"I think I'm in love with you and I'm terrified."

Rafael looked up then, away from the photographs scattered haphazardly on the desk in front of him; the desk that was currently the only thing separating himself from Sonny as they worked.

His hands froze over the picture he had been about to examine, a mugshot of a man that had been paid to kill him in addition to Felipe Heredio, because apparently hiring one assassin wasn't good enough for whoever wanted him dead.

In fact, all six of the photographs that laid in front of him were of various men that Sonny had persuaded Heredio to name over the course of the last month, all apparent co-conspirators in the plot to kill Rafael Barba.

They still didn't know who had hired them.

None of the men had been arrested yet.

And Rafael was no closer to getting his life back, the life that had existed before the threat of dying had begun to loom over every single one of his conscious thoughts and actions.

And Sonny was still staring at him, and Rafael was still frozen, green eyes locked on Sonny's blue, and he really should say something, but had Sonny really just said –

"I think I'm in love with you and that scares the living shit out of me."

Rafael had it bad for Sonny. He'd had it bad for Sonny for a while now.

Sonny was beautiful, and Rafael didn't mean that in the physical sense (though Sonny was, kind of, ridiculously pretty).

Sonny was kind.

Sonny was sweet.

Sonny was caring.

Sonny was the only member of the entire squad who checked up on him, who walked him back to his office after court because "I'm not chancing leaving you alone again, Barba", who reminded him to eat, because Rafael tended to lose his appetite in high-stress situations.

Sonny was the only one who said, "I'm gonna keep you safe, counselor".

Sonny was loving.

And apparently, he loved Rafael.

He was "in love" with Rafael.

Rafael had never hoped, because there was no room for hope, not now, not when the possibility of his life ending was as common a consideration for him as was the way he decided to take his coffee every morning from the café directly below his apartment.

Sonny looked even more terrified than he had just moments earlier, when he'd uttered those words that Rafael was still having a hard time trying to process.

Probably because Rafael still hadn't managed to say anything.

"W – what?"

Well, that was a start. Rafael figured that was probably all he could manage right now, anyway.

Sonny sighed and looked down at his lap.

He was fidgeting, and Rafael would've found that adorable if not for the fact that he was still trying very hard to regulate his breathing.

"C'mon Barba, don't pretend like you don't know."

Sonny still wouldn't look at him, his gaze fixed firmly on his hands clasped tightly together in his lap.

"I'm scared," he said quietly. "I'm scared because someone wants to hurt you. I'm scared because someone wants you dead."

"I'm scared because they've got seven men lined up who are willing to get that done. And that fucking terrifies me, because I'm in love with you, and the thought of me not being able to keep you safe kills me, Barba. It absolutely kills me."

Sonny was shaking now, his blue eyes wide and wild as he finally brought his attention back to Rafael.

"I haven't done enough," he whispered. "I should've gotten Heredio to talk sooner, I should've – ".

"Sonny. Shut. Up."

Sonny looked wounded, and his eyes looked even glassier than they had before, but Rafael needed him to stop talking right this second because he was so incredibly wrong.

Before Rafael knew what he was doing, he was walking around the length of the table, cupping Sonny's face in his hands and kissing him, hard.

Sonny gasped into his mouth, nervous fingers attempting to find purchase on Rafael's waist.

Rafael only let the kiss linger for a few seconds before pulling back, Sonny's face still framed tightly by his palms.

"Don't you dare ever say something like that again, Sonny. You've done everything that you could. You got Heredio to talk. You got these names."

Rafael motioned to the mugshots still strewn about the desk before returning his hand to Sonny's cheek.

"Tomorrow, once the warrants are sorted out, you're going to arrest these men. And then we'll get them to name names."

Rafael let his knees hit the floor so that he could look directly into Sonny's eyes.

"You're not going to lose me. I promise you that. Not now that I know you feel the same way," he finished.

Sonny looked overwhelmed.

His hands were still clutching at Rafael's waist, as if he were afraid that Rafael was going to disappear; as if he were afraid that Rafael's body was going to slip through his fingertips into thin air.

"You…you really feel the same way?" he asked quietly.

Rafael nodded. "I do. I have for a while now. But I've been too much of a coward to do anything about it."

Sonny looked like he believed him. His expression was no longer one of fear; rather, he looked fierce.

Protective, Rafael realized with a jolt.

Sonny's hands came around to rest on his back then, long arms completely enveloping Rafael.

"Please let me come home with you," he pleaded, fingers digging into Rafael's shoulder blades. "Please. It'll make me feel better if I'm there with you."

"You can come home with me," Rafael answered. "And you can come home with me tomorrow night, too. And the night after that."

He stroked Sonny's cheek with his thumb before adding, "You make me feel safe."

His hands went to the back of Sonny's neck, and he pulled him forward until their lips met.

Rafael kissed Sonny, slow and deep, nestling himself in between Sonny's thighs so that their bodies were flush against each other.

He let his lips move down to Sonny's jaw where he pressed a trail of warm kisses before finally moving down to his neck.

Rafael let himself nuzzle there for a second, breathing the other man in, feeling Sonny's heartbeat pounding underneath him, hands still planted firmly on Rafael's back.

"Sonny."

Rafael's breath ghosted against Sonny's skin. Sonny's fingers began idly dragging across Rafael's spine.

"I think I'm in love with you too."

Rafael sucked a kiss to Sonny's pulse point then, the light thrumming of his heart pulsing against Rafael's lips.

Rafael didn't think, though. He knew.