Rayna and Deacon in the beginning:

Rayna was a touchy-feely person. She was always hugging the life out of everyone, putting a hand on your shoulder, kissing your cheek when she saw you. She let you know she cared in a million tiny ways most people would barely even notice.

But Deacon noticed.

When they first met, he was thrown off by this. He didn't even know how to respond. She was only 16. He was almost 20, but it was an old 20. Yeah, she was a sweet girl. Yeah, they made the most amazing music together, but anything more than that was out of the question. Watty White had made that perfectly clear. Rayna always trying to hug him and clinging to his arm like she did , jumping up and down when she got excited….He just….wasn't used to it.

And Rayna noticed this.

At first she thought she had imagined it. She worked herself into a silent mess worrying about it. Maybe I make him uncomfortable. I bet he thinks I'm just a kid. After a couple weeks of playing that not-so-fun game with herself, she made up her mind to just ask him.

So she did.

They'd gotten into this habit of him parking down the street and walking her to the gate, so Lamar wouldn't hear his crappy old truck coming or going.

I can walk myself the rest of the way, Deacon. It's only two blocks.

Like hell, he'd say indignantly. Its midnight. And it's dark.

"Thanks for the ride, Deacon," she said one night as he walked her to the edge of the property. She leaned over and kissed his cheek, like she always did.

The flinch as she was barely noticeable, but it was there. "Why do you do that?" She asked curiously, unable to not ask anymore.

"Do what?"

"Tense up every time I get near you?"

"I don't." Deacon said, looking away, avoiding her eyes as he got real busy looking at the moon and the trees and everything except her.

"Yes you do." She stood with one hand cocked on her hip.

"I guess because I ain't used to that."

"Being hugged?"

He looked uncomfortable, as though he'd already said too much.

But she saw it, there in his eyes, and the puzzle pieces fell into place, and she saw him as a little boy who maybe had only ever wanted nothing more than a hug from his mama and daddy. And hadn't gotten one. She hurt for him. So much.

"Deacon," she whispered.

He looked so miserable. Clearly embarrassed, he turned to leave. "See ya, Rayna."

She grabbed his arm before he could walk away.

"Now listen here," she said, her voice wobbling a little. Hurting for that little kid that he'd been. "I intend to hug you every time I see you, so you better get used to it."

He laughed softly and reached down to brush the red-gold strands of hair off her pretty face. "You are somethin else. I'm gonna hold you to that." She was so damn young. Too young for him. Too inexperienced in how harsh life could be. He'd learned from a young age not to expect much: out of life, out of people… But Rayna, she'd grown up with everything. And she had expectations.

Rayna flashed him a bright smile, and then she slid her arms around his waist and laid her head on his chest. She felt that same tightness at first, but she wasn't giving up. She stood there under the moonlight holding onto him for dear life, and after a minute the tension in his body slowly drain away, and his hands came up and rested cautiously on her hips. She heard give a soft sigh against her ear.

"See, this isn't so bad," she said, her voice muffled by his flannel shirt.

"Yeah," he laughed softly and buried his face in her hair, inhaling the exotic scent of her shampoo. "I guess not."

This ain't crossing the line, he thought to himself. It's just a hug. Everybody does that.

Years later, when he was in her band…when she married Teddy….when she wore Luke's ring on her finger, she still hugged him. And somewhere along the way he'd stopped flinching, too.

"Why do you do that?" Teddy asked once, annoyed, when he saw her greet Deacon at an industry party with a side-hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"Do what?" She asked as she grabbed a glass of champagne from a passing waiter.

"Hug him like that. It's not really appropriate."

Rayna looked surprised that he'd even noticed. "I don't know, Teddy, I guess it's just what we do. We're friends. Isn't that what friends do?" It was so automatic with Deacon, she never even thought about it anymore.

Teddy did not look convinced.

So she stopped hugging Deacon around Teddy. She just settled for a nice hand on his arm instead.

But it didn't mean she didn't want to.