teased. âWith someâŚhow do you fancy lawyers say it? Conditions and consideration? Is it?â
âConsideration?â he asked, eyebrow raised.
âYes, I do believe that is something that comes up in contracts isnât it?â you replied, for a moment unsure that you had remembered correctly. âI do something, for something in return? Like I buy something for money? Or am I wrong?â
âNo, not all,â Rafael smiled. âSo, tell me, what conditions?â
âI pay for the drinks weâll be getting in a moment,â you nodded towards the little coffee stand as the two of you came to stop just before it. âAnd, if you truly want me to read them to youâŚyouâll come to my apartment for it?â
âI can agree with those two conditions but so far I am only seeing benefits for me,â Rafael nodded.
âOh donât worry I was getting there,â you grinned. âYou said that your mum made sure you could cook. Before I read, you cook me dinner?â
âEach time?â Rafael asked for confirmation.
âOf course, each time,â you agreed.
âA standing date then,â Rafael finalised. âShall we try and do it every week?â
âAgreed, Mr Barba,â you hesitated for a split second before deciding it was your time to try and fluster Rafael. You leaned close, shifting your gaze from his right eye, to his left and back again before you lightly pressed your lips to his cheek. As you leaned back you noticed a slight red tinge to his cheeks. Inside you did a little dance happy that for once it appeared he didnât know what to say. âWhatâs this Mr Lawyer? Have I finally made you lost for words?â
You unlinked you hand from his to put your arms around his shoulders, moving even closer to him, almost touching him entirely. You bit your lip, a little nervous that you had maybe stepped over a line until his hands found their home on your hips and you saw his eyes darken a little as they flicked down your lips before back up to yours.
âOnly momentarily, chica,â Rafael hummed. âWould it be alright if I kissed you? I have been thinking about it since we met.â
âWell, this is the second date,â you jokingly pondered. âAnd you have been the utmost gentlemanâŚminus some teasing here and thereâŚyes, I do believe you may kiss me.â
âCheeky,â Rafael tsked.
He tugged you fully against him grinning at your soft exhale at the movement. Your arms linked behind his head as he lowered his lips to yours. You werenât one to really believe in that sparks with the first kiss trope that your read in your romance books, though you liked to think it was possible. And feeling Rafael gently press his lips against yours again and again before increasing the pressure moving them against yours, you almost believed it. The two of you broke apart, keeping in mind that you were in a public place, Rafael lightly kissed your nose before taking a step back but not letting you go.
âIâll take all the cheek for kisses like that,â he smirked, watching as you nibbled on your lip, swiping your tongue over your lips. âKeep doing that and Iâll be tempted to kiss you again.â
âAn error to tell me that,â you laughed. âIâll know how to get more kisses from you in the future.â
âMaybe that was my plan all along,â Rafael pointed out.
âWhatever you say,â you laughed removing your arms from around his neck and taking his hand again. âShall we get a warm drink?â you tugged him towards the stand.
âHmm, Iâd rather more kisses but I will take the drink,â Rafael grumbled letting you pull him along grinning when you turned around to wink at him.
âTrust me to order again?â you asked just before you got to the front.
âI believe so,â Rafael nodded, he privately thought that he may start to trust you with anything.
âCould I get two large hot chocolates please, with some mint?â you asked the vendor.
âRight away, love,â he smiled. âGlad I didnât start making it with hazelnut this time.â
âWell, itâs not often you have mint,â you cheeked, handing over some money for the drinks. Rafael waited bedside you, enjoying learning something about you, you turned to him with a smile. âTrust me, youâre going to love this.â
âHm, I think so,â Rafael answered so softly. You sent him a quizzical look, not quite understanding why he responded in such a way but before you could ask the vendor was handing over your two drinks. You both got out of the way of the people behind you, you took a sip enjoying the minty chocolate warming you up. You watched Rafael take a sip, bouncing a little waiting for his response.
âYou definitely werenât lying chica,â Rafael licked his lips savouring the taste. âI take it you are regular here?â
âOh yes, whenever I go for my walks I tend to come here for a hot drink before I continue on,â you said. âThere are some chairs just over there, if the weather is nice I will stay for a little while and read.â
âI hope you donât mind if we continue walking while we drink?â Rafael asked.
âNot a bit,â you smiled holding out your hand wiggling your fingers. âBut only if we hold hands.â
âTwist my arm,â Rafael muttered lacing his fingers with yours again as the two of you continued your walk. You grinned leading the way to the loop that led back to where you had started. The rest of the walk flew by in easy conversation just like the night before. The both of you wanted to drag the date on but Rafael admitted that he should get back to work, at least for a little while longer and you knew that you had to get some more things done before you started work tomorrow.
âSo,â you started. âThis wasâŚfantastic.â
âIâm inclined to agree,â Rafael said his hand reaching up to cup your cheek. âFull disclosure, I may be a bit busy in the next coming week the current case seems to be picking up and I start a trial in three days. But I would like to see you, even briefly when we can arrange it.â
âI would as well,â you nodded leaning a little into his hand, moving just enough to place a kiss on his palm. âIâm more than happy to work around your schedule, as mine is pretty standard not often that I am needed outside my shifts. Plus my lunch hour can be whenever, for the most part.â
âPerhaps we could meet for coffee and/or lunch in a few days?â Rafael asked, taking a step closer.
âSounds good,â you agreed eyes shifting between his and his lips, wanting to try out the triangle trick. You grinned a little at the response it seemed to elicit from the man as he leaned down to hover over your lips.
âTeasing woman,â he growled lowly just before he pressed his lips to yours again this time he pulled away quicker but not before gently biting at your lower lip. You struggled to hold in the whine at that, following after him a little. âGood thing I rather like that.â
âGoodâŚâ you whispered, voice a little breathy before you tried to focus. âLunch? A few days?â Rafael smirked gently at your short questions, he had heard the start of the whine before you stopped it when he pulled away from your lips and it created a need, a want to hear what noises you would make for him. He forced that heat down, he wanted to go slow with you to build up the desire and tension between the two of you.
âWeâll aim for two days from now. Iâll message you a time and place, once I know for certain,â Rafael answered voice equally soft.
âI canât wait,â you grinned. âBut donât worry if work gets busyâŚI could always drop by with some take out. If you want of course.â
âYouâd be willing to do that if I have to cancel?â Rafael asked. The few times he had dated in the past none of them had offered to alter the plans to fit into the hectic work hours of his job. And the times he had suggested it some of them did it, though they werenât necessarily with how many times they had to do it. The rest would refuse, claiming it wasnât a true date.
âOf course, I enjoy spending time with you and I would like to whenever and however possible,â you nodded, darting in to kiss his cheek again. âSo long as it doesnât interfere with your work.â
âIf I canât make the lunch date I would love for you to drop by the office,â Rafael took your hand to place a kiss on your knuckles. âMessage me when you get home?â
âHmm, sure,â you said face soft and open as you squeezed his hand before letting it go. âIâll see you in two days, Rafael.â
Rafael was still smiling after you parted ways, the two of you both looked back once or twice until you were out of sight. He was already excited for lunch, and a little part of him wanted it to be at his office so you could see him in his element. If he worked in a different area he would eventually invite you to watch him in court but there was no way he would ever want you to watch one of his trials. He wouldnât lie about the fact that he is a proud man, and definitely a little arrogant in his regards to his work and the thought of being able to show that off to you, well, it pleased some buried part of himself. He was busy planning what suit he would wear that day wanting to impress you with it. He returned to the office, hoping that if he got a lot done today nothing would interfere with the lunch plans.
The two of you both thought that the next two days couldnât go quick enough.













