The Submissive Assassin (BxB)

Chapter 106 - "I like you, Dante,"

"Don't look at me like that," Raphael breathed, tilting his head to the side as he saw the raised eyebrows of Dante as his eyes appeared a bit rounder, enveloped with worry.

Dante tried to appear much more confident, broadening his shoulders slightly and nodded his head vigorously, but his shoulders soon fell as he imagined Raphael already walking out of the door. "What if something goes wrong? What if Lucius has been captured and they're luring you?"

"Lucius wouldn't get himself captured unless it was intentional," Raphael snorted, the thought of Lucius drinking mindlessly at a bar crossing his mind. "He's definitely chugging alcohol somewhere; I'll find him and bring him back before you know it. Besides," he glanced towards Nate and winked, definitely antagonizing him but having a bit of fun doing it, "when I come back to the base, Dante and I can finally be together."

Nate's eye widened and he stormed to his feet. However, when he saw Dante's glare, he threw his hand in the air and boomed, "Dante, come on, he's doing this shit on purpose!"

Raphael burst into cackles; Nate reminded him too much of the old Dante. Oddly enough, a memory crossed his mind; the first time he was introduced to Dante. Dante didn't say anything, swung his fist forward and connected with Raphael's cheekbone. Raphael waited until Draco wasn't around to do the same and the violent scuffle began to which they were separated by Reno and Bronsted. He thought he would get in trouble by Draco, but when Draco heard the news, he had laughed.

In this moment, Raphael didn't stop laughing for a little while, but he didn't want to stop, since he knew the moment he did, reality would settle in and it would be time for him to leave.

Being around them made him feel as if he could be himself. Of course, he loved being around Lucius but Lucius was on edge, and he had to tippy-toe to prevent Lucius from lashing out but also from assuming the worst—Lucius was much more insecure than he let him portray. He always questioned if the people that he cared for, loved him back, and needed constant reassurance that everything was going smoothly. As much as he absolutely adored Lucius, being away from him for a little bit of time made Raphael's soul feel as though he could breathe.

The laughter finally halted and Raphael met Dante's gaze; his smile was reciprocated by a worried frown on Dante's visage. After a few seconds of silence, they watched as Raphael stepped forward, wrapping his arms securely around Dante for longer than Nate could bare. Nonetheless, he resisted the urge to pull Raphael's arms away from Dante. Instead, he turned away and snarled curses under his breath, thinking of all the rude insults he would share to Dante later when he had the chance.

The embrace was long and amorous, Dante wrapping both of his arms around Raphael's waist and leaning his forehead in the crevice of his shoulder. He wasn't sure how long it would be until he could be this close to him again, and even though he believed they would return safe and sound, being in this lifestyle did not guarantee that fact. After the conversation they had, he really needed Raphael to return and be by his side, as it used to be.

When they pulled apart, they kept their grips and Dante noticed Raphael's eyes begin to water. He had been crying much more than he usually did, which made Dante grin and wipe the corners of Raphael's eyes with his thumb. "We'll see each other soon, alright?"

Raphael paused for a moment, his eyebrows curling as he tilted his head to the side, engraving every single detail of Dante's face. It was strange, since after their break up, he did everything in his power to distance himself from Dante and maintain a professional stance around him. He extinguished any sort of friendship they had and was only his body guard, rather than a listening ear or a friend. But now, he wished he could go back in time and use their break up to strengthen their friendship. He felt as if he hadn't spent enough time with him, and they had an eternity left.