Collection of Hearts

Fifteenth Drabble - Rae

This drabble is more of a 'What If' scenario. If you like it and would like to maybe see a whole oneshot dedicated to this idea, please let me know. Otherwise, I just wanted to let you know that unlike most of the drabbles in this collection book, this one is NOT canon to my stories and is more of an AU idea. Thank you for your time and please enjoy the drabble!

PS- this splits off from the 'Bittersweet' chapter in Heart of Ashes, for those who might not be familiar with the book/character yet.

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"Fine, I'll see what I can do. But you owe me for this," they grumbled, arms crossing in front of them as they almost seemed to pout.

"Of course! What do you want? A new skirt? Slacks? Oh, how about a new jacket? I have this amazing piece of fabric I've been hiding away for a special occasion! It would-" I rambled on as I flipped to a new page and began sketching a few basic forms for visual plans.

"No, no clothing this time," they interupted me, voice rushed but firm as I looked up at them in shock. Seeing Rae's amber and onyx eyes looking back steadily at me, I blinked before tilting my head to the side and waiting patiently for them to continue. "There's a concert in the park tonight and my favorite band is going to be there. I want you to go with me."

I blinked a few times, taking a moment to process the hurried words before opening my mouth to  speak.

"Do you mean that band you're always talking about? If you need someone to help get an autograph-"

"No, that's not why. I want to take you out. On a date. I like you, (y/n). I like you, like you and I want to see if it could work out for us. I can't keep waiting for you to notice my feelings," the intensity of their gaze froze me in place as my mind tried to make sense of what they had just told me.

Rae liked me? Surely they were just joking again, right? I mean, why would Rae be interested in me?

"You need more self confidence, dear. You're worth far more than just the clothing you create," the words were spoken almost as softly as the fingertips that brushed against my cheek, my eyes widening at the feeling.

Had I spoken the words aloud? I was sure I hadn't said anything.

"Sweetie, your thoughts are so clear on your face right now, you might as well be shouting them to the world," Rae spoke with a chuckle, their lips curving into a smile as they took one more step closer, their breath warm against my face with each word.

I could feel my cheeks grow hot with my blush, taking note of how close Rae was as they kept looking at me so intently. It had been a long time since I had thought of them as anything other than a friend, I hadn't really taken note of them beyond how good certain clothing looked on them. But right now, my eyes darted away from their eyes and took note of things I hadn't really looked at before without thinking of the next design I would create.

I took in how tall Rae was, enough that I had to look up to meet their eyes, their tight braids brushing the sides of their head. The metal beads I saw woven into some of the braids were new, likely a very recent addition I just hadn't noticed yet. A slim, athletic build told of the long hikes Rae liked to go on when they needed to get away from the noise of the city.

Their chestnut brown skin had always left me wondering what kind of daily regime they practiced to keep it so smooth and healthy looking, much like a model on a magazine cover. But without the airbrushing those photos would receive to attain that physical perfection. No, Rae never needed makeup to hide away their supposed flaws.

They took pride in the few scars they had, especially the ones they had gained while rescuing someone from trouble. A thin line on one arm that showed where someone had attacked with a knife, tiny nicks on their hands from all the fights they had gotten into defending someone, a small round scar hidden under their shirt from when they saved a kid from a drive by shooting. 

The scars were mostly easy to miss, eyes more often drawn to their amber and onyx eyes that one could loose themselves in for hours or full lips as they moved with each spoken word and playful grin.

It had been so long since I had really noticed these things, having thought of Rae as being a friend, never thinking they would want to be something more than that. After all, I was the weird girl who seemed almost chased by death, the one who started making clothes as a way to deal with everything life threw at me.

But Rae, they were the one who supported me, even when nobody else did. Even when my family tried to support me, it seemed to me like they were always waiting for me to fail and eventually come back home. Not Rae, though. Rae would talk about the next project, the next idea, the next step in my plans, even if the current one faltered or failed. I hadn't really realized it, but they were always making sure I kept moving forward, looking at the next possible success instead of focusing on past failures.

Even after having told me years ago that I shouldn't rely on them to keep rescuing me from my own mistakes, they had still been quietly saving me time and again, even if just from myself.

"Hey, Rae... I think I might just like you, too."