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"Are you laying in the bath again?" Haarlep's voice called out, startling Raphael out of his half-asleep stupor.
"It's warm, alright?" Raphael huffed in response, his eyes shut tight as he shifted against the folded towel he laid his head on. "How is it so damn cold in here? It's fucking Avernus, it shouldn't be cold!"
Haarlep raised an eyebrow at him across the boudoir and slowly slid off the bed. "It feels fine in here to me."
"You're from Cania, you're built for the cold." He snapped, wrapping his arms around himself under the water in an attempt to trap the warmth against his chest.
Haarlep rolled their eyes, deciding not to bring up how they hadn't been to Cania in centuries, or how they had so fully adjusted to the heat of Avernus that their home realm would likely be insufferably cold for them now. Instead they made their way to the edge of the bath, kneeling next to the pouting devil who peaked up at them questioningly, only one eye open as he watched them.
"Let me feel you." Haarlep finally said, laying a hand across his forehead. "Hells, you're burning up."
"I'm in a heated bath." He retorted, waving their hand away, before quickly ducking it back under the warm water.
"You have a fever, Raphael." Haarlep said, their voice unusually soft.
"I do not!" Raphael scoffed. "Devil's don't get sick!"
"But humans very much do. And dare I remind you, you have just as much human blood in you as you do devil." They said, infuriatingly patient as they eyed his shivering form, earning an icy glare from the cambion below them. "Have you eaten today?"
Raphael just huffed and rolled his eyes, shifting onto his side to face away from them as he pouted.
"I'll take that as a 'no' then." Haarlep sighed, resisting the urge to roll their own eyes again as they stood and took a few steps towards the door, peaking their head out the entrance until their gaze settled on a random debtor sweeping the floors.
"You!" They called out, making the sad little creature jump as they addressed her. "Go tell the chef to make Master a bowl of chicken noodle soup, and bring it here on a bed tray. Understood?"
"Y-yes, my lord! Right away!" The little debtor stuttered, bowing deeply before scampering off towards the kitchen.
"I don't need soup, Haarlep, I'm not a child." Raphael protested from behind them, sounding especially childish in his petulance.
"Oh, is that so?" Haarlep chuckled slightly as they made their way back across the room to fetch a warm pair of pajamas, and a large plush towel. "Then why, my dear, are you acting like one?"
"Insolent little wretch." Raphael muttered under his breath, grumbling to himself as he watched them approach with the towel outstretched.
"Come on, little brat." They encouraged, ignoring his insult as they prompted him out of the bath. "You'll prune terribly if you spend all day in the water, you know. Come on, dry off. I'll keep you warm in bed."
"I'm really not in the mood for sex, Haarlep." Raphael sighed, narrowing his eyes at the offending incubus.
"I wouldn't think so, considering you being sick and all." Haarlep retorted, holding the towel out pointedly as Raphael scowled at them. "Now come on, don't make me drag you out of there."
Raphael groaned as Haarlep pulled the little folded towel out from under his head, leaving him with the options of resting his head on the cold marble steps, or sitting up properly to get a new one.
"Fine." He spat, shivering as he lifted himself out of the water and into the cold, cold air. Before he could protest further, Haarlep wrapped him tightly in the warm plush towel, squeezing him to their chest as they carefully dried him off. Raphael let out a soft, content sigh as they pressed a kiss to his temple, an almost imperceptible whine escaping his lips as they left him to grab his pajamas. He dressed quickly, and promptly pressed himself against their chest again, desperate to stay in their warmth.
"That's better, hmm?" Haarlep said as they lifted him into their arms, pleased with the way he promptly wrapped his legs around their waist as they carried him to bed. "Go on, get comfortable."
Haarlep pulled the covers back and set him down gently, prompting him to scoot towards the center of the bed as they followed suit, crawling under the covers with him. As soon as they were in bed next to him, Raphael wrapped an arm around their chest, and tangled their legs together, pressing his shivering form against them as hard as he could. Haarlep wrapped their arms, and one wing tightly around him as they pulled the covers up to his chin.
"How's that, little one?" They asked, pressing a kiss to the top of his head softly.
"Better." Raphael mumbled against their chest, slowly relaxing into their embrace.
"Good." Haarlep smiled slightly, nuzzling their face into his hair. "You didn't have any important plans today, did you?"
"I do actually." Raphael huffed, bristling noticeably as Haarlep waved away the idea.
"Hmmmmm, unfortunate you'll have to miss them then." They said matter-of-factly, and Raphael sighed as he realized they wouldn't budge on this matter now. He simply grumbled in response, letting out a frustrated groan at the idea of having to make up for lost work later.
Eventually Raphael gave up on making any meaningful progress that day, and relaxed into the warm embrace of his incubus, drifting gently in and out of consciousness until his peace was interrupted by an unfamiliar voice ringing out through the boudoir.
"M-my lords? I have brought what you requested." The little debtor called out, their shaky voice slightly muffled by the barrier guarding the entrance.
"Bring it here." Haarlep ordered, disappearing the barrier with a wave of their hand.
"In there? I... Y-yes, my lord." The debtor replied, keeping their head down as they slowly made their way through the boudoir, a place usually off limits for all but the most carefully selected servants.
"Sit up, Raphael, you need to eat." Haarlep said gently, ignoring his sounds of complaint as they pulled themself upright and leaned against the headboard. "Here, sit between my legs."
Raphael complied with a grumble, shivering slightly again before Haarlep pulled the blankets up to his chest, and wrapped their arms around him.
"Set it here." Haarlep gestured to Raphael's lap, suppressing a giggle as they watched a small bead of sweat drip down the little debtors forehead as she had to climb partially up onto the bed to place the tray in front of him. "That will be all."
The debtor quickly crawled off the bed and gave them a deep bow, before scampering off to complete their duties. Raphael sighed as he looked down at the tray in front of him, eyeing the rich, steaming soup in it's ornate bowl with contempt. Chicken noodle soup. Ridiculous. With a huff he picked up the golden spoon laying next to it, and took a small sip of the broth, annoyed to find it incredibly soothing to his dry throat.
"How is it?" Haarlep asked innocently, resting their head on his shoulder as they cocooned him in their warmth.
"It's fine." He grumbled, taking another spoonful and reveling in the way it warmed him from the inside out.
"Good." Haarlep chuckled knowingly, pressing a soft kiss to his cheek which he waved away petulantly. He ate slowly, but without complaint, finishing every bit he could scoop up, and drinking some of the broth with a satisfied hum.
"Feeling any better?" Haarlep asked as he relaxed back against them, moving the tray off his lap with a wave of their hand, and setting it on the floor nearby. Raphael just groaned as he shifted in their lap, leading them to lay down again and buried his face in the crook of their neck.
"No... Everything hurts." He mumbled, his breathing shallow and labored as he tried to get comfortable despite the growing aches that plagued him.
"Poor little thing." Haarlep cooed, tucking the blankets up around him, and petting his hair softly. "Just try to rest, alright? I'll keep you warm while you sleep."
Raphael sighed contentedly as Haarlep pressed a kiss to his head, pressing himself against them tighter as he settled in. They rubbed soothing little circles on his lower back as they nuzzled into his hair, an act of affection that was getting surprisingly commonplace for them as their time in the House of Hope stretched on.
"You don't have to do this, you know." Raphael muttered after a few minutes, locking his ankles around where he held one of their legs, despite his protest.
An uneasy feeling washed over the incubus as they considered how to respond. "It is my job to take care of you, Master."
"It is your job to spy on me for Mephistopheles." Raphael replied bitterly, too tired to hide the contempt in his voice.
"Those were, in essence, my orders from him, yes." Haarlep said, their voice measured, choosing their words very carefully. "But as your personal incubus, it is my job to take care of you, however I can."
Raphael let out an incredulous huff, and pressed his face against their neck. When he finally spoke, his words were softer than a whisper, muffled against their skin. "I wish..."
Haarlep waited for a conclusion to come, the silence stretching on between them until Raphael sighed. "Yes?"
"Nothing." He finally said, louder this time so they could hear him properly. "Thank you. For keeping me warm, I mean."
"Of course, Master. I am at your service." They replied softly, relaxing into the comfortable silence, broken only by Raphael's slowly steadying breath. He pressed a kiss, almost imperceptibly against their neck, sighing contentedly as they placed one in his hair in return, and drifted slowly off to sleep.