Raphael's heart was pounding and panic surged through his veins as he stepped back and moved to put the table between himself and Marcos. The alpha looked crestfallen as he stood, motionless with his hands still reaching up to caress Raphael's face.

Pressing a palm to his chest, he willed himself to relax. His entire body felt like it was on high alert, ready to spring away at the first sign of danger. His head was a fuzzy mess and images he'd forced out his mind long ago were beginning to force their way back into his thoughts.

Marcos' hands dropped to his sides and he sighed heavily. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked, taking a seat across the table from Raphael.

"No." Raphael knew he was being stubborn, but he couldn't help it. He desperately wanted to give in to Marcos' seduction, but it was too much. There were too many things bubbling just below the surface that he'd wanted to keep buried and forgotten. All of this was just bringing that back to the surface.

"It's really coming down now, isn't it? I didn't think it could rain any harder but it looks like it is. Don't you think?" Marcos had turned his attention towards the rain sheeting down just beyond their shelter.

Raphael frowned as he followed Marcos' gaze and peered out at the downpour. Why was Marcos being so understanding? Why hadn't Raphael's efforts to chase him off succeeded yet? They barely knew one another beyond cursory details. There was no reason for him to act like this. At least, no good reason.

"If it keeps up like this I may have to cancel tomorrow's fishing trip." Marcos shook his head. "That'll put a dent in my pocket for sure." He sighed and let his hands hit the table.

"I could never work on a fishing boat," said Raphael, finally calming down enough to speak. "I'd be too afraid of falling over."

"You get used to walking on a boat after a while," explained Marcos, glancing back at Raphael with a warm smile in his eyes. There was nothing predatory or malicious there, but he still couldn't bring himself to completely trust it.

"Even if you do fall over, the boat is right there and you've got your crew on hand to help you out," continued Marcos. "I wouldn't fish alone. I know there are people that do, but I like knowing that there's always someone there to watch my back in case something goes wrong. Just like they know I'm watching their backs. Whatever we go through out there, no matter how rough the water gets, we're never alone."

His words stung Raphael's heart more deeply than he'd expected. How long had he been alone, struggling to keep his head above water? The frustration and pain of it all both welled in his chest. He bit them back. He was determined not to let Marcos see him cry.

Raphael slowly sat down across from Marcos. He fixed his gaze on the table in front of him and took a deep breath.

"I've never had an alpha that did anything to defy my expectations of them." Raphael's voice was low as he began to speak. A small voice in the back of his brain warned him not to continue, but his heart pushed him on. He desperately hoped that this wouldn't be like last time. He wanted this alpha to break the pattern.

"They've...they've all been manipulative and interested only in what I can do for them. They weren't really relationships," he continued, keeping his hands folded in his lap. "I...was naive and stupid. I fell for their lies repeatedly. Some might even say I sought out that type of alpha again and again because I had no idea what a healthy relationship actually looked like." Raphael swallowed back the tightness in his throat. He had to make it through this in one piece. He had to remember what Pearl told him about staying strong and keeping your vulnerabilities hidden. Don't give them an opening. If they're the right guy then they'll be willing to wait.

"I don't want to rush into anything," said Raphael, looking up at Marcos at last. Pearl's words gave him strength. "I'm not going to be a one night stand that you can just pick up and take home for a quickie. I'm not the kind of omega that's going to get on my knees just because you want me to. If you're not interested in an actual relationship, then you need to give up now." His confidence returned as he spoke and he felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He was stronger than this. He had boundaries now and he wasn't about to let someone break them. No matter how sexy they were.

"Then I guess we're at an impasse here," said Marcos with a sigh as he looked up at the roof overhead. "I've already told you I'm a fisherman. I may be gay, but the sea is my mistress and I prefer her to pretty much everyone else. Every relationship I've ever been in has failed because my omegas couldn't understand why I spent so much time out there fishing every day."

Marcos looked back down and met Raphael's gaze. "I've pretty much given up on dating because no one else can understand how I feel. If you're saying you want a relationship with me, then you've got to at least try to understand that I will spend every day, all day, out on the water if possible. My dream is a great big house boat with my omega and our children. If that's not something you're interested in then maybe you're the one that needs to give up." He smirked slyly.

It was clear that he'd meant it as a joke, but his words cut more deeply than Marcos could have known.

"I nearly drowned when I was five," Raphael blurted before he could stop himself. "My papa was teaching me to swim in the ocean and then..." his voice trailed off as he remembered the yelling, arguing voices. Followed by panic when he realized he was being drawn out beyond his depth. "I...I bought a house up on a hill as far from the beach and as high above the flood level as I can. I ripped the bathtub out of my house and replaced it with a shower. I haven't set foot on the beach in decades." As he spoke, his gaze sank back to the table in front of him. His aversion to water had been with him throughout his life. It was deeply ingrained in him and he imagined it would always be part of him.

Marcos was silent for several long moments. He reached a hand out across the table and waited for Raphael to look up and meet his gaze.

"I guess we'll just have to figure it out as we go then. Like Romeo and Juliet," said Marcos with a grin.

"They died," protested Raphael. As much as he was beginning to like the alpha, he didn't see himself committing suicide for him any time soon.

"Did they?" Marcos' grin became sly. "Because I distinctly remember reading that they were reunited at Juliet's grave and had lots of hot sex for the rest of their days."

Raphael rolled his eyes. "I honestly don't know how this is going to work. It sounds like a terrible idea. An aquaphobe and a fisherman?"

"What it sounds like," said Marcos, sitting up straight, "is a whole lot of excuses to try and give up before we've even started. Let's just take it one step at a time, how about dinner tonight? Las Palomas should be easy to get into tonight without all the tourists."

Raphael was finding it difficult to believe that Marcos hadn't backed down yet. He'd basically told him that he was terrified of the very thing that Marcos had just professed unending love for. Why hadn't he just given up? Yet, the warm feeling in his chest made Raphael realize that he was glad the alpha was being so persistent.

"Fine," Raphael relented. "Dinner sounds nice." He knew he had a tendency to fall hard and fast and usually for the wrong guy. Alarm bells were going off in the back of his head, trying to warn him that he could be making a serious mistake here. It was with that thought in mind that he added a caveat. "I'm not going home with you afterward, though."

"I already told you, Raphael," Marcos leaned forward and gazed into his eyes with a look that made Raphael's entire body tremble, "I'm not going to touch you unless you want me to. I expect nothing other than to enjoy some great food with a beautiful omega."

* * *

It was nine o'clock when Marcos knocked on Raphael's front door. The suave, muscled alpha had insisted on picking him up for dinner. When Raphael opened the door he was blown away by how nice Marcos looked in the dinner jacket he was wearing. Not only that but the car he arrived in looked like a rental that must've cost an arm and a leg.

Raphael couldn't help but feel a little under-dressed as Marcos held the car door open for him. He was wearing his nicest clothes, but even those didn't compare to formal dinner wear.

The car was one of those luxury models that barely sounded like it was running as Marcos drove back down the hill towards main street. Raphael silently realized that he felt a little bit like a gay, male, Cinderella riding in her carriage to spend the evening with the most handsome guy in the kingdom.

Las Palomas wouldn't have been a very long trip on foot and with the car the journey took even less time. It almost seemed like a waste of such a nice rental. The restaurant was located just off main street, by the foot of the long drive way that curled up the hill towards the presidential residence. It was a striking example of Spanish colonial architecture that had been painstakingly preserved over the years. It served as one of the many pieces of history that dotted the island.

Despite the fact that the majority of the tourists had left the island there was already a crowd forming outside the front doors. It looked like they weren't the only locals that had decided to capitalize on the lower volume of visitors tonight. Thankfully, however, the restaurant staff were used to handling much higher numbers than this and managed to get people to their tables with a minimum of waiting.

"Have you ever eaten here before?" Marcos asked as they were finally escorted to their table in the middle of the large, open dining area.

"No," admitted Raphael, self-consciously adjusting his jacket and smoothing out his shirt for the third time.

"Hey, look at me," coaxed Marcos. When Raphael met his gaze, he continued, "You look beautiful."

"This place is too fancy. I'm not dressed right. Look at everyone." He glanced around the room. Everyone had put on their best clothes, all of which looked ten times better than what Raphael was wearing.

"Look again," said Marcos. "They're all wearing their best, yes. But so are you. You're being too critical of yourself. No one in this room is dressed as good as you are."

"What about you?" frowned Raphael, eyeing the shiny suit.

"I'm only trying to be worthy of standing next to you." The smile in Marcos' eyes seemed sincere. His words made Raphael's cheeks flush. If anyone else had said it, it might have sounded corny, but the way Marcos spoke made Raphael feel like he was on top of the world.

They ordered their food and chatted absently about the weather until it arrived. By the time they had cut into their main course Raphael was beginning to feel more relaxed. There was no pressure with Marcos. He seemed unabashedly genuine about pretty much everything. He may have donned a fancy suit, but he was still the same alpha that had kissed Raphael during the downpour.

"I can't figure you out," admitted Raphael as they neared the end of their meal. "Why are you so determined?"

"I don't know," said Marcos with a bit of a shrug. "I started out wanting to prove to you that not all alphas are assholes. Somewhere along the way things started to shift. I meant what I said when I kissed you."

His words echoed in Raphael's mind. "I want you," he had said. The memory of it made Raphael's heart pound.

"But I don't want you to feel like I meant that in just a physical sense," continued Marcos as he pushed his empty plate away. "I want you to realize that I meant it in every sense of the word."

Before Raphael could respond, Marcos' phone began to ring. Without missing a beat, he dug it out of his jacket pocket and answered it.

"Yeah...your timing sucks...I realize that...don't worry about it...give me like...ten-fifteen minutes...I'll meet you there." He looked up at Raphael apologetically as he ended the call.

"Did I mention I was part of the coast guard?" he asked as he tucked his phone back in his pocket.

"Let me guess, 'duty calls?'" Raphael's heart sunk a little as he spoke. He hadn't been ready for this moment to end.

"Unfortunately," Marcos said as he rose from his chair. "I'll take you back home. I'm sure you don't want to climb that hill in the dark.”