Work Text:
Rafael groaned into his pillow.
It was his first real day off in almost three weeks. No meetings that had to be reschedule because of a heavy caseload or obscured law that had to be studied for precedent. None of that stupid paperwork he usually had to bring home to avoid it piling up on his desk. A perfect day to sleep in and catch up on some much needed sleep.
Whoever was banging at his door disagreed with this plan, however. The knocking was loud and unending, almost like a migraine but without the pain. It didn't stop the entire time it took for Rafael to roll out of bed and crossed his apartment to his front door. Rafael opened his door briefly before slamming it shut again.
"Come on, Rafael. Don't be like that." Sonny pleaded from the other side of the door.
"I'm off today. Liv knows that and so should you."
"So am I. That's why I'm here." Sonny rapped on the door once more. "Please, let me in. Your neighbor is staring at me."
"If you didn't get around banging on doors at six in the morning they wouldn't stare." Rafael grumbled while opening the door. Sonny, who had been waving at the neighbor with a polite smile, quickly walked into his apartment trying to hide the embarrassment he felt.
Rafael ignored the rude look his neighbor was giving him by shutting his door. He didn't have the energy to deal with whatever they wanted to say. Truth be told, he wasn't in the mood to deal with whatever Sonny had come over for either, but Rafael was willing to make an exception for him.
Sonny, for his part, was looking like he had begun to have second thoughts while perched on the arm of Rafael's couch. His leg bounced sporadically up and down as Sonny fidgeted with his hands nervously all while staring holes into Rafael's carpet. It was like watching a child who stole a candy bar being forced to give it back.
"So," Rafael began tiredly, "why are you here? Not to look at the coffee stain you created last time you were here, I hope."
"I thought you said you were going to have someone come clean it." Sonny tapped the brown stain lightly with his foot. Their early morning fling had started off with more energy and haste than this one which caused Sonny to drop the coffee he had purchased.
"I've been busy." There was no bite or annoyance in Rafael's voice. Just a flat answer and quick to the point.
"Which is why I am here. I wanted to see you." Sonny stated simply. "Outside of work, I mean."
"Obviously."
"And I got thinking on the way over here," he continued, ignoring Rafael's sarcasm, "are we dating?"
Rafael sighed heavily. It was too early for this and whatever sudden insecurities Sonny felt. "You wouldn't be in my place if we weren't."
"But we've never been on a date."
"We've been sleeping together for almost four months now."
"Doesn't mean we're dating. We could just be friends with benefits and you haven't told me."
"I told you the first time I don't do that." Rafael groaned as he rubbed a hand down his face. He did not have the patience for this conversation anymore. No matter how pathetically cute Sonny looked perched on the end of his couch. "Do you want to go on a date, Sonny?"
"Yes, I'd love to." Sonny shot up quickly. All signs of nervousness gone as he looked at Rafael with a grin. "Now get dressed."
It was then that Rafael realized he had been played. The whole pathetic and insecure partner had just been a bit to get Rafael to do what Sonny wanted. "Fine." He made a mental to encourage Liv to send Sonny out on more undercover ops.
Despite the temperature being a cool 76 degrees, they were surrounded by hundreds of people. The collective body heat and now fully risen morning shining down on them, it made the air feel hotter than it truly was. Rafael was thankful for Sonny's advice to dress lightly. His white polo and brown slacks made the heat much bearable than a pair jeans and blazer would. And him matching with Sonny's outfit, a white t-shirt and brown work pants, was an unintentional choice. Though Sonny loved the idea of them wearing matching outfits.
After a surprisingly short drive, and a stop for some much needed coffee, Sonny dragged Rafael by the hand through a crowded flea market until finding a section of stalls that suited his wants. Rafael tried asking what he was looking for, but Sonny didn't explain anything beyond it being a gift for his mother. The mother he hadn't met yet. He picked out a few items that seemed nice only for Sonny to reject them right away saying they weren't good enough. Whether that meant she was a picky person or Sonny thought nothing was good enough for her, Rafael couldn't say. Either way he gave up after the fourth time and just browsed the wares at each stall they stopped at.
Rafael tossed his now empty coffee cup into a trash can as they walked towards another stall. "So this is you idea of a first date? Shopping for a birthday present for your mother?"
"Not really, no. But I think we're well past a typical first date in this relationship."
Rafael hummed his agreement but didn't have a chance to actually say anything before being dragged along to another stall just a few feet away. Something seemed to have caught Sonny's eye judging by the combination of excitement and relief on his face. Hopefully this meant they would get to leave soon. While this wasn't the worst date Rafael had ever been on, not by a long shot, it was boring. Mostly because Sonny spent more time looking at random figurines than paying attention to him. If this had been anyone else Rafael would have simply left, but this was Sonny. Sonny was different.
Sonny picked up another figurine, presumably the one he spotted before, and looked it over thoroughly. It was a made of porcelain shaped into a women wearing a light blue dress and white scarf covering most of her brown hair. Some of the paint had worn off and there was small crack at the bottom, but it was still intact. She was looking down at a bundle of blankets, a small baby's face peeking out, with peace and love. It must have been the Virgin Mary. Rafael recalled Sonny mentioning his mother was a devout catholic; even more son than himself.
"Find something?"
Sonny gave a short nod. "She had one of these when I was kid, same exact one, but some contractors knocked it over when they came over to install a new water heater."
"She must have upset. My mother would have been."
"She was livid." Sonny laughed softly before looking for the vendor of the stall. "I think she even threatened to sue them."
"She wanted to sue them?" Rafael was taken aback slightly. He never heard of someone suing over the Virgin Mary before. "Is she a Karen?"
"Rafael, she's from Staten Island and had all of her children sent to a private Catholic school." Sonny looked at Rafael with a grin. "Of course she's a Karen."
"Hello gentlemen, like what you see?" The vendor asked once he noticed their presence. He seemed to be around the ages, maybe a few years older, judging by the crows feet and speckling of gray hair in his beard and slicked back hair.
"How much for this? I don't see a price." Sonny asked, handing over the figurine to the man. The man pulled out a pair of cheap glasses from his shirt pocket and gave the figurine a once over.
"Ah, yes, this is a Lladro original. And a rare one at that." He spoke with a condescending tone as he held the figurine at arms length. His glasses sat low on his nose and he would look over the top of them when speaking, making him look like librarian that hated children. "Doubt you'll find another one anywhere else."
"You don't say." Rafael replied dryly as he pulled out his phone. Fully awake and hungry now, Rafael wanted nothing more than to leave and find breakfast.
"Okay, so how much is it?" Even Sonny sounded unimpressed by the man's act.
"Most people would price it at $1500, but I can give it you for $1200." The man grinned at both them. He was clearly pleased with the deal he was offering and that they should be do.
"$1200?" Sonny asked with annoyance, his brows crossed. "Are you serious?"
"Well, son, like I said it's a Lladro original. Only a handful were ever made." The man explained slowly, ignoring the glare Sonny was giving him. "Frankly, I should be charging double for it, but since it's damaged that just wouldn't be right."
"It's not even worth $200." Rafael countered.
"And what makes you say that?" The man questioned, feigning confusion.
"Because I just found a bunch on E-Bay for less than that." Rafael held his phone up for the man to see. A column of pictures if the same figurine were on the screen. Each a price listed much lower than the man had offered. Rafael didn't have a clue who or what Lladro was, but he did know about the internet.
"You're friend here knows how to shop for a bargain." The directed his comment Sonny, believing him to be an easier target. "But there's no guarantee of quality or authenticity with those sites. You hear about it all the time, I'm afraid. People taking advantage of other's trust and goodwill." The man shook his head with a frown. "It's cruel fact of life. Always best to shop in person because of it, I say."
"His boyfriend just found one listed for only $160 that comes with the original packaging and a certificate of authentication." Rafael handed his phone to Sonny so he could look at the posting. "And there's not any damage."
"Awww, look at you being all protective and not letting me get scammed." Sonny cooed as he browsed through the numerous pictures on the posting.
"Give yourself some credit. You're not the type to fall for such a thing." Rafael replied while smiling widely at the man. He was more than pleased with the scowl he was getting in return.
"Think it will be here by next month?' Sonny questioned, fully ignoring the man now.
"Should be. We can get express shipping just to be safe."
"If you two assholes aren't going to buy anything can you get out of the way?" The man demanded. He had dropped his entire act from earlier and was now openly showing his annoyance with them.
"Bye. Good luck scamming someone else." Rafael called over his should as he pulled Sonny, who busy ordering the figurine, away from the stall. The man gave him the middle finger as the one person who had been looking at his wares quickly left after hearing Rafael's warning.
"Here you go." Sonny handed Rafael his phone back before pulling out his own. He wanted to double check his email to ensure his address was correct. "Hungry?"
"Are you going to take me to a farmer's market?" As much fun as the last few minutes had been, it was still summer and the temperature was slowly rising to match the season. Air conditioning would be must wherever they went to eat.
"No," Sonny laughed out. "There's a diner not far from here that makes some decent omelets. And after that we can go shopping for your mother."
"My mother's birthday is eight months away."
"It's never too early to start looking."
Rafael rolled his eyes. "Don't be one of those people."
"Would we be together if I weren't?" Sonny countered as he wrapped an arm around Rafael's waist.
"I'd rather not think about it until after I've eaten." Rafael replied with vagueness. It wasn't six in the morning anymore but it was still early to admit that Sonny was right. They probably wouldn't be together if Sonny wasn't the way he was.