The Submissive Assassin (BxB)

Chapter 97 - "I almost killed you."

"Stop walking so fast."

"I need a second to myself," he rambled.

"You don't need a second, you're just avoiding me because you don't want to talk about this."

He exhaled a sharp sigh, quickening his walk. "That's not true. Like I said, I just need a seco—"

"Raphael." He pulled the back of his shirt hard enough to make him stumble backwards, Raphael's back landing against his chest. Before he could attempt to flee, he wrapped an arm around his neck securely, locking him in place. "You're not taking any seconds to yourself; we need to talk about this."

"Please...I just...I need a minute..." That was when he heard the coiling in his tone. Instantly, in order to be secluded, he shoved Raphael into the nearest room, which was the infirmary room, and locked them both in there. He rapidly checked to see if anyone else was in there and returned his focus onto Raphael when he confirmed they were alone.

When Raphael realized that it was only himself and Lucius in the room, he released all the gruelling emotions overwhelming him, collapsing onto his knees as he burst into hysterical sobs, wiping them as fast as he could and still not being quick enough to hide them. He wailed as if he hadn't cried in years, breathing so harshly that he began dry heaving alarmingly. It wasn't until Lucius knelt beside him, wrapping his arms around Raphael's shoulders and letting Raphael's forehead fall onto his shoulder, that there was any sign of him starting to calm down.

His shoulders were quivering badly that Lucius felt his chest tightened, wishing that there was a way for Raphael to transfer his emotions onto him. Instead, he had to wait until Raphael eventually calmed down, still choking and sniffling as the tears continued to leak, but he was sound enough to listen to Lucius soothing him and whispered through hiccups, "I'm...hic!...I'm fine."

That was one thing only a select few people that had been close enough to Raphael to witness him crying knew; Raphael always got the hiccups whenever he cried.

Lucius had never been this gentle with anyone, never even sensed these emotions with anyone else before. Unfortunately, there was something with Raphael that always made him cave, to the point that whenever Raphael was angry, he felt angry too, which meant when Raphael was bawling to the point that his entire body was trembling, his eyes teared up as well—which he successfully hid.

"You're not fine."

"I need to go report back to...hic!...Hayes so he can...hic!...let Wolf know." A weak smile formed on Lucius' lips; he didn't admit to it but it was because he found the hiccups cute whenever Raphael had them, so cute that it physically warmed his chest. He rapidly let the smile fade into an unbothered line when Raphael glanced upwards. "Did you hear me Lucy? I said I need to go."

"Not until we have our conversation," he said sternly, not letting any compassion show in his tone.

Raphael groaned, pushing himself away from Lucius and standing, waving a dismissive hand. "I don't want...hic!...to talk right now."

Lucius frowned, reaching for Raphael shirt and pulling him backwards. When Raphael stumbled, Lucius switched positions with him, standing between him and the door to leave. "That's not up for debate Ralph, I want to talk now."

"You don't always have to be hard...hic!...hard-headed," Raphael spoke harshly, pushing his golden hair away from obstructing his view. He wasn't surprised when Lucius leaned forward and pulled the strands behind his ear; he always said Raphael had a childish way of doing it and he despised it. He said it reminded him of a kid who was too busy playing in dirt and shoved the strands of hair with their entire palm away from their sweaty foreheads. Again, cute but he wouldn't admit to it. "Stop it," he said, but he didn't really resist Lucius' tender fingers gliding the hairs to his ears; he liked the feeling of his fingers sliding across his cheek. When Lucius pulled back after a few seconds, Raphael sighed. "I don't want to talk—"