"Lucy, please put me down, it hurts."
"We're close."
"Please...please..."
"I'm almost there."
"I'm cold, I'm really cold."
"We're a couple minutes away."
Every droplets of the rain echoed along the darkened streets, the dim streetlights brightening the puddles that reflected the determined face of Lucius who stormed through them without hesitation. His legs moved without command, his heart pounding against his chest with every step as he felt the weight of his partner grow heavier on his shoulder.
He had thrown his jacket around Raphael, but he was certain that was no help to the heavy rain overwhelming them. They were barely ever outside of the base, and Lucius couldn't help but think that maybe the rain wasn't such coincidence—maybe the outcome of this wouldn't be what hoped. He shook his head as he forced his legs to move even faster, turning the corner along another street. From a distance, he could see the lights from the hospital. Strangely enough, even though he drew nearer, there were no thoughts of his future with Raphael, but rather his past.
He thought of the first time he had seen Raphael.
His father had randomly brought him to the base and presented him to all of them, and even though Lucius had scoffed and turned away, he couldn't help put take a second glance. It was the first time his heart had skipped as he examined the way his golden curls vibrated while he turned his head, or how his dark navy eyes maintained their narrowed width.
The first time he had spoken to Raphael was when Lucius had killed Dante's partner since he had been a bother, and Raphael was standing behind Dante when Dante confronted Lucius. When Dante turned away to leave, Raphael had bowed forward and said politely, "I apologize on his behalf for bothering you, Lucius."
Lucius never cared for anything nor anyone, but he had totally forgotten that a cigarette was hanging at the side of his mouth. He only remembered it being there when Raphael had reached inside his own pocket, brandished a new cigarette, lit the end and handed it to Lucius and said, "Yours fell out of your mouth. Here's a new one."
For the longest time, throughout Raphael's phase of following Dante, to falling in love with Dante, to fighting with Dante, to finally regaining his friendship with Dante without any romantic compatibility, Lucius observed it all. He studied Raphael, figured out what he enjoyed and disliked.
Raphael enjoyed reading, even though he always hid himself doing it and assured no one was looking at him when he did. He also had a tiny journal that he maintained in his back pocket, one that he wrote only minimal amount of words daily to express how he felt in certain moments. The most amusing fact was that he hated questions, hated answering them, especially from anyone he didn't care for nor wanted to speak to. It was a strange pet peeve but it truly was one. The most worrisome was that Raphael rarely slept. If he did close his eyes, it was a short nap, but he always answered whenever his name was called.
Another thing that he knew he had to tend to carefully was that Raphael was extremely soft-hearted and sensitive, a bit bizarrely even. Although he tried to hide it, his heart was easily hurt and he could cry fairly easy as well. He hid it very well though, as if he knew that about himself and knew to storm elsewhere whenever his eyes began to sting.
There were too many details of Raphael that Lucius determined without even speaking to him, but he tried to forget them, he really did.
These were sentiments he had never experienced, nor had his father taught him what they were or what to do with them. He didn't understand them, and he didn't want to understand them. He was the best soldier his father had, a murder tool, and that was all he was going to be. However, he couldn't ignore his feelings anymore when Raphael escaped his room in the middle of the night.
Lucius followed him, watched as he broke the most important rule and headed outdoors of the base. However, Lucius was shocked when he watched Raphael step a couple feet away from the entry and widened his arms at each of his sides, letting the wind envelop him as if he was flying. The liberation on his face as he closed his eyes and let the moonlight strike, and his long peaceful exhales every few seconds, was a masterpiece that Lucius never thought he'd view.
An art piece he wanted to collect, a tune he wanted to memorize; that was Raphael.
"You're gorgeous."
Raphael's eyes instantly opened and his arms dropped to each of his sides. The horror that crossed his face as he realized it was the son of the leader of the troop that had caught him, made Lucius' chest sting. All Raphael saw him as was a troop member, and he didn't want to be only seen as that by him. Hearing the way Raphael's breath became shaky and his inhales distorted, caused a physical pain that he didn't know he could feel from merely seeing someone else in stress. He didn't say anything though, rather turned away, not wanting to disturb Raphael's peace any further.
But he didn't expect Raphael to barge into his bedroom the next morning, locking the door behind him and pleading with him. "Lucius, I'm sorry for leaving the base late. I shouldn't have but it's the only time I can look at the moon. Please, I beg of you, please don't tell your father."
Lucius, who had a woman asleep in his bed, pushed aside the blankets and stood from his bed with only sweatpants. His next question had not only surprised Raphael but himself as well. "Can I come with you next time?"
YOU ARE READING
The Submissive Assassin (BxB)
Romance''After a few seconds of them staring at one another, Dante finally spoke. But his voice had changed; it was breathless and soft, echoing with a sweetness that Nate could have never imagined existed within him. With the knife left on his palm for Na...
