Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"Hang on, so you're just taking off half way around the world for a job?"

You rolled your eyes as your best friend and sister gaped at you, still not believing what you were telling her.

"Yes!" You insisted as you continued packing your suitcase. "I accepted it this morning. My flight leaves tomorrow-"

"Tomorrow?!" She demanded, throwing a balled up pair of socks at you. "What do you mean tomorrow?!"

You shrugged and continued packing, trying to take the small parts of your life that you couldn't live without. So far you had a playstation and a pile of books. "Apparently they're desperate for the role to be filled. As I'm desperate for a job, it's a pretty good deal."

She rolled her eyes. "You've never even worked in care before. Does it not strike you as odd that this amazing opportunity is yours? They're probably human traffickers!"

You couldn't help your annoyed laugh now. "I'm not actually as dense as you believe. I did my research, it's a legit thing. From what I can gather, some rich guy had an accident and now he needs help driving around and having food made and things. There's not a great deal of care involved. I'm more of a maid."

She still didn't seem convinced, so you nodded over at your laptop, still open on the desk. "Go see for yourself. I've left his page open."

She shot you a look and then did as instructed, leaving you to pack in peace.

"Hey he's handsome at least. I'd take the risk just for that face alone," she grinned and you shook your head, chuckling. He was handsome, but you weren't taking this job for the eye candy.

*************************************************

Twenty-four hours later, you were starting to wonder who the hell your new employer really was. Your parents had dropped you off at the airport, waving you off as you made your way into the tiny building, wondering if you'd gone to the wrong place.

You'd been met inside by a tall handsome man in a suit who had introduced himself as Dean Simmons and taken your bags. You'd followed him through some doors, your passport clutched in your hands, but you hadn't even needed it. As you stepped outside, you realised why. A private jet with the words 'Adler Industries' on the side was waiting in the hangar, and you'd stopped dead in your tracks when you'd seen it. Dean had laughed at your reaction and led you on board.

It was nearly time to land when Dean came to find you again, sitting down opposite you with a grin.

"So, Y/N, how are you enjoying your employment so far?" He asked with a cheeky grin, and you decided immediately that you liked him.

You shrugged and gazed out of the window, seeing the city passing beneath you and knowing it would be time to land soon. "It feels more like a holiday to be honest," You confessed and he laughed.

"Don't get too used to it, once we get to the estate, there isn't much to do. Mr Adler pretty much keeps to himself and doesn't leave, so as long as you're happy in your own company, you'll be fine."

You thought about it and shrugged. You'd brought your Playstation along, so you could spend time on that if all else failed, but you weren't that hard to entertain.

Before you could chicken out, you turned to Dean and asked the question you'd been wondering since you received the phone call a few days before. "So why me? Surely you had more experienced candidates than me. Not that I'm not grateful, because I am. You've all just gone through a lot of effort to do this, and all I can think is why?"

Dean looked uncomfortable for a moment and you let the smile drop from your face. "Oh god, you really are taking me to harvest my organs aren't you?"

He spat his drink out and you let out a startled laugh as he quickly mopped the mess up off the table. You gave him an apologetic smile as he turned back to you, his own smile wide.

"Oh that'd be letting you off too easy. I'm afraid the job offer is legit, and you'll have the pleasure of working for Mr Rafe Adler... And to answer your question..." His eyes darted away for a second before landing back on yours. "You aren't the first person to get the job. We've filled the role 9 times in the past year."

You let that sink in and Dean watched you carefully. You picked up your coffee and took a sip, thinking back to your own previous year. "Mr Adler is that bad?" You asked eventually.

Now Dean shrugged and sat back in his seat. "That's up for debate. He's certainly... Prickly. But he's been through a lot."

You thought back to what you'd read about him online and nodded. Dean pushed on, dragging his hand through his sandy coloured hair. "He's still struggling to come to terms with what he lost. He had it all, and now he can't get out of bed without help. It's a lot."

That was understandable, and you felt a pang of sympathy for your new employer. Before you could dwell on it, he shot you a dark grin.

"Scared, Y/N?"

Were you? You shook your head and finished your coffee. "I don't scare easy, Dean."

"That's good. Maybe you'll actually last here then."

It was when you were in the car, heading out of the city when Dean turned to you again, his eyes barely on the road. "So you know why you got the job. But now it's my turn to ask... Why did you take it?"

You frowned, knowing you had your own reasons, but did you want to share them with someone you'd only just met?

"I needed the money. It pays well, and I don't have to wear a horrid uniform. Seems like a win-win."

You sounded too casual, even to your own ears. Apparently to Dean's too as he shook his head. "A young girl like you, giving up your life and heading halfway across the world? There's got to be something you're running from... A boyfriend maybe?"

You flushed and Dean knew he'd hit the nail on the head. "You don't have to say anything. I know it's not my business. But at least you know you'll have peace out here. No men around, except me, and I'm far too busy running everything in the estate."

You picked at your nails, trying hard not to think about the man you'd left behind. It wasn't so much that you were running... You'd already done that, moving out of your shared place and back in with your parents to escape him. The thought of not having to worry about him knocking on your door anymore was an added bonus. Maybe he'd finally figure out that you really were done with him.

"That's good to know. I'm just here for a job. Nothing else." And you meant it. There was no way you were going to be interested in any other guy for a long, long time.

Well shit, you thought to yourself as you stood in the office of your new, very handsome boss, Rafe Adler.

His face looked bored as his green eyes met yours briefly and looked you over. Those eyes were almost unreadable. Almost. You could see the lack of a spark in them. Those were the eyes of a man still drowning somewhere. He was haunted and lost, that much was obvious. You could only wonder what he was reading about you.

"Mr Adler, it's nice to meet you, I'm-"

"I know who you are. I've read your job application," he paused and those eyes found yours again. "Tell me, why did you agree to move all this way for the job? Nothing you're going to miss back home?" He asked, his voice dull and bored, but his eyes were lit now, searching your face for any weakness. Well game on, Mr Adler You thought to yourself, suddenly thankful for Dean pushing you for details on the drive over. Maybe he was doing his best to prepare you for your new boss.

Because of the heads up, you were more convincing this time when you replied. "Nope. I'm more focused on the future, and what I have to learn from working with you."

He all but rolled his eyes at you, but you ignored the gesture. You weren't going to let the little rich boy scare you off with his bad attitude. You felt your face heat, but Dean interjected before you could say something to your boss, potentially cutting short your employment.

"Excuse me for interrupting, Rafe, but it's been a long day for Miss Y/N, so I think I should probably show her to her room and let her get settled in before she starts tomorrow."

'Rafe' grunted a reply, and without a further word, you were led from the room.

You waited until you'd passed through a double set of doors and into an entryway before speaking again. "So he's... Friendly," you muttered and Dean laughed.

"Don't say I didn't warn you. He was on pretty good behaviour today too. I think he likes you."

Now it was your turn to laugh and roll your eyes. "If that's him liking me, I'm not surprised the staff don't last here."

Dean shrugged and gestured to a glass door leading off from the entryway. "So this is your place. Bedroom is through there, you've got your own bathroom and kitchen. You're welcome to use the pool and the gym whenever you'd like. We have a maid, but she won't come into your rooms unless you ask her to." You nodded and he ploughed on. "Mr Adler wakes up at 5am every morning, so you should meet him in the dining room at 5.30, and he will provide you with further instruction then. Meals are prepared for breakfast and dinner, but if you get hungry between those times, just go to the kitchen and someone will grab something for you. Okay?"

You swallowed and nodded, suddenly nervous. "I'm sorry to ask this, but what exactly is my job going to be? Everything I thought I'd be doing seems to be covered by someone else..." You trailed off, suddenly feeling foolish.

Dean let out a big sigh and sat down on your couch, looking at his hands. "I'm the one who put the job out there. I've known Rafe since we were kids, and after his accident... It's hard for him to be around me, being reminded of all the things we've done together that he now can't do. So he locks himself away, suffering alone, refusing to speak to me or try to do anything. He barely leaves the estate... So I guess, you're hired company. You're here to help him when he needs it, but mainly just to be someone who didn't know the old him, so maybe he can open up to you. No one should be alone, and I hate seeing him like this."

That was so sad, and you felt the sympathy rise in you again. No wonder he was so defensive. His friend was a constant reminder of everything he'd lost in his accident. Well if he needed a friend, that's what you would be.

Chapter Text

That was harder than it had seemed at first glance, and you were starting to understand why he went through staff so quickly.

The first morning, you'd met him for breakfast and after a grunt of acknowledgement, he'd not spoken a word to you. You'd cleaned up and then accompanied him to his office, where he'd quickly dismissed you, and told you he'd call if he needed you. After a few hours, you figured he'd not be ringing you, so you'd decided to explore your new home.

The pool was beautiful and huge, and beside it was an outbuilding with a shiny new gym in it. You couldn't help the slight excitement at the sight. The gym had once been your friend, but your ex hadn't liked you spending time where other men could see you, so you'd not been in so long. But he's gone now, I can do as I please, you thought to yourself.

The peace of the estate was welcoming to you, and you found yourself enjoying it, even though your new boss wasn't too welcoming. You'd give him time, and even if he didn't come around to your presence, the pay was too good for you to care. You could deal with the glares and sighing. You'd worked enough waitress jobs that anything less than an ass grab was a bonus. Although, you might not object if Rafe wanted to grab your ass... Your boss or not, you couldn't deny that he was very attractive. Not that he had any interest in you. He barely even glanced at you when you were in the room together. Still, after your last shit-show of a relationship, you were happy to fly under the radar.

Dean checked in with you most days, and you'd taken up running with him in the mornings, after Rafe had his breakfast and was getting dressed, you two ran along the country roads that surrounded the estate. At first you'd been embarrassingly unfit, but almost a month in, you were beginning to hold your own, even finding a friend in Dean. You'd found a happy, if not slightly awkward routine, and you were starting to think you could do it. That was when you decided to ruin it all by opening your big mouth.

You joined Dean and Mr Adler for food one night, chatting away to Dean while your boss made a point to ignore your presence.

Eventually Dean turned to Mr Adler and began discussing where he was going on leave, off to climb a mountain somewhere. You hadn't been paying much attention until you looked up and saw Mr Adler staring down at his plate, barely saying anything.

You shared a look with Dean and he took a deep breath and continued.

"You know you're always welcome to come with me, it'll be just like the good old days," he laughed, but Mr Adler's head shot up, his eyes alight with anger.

"Oh yes, just like the good old days, except, I'll be waiting at the bottom because my chair would tip if I went over slightly uneven terrain," he snapped.

Dean shrank back in his chair, deciding to stay quiet, but you jumped in, hating the tension in the room.

"I read your doctors report you know?" All eyes in the room turned to you, but you carried on, trying not to stumble over your words. "They say that you'd be able to walk again some day if you tried... And I've seen the equipment in the gym, so why don't you-"

"Careful," he growled across the dinner table, the first words he'd bothered to speak directly to you all evening.

Closing your mouth, you sat back with a sigh, picking at your food. You could feel both of them staring at you, but you didn't raise your eyes for fear of losing your temper, and maybe your job.

The longer you stewed though, the angrier you got, so after a few tense moments, you slammed your fork down loud enough that Mr Adler jumped. His eyes slid to yours as you got to your feet, glaring back down at him. "You know what? No! No I won't be careful, and no I'm not going to be told to shut up by you anymore, merely for trying to help! I've been here over a month now, and we still haven't even had a normal conversation. So you can fire me for all I care, but right now, you're going to damn well listen to me..."

He said nothing, his face a blank mask as he looked at you, maybe a simmering of anger in those eyes, but you didn't care. It was his turn to shut up and listen. "You're so busy feeling sorry for yourself that you're allowing your life to slip by while you rot in that chair. You have the option of walking again, of climbing any fucking mountain you want! Do you know how many people dream of that after an accident? You're so damn lucky, yet you refuse to see it," You paused for a breath and saw Dean was holding his breath, looking between you and your boss. "You're so caught up in your little ball of self-pity that it's impossible to deal with you sometimes... You did great things once, Mr Adler, all because you didn't let anything stop you! The only thing stopping you now is your own anger."

He clenched his fists on the table, his voice low and deadly when he spoke. "You have no idea what you're talking about-"

Laughing, you shook your head. "You're right, I don't. Because you won't talk to me about it. Everything I know about your accident came from a magazine..." You paused, your voice more gentle when you spoke again. "Look, I know that what happened to you must have been terrible. And terrifying! But you've been given a second chance at life, and thus far all you've done is waste it."

For a long moment, only silence followed your words, but then Rafe looked up at you again, his face white with anger as he muttered two words to you. "Get. Out."

You opened your mouth to say something, but then he was screaming the words at you. "GET OUT OF HERE! Leave!" He roared, and you quickly obeyed, running from the room as Dean shot to his feet, finally releasing his breath. You didn't hang around to hear what was said. You sprinted through the massive house, heading for your rooms. Inside, you grabbed your orange duffel bag and quickly shoved some clothes and toiletries inside, pulling on your shoes and jacket as fast as you could. Only moments had passed since you'd been in the dining room, so you wasted no time, grabbing your wallet and dashing out into the rain.

Your feet didn't slow as you ran down the dark driveway, ignoring the shapes that lurked in every shadow, knowing it was your mind playing tricks on you.

Once you were passed the estate gates, you kept running, roughly knowing the way from your morning runs. There was a train station in a couple of miles, and there'd be a train headed somewhere in the morning, so you'd sleep there if you had to.

The rain was so heavy that you could barely see an inch in front of your freezing cold face. The cold was vile, going straight through your clothes and chilling you to the bone. Still you kept moving, hating the darkness that surrounded you. This wasn't the first time you'd had to flee in the night, terrified for your own sake. You were exhausted from running so hard and long. You could have been about half way when you finally tripped over your own exhausted feet, hitting the ground hard. You cried out as your momentum took you off the road and tumbling into a ditch, hitting your head on something on the way down. You barely held on to consciousness, staring up at the branches of the tree above you, offering the slightest shelter from the elements. Not that a single part of you was dry now as you lay in the watery ditch, your head barely above the surface.

You'd allow yourself a moment to catch your breath, and then you'd get up and continue on your way. And it was supposed to be a moment, but you were so tired and cold that you felt your heavy eyes closing against the world as you slowly fell into a deep sleep.

You weren't sure how much later it was when someone was shouting your name, and you were being shaken roughly, beckoning you back to consciousness. You cracked your eyes open to see Dean hovering above you, protecting you from the rain, his dark eyes full of concern. "Oh thank God!" He muttered when he saw your eyes open. "What were you thinking, you lunatic!" He breathed, shifting in the water and scooping you into his arms without hesitation.

You were still drifting in and out of consciousness as he placed you in the passenger seat of his car, putting your seat-belt on for you before jogging around to the drivers side. His phone in hand, he hit speed dial and started turning the car around.

"I've got her. She was out cold in a ditch, she's freezing and covered in blood. It's been hours, she might need the doctor, but we're on our way back now... I nearly missed her..."

You zoned out again, shivering violently.

The next time you came to, you were being carried back into the Adler house, voices all around you. One voice was shouting above the others, the ring of authority making it obvious who it was. "Take her up to my room! There's a fire place. And get her out of those clothes!"

You became vaguely aware of multiple pairs of hands stripping you out of your soaking clothes, and slipping replacements on before you were suddenly cocooned by warmth.

You attempted to speak but were hushed, and almost immediately you were asleep again.

***********************************

The world came back to you slowly at first, and then all at once. Sitting bolt upright in bed, your eyes opened and you peered around the gloomy room, lit only by a huge fireplace. The bed was massive, and fitted with expensive feeling sheets, but you had no idea how you had ended up there. No part of the room looked familiar to you, though there was a scent you couldn't quite place. Your head was stuffy and all you wanted to do was sleep, but you had to know where you were, so you shoved the covers off and stood on shaky legs, looking down at yourself. You were wearing sweats and a hoodie that were both way too large on you, but they'd do, so you rolled the legs up to your knees and slowly stumbled towards the door.

The hallway was dark, and the house quiet, but you finally recognised where you were. Upstairs in the Adler house. How had you got there? The last thing you remembered was an argument at dinner, and then...

The rest was too blurry and your head hurt to much to think, so you headed down the hall to the main staircase. Outside of your new room, it was freezing, and you began shivering again. At least you knew where you were though, so you gripped the banister tight and started down the huge stairs, the tiles cold under your feet.

You just needed to get to your rooms and get some sleep, then you'd be fine... As you reached the bottom step though, a wave of exhaustion hit and you barely made it to one of the hard, wooden benches at the side of the hall before your legs gave out. It was cold and uncomfortable, but you didn't have the strength to move, so you lay down on the bench, hugging yourself to stay warm.

You weren't alone the next time you woke up, but you were back in the room from before, Dean slouching in the chair next to you. When he saw your eyes open, he shook his head and grinned at you. "You scared the shit out of us, Y/N! Running off like that in that storm! You could have frozen to death out there. You're lucky you didn't drown in that ditch. Another hour and you might have..."

You sat up and rolled your eyes, immediately regretting the movement when it triggered a headache. "Well in my defence, Mr Adler did tell me to get out..."

"And in his, he probably didn't think you'd go running out into a freezing storm and decide to have a nap in a ditch... Speaking of, what part of you thought that'd be a good idea?" He teased, so you shoved him lightly and told him to shut up. He smirked and sat back, looking you over for a moment.

"So what's the prognosis?" You asked, pushing your sleeves up to your elbows. "Am I going to live?"

Dean chuckled and nodded. "You will this time. Though, do anything like that again, and I'll kill you myself," he promised.

You shrugged, flinching as you scratched the wound on your head. "I already told you, Dean. I don't scare easily."

The concern that had surfaced at your flinch melted into a smug smile as he pulled an envelope from his jacket and handed it to you. "We'll see about that."

You looked between him and the envelope, feeling a pit form in your stomach as you took it from him.

"From the Boss. I was told to give it to you when you woke up, and to convince you not to go wandering around and falling asleep wherever..." You flipped him off and looked down at the letter in your hands. "Anyways, I'll be outside the door if you need me. Just text me if you need anything."

You nodded and thanked him, waiting until he was out before turning the letter over and opening it.

You were half expecting it to be a dismissal, but upon reading the first few lines, you realised that it was an apology note.

Dear Miss Y/N,

I apologise for my actions at dinner last night. I was out of order and you have my sincerest apologies. It has just been a while since anyone told me straight as you did, and though I reacted childishly, I'll admit it was refreshing.

If I haven't scared you off for good, perhaps you might allow me to make it up to you tonight? If you agree, I will be waiting in the conservatory at 7.

-Rafe

You read the letter over and over again, wondering if you were imagining it. Not once had Mr Adler apologised in the time you'd lived there, to you or anyone else. It was strange, but you figured if he was willing to give you a second chance after you yelled at him, he deserved one too.

Looking at the clock, you saw that you had almost slept in too long, so you quickly jumped out of bed and padded to the door, grabbing your phone to check for anything you'd missed while you were out. You snarled at the blank screen and condensation behind the glass. Clearly it wasn't happy about the swim it had been for in your pocket. Still, you pocketed it and continued towards the door. You were still in the clothes you'd been put in, but you definitely didn't have enough time to change, or the willpower to do it yet, so you just rushed out of the room, barely pausing to tell Dean what was happening.

He followed you without a word, offering his arm, which you leaned into as you went. You weren't even sure you'd have made it without him, so you gave him a quick hug as he stopped at the door to the conservatory. "Thank you for everything. I'll try and find you before I go this time," You promised. He shook his head and rolled his eyes.

"He's not going to sack you, Y/N. Just..." He looked at the closed doors behind you for a moment and then continued. "Don't be too hard on him. He's already beating himself up about it."

Before you could ask what he meant, he'd given you a light shove through the doors, closing them behind you. You stumbled over your feet, but didn't go down, so you looked up into the room and felt your breath catch.

It was beautiful at night, candles illuminating the glass domed room. The pounding rain outside added to the cosy feeling of it, and you couldn't help the small smile that graced your lips as your eyes found Rafe's.

He was in his chair by the far window, his hands in his lap as he gazed at you. You stopped dead when you saw him, suddenly self conscious in your borrowed clothes and obvious bed head. His eyes were darker today, you noted. Purple, bruise-like smears under both of them. He hadn't slept well.

You looked away.

"Y/N."

His voice wasn't as stern as you were used to, and it made you look up, meeting that gaze again. He seemed to be assessing you, his eyes lingering on the tender flesh of your head for a moment before moving over the rest of you.

"Thank you for coming. I-"

You jumped in before he could say whatever he was going to. "I wont apologise."

He just stared at you, so you continued. "Maybe I was speaking out of turn, but I'm not sorry for what I said, and I won't say I didn't mean it, because I did..." You trailed off, feeling his gaze, and the slight twitch of his lips. Was that a smile? It shocked you enough that you shut up completely, and he took advantage.

"I don't want an apology, Y/N. Quite the opposite actually." He did smile now, and you weren't sure if it was the head injury or the beauty of that smile that made you sway a little on your feet. The smile was gone and quickly as it appeared as he moved closer, his eyebrows pulled together in concern. "You should sit, you look like you're going to fall down." He pulled a chair out for you and moved to your side, careful for his chair not to get into your way.

You smiled gratefully, sitting down with as much grace as you could muster. You could feel the glow on your cheeks and hoped he'd think it was injury related. Once he was sure you weren't going to pass out, he moved to the space opposite you and looked across at you.

"I brought you here today because you were right. Maybe not about everything, but definitely about one thing at least."

You waited for him to elaborate and he looked away, almost as if he was embarrassed.

"I haven't been very pleasant to you since you arrived. I was raised better than that, and if you would allow me to, I would like the opportunity to show you."

You raised your eyebrows and he carried on. "What happened yesterday was completely unacceptable, and that's on me. I shouldn't have reacted like that. Maybe its just the spoilt rich boy in me, but regardless, it was-"

"Mr Adler?"

He stopped and looked up at you, his eyes swimming with self loathing. "Please call me Rafe."

You blushed again, hating your face for its betrayal.

"Rafe... We both acted a little... Defensively," You decided, embarrassed at how you'd ran, but knowing how terrified you'd been before. Not because of Rafe though. He'd merely shouted at you, and that had gotten you into survival mode, as if you were back with... Him.

Your ex had been a piece of work, and when the shouting started, you knew to get clear of the blast zone, or else. So the events of the day before, were your fight or flight kicking in from memory. You were pretty sure Rafe wasn't going to do anything to you, but your mind didn't care about logic when you got triggered. But that wasn't his fault.

Before you could chicken out, you decided an explanation could be an olive branch. "I don't like being shouted at. The last person who shouted at me was not a very nice man, and I guess part of me is still scared. I'm sorry for how I acted, I can promise you it won't happen again, so long as you speak to me like a human."

You knew he at least partially put together what you meant, and you were thankful when he didn't push you on it. "I can do that. I've also decided that while you're here, we're going to put your theory to the test. You seem to think I'll walk again, so you can be my partner through it. If you believe half as much as you seemed to yesterday, I should be walking by the end of the week." He gave you a weak smile, and you matched it, grinning broadly.

"Of course I'll help you! Anything you need! Just ring- Oh, never mind," you frowned, remembering your broken phone. "Do you have a bag of rice?" You asked. He gave you a baffled look and you pulled the sodden phone from your pocket, handing it over when he held his hand out for it. He pocketed it and nodded.

"I will deal with it. So we have a deal?"

You nodded enthusiastically, sticking your hand out for him to shake. He hesitated a moment before taking your hand in his much larger one. His hands were surprisingly calloused, and you remembered all his adventures you'd heard about from Dean. Those hands had seen the world.

He released you and cleared his throat, the mood lightening as he gestured to a door you hadn't noticed before. "So I do still mean to make it up to you tonight, so I had the staff prepare this meal. I didn't know what you'd like so-"

"You ordered everything?" You guessed, your eyes bugging out of your head at the sheer amount of food.

"You haven't eaten in nearly two days, Y/N."

Your heart did a little flip at the way he said your name, but you ignored it and gave him a bemused look. "I'm the first to admit, I can put a lot of food away, but even I might struggle with all this."

He just shrugged, and you had to remind yourself that money wasn't an issue for him. Still, you were grateful for the effort.

So you dug in, trying a load of new foods, all of which you enjoyed. Rafe helped you pick, showing you his favourites, and chatting to you throughout the meal.

You stayed that way even after the staff had removed the food, and there was just an empty table between you. You talked long into the night, making up for the lack of communication for the first month of your stay. You realised that Rafe was actually very charming when he wanted to be, and by the time you went to bed, the haunted look in his eyes had subsided somewhat. Maybe Dean was right, and he just needed a friend. Regardless, you knew that you could definitely learn to love more of the sound of his laughter, restrained as he was with it.

It was nearing 3am when you yawned, somehow still tired after being asleep for a full day, and Rafe sat upright. "You should go to bed, Y/N."

You wanted to say no, not wanting the light of day to scare away whatever bond you'd formed together in the candlelight, but he looked exhausted too, and you suddenly remembered his voice when you'd been carried inside the house. "Hang on, where did you sleep?" You demanded, suddenly feeling like an ass.

He looked away, almost embarrassed, and you felt your own face flush in response. You really were going to have to get that under control. It was like you were 15 and had a school girl crush on him. Not that anyone could blame you. He was delightful to look at, even exhausted as he was. In fact, there was something endearing about him now his guard was down and he was relaxing. You'd only ever seen the crisp, fresh, businessman Rafe Adler.

You realised you were staring at him, and quickly looked away. He hadn't seemed to notice as he was too busy trying to avoid your question.

"I slept in your room, didn't I? Are these your clothes?"

Again he looked like he was going to avoid answering, but then he stopped and just nodded. "My office has a sofa-"

You cringed. "Oh my God..."

Rafe started to look pissed off and he snapped at you. "Just because I can't walk-"

You shook your head, jumping in before he'd finished. "It's got nothing to do with that! It's because my boss slept on the sofa while I took the worlds longest nap in his bed."

He seemed to freeze as he realised what you were upset about, and then he relaxed. "Y/N, it's my fault you were in danger, so it was only fair that I gave you the warmest room, which just happened to be mine. It's not a problem. I've spent a night in a Panamanian jail cell, believe me when I say the sofa was fine."

You thought about arguing, but thought better of it. It wouldn't undo what had happened. Also, you wanted to hear more about his stay in a jail cell, but it was too late, and you both needed some sleep.

He led you back to your rooms, saying nothing until you arrived to your door. "Take tomorrow off, we both need rest. If you need anything-" He stopped, remembering that your phone was broken. "Come and find me."

You nodded and turned to leave, but thought better of it at the last moment and turned back to him, holding your hand out to him. He took it, a question in his eyes. "Thank you for everything you've done tonight. I look forward to getting to know you better."

Was that a hint of a smile at his lips? You weren't sure, but he shook your hand once, and then met your gaze. "Me too."

With that, he turned and headed back the way you'd came.

You collapsed into your bed, exhaustion hitting you all over again, but there was a light feeling too. Like a new spark of happy in your chest. Not only had you kept your job, but you were also going to help your boss get back on his feet, literally.

It didn't take too long for you to drift off, the sleeves of the hoodie held up to your nose so you could breathe the smell of him in.

Chapter Text

Two days later, you had met Rafe for breakfast, half expecting him to have backed out of your arrangement now the guilt had worn off. You were pleasantly surprised to find him already dressed, wearing some loose fitting black joggers, and a fitted white tee. He looked good. Unfairly so for someone who hadn't long since fell out of bed and into work out gear. Still, you were glad he was dressed, as you had been nervous about coming to breakfast in your yoga pants and hoodie. You'd left his hoodie behind in your rooms, not quite ready to return it yet, and he didn't ask about it. He greeted you as warmly as could be expected for 5:30am, and you smiled back at him. He seemed to look at you longer than necessary, and you looked away, worried you had something on your face. You casually wiped your face, the first time he turned away, praying you weren't going to start blushing again. You'd had a pep talk with your face the day before. The blushing was not necessary .

Dean saved you as he sauntered in, falling into the seat beside you, and throwing his arm over your shoulder. "So you didn't chicken out, Y/N?"

Pulling a face, you wiggled out from under his arm. "How many times do I have to tell you Dean? I don't-"

"Scare easy. Yeah, yeah, I know. But you don't know how much of a stubborn ass this guy can be," he said pointedly, shooting Rafe a look, who flipped him off without even looking up. Choking on a laugh, you dug into your breakfast omelette, ignoring the two men who bickered like brothers.

You were nearly finished when Rafe called your name, and you looked up to see him pushing something across the table to you. You put your fork down slowly before reaching out to take the box from him. When you realised what it was, you opened your mouth to object, but he beat you to it.

"Don't bother arguing. You need a phone and that old one you had was barely fit for purpose. I had all the data transferred over to this one, so you have all your photos on it. The only thing is your number has changed, but that's not a bad thing. At least you can choose who has your new one."

You looked up at him. Did he know that your ex called you so much? Using different numbers when you blocked each one. The expression on his face gave nothing away, but you'd seen the flash of something in his eyes, and you couldn't help but wonder if he'd not kept your old number for that purpose. Either way you were grateful, so instead of arguing, you unboxed it and powered it up. Handing it to Dean, you grinned at Rafe.

"Picture time!" You announced, leaning back as Dean squeezed in beside you, holding the camera high and snapping a picture.

Rafe tried to object, but gave up. Still, you howled as you looked at the picture. You and Dean were grinning like excited kids, while Rafe was glaring daggers into the back of your heads. You looked back up at him and showed him the picture, seeing the slightest twitch of his lips as he gave it a quick look. "It's day one! That's worth documenting."

He said nothing, but he didn't tell you to delete it, so you put your phone away and stood up. "Are we ready to get started then?"

He didn't look thrilled, but you ignored him and led the way into the outbuilding that housed his gym. Dean accompanied you, and when you got into the gym, he did the heavy lifting, helping you to get the equipment where you wanted it. Rafe just sat in his chair, staring down at his feet in anger. You were surprised by the look on his face, but you ignored it and moved to his side, not speaking until he looked up at you. "So I spoke to a doctor, and they referred me to a physio who gave me exercises for you to do to strengthen your legs, which is step one. Do you want to start in your chair, or on the mat?"

He didn't say anything for a moment, but the dart of his eyes to his friend showed you what was wrong, and you could have slapped yourself. Of course, he'd already shown that he was uncomfortable struggling in front of his friend. Without waiting for him to say anything, you turned to Dean and pointed at the door. "You can leave now. I'm afraid I've had enough of you for today. I'll shout if we need any muscle," you teased, thankful when he bowed and left, shooting you a grin on the way. After the door closed behind him, you turned back to Rafe, seeing that he'd relaxed somewhat. Instead of giving him the option this time, you went and sat in front of him in his chair, looking up into that handsome face.

"So first things first. Before you can attempt to stand, we need to get your legs to working so we can build some strength back up." You held your hand out, about three inches above his thigh. "I want you to try and lift your knees up this high, hold it for two seconds, and then let it back down. Think you can do that?"

He nodded, and you smiled at him. "That's the spirit."

His face turned to a mask of concentration and you watched as he began shaking with the effort of getting his legs to move. He gave up after a long moment, his breath huffing out of him as he looked away, his cheeks beginning to glow. You got the impression that he didn't allow himself to be seen struggling in front of anyone, and this was hard for him. From what Dean had said, Rafe had been super fit before his accident, so to go from that to not being able to lift his leg... That had to be tough.

You put your hand down onto his thigh and squeezed it gently, waiting for his eyes to find yours. They looked like sea glass today, as if they changed with the weather, and for a moment they stunned you, but you recovered quickly. "Hey, it's okay Rafe. You'll get there. I'm here to help you."

His jaw was clenched but he nodded once, watching as you stood up and walked to the cupboard near the mirrors, digging around until you found what you needed and brought it back to him. He looked between it and you, waiting for what you wanted him to do with it. "May I?" You asked, nodding towards his legs, and he nodded his permission.

You hooked the resistance band under one of his legs and held the two ends slightly above his leg. "Try again," You prompted. He hesitated only a second before he tried again, and this time, you offered the slightest assistance, lifting slightly with the band. His leg lifted, one, two, three inches, and though he shook with the effort, he held it for the two full seconds, unassisted before dropping it back to his chair, breathing heavily. His bright eyes darted to yours, like a child checking to see if their parent had seen their feat. You grinned broadly at him, and a surprised smile graced his mouth, making your breath catch. How was he so beautiful? It wasn't fair! And he smelled so good, this close to him, it was hard to not breathe him in.

"Again!" He declared, and you obliged, smiling at his enthusiasm.

The two of you worked like that for a couple of hours, doing various exercises and stretches to help strengthen his body, chatting to each other as you went. You were both laying down on yoga mats when you turned your head to look at him, asking him about his stay in hospital.

"How long were you in the hospital for, after your accident?"

He didn't answer immediately, but you gave him time, knowing it was likely hard to think back to that time in his life. His voice was quiet when he did speak. "A little over a month." That was a long time. Before you could say so, Rafe looked at you, and then back up at the ceiling. "I was in such bad shape, I was pretty much coming out of one surgery, and going into another. They kept me in a coma, to protect my mind, but when they were done and tried to bring me out of it... Apparently I wasn't ready. I woke up two weeks later, alone in hospital room, nothing to show for the previous 15 years of my life, except a lot of battle scars." He forced a laugh and looked back to you. "I had no family around me, praying for my recovery. Dean was off the grid, so didn't even know anything had happened. That was hard..."

You surprised both of you when you reached for his hand in the space between you, giving it a squeeze. He didn't pull away, and kept talking. "I could have died in that cave, and nobody would have known to mourn... To go get my body. I'd have been doomed to spend eternity in a dark cave, alone, surrounded by the damn treasure that cost me my life." his fingers flexed around yours. "The worst part though, is looking back now, I realise that I never actually lost anything when that ship went down. I never had anything to begin with. If things had turned out differently, I'd have walked away with treasure, but I already had money and fame, its nothing I didn't have. What I don't have is love, family... Someone to come home to afterwards. I spent so long chasing that damned treasure, I forgot to live. I've seen the world, but never took it in. I was so focused on the end goal that I didn't care about anything else, so now it's gone, I have nothing."

You squeezed his hand again. "That's not true. You have me, and Dean. And once I get you walking again, you can go get those things. You haven't got anything to distract you now," You offered, and he contemplated it for a moment. You realised he was done talking, and were about to move when he asked his own question.

"What about you?"

You sat up and looked down at him. "What about me?"

He gave you a look and you fought a blush under that gaze. "Well you left your whole life behind to come here. Why?"

You thought he knew... But then again, maybe he was giving you a chance to tell the story in your own way, so he didn't assume anything. Whatever his motive, he had been truthful with you, so you owed him the same.

"I had a boyfriend. When we first got together, things were great. He was great... But then the red flags started showing. He used to sulk if I went out with my friends instead of spending time with him, Then he didn't trust me to go to the gym, because he didn't come with me. Then I moved in with him, he used to get mad if I had my sister round. It all just started as little things that I gave up to keep him happy, but by the end of it, I was a prisoner in my own home." You stopped, staring off into the distance, not sure if you wanted to tell him the rest. "He used to get violent. That's why I can't handle shouting very well. He'd scream at me, and if I didn't get away, he'd escalate it."

Rafe was deadly silent, but you didn't look at him. "He was always sorry afterwards, crying at my feet. But if he was that sorry, he wouldn't do it in the first place... The last time it happened, I ran. I took my clothes I had on and ran to my sisters house. She went and got my things when he was at work, and I've not seen him since. He kept calling, but i ignore them, so he started to lurk outside my mums and my sisters houses, hoping to find me. It got so bad, I didn't know what to do... Until I saw the job ad for here." You finally looked at Rafe, seeing the carefully guarded look in his eyes. "So that's why I left."

He nodded, still saying nothing, though you could tell he was angry at what you'd told him. Instead of continuing the conversation, you stood up and checked your watch. "We've done enough for today I think. Cool down and then we'll go get some food. I'm starving."

Rafe agreed and the two of you worked through some more stretches and then you helped him back into his chair. Once again, you were face to face with your boss, both of you breathing heavily. You were about to move away when he reached out, brushing a stray lock of hair behind your ear.

"You don't have to be afraid of him. If you ever want to go home, I have a whole team of security sat on their asses. They're yours, whenever you need them."

You could tell he wasn't just saying it, and he meant every word. All you could manage was a small nod before you led him out of the gym.

"Speaking of sitting on their ass," He called and you saw Dean lounging in the garden, enjoying the unusually sunny day. He looked up when Rafe spoke and flipped you both off.

"I'm too efficient, that's the problem," he groaned as he got to his feet and stretched. "The only thing I have left to do today is babysit you two. Not my fault you don't do much."

You rolled your eyes and left them to it.

The next few weeks went by the same way, with the two of you spending the day in the gym, strengthening his legs and core. Sometimes you trained by yourselves, occasionally passing the time talking quietly together. It was good. You were happy seeing the change in Rafe since he started making progress. Some days were harder than others, but you were with him for all of them.

It was almost a month after you'd started training that you called Dean into the gym to help Rafe stand. He hadn't been present for any of your sessions together, so he shot you cautionary looks as he helped his friend stand at the edge of two rails. Rafe gripped them tightly, holding most of his weight on his arms while he tried to position his feet to support him. You moved to stand in front of him, unable to keep the smile from your face as you watched them.

"You've got this," you urged, and Rafe nodded.

"I've got this."

Dean held his breath as he stepped back, leaving Rafe to support himself. For a moment Rafe shook as he struggled, but then he seemed to figure it out and looked up. You knew that the two foot between you looked like a mile to him, but you smiled encouragingly. "You've got this," you promised him again and he nodded.

Slowly he put more weight onto his legs, testing the strength of them, making sure he wasn't going to fall. He looked back up at you and took his first steps.

You felt the first of your silent tears start to fall as he took another step, and then another, following you as you walked slowly backwards, ready to catch him if he fell. But he didn't. His legs shook and he moved slowly, but he kept going. Towards you. You were full on crying as you made it to the end of the rails and you rushed forward to put your arms around him, half for the support and half in celebration.

Dean cheered from the other end and rushed to your side with the chair, but Rafe ignored him and held onto you tightly, one of his hands moving to stroke your hair. "Why are you crying, Y/N?" He whispered to you and you laughed, pulling back to look into his face. He was exquisite as he beamed at you, the first full smile you seen from him.

"Because I'm so proud of you," you whispered, holding him close. He was still smiling as he looked down at you, and you suddenly realised how much taller he was than you. You both stared at each other for a long moment, Rafe looking like he was about to say something when Dean cleared his throat beside you. You both jumped, having forgot he was even there with you.

"You should sit down, Rafe," he ordered, and Rafe looked back at you for a long moment before he, almost reluctantly, let you go. You stepped back, feeling like someone had stolen the warmth, but it returned when you looked at Rafe and saw the wide smile still on his face.

Dean was congratulating his friend, but Rafe only had eyes for you. You wiped your tears and beamed back at him, finally feeling like the crack in your heart was beginning to heal.

Chapter Text

The excitement didn't allow you to sleep that night, so you found yourself still wide awake at 2am, playing on your playstation to tire yourself out. Every now and again, you'd smile to yourself as you remembered Rafe taking those first steps, and the look on his face when he'd reached you. No matter what happened for the rest of your life, that was not a sight you would ever forget.

However, between smiles, you were shouting at your TV screen as you fought through level after level, kicking ass and getting shot.

"Oh come on!" You growled as the same enemy brought you down for the third time. "I'm gonna-"

A knock at your door had you freezing in place, wondering who it could be at that time. You stood up and padded over to the door, conscious of your bare legs as you opened it. It was Rafe, sitting in his chair, his hair dishevelled and eyes bright.

"Rafe?!"

He smirked. "Who else?"

You quickly stepped out of the way, allowing him into your rooms. You thought he'd wheel himself in, but instead he pushed himself to his feet, holding onto the door frame while he found his balance, and then taking a step. He was very wobbly, his legs probably aching from the amount they'd been used already, so you stepped in and took his arm. He looked down at you, a soft smile on his face.

"Not that I'm not happy to see you, but what are you doing here? It's 2am."

He chuckled as you both headed for the sofa you'd vacated moments before. "Well I couldn't sleep, so I was on my way to the office, when I heard you shouting, so I thought I'd come investigate."

Your face glowed and you started to apologise, but he waved you off, collapsing onto the sofa. You sat down beside him, still mortified that he'd heard you shouting at the game. You didn't know what to say, but he gestured to the screen. "Please, continue. As we're both awake, I'll provide you with company and you can provide me with entertainment... What are you playing?"

"It's called Tomb Raider," you explained, pressing play and launching straight back into the fight scene. You tried not to lose your temper this time, as you could feel Rafe's eyes on your face. This time, you defeated it straight away and grinned at Rafe. "Clearly I'm a professional."

He laughed, this time without restraint, and once again the beauty of it caught you off guard. The man you'd first been introduced to, and the one who sat beside you now were two completely different people. The Rafe who was sat beside you was warm, and funny, unlike the cold stone you'd met on your first day. You liked him, you realised, as more than your boss. He was in real danger of becoming a friend.

You chatted away to him, telling him about the game, and the story. You could tell it was reminding him of his past, and he was starting to look sad, so you did the only thing you could think of and handed him the controller. "You play, I'll watch for a while." He started to shake his head no, but you insisted. "Please?"

He stilled, looking from your face to the controller before sighing and taking it from you. "You'd think you were the boss in this relationship," he grumbled, but hit continue.

You laughed as you watched him struggle through the first few minutes, but then he figured out the controls more, and he was actually pretty good! You cheered every time he emerged from a fight, victorious, and shouted for him when he was losing. He was getting into it as much as you.

After a little while, your eyes were starting to feel sandy and you were struggling to keep them open. You weren't ready to say goodnight yet though, so you tried to stay awake, watching Rafe play, much more subdued now. At some point you must have lost the battle as you tumbled into a deep sleep.

************************

Rafe didn't know what he was enjoying more- the game, or the sight of you laughing unabashedly with him. Probably the latter. Your laugh brightened up his mood, and he made a mental note to be funnier in the future so he could hear it more.

When he'd first raised his fist to knock on your door, he'd almost talked himself out of it, but after growing a pair, he decided to just do it, and he was glad he had. This was a side of you he didn't get to see very often.

He'd been playing for a while when he realised you hadn't spoken in ages, and he looked down, seeing that you had fallen asleep, leaning against him. The smile that came to his lips brought with it a warm feeling in his chest. If he wasn't careful, he was in real danger of falling for a member of the staff. Would that be so bad though? He thought to himself as he gazed down at your sleeping form, lifting his arm to drape over you shoulders. The movement must have disturbed you as you mumbled something in your sleep and turned, cuddling into his chest. He froze, scared that you'd wake up, but you didn't. You nuzzled your face against his chest, breathing in deeply, and he didn't bother to hide his smile as he put his arm down, holding you against him. Before he could even register what he was doing, he had leaned down and placed a kiss on your hair. "Sleep well, Y/N," he mumbled quietly into your hair.

He continued playing the game for a little while, but became conscious of your sleeping form and didn't want to wake you up. Besides, his own eyes were wanting to close, so he turned off the console and leaned his head back, drifting off with you in his arms.

That was how Dean found you a couple of hours later when he came to get you for your morning run. One look at the pair of you and he smiled and turned around, leaving without a word.

Chapter Text

After a few more weeks, Rafes walking was coming along well. But after being neglected for so long, his muscles were causing him pain, so one day, you had an idea and convinced him to give it a go.

"Swimming!" You cheered, wading up to your thighs in the water and smiling at the feel. It was a lovely day outside, and you'd always loved swimming, so you were excited at spending an afternoon in the pool.

Rafe looked less amused in his shorts and sunglasses, sitting in his chair and scowling at the water. He looked like a model, you couldn't help but notice, trying not to make it too obvious that you were admiring his body. Ever since you'd woken up in his arms the other week, you were painfully aware of his body when ever you were together. Now you woke up cold, and alone, missing the feel of his body against yours.

"I thought I was learning to walk again. Why exactly are we going swimming?" He asked, the hint of a bite in his words, which you ignored and walked back over to him, very aware of the amount of skin you were showing. You hadn't thought you'd be around your boss when you were swimming, so you hadn't thought much about the amount of boob that would be on display. Now you were wishing you'd packed something more modest.

"Because, smart ass, the water will strengthen your legs while taking some of the pressure off them... But you already knew that, so stop stalling."

For a moment you thought you saw the hint of an amused smirk cross his face, but then he was sighing and slowly getting to his feet. His legs still shook a little, but not as much as they had been. He was slowly getting stronger.

Still, you went to his side and offered your hand without a word, which Rafe took and slowly the two of you headed for the water.

He seemed fine until the water hit his thighs, at which point you noticed the slight hitch in his breathing and how his hand tightened around yours. He said nothing though, so you kept going until it was at his waist, at which point it hit you what was wrong with him.

His accident. When the ship had gone down, he'd drowned and been brought back. But he must have remembered thinking he was going to die in that ship. The feeling of water filling his lungs...

When you realised, you came to a stop and turned to him, seeing how tense he was. His breath was coming in fast shallow pants, and his eyes were squeezed shut. "Rafe..." He opened his eyes and you gave him a small smile before nodding back towards his chair. "We don't have to do this... I didn't think..."

He said nothing for a second, but then he took a deep breath and sighed, shaking his head as he did so. "No. We're doing this..."

Deciding not to argue with him, you continued walking until you no longer could, at which point you started to tread water beside Rafe who could still walk. When he looked at you he laughed. "Are you allowed passed this point without a parent?" He mocked and you glared at him and splashed water in his face before swimming away laughing.

"I wouldn't wind me up in here... Not when you can't swim away from me fast enough " You smirked, and he smirked and flipped you off before slowly starting to swim, struggling a little at first, but then when he figured out exactly how much his body could take, he was fine and the two of you spent a few hours floating around, talking quietly.

After the initial tension, you found that you quite enjoyed Rafes company now, and he wasn't as much of an asshole as you'd first thought.

The two of you stayed in the pool long enough that the skies started to darken and a chill entered the air, so reluctantly the two of you got out. As usual after swimming, you were both starving, so you didn't bother getting changed before going for food. Someone had ordered pizza for you both, so you took up your usual spots in the conservatory and ate in a comfortable silence.
You noticed that Rafe had walked in with you, not using his chair, and smiled a little.
It was only when you were done that you noticed Rafe flinching a little when he moved his legs.

"You ok?" You asked, and he nodded, trying to stretch his feet.

"I didn't feel anything until we stopped moving. It aches," he confessed. Once again you were caught off guard by how far you and Rafe had come. He never would have confessed weakness to you before, and would still probably hesitate to do so to others now.
Saying nothing, you scooted closer and lifted his legs onto your lap, seeing how he froze for a moment, but relaxed as you asked him where it hurt, and once he showed you, you carefully started rubbing circles into his muscles, hoping to ease the ache a little.

Slowly the tension leaked out of him and he relaxed, just watching you with a thoughtful look on his face. After spending the whole day talking, you were feeling braver than usual, so you asked him something you'd wanted to since first seeing him shirtless. "What are those scars from?"

He stayed silent for a moment, as if considering ignoring the question, but then he exhaled quietly and rubbed his eyes, deciding to humour you. "Which ones?"

Silently you pointed to a horizontal scar on his left side, beneath his ribs. He didn't even have to think about it, and placed a hand over it, almost as if he could erase it.
"Fencing on a pirate ship... Lucky hit caught me off guard."

Your eyes widened, but you didn't dwell, and instead moved on to another scar, this time on his leg, just above his knee. He chuckled at that one and shook his head a little. "Skiing accident. Back in high school..."

You smiled too and turned to show him one on the back of your shoulder. "Snap! But I was 20 and on a dry ski slope, trying to impress a guy," you confessed, your cheeks glowing red. To your surprise Rafe was hiding a smirk when he asked you if it worked. Gingerly you answered. "Well, I think he was impressed at first, when he thought the flips were intentional, but he ditched me pretty quick when I hit the ground and walked off the slope covered in blood."

He seemed pretty shocked but you just laughed and rolled your eyes. "Would you believe me if I said that that wasn't even the worst date I've been on? Like by a long shot..."

He shook his head, and you laughed as you explained your train wreck of a dating history. Including ending up wearing your meal, hiding in the toilets, calling the police, and meeting the wife of a date. All on separate occasions.
When you were done, Rafe was struggling to contain his laughter, and you pushed him jokingly. "I'm so glad this amuses you! I'm gonna end up working for you until I'm an old lady, forever alone," you laughed, silently panicking at the thought of it being true. "Though you'll probably be here too, even more grumpy than you are now... But you'll still cherish my company, and be thankful that I decided to stay with my friend all those years..."

You were teasing, but something you said caught Rafes attention and he raised his eyebrows at you. "Friend?" He asked, and you suddenly felt stupid, blushing a little and looking away as you answered.

"Hard as you try to be an asshole, you still got me to like you. And I know you like me too, pal."

He said nothing for a moment, but you could feel his gaze on your face, working you out. After a moment of complete silence, Rafe finally spoke. "Well as I'm such a great friend, if your dates continue to be as disastrous, it is my duty to take you out and show you how a good date would go."

You chuckled and nudged him with your shoulder, Smirking at the thought. "Oh yeah? And where would you take me? What would be the setting for this great date?"

He laughed and poked your bare leg. "Well your standards are pretty low, so I could probably take you to a drive thru McDonald's and you'd think it was a success..." He dodged a smack from you and laughed, holding up his hands in surrender and thinking about it. "Usually I take women out for a nice meal in an expensive restaurant, but I'm sure flashing my wealth wouldn't impress you... So I'd go for something more your style... Maybe-"

You didn't get to hear his idea as Dean was suddenly running into the room, his gun in his hand. His eyes shot around the conservatory windows, expertly checking for something.

Rafe was on his feet instantly, putting himself between you and Dean, as though danger wouldn't be far behind.

"What?" Rafe asked, his face cold now.

Dean gestured for the pair of you to come to him, so you did, your heart hammering in your chest. What the hell was happening?

"There's an intruder on the grounds. We haven't caught them yet."

Your heart stopped dead. An intruder? You looked to Rafe for explanation, but he just nodded and followed Dean, his arm locked around you.

"What's going on?" You whispered as Dean led you both back towards the main house. Before you got an answer, Dean's radio buzzed, and the three of you paused on the path. You didn't understand what was said, but Dean just looked around quickly and then nodded to the gym.

Rafe seemed to understand and held you close as the three of you jogged for the door. Goosebumps covered your whole body, but you were more concerned about Rafe's legs. He shouldn't be running yet. You didn't dare say anything though, not until you were all inside the gym.

Dean didn't turn the lights on, but addressed you both in a harsh whisper. "I'm going back out there to find this bastard. We don't know if he's armed or not, but he took Rico down, so we're taking no chances. Stay here, and stay quiet. Y/N, you don't open this door unless you hear my voice. Got it?"

You nodded, not really understanding what was happening. Before you could ask a single question, Dean was slipping back out into the night, the door closing with a soft click behind him. You locked it behind him, your hands shaking so much that you could barely get the key in the lock.

Rafes warm hands closed over yours, turning the key in a smooth movement and then pulling you away from the door.

You could feel yourself shaking in fear, and Rafe must have noticed as he stepped closer and wrapped his arms around you, rubbing some warmth back into your body.

"W...Whats happening?" You stuttered, your mind going at a million miles an hour.

"It's okay, Y/N. Just an intruder. Probably after a ransom. Dean will deal with it, you don't need to be afraid. You're safe."

How was he so calm? You demanded an answer out loud, and he shrugged, letting you move back a little.

"You wouldn't believe the amount this has happened over my life. It comes with the territory of being rich."

You couldn't believe how chill he was boing about it all. You were terrified.

"What if they come in here?" You whispered, eyes on the door.

Rafe just shrugged. "You're safe here, Y/N. I'm not going to let anything happen to you."

"It's not me I'm worried about, Rafe." You snapped. You didn't have anything anyone would want. You'd seen too many hostage films to not worry about Rafe. What they'd do to get information out of him.

He had frozen when you'd spoken, and you looked up into his face. His face was much closer than you expected, and you felt his breath on your face. All words went out of your head as you stared up at him in the limited light. His eyes were locked on yours, as though he was looking for some sort of answer. What you wouldn't give to know what he was thinking right then.

**************************************************

Fuck Fuck Fuck Fuck Fuck

Rafe told himself to take a step back, but his body wasn't obeying him any more. His skin yearned for hers... To explore every inch of it with his. He'd managed to keep his emotions in check since waking up in her rooms a few weeks ago. He was careful to keep his thoughts strictly professional when she was around, even though his hands tingled at the memory of her warm skin under his palms. And then this morning, she'd walked out to the pool in that fucking bikini, and every professional thought went out of his head. He wanted her. Bad. And now here she was, in his arms, still wearing that bikini, with just a shirt thrown over it.

She was scared, and part of him thrilled to be here, protecting her. He stared down into her face, hearing her words echoing around his brain. It's not me I'm worried about, Rafe.

That had sobered his thoughts. No one had ever given a shit about him before. Not like that. Except Dean, but technically, Dean was paid to give a shit.

You were looking at him, your eyes so wide and scared. He brushed a stray lock of hair back off your face and let his fingers linger on your jaw. "I'm not going to let anything happen to either of us, Y/N."

Why did she care? He knew he'd been a prick to her, and he was hard to deal with. Some days he couldn't even stand to be in his own head, let alone around other people... But then Y/N would breeze into the room and shoot him one of those show stopper, sunshine smiles, and he'd feel that thunderstorm in his head subdue a little.

The way you were looking at him caused a different kind of roaring in his head, and for a second, his composure slipped, and he was leaning down, his mouth barely an inch from yours.

A door slammed.

*********************************

You jumped out of your skin as the door slammed behind you. Behind you, not in front of you, where you'd came in. You spun around, seeing a dark figure on the other side of the room. You could feel their gaze on you as you tried to stand in front of Rafe, to protect him however you could. Rafe was having none of it though, and pulled you behind him, his arms blocking you from moving again.

You could feel the force of his glower, even from where you stood, peering around his muscular arms, and you were glad that you weren't on the receiving end of it.

"What do you want?" Rafe didn't even sound nervous. He sounded cool, maybe even bored. This was businessman Rafe, not the real guy you'd come to know. He knew the power he wielded, and it even had your own fear backing down. You were okay, Rafe had this under control. "Whatever you want, let her get out of here, and then we can discuss it like men."

The figure hadn't moved. Was he armed? You couldn't be sure, it was too dark to tell. But Rafe's words hit you, and you held his arm tighter.

"I'm not leaving you in here, Rafe!" You snapped. Armed or not, you wouldn't be leaving him to face the intruder alone.

"You'll do as you're damn told!" He snapped back, turning to you, though his eyes never left the figure. "Get out of here!"

Before you could argue, the figure spoke, and you felt your blood run cold.

"That won't be necessary. She's what I've come for."

You knew that voice. Rafe had stiffened, but you felt like your body had been turned to rubber, and the world was falling from beneath you. Because the person who that voice belonged to was the whole reason you'd left home, and moved out here to work for Rafe. He was everything you'd wanted to leave behind and forget, and so far you'd actually been managing to, but now he was here, like a slap from reality.

"Jordan?" Your voice shook, and you were clinging to Rafe for support.

The figure stepped forward into the light from the window, and you felt sick. Jordan was here. He was the intruder. How had he found you?

His face looked relieved, like he was happy to find you safe, but you could see the calculating edge in his eyes as they zeroed in on where your hand held Rafe's arm.

"I've been looking for you, Baby. I haven't heard from you in so long, I was so worried!"

He moved closer, his hands held up in a gesture of peace. You didn't feel the effect though. Your whole body was screaming at you to run, to get away from him. His mouth spewed only lies, and those peaceful hands had been wrapped around your throat before. He would hurt you for this, you knew it in your bones. You'd left him, and he couldn't find you... Now that he had, you were with another man. It wouldn't matter to him that Rafe was only your boss. He didn't like other men around you. He-

"Do not take one more step."

Rafes voice was hard, leaving no room for negotiations. His hand slipped into yours, and he gave it a gentle squeeze. That act alone had your panicked breathing settling down a little, enough to allow your brain time to start working again. You squeezed back, trying to channel some of Rafe's calm.

Jordan had paused, his eyes now on Rafe, sizing him up. "She is my-"

"She is not your anything." He sounded bored again, but you could feel the tension in his body. He was mad. You tried not to squirm. This would probably cost you your job. Just another thing you'd allowed Jordan to take from you.

Now you were pissed too.

"I don't want you here. Why-"

"Y/N please, I've been so-"

"I left you!" You snapped, feeling braver with Rafe at your side. Even if he was pissed at you, you knew he wouldn't let any harm come to you. He knew what Jordan was. "I left you, and I moved all the way out here to be away from you. Why have you followed me? How did you even know where to find me?!"

He looked hurt, and if you didn't know him, you might have felt a twinge of guilt. But you'd seen this act before. It had worked, and you'd gone back with him, sure this time you would be happy. Not this time.

You thought about the last few months. How you'd not spent one moment in fear, or anxious about how the men around you would react to something you'd done. You felt safe here. This was your home, and now he might have taken that away.

"Your sister told me where you were. She knows I've changed! Why can't you?" His voice was whiney, and you felt your face screw up in disgust.

"I don't want you, Jordan. Changed or not. I'm done with you."

Now his face changed. All of the sadness and remorse drained away, leaving only anger, and it was directed at both of you. "Because of him?" He seethed, gesturing at Rafe as he stepped forward.

You flinched, scared that he was going to start throwing punches at Rafe. You'd been on the receiving end of one of those punches, and it wasn't pleasant. You went to step in front of him again, but Rafe stopped you, a slight smirk on his face. It was like he wanted Jordan to take a swing at him.

"It's not because of him. I'm happier without you. Just leave!" You tried, your anger making your voice shake, but Jordan was having none of it. His face was getting more red by the second, and you could see his chest rising and falling rapidly as he took another stride forward.

Now Rafe was rising up to his full height as he stared Jordan down.

"I'm warning you now, do not take one more step."

Jordan was past the point of being reasoned with though, and he kept coming, snarling at you as he did. It was as though Rafe didn't exist to him. "You've always been a whore, I don't know why I'm-"

Rafe's fist smashed into Jordans face.

You jumped in shock as Rafe hit him. You hadn't seen that coming. Neither had Jordan, and he went down hard. Rafe didn't give him a second, pinning him down as he hit him again. You didn't know what to do, so you ran for the door.

You unlocked it and yanked it open, yelling as soon as the night air hit your bare skin. "DEAN!"

You heard footsteps thudding towards you, but you were already turning back to the struggle behind you.

Except there was no struggle. You hit the lights and saw Jordan on the ground, his face white as Rafe leaned down, whispering something in his ear. Jordan's face was bloody, but Rafe seemed okay.

Dean and some of the other security ran past you, taking over from Rafe and yanking Jordan to his feet. Rafe stepped back, watching Jordan get dragged away with a cold expression on his face. You couldn't look at Jordan as he was dragged past you, Dean following close behind.

He touched your shoulder and you jumped. "You okay, Y/N?"

You looked into his face, not feeling 100% with it. You opened your mouth to answer, but instead your own question fell out.

"The door was locked."

Dean sighed and ran a hand through his dark hair. "Yeah, I forgot about the other door through the cleaning cupboard. I didn't think it would be unlocked. I'm sorry." He looked you over, seeing you shivering in your bikini, and quickly wrapped his jacket around your shoulders. "You sure you're okay, Y/N? You look pale."

You didn't know how to answer, but you were saved from the effort as Rafe appeared. "I'll take her inside. You deal with him." A pointed look at the struggling figure being dragged down the path. Dean nodded, and jogged after the rest of the security team.

You didn't look at Rafe as he carefully guided you towards the main house. You could see him limping now, and you wanted to cry. If he'd hurt himself...

As soon as you were inside, Rafe whirled on you, and you flinched back. He stopped moving, his hands inches away from your shoulders. Your eyes met his for a second before you looked away, your face glowing. Of course he wasn't going to hurt you.

Gently, he placed his hands on the side of your shoulders and looked into your face. "Are you okay?"

You nodded, refusing to meet his gaze. "He didn't touch me," You whispered, your voice shaking slightly.

"That's not what I mean, Y/N."

You bit your lip, trying not to cry. If you looked at him, you knew you would, so you stared at a spot on the floor.

You could feel his gaze, but you couldn't meet it. Not after all that. You knew what was coming. This time he would have no choice but to sack you. You'd brought trouble straight to his doorstep. No, into his home. The first tear escaped, and you swiped it away angrily.

"If you're going to sack me, just do it now. I can be gone by morning."

He stopped moving, and you wiped another tear away, shaking harder now.

A finger under your chin forced you to look up into Rafe's face, and you found his eyes filled with concern.

"Why are you so determined to leave? I'm not gonna sack you, I want to know you're okay."

You stared at him in disbelief. "You aren't going to-"

He shook his head and a ghost of a smile tugged at his lips. "Why would I sack you?"

You gestured at the door. "He's my ex. He came here because of me!"

Now Rafe looked disgusted, and you couldn't blame him. "I know who he is. It's not your fault he came here. His own delusion made him do that. Why would I punish you?"

Your mouth opened, but you snapped it closed. You were so confused. You couldn't fight it any more as your tears broke free and your body shook with sobs. "I'm sorry!"

Rafe hesitated only a second before pulling you into his embrace, hushing you gently, his hand stroking your hair. He rocked you gently on the spot as you fought to get your emotions under control.

He smelled good, you noticed, burrowing closer to his chest. He allowed it, holding you tighter for a long moment, something pressing onto the top of your head. His lips? Your whole body felt like an electric current was running through it as you suddenly remembered who's body you were pressed up against, and how little you were both wearing.

You forced yourself to pull back, blinking up at your boss. His mouth was set in a firm line, and his eyes were full of concern, but you were more worried about him.

"Are you okay? I can't believe you hit him. I thought he was going to, and then you-" His face filled with fury, and you trailed off.

"He called you a whore, Y/N. I wasn't about to let that fly."

You stared at him in disbelief. You'd thought he'd hit him in self defence as he'd gotten too close, not to defend your honour. You didn't even know what to say to that. You'd been called that, and worse by Jordan before, and no one had even blinked, let alone jumped in to help you. But Rafe hadn't hesitated. You didn't know if you should thank him, or yell at him. In the end, you did neither, and looked down at his legs.

"You should sit. Ass kicking isn't on the recovery program, I'm afraid."

He forced a chuckle, and you led him down the hall, towards the kitchen. You could do with a nice cup of tea to calm your nerves. Rafe too.

You couldn't help it as you reached for his hand. He flinched back, and you stopped, looking at his hand.

"Oh shit! You're bleeding!"

Rafe tried to shrug you off, but you didn't let him. You took his wrist gently and inspected his hand. His knuckles were bleeding from where they'd collided with Jordan's face.

"We need to clean this up. Do you have a first aid kit?" He just stared at you, but you ignored him and pulled him towards the kitchen by his good hand.

Fifteen minutes later, he was sat on the edge of the table while you finished bandaging his hand. You'd established that he hadn't broken anything, to which he'd replied. "I know how to throw a punch." You hadn't said anything else, but you had questions bubbling up inside of you.

Finally as you placed his tea down in front of him, they broke free.

"What did you say to him that made him go so pale?"

Rafe took a long drink of his tea, pulling a face at the heat of it, but swallowed and looked at you as he placed the cup down.

"I told him what I was going to do to him if he tried to get up, or even looked at you," he said casually. You stared.

"Which was what?"

He shook his head. "Nothing that you need to be hearing."

Now you were really curious, but one look at his face said that he wasn't going to tell you, so you pouted and moved onto your next question.

"You weren't scared... Like at all. I was shitting my pants, and you were just so... Calm." There was a question in there somewhere, and Rafe answered after a very long pause, as though debating it.

He gently bumped your leg with his. "I'm not... I've-" He cut off with a heavy sigh, looking away. You reached for his good hand, giving it a gentle squeeze of encouragement. His gaze met yours, and you gave him a warm smile.

"I'm not going anywhere," you promised, sensing his hesitation. After another long moment of staring at you, he sighed, tracing patterns on your palm as he spoke.

"I'm not a good person, Y/N. I've done bad things... Things I can't ever take back."

You said nothing, not wanting to scare him away from giving you a glimpse at the man behind the mask. The real Rafe Adler. You'd been stealing glances here and there during your time together, but this felt different. He was letting you in. You squeezed his hand again, and he kept going, staring at your hands, still tracing patterns.

"I spent a long time chasing what I thought I wanted. I did a lot of things on the way. Not everything was good. I... I've hurt people, Y/N. No one innocent, but who am I to do that?"

You heard what he was really saying. He had killed people. He pushed on though, as if a dam had broken, and it was all spilling out of him now.

"I was so consumed with that damn treasure, sure that finding it would fill the emptiness in me. It made me into a monster. I did terrible things for it, and in the end..." His eyes met yours again, and you didn't look away. "In the end, it wasn't even worth it. I should have died on that ship. I had nothing to live for. It would have been for the best if I'd have gone down with that damn treasure. It would have been justice."

He'd never been this vulnerable in front of you before, and you couldn't help but feel that the words you chose next could break him completely if you weren't careful.

"I can't speak for who you were before, Rafe," You started, taking his hand in yours now, and running your thumb over his bandaged knuckles. "But the man I know now? He is good. He's not a monster... Maybe the monster died on that ship. You might think you should have too, but maybe it was a refresh for you. Maybe now you get to live the life you should have had. Without the treasure..."

He stayed quiet, contemplating your words.

"You can't take back what you did, but you can choose every day to be better than you were, to do some good with your second chance. You don't need to hide away from the world. You're not your mistakes."

His eyes met yours, and there was a hint of light in them now. "And you're not yours, Y/N."

A small smile graced your lips.

"We both have darkness in our past. Let's leave it behind... Head for the light!" You grinned, feeling like the spark in your heart had been lit.

He chuckled, running a hand down his face. "That's cheesy."

You smirked and waved him off, but he caught your hand, staring deep into your eyes as he spoke.

"We'll find our way together?"

You nodded, and for a moment, you forgot about everything else in the world, except the look on his beautiful face, and the feel of his hand in yours.