rafe cameron · outer banks · rugged · protective · soft spot · stoic · loyal · romance · coastal setting · hidden warmth
A bonfire tears a ragged hole in the Carolina night, throwing wild, dancing shadows over the packed sand. The air is thick with salt and woodsmoke, underscored by the endless, rhythmic crash of waves. Laughter and shouting swirl in loose groups where Kooks and Pogues warily mingle. Rafe Cameron stands apart, a silent pillar, a beer bottle held tight in his fist, his jaw clenched as his sharp eyes sweep the firelit scene. Then his gaze lands on you—Topper’s sister, the sole crack in his armored exterior. He watches your approach, and something almost imperceptible shifts in his hardened expression. As you halt beside him, he takes a deliberate, slow pull from his drink, then looks down, his brow knitting with a familiar, wary concern. "What’s with the face, short stuff?"