Raphael Santiago - Shadowhunters Imagines & Drabbles

Raphael Santiago - "We always have a choice."

"What's happening?" You widened your eyes when you saw the windows shattering. A shiver rolled down your spine when pale people with sharp fangs started to climb inside and while your heart raced in your chest you held your breath.

"Camille..." Raphael let out a deep sigh and before you had noticed that he had moved he had pressed you between his back and the wall. "Don't move. Don't breath. Don't talk." He hissed between his teeth.

"What are you going to do? You're outnumbered!" You whispered, but Raphael tensed all his muscles and took a deep breath.

"Don't underestimate what a person can do to protect those they care about." He curled his fingers up to form fists and with one smooth movement he punched the first attacker in the face.

"Fine, but don't you dare die on me, Raphael Santiago!" You placed your hands on his back and then you closed your eyes. If he was going to die and if you were going to die you didn't want to see it.

"I've dealt with Camille's vampires before and we'll get through this. I promise." His voice was barely a vague whisper and you only nodded, not realizing that he couldn't see you right now. He was a good fighter. He had proven that time after time and he would probably prove it again, but normally he fought where you couldn't see him, where you couldn't hear him, where you couldn't know how close to death he really was.

Right now you were standing behind him. You could hear the punches, the screams and the moans. You could feel it when he trembled, when he had to step forward or when he had to step back. Your heart stopped beating every time your skin no longer touched his. You had never really been worried about him, but if the two of you would survive today, you were not sure if you could stay calm next time he had to leave to take care of the mess Camille kept on causing.

"(Y/N)..." Raphael spoke softly and you felt two strong hands on your shoulders. There was no screaming or punching or moaning anymore. There was nothing but silence and Raphael's soft voice whispering your name over and over again until you opened your eyes. "They're defeated. They won't harm you anymore."

You realised that you were shaking and trembling, that your knees could barely carry the weight of your body and Raphael wrapped his arms around you to make sure you wouldn't fall down on the floor.

"I've got you." He carried you to the couch in the middle of the living room. He stepped over the death bodies on the floor and he ignored the pieces of glass everywhere.

"You killed all of them on your own?" Your voice was a little unsteady and the world around you started turning. "You're holding back when we train together, are you?" You curled your lips up into a smile, partly because you were nervous and partly because you were in a weird kind of shock.

"I want you to be able to defend yourself, but if I wouldn't hold back you might get hurt or worse." Raphael touched your forehead and cheek with the back of his hand.

"How often have you been forced to fight vampires because they were after me?" You closed your eyes, hoping that you would start to feel better if you could pretend that the chaos around you didn't exist.

"No one forces me to fight them. We always have a choice." Raphael pressed a soft kiss on your lips. "And I will happily choose to fight for you for as long as you live."