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Rafael was a firm believer that fashion, trends and style were three completely different things, and those things didn’t always have to walk hand in hand to make a respectful outfit. He’d learned that early on in his career as an ADA in Brooklyn, when he’d come in an off-the-rack suit for his first day and gotten a side-eye from all the senior ADAs.
The DA pulled him aside and, in the most diplomatic tone he could manage, explained that he never expected his ADAs to go in debt for a suit, but that Rafael could at least make sure it fit him properly - then handed him a card with the address for a tailor.
That’d been 15 years ago. In that time, Rafael had become enchanted with the world of draping, cutting, and stitching. Not enough to leave law practice, but enough for him to learn what was good quality, what suited him, to the point it eventually earned him compliments and interested looks.
Still, having to provide for himself and help his mother and grandmother, there was only so far his ADA salary could stretch. So Rafael had developed quite the eye for deluxe fabric, pristine stitching, and impeccable tailoring, but all at a great value for money.
Rafael learned to steer away from trends to maximize a wardrobe of timeless pieces, and in the past few years he felt more confident in his own personal style, despite a couple misses - plaid? Not for him.
Naturally, Rafael’s good eye for fashion extended to his co-workers’ outfits, so once he moved to the Manhattan’s DA’s office, he was quite overwhelmed. There was a lot of personal information that went into dressing oneself, and the Manhattan crowd certainly dressed for the elite. Not always the most trendy, sometimes bordering on old-fashioned and a little traditional, but fashionable nonetheless.
Or at least that went for the older crowd, the ones two steps away from retirement who no longer had to invest in good suits. Meanwhile, the younger crowd was, in a way, a little more up to date.
That was the case with Carisi, the senior ADA assigned to “show Rafael the ropes”, as he’d put it, once he’d made the move into Manhattan. Because ADA Carisi, somehow, managed to be the child of those three things - fashion, trends, and style -, dressing in nothing but immaculate suits with exquisite fabrics and the most intricate patterns, always in the color of the season.
They’d met on Rafael’s very first day, and Carisi had looked as surprised as he’d felt when Chief Hadid announced Rafael would be his co-counsel for his first few cases.
“I’ve heard about you, Counselor,” Carisi had said once Hadid left, all pink cheeks and easy smiles at Rafael. “I know you’re ruthless and your record is quite impressive.”
“So why the babysitting?,” he asked with a humorless chuckle, but Carisi’s only response was a tired sigh.
In the weeks that followed, Rafael learned for himself that being counterproductive (and sketchy) was how Hadid operated.
It’d been three months now, and Rafael was allowed to fly solo, but Carisi was still the senior ADA assigned to help him. Considering that the other man was almost 10 years younger than him, that’d be laughable if not for Carisi’s extremely valuable insights and stunning suits.
Every single one fit him like a glove and moved with him in that way screamed “I wear the clothes, the clothes don’t wear me”. He also had an eye for accessorizing and had no shame in walking down One Hogan Place’s halls with bright ties or blingy cufflinks. His shoes always matched his briefcase, and his vests made his waist look tiny .
Well, and it also didn’t hurt that he was mouth-watering tall with a face that belonged in a museum and a pair of dimples that should come with warning signs. And no money could buy the way he looked at Rafael from under his eyelashes either, all pouty and cheeky.
So as they sat side by side in Carisi’s office, working well into the night, Rafael hated him. He hated the way Carisi’s hair had started to fall loose from its pristine coif and the way he kept brushing it away with his stupidly long fingers.
He hated that Carisi had taken his suit jacket off - a beautiful dark blue jacket with silver piping - and sat there with his absurdly long legs wide spread, his vest making his shoulders look broader and waist leaner. He hated how Carisi’s cerulean silk tie made his eyes sparkle brighter.
Rafael also personally hated - he was truly, deeply offended - the way he found himself leaning in, taking in the details in the pattern of Carisi’s vests, the thin lines that crossed the fabric and the perfect fit across his chest.
“Where did you get that suit?,” Rafael asked, pulling away as Carisi looked up from his work.
He gave him a lopsided smile and shrugged one shoulder. “It’s tailor-made.”
Rafael hummed; he’d guessed that. “That sounds expensive. Too expensive for an ADA salary.”
Carisi chuckled softly, throwing the file on his coffee table and leaning back into his chair. His stupid legs were still widely spread, and Rafael fought with himself not to follow the lines of his slacks over his thighs. The other ADA looked at him with a pair of come-hither eyes that made Rafael smirk to himself.
He could also throw some bait if that was the game Carisi wanted to play, but he had to tread lightly. Carisi was the one with seniority in the Manhattan’s DA’s office, after all. If push came to shove, Rafael would be the one packing his desk.
“I knew you had a good eye,” Carisi reached over and tugged lightly at the fold of Rafael’s pocket square. “You always match your pocket squares to your socks.”
Rafael smirk grew even deeper. “And my underwear.”
So much for treading lightly.
Carisi’s eyes jumped to his in a look of surprise, fingers still brushing ever so minutely over his jacket pocket. “I should have known,” he said, voice deep and heavy with intention, then drew back and stood up. “You want a drink?”
Rafael checked his watch in a dramatic move. It was a vintage piece, thank you very much. “Are we officially off the clock?”
“As soon as I pour a glass,” he teased, shaking an empty tumbler in the air.
“Might as well,” Rafael closed the file he had on his lap and set it on top of Carisi’s. “But if anyone asks, you offered.”
Carisi looked over his shoulder and winked at Rafael. “I’ll cover for you.”
“Then make it a double,” Rafael joked, pulling his tie looser. “You didn’t answer my question.”
There was a momentary pause, and Carisi turned back with two glasses. “I don’t think there was a question.”
“Smart, Counselor,” he said with a chuckle, accepting the glass and Carisi’s invitation for a quick toast. “I guess I’m wondering where you find tailor-made suits that’d fit an ADA’s budget.”
Carisi returned to his previous seat, but he leaned back with much more relaxed shoulders now. “My sister Gina is a fashion designer,” he said, and Rafael nodded in quick understanding.
“That’s convenient.”
“Very much so,” he smirked. “It started back when she was still making a name for herself, she’d make me suits in exchange for me being her plus one at events,” Carisi looked far into the distance with a nostalgic smile. “Once she started meeting people, her friends wanted to dress me, too. Apparently I’ve got such an average build for men, it was perfect for sampling, and they used me like a doll. God, I tried on so many fucking suits. So I guess I kinda developed an eye for it and she gives me pretty much all the pieces I like. I’m spoiled.”
Talk about family jackpot, Rafael thought. He could have used a designer sister back in his Brooklyn days.
Rafael tilted his head. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a designer called Gina Carisi.”
“Nah, she doesn’t use the family name,” Carisi said with a wave of his hand, shaking his head amusedly. “Her logic was that if she were to marry a millionaire, she’d want to change her name, so she got creative with her middle name.”
“Well, I like her already.”
Carisi smiled softly. “Her brand name is Regina Mia.”
A light bulb went on in Rafael’s brain. Of course he’d heard of the ever daring, ever controversial Regina Mia, the designer who’d started sewing by herself and built the fastest empire of the last decade. Her designs were youthful and adventurous, and she claimed her niche was “anyone who’d dare.”
Rafael had admired her from afar from the very beginnings of her career, and he should have known that the beautiful lines that adorned one Sonny Carisi came from her hands.
“So you’re telling me that the same family produced Designer of the Decade Regina Mia and ADA Extraordinaire Sonny Carisi?”
A quick flush went up Carisi’s face, coloring his cheeks. “Uh,” he chuckled awkwardly, shifting in his chair. “Well, that’s overselling it a little. And you’re much more extraordinary, Counselor.”
Rafael scoffed, sipping his drink. “Not in Manhattan.”
“It’s just a learning curve,” Carisi said, so damn eager it hurt. “Judge Barth was really impressed with you after today’s arraignment.”
“But Hadid wasn’t,” he sighed, exasperated. “You know, I was in Brooklyn for 15 years. Chiefs came and went, and I got along remarkably well with every single one of them. But Hadid? It’s like she wants me to fail.”
“Which makes no sense, because if you fail, then she fails,” Carisi said with a shrug. “She gave me that same treatment when she first got here, even though I already had 5 years under my belt. It’s not personal, and she’ll get off your back soon. It’s how she operates.”
“How reassuring,” Rafael leaned towards him with a knowing grin. “Would a brand new bottle of brandy facilitate matters?”
Carisi laughed, shaking his head. “With Hadid? No. With the DA? He’ll make you his best friend.”
“Are you telling me to go straight for the boss?,” he teased with a raised eyebrow.
Carisi considered it for a moment, sipping his drink as he gave Rafael a long, heavy look.
“All jokes aside, I do think he’d really like you,” he said, leaning in to whisper in a conspiratorial tone. “Next time he makes us get all dressed up to go to one of his many charity events, offer him a drink so you can get to talking. He likes Scotch, neat. But you didn’t hear it from me.”
Carisi winked at him, but he didn’t move back into his seat. Rafael’s eyes fell on his lips, pretty and pink, the bottom lip so pouty it begged for a nip.
“You shouldn’t give up all your secrets like that, Counselor,” Rafael said, but his tongue was heavy in his mouth and his Ls came out slurred. Carisi was watching it move with attention.
“We’re a team, you and I,” Carisi said, quickly licking his lips. “Besides, you’ve got more years than me, Barba, you’re teaching me how to be a better ADA even as I’m trying to help you navigate Manhattan. I gotta make it up to you somehow.”
“Do you always have one of those pep-talks in your back pocket?”
“No,” he tapped his chest, right over his heart. “In my breast pocket.”
Rafael couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled out of him. Damn this endearing man and his endearing dimples.
Carisi grinned as Rafael laughed, then touched his knee with a quick brush of fingers. Rafael almost jerked up with a gasp. Carisi was still so close to Rafael, he was about thirty seconds away from severing the distance completely.
Rafael looked down momentarily, tilting his now empty tumbler. When Rafael looked back up, Carisi’s stupidly blue eyes looked as clear as the crystal glass.
“You know,” Carisi started, leaning with his elbows on his knees and coming even closer now. “I’m supposed to check out some new suits this weekend, from my sister’s studio. Why don’t you come with me? You might get some goodies.”
Rafael wanted to say yes, but Carisi’s glass was also empty, and no matter how well the man could hold his liquor, they were both drunk on something other than whiskey. “No, that’s not necessary. You don’t owe me anything.”
“Ah come on Barba, I owe you a lot ,” he said with a dramatic jerk of his chin to the files in front of them. “It’ll be fun.”
Rafael looked from the files to Carisi, then ducked his head and pretended to examine the glass in his hand for a moment. The mental note he’d made to tread lightly came blaring back at him.
Carisi was great; a great guy, a great ADA, a great friend to Rafael. But this job was also great, and he’d hate to be kicked back to Brooklyn because he’d become infatuated with a coworker and overplayed his hand.
But then Carisi also ducked his head, searching for Rafael’s eyes, and when green met blue the other ADA offered the sweetest goddamn smile Rafael had ever seen. His dimples flashed at him, and his eyelashes fluttered ever so lightly as he blinked.
“Please?,” Carisi insisted, and under the power of that full pout, Rafael sighed and caved.
“Fine,” he huffed. “But you better make it worth my while, Carisi.”
Carisi grinned. “You can bet those all your pretty suspenders I will,” he touched Rafael’s shoulder, right where his favorite pink suspenders were hidden under his jacket. “And for the sake of not getting my sister on your back right from the start, you should call me Sonny.”
“You know, Sonny,” Rafael emphasized his name. “You’re quite the negotiator.”
“Oh, Rafael,” he flirted - because that was the only thing he could call it with the way Sonny’s eyes fell to his lips once again, his gaze intense. “You really do have a lot to learn.”
Rafael’s tongue flicked over his lips. “So teach me.”
When Sonny invited Rafael to accompany him to Regina Mia’s studio, Rafael had no idea he actually meant the brand’s two-storey flagship store in the middle of 5th Avenue. But there he was, standing on the sidewalk and looking up at the shop, failing to keep a straight face.
Sonny had picked him up after breakfast, before the store opened for the general public, two cups of coffee in hand, sunglasses on and a broad grin. Rafael should have known what was coming the second Sonny looked at him from over his glasses and winked, asking if he was ready.
Rafael was, in fact, not ready to be welcomed by Regina Mia herself, who made a loud show of greeting her little brother with a hug so tight it cracked one of Sonny’s ribs.
“Damn it, Gina,” Sonny grunted, pulling away from her with a grimace. He put a hand on Rafael’s lower back, adding a very welcomed pressure to his touch as he made introductions. “This is Rafael Barba, the new ADA I’ve been working with.”
“Ah, yes,” Gina smiled, offering him a hand to shake with a glint in her eye that, to Rafael, meant she was trouble when she wanted to be. “Sonny has told me so much about you. Like really, so much .”
“That’s enough,” Sonny tried, cheeks pink, but Gina paid him no mind.
“I’ve heard you’ve got an eye for fashion,” she said, looking Rafael up and down. “I can see that. But it could be better.”
“Hey,” Sonny interjected again, pointing a finger at his sister. “I didn’t bring him here so you could insult him, Gina, back off.”
“It’s okay,” Rafael told him softly. Though Gina’s comment wasn’t great for his self-esteem, she clearly knew what she was doing. Everything around them proved that.
“It’s merely an observation, Sonny,” Gina tutted, then gave Rafael a friendly smile. “My store’s open to you, Rafael. Make yourself at home.”
Rafael was about to thank her when another blonde woman appeared from the back of the room, walking towards them in quick steps. Beside him, Sonny gasped.
“Bella!,” Sonny said, alarmed. “What are you doing here?”
“Same as you, big brother,” she waved him off, zeroing in on Rafael with a sharpness that made him lean further back into Sonny’s touch. “You must be Rafael, the new ADA from Brooklyn. Sonny literally never shuts up about you.”
“So I’ve been told,” he chuckled. Sonny’s face had gone past pink and was now on red territory. “Nice to meet you.”
“Bella Carisi,” she said, but between the blonde hair, blue eyes and heavy accent Rafael could have guessed she was part of the family. “The youngest sister.”
“Sonny has told me about all of you,” Rafael said politely. “How’s the baby?”
Bella lit up, smiling broadly. “Oh, she’s doing great. She decided to call Tommy by his name instead of ‘dad’ now, it’s hilarious.”
“I bet Tommy loves that,” Sonny mumbled, and got a punch in the arm for that.
“Don’t start,” Bella warned.
“ Ouch ,” he winced. “Jesus, you’re animals, the both of you.”
Rafael ducked his head to hide his laugh, and both Carisi sisters shot him understanding smiles.
“Well, I’ve got work to do,” Gina announced and, with a clap of her hands, they were surrounded by people. “You can ask for whatever you want, anyone here can help you. Rafael, I hope you’ll let Robert over there,” she waved at a petite looking man that had a full head of white hair, “take your measurements. We’ll make sure to tailor everything for you. Sonny, you know the way.”
“Thank you very much,” Rafael said, genuinely grateful. He looked at Sonny, hoping he’d know he was grateful to him, too.
Sonny smiled sweetly, the hand on Rafael’s lower back applying a bit more pressure. “Go explore. I’ll meet you in the changing rooms,” he leaned closer to whisper an inch away from Rafael’s ear. “Make sure to pick out a summer suit, I wanna see you in one.”
Rafael focused on keeping his reaction in check while Sonny stepped away, bickering with Bella in quiet hushes as he went. In the light of day Rafael could see how unbidden he and Sonny had been that night in the other ADA’s office, when it was just the two of them, the low light, case files and a bottle of whiskey.
In public, Rafael tried to hold back, but Sonny did not make it easy on him with all the light touches and whispered conversations, his dimples teasing him and his lips as pouty and pink as ever.
Fortunately, it took about one minute for Rafael to distract himself with vests and ties and shirts, his fingers running over the high-quality fabrics, tracing over intricate embroidery. He found a gorgeous blush pink tie with baby pink pinstripes, bringing the piece closer to his face to examine the soft sheen of the fabric. It’d go very well with the one baby blue shirt he owned.
“Sir?,” someone called, and Rafael turned to a tall man with a tray, carrying four flutes. “Champagne?”
“Ah, thank you,” he smiled politely and took one, all the while examining the bright royal blue suit the man was wearing. “Nice suit.”
The man ducked his head in thanks. “Thank you, sir. It’s a Regina Mia exclusive,” he ran his free hand down his lapel. “Let me know if you need any help.”
Rafael was going to let the man step away so he could continue perusing, the tie still in his hand, but thought better of it. “Could you point to the summer suits?”
“Follow me, sir,” he said politely, then turned and marched towards the back of the shop.
Considering it was still early spring, Rafael should have guessed the summer collection wouldn’t be on full display, but it had its own corner and it was brimming with color.
Three mannequins stood in the most magnificent suits Rafael had seen in a while, one sky blue, one lilac and one pale yellow. All three had a delicate embroidery work on the right lapel, thin lines and precise curves that painted wild flowers and leaves.
“Wow,” Rafael breathed, particularly interested in the pale yellow with delicate daisies.
The man smiled softly. “Would you like to try one, sir?”
Rafael nodded. “Yes, thank you. The yellow one.”
“I’ll be back in a minute,” he said, then stepped away.
As he waited, Rafael leaned closer to the mannequin, pulled in by the way the lines caught the light. Awed, he noted that the contouring lines of each flower was the finest thread of gold. He took a moment to appreciate the other two suits as well, finding that they had silver threads instead of gold, but that it caught the light the same way.
He stepped back, taking in the suits once more before going to find a shirt to wear with the pale yellow one he’d chosen.
There were racks upon racks of shirts of every color, every pattern, every type of collar. It was almost overwhelming, and he wished Sonny was there to help him choose one; he was used to this, after all.
As if summoned, the man himself came strutting in with his own glass of champagne in one hand, and the suit Rafael had requested in the other.
“Amazing choice,” Sonny said with a smile. “You’ll look super tanned in this.”
Rafael chuckled. “If only I could find a shirt.”
Sonny nodded, understanding. “With this jacket? I think you’re safe with a crispy white one.”
Rafael scanned the rack for a white shirt, and pulled out the first one he found, but Sonny shook his head. He approached Rafael and took the shirt sleeve to bring it closer to his face.
“There’s a blue tint to this one,” he said, and Rafael saw it as soon as he mentioned it. “You’re better off with something like…,” Sonny ran one finger over the white shirts and pulled another one out, “this one. It’s warmer.”
“Okay, I thought I had an eye for these things, but you’ve got a superpower,” he said with a light laugh.
Sonny smiled, broad and charming. “Gina ripped me a new one a few years back because I wore a blue tinted shirt under a warm caramel jacket. I never forgot that detail after that.”
“Fair,” he took the shirt and the suit, laying one on top of the other. It looked right. “I’ll try this on.”
“I’ll be waiting,” Sonny said with a wink and a slow sip of champagne.
“Here,” Rafael handed Sonny his own glass and the pink tie. “I’ll be right back.”
Sonny threw the tie over his shoulder, and Rafael stopped in his tracks. The blush tone of it made Sonny’s lips a deeper shade of pink. How was it possible that someone’s lips were that pink naturally?
Rafael noticed he was staring when said lips twitched up in a knowing smile. His eyes snapped back to Sonny’s to catch that goddamn come-hither look again.
“I’ll keep this for you,” Sonny whispered.
The ADA took the suit and the shirt and went into the changing room. He closed the door behind himself and turned to the mirror, surprised to see the broad grin he was sporting. Rafael chuckled to himself, shaking his head amusedly. Sonny Carisi really was a gift that kept on giving.
He hung the suit and the shirt behind the door and started undressing quickly, excited to put on the masterpiece of an outfit he’d chosen. Under the flattering light of the room, the gold thread sparkled even brighter.
Rafael took a moment to feel the high quality fabric in his hands, tracing the embroidery with the tips of his fingers, feeling the lines for himself. He put the suit on like an armor, looking at himself in the mirror as he carefully tucked his shirt inside his slacks, then shrugging the jacket on.
He turned from the side to the other, allowing the details of the suit to catch the light, amazed by what he saw. He’d clearly been provided the correct size, because the cut of the jacket made him look slimmer and the pants cut off at a length that made his legs appear longer.
Rafael tutted at his socks, wishing he’d also taken the time to choose the appropriate shoes to go with his outfit.
There was a quick knock on the door.
“Sir?,” he heard, recognizing the voice of the man in the royal blue suit. “Mr. Carisi requested I bring some shoes for you.”
Rafael smiled at his reflection then turned towards the door. “Is he with you?”
“No, sir.”
He opened the door then to find the man holding two pairs of shoes, a dark brown one and a warm caramel one. Rafael took the latter.
“Great choice, sir,” he said with a nod, then stepped away.
With the shoes on, Rafael checked himself out one more time, smoothing down his lapels and straightening his collar. He looked damn good.
Rafael stepped out of the changing room with every bit of confidence he felt. Sonny hadn’t strayed too far, standing by a clothing rack with two shirts in hand, the pink tie now fully knotted around his neck, the champagne flutes nowhere to be seen. Rafael was, once again, taken aback by how well that shade complimented his skin, and then Sonny looked at him, and his jaw dropped.
“Wow,” he breathed, reaching over blinding to put the shirts back on the rack. “ Whoa ,” Sonny said with more emphasis, checking Rafael out from head to toe.
Rafael casually put his hands in his pockets and did a little turn and a pose, Sonny’s appreciation only growing more obvious the more he looked.
Sonny clapped his hands together in prayer and looked up at the ceiling. “Thank you, Jesus,” he said, then looked at Rafael again. “Wow Rafael, you look amazing. I knew that shade of yellow would make you look tanned, but your eyes .”
Rafael blinked. “What about my eyes?,” he asked, a little perplexed.
“Your eyes,” Sonny said with a sigh, taking a step closer to him. “Your eyes are beautiful.”
“Well, thank you,” he said, then looked down at himself. “But I think this suit is the star of the show.”
Sonny shook his head. “The suit is great, but it’s you that makes it.”
Rafael smirked. “Flatterer.”
The other man kept walking towards him in small steps, tentative and careful. His cheeks were flushed and his eyes were taking him in like a hunter stalking a prey.
He approached Rafael, crowding him, and once he was close enough to touch he reached over to smooth down his collar and lapels. Rafael knew that wasn’t necessary, he’d made sure everything was perfectly pressed and lined, but as Sonny’s fingers brushed his neck, Rafael couldn’t bring himself to care.
As Sonny brushed off his shoulders, Rafael watched him.
The pink tie Rafael had selected did not go with the grey shirt Sonny was wearing, but now his face was flushing even deeper and he was biting into his lower lip and Rafael was about to lose his goddamn mind.
Sonny’s touch came down to smooth down his lapels again, until his hands reluctantly fell on his sides again and he stopped chewing on his lip. Rafael, however, kept watching as it pulsed red.
“Oh, you wanna kiss me so bad,” Sonny whispered, lips extra pouty and voice washing over Rafael like warm beams of sun.
“What if I do?,” he provoked, grabbing Sonny’s tie with one hand, holding him in place. “You’d let me?”
Sonny swallowed, then flicked his tongue over his bottom lip.
Rafael was waiting for Sonny’s confirmation before pouncing, but Sonny beat him to it. He grabbed Rafael by the lapels and pulled him in, kissing him loud and wet from the start.
The pent up tension crashed into them like a wave, and Rafael groaned into Sonny’s mouth as the other man propped him up against a wall and pressed their bodies together.
It was probably criminal to mess up this suit like this, but Rafael was past caring, he only buried his hands in Sonny’s hair and licked deeper into his mouth.
Sonny’s hands let go of his lapels so they could be pressed chest to chest, and he took Rafael by the hips to secure him harder against the wall. He should have known Sonny kissed the way he did everything else, with enthusiasm and eagerness and remarkably well.
Rafael’s toes curled inside his shoes when Sonny tilted his head for a better angle and further melded their mouths together, a desperate groan vibrating from his chest. All of Rafael’s tight and tense muscles melted against Sonny, a sigh escaping him as the kiss changed from loud to deep and reverent.
“I’ve wanted to kiss you for so damn long, you have no idea,” Sonny panted against his mouth when they parted for a breath.
“Oh, I think I do have an idea,” Rafael teased with a soft nip on his bottom lip and then pulled him in again.
Sonny made that pretty little noise from the back of his throat again, and what was supposed to be a quick kiss turned into another throughout making out.
When Rafael eventually stumbled back inside the dressing room to change out of the beautiful suit, he was shocked at his ravished reflection. His shirt was halfway untucked, even though his jacket was still buttoned. His hair was disheveled, and he did remember Sonny running a hand through it. It was his mouth that shocked him the most, though, red and puffy, thoroughly kissed.
As Rafael looked at himself, his lips stretched into a dopey grin.
Two hours later, Sonny and Rafael stepped out of Regina Mia’s store with four suit bags and two other bags filled with shirts, ties, pocket squares and a couple suspenders. Two other suits were left to be tailored, along with new vests.
Sonny had insisted on carrying everything, and as they stopped by the car, side by side, Sonny looked down at him with that damned smile of his and Rafael felt like they were something out of a cheesy movie.
“So,” Sonny started, all sweet and easy. “How do you feel about brunch?”
“I feel very positively about it,” he teased.
“Good,” he leaned in. “Because I make a mean avocado toast.”
“Lead the way,” Rafael said, then pushed himself up on his tippy-toes to steal a quick kiss from Sonny’s lips before opening the car door and jumping in.
“Now who’s eager,” Sonny said, throwing their bags on the backseat.
“Still you, I’d say,” Rafael laughed lightly.
Sonny laughed along, then quickly closed the door and rounded the car towards the driver’s seat. He threw Rafael a happy smile and a wink, turned the key and drove away. The store stayed behind, and Rafael didn’t look back.