Work Text:
Rafayel has a certain habit. It’s how his eyes drift to you, no matter where you are, whether together or apart.
You often find yourself flustered when he does that. The way his gaze pierces you is similar to his flames—it’s the way it lights up your heart, the same way Lemuria’s fire brings the day to the deep sea, with its warmth encompassing every fiber of your being.
And just like fire, it can sometimes be too hot.
“Rafayel, you’re doing it again,” you chastise him. You’re in his studio, trying to help him lessen the mess on his studio floor, as well as keep him company.
“Doing what, cutie?” He chuckles lightly, not even pretending to work on his “very urgent” painting—or at least according to Thomas, in a message he sent you this morning upon learning that you’re meeting Rafayel.
Now that Rafayel is actually gazing at you, you feel even more flustered than before. “The,” you start, clearing your throat in the meantime, “the staring. It’s a little—"
“Oh?” Rafayel muses. He’s already abandoning his brush and palette to the floor, wiping his hands free from paint stains on his pants as he walks towards you.
You want to look away, but those same eyes keep yours locked on them—keeping your heart heavy with feelings that beg to be let out. You try to swallow, hoping to keep them down.
As you are momentarily lost in your thoughts, Rafayel arrives in front of you. In your current positions, with you on the couch and him standing, you’re heatedly reminded of the way he towers over you.
Rafayel puts both of his hands on top of the sofa, caging your head, and leans down until your noses are only a breath’s width apart. It feels like the world has quieted down. The sound of waves ever-present has disappeared, along with the squawking of seagulls usually accompanying it. All you can hear right now is the pounding of your heart.
God, he’s so handsome, you remark inside your head. That face is a foul, I–
“Hey,” Rafayel calls out to you, interrupting your inner musings, “what are you thinking about?”
You. “You.”
Rafayel’s eyes widen as his ears and cheeks rapidly redden. He asks, “What?”
Oh, no. You weren’t intending to say it out loud. You try to back away from Rafayel, but there really isn’t much space with how his body surrounds you from every side. There is no room to escape. Sensing your restlessness, Rafayel lifts one of his arms from its placement on the couch to cup your cheek. You close your eyes to hide your embarrassment, focusing on the warmth of his palm seeping into your skin.
While you can’t see, your other senses sharpen and you can hear the rustling of his clothes and feel the gap between you getting even closer. Your noses are now touching and you can feel his every breath’s fleeting touch.
After what felt like an eternity, Rafayel rubs your noses together with a light chuckle, “Look at me, cutie.”
“What if I don’t want to?”
He lets out a short laugh, “But if you don’t, then I can’t kiss you.”
Your eyes burst open. “Wha–”
Rafayel slots your lips together the moment you open your mouth in a searing kiss. With every movement of his tongue against yours, you can feel his affection, his passion, his devotion–his love. They touch the deepest parts of your soul, consuming every other thought in their path and replacing them with the flame lilies that signify Rafayel’s mark on your life.
So you reciprocate as much as you can. You close your eyes once again, savoring this fervent embrace, locking your arms around his neck and tangling your fingers on his hair. You can hear him let out a pleased groan and even feel the smile on his lips.
You both separate a few minutes later, a string of saliva still hanging between you. His dark eyes, akin to a storm raging against the seas, remain on your lips, the desire in them palpable. The words and emotions you have been keeping in lock since earlier are out of control, prompting you to whisper his name, “Rafayel.”
“Hm?” He responds absent-mindedly, his thumb running back and forth on your lower lip.
“I–,” you start, but you feel choked with how much you feel so you stop. However, you also can’t keep it from spilling any longer. So you swallow, mustering as much courage as you can, “I–I…I love you.”
Rafayel snaps up at that. He meets your eyes, and they are rapidly moving as if searching for something from them. You do your best to stay still and maintain eye contact, hoping that Rafayel finds whatever he’s looking for.
It took a few moments, but you feel like he got his answers. His body loses its tension, the stillness in the air releasing as he lets out a long sigh under his breath.
Rafayel gives your lips a gentle and quick kiss. Before you could even react to that, he brought your foreheads together, his eyes closed but with a big smile on his lips.
“Rafayel?” you ask, hoping for him to say something.
The bond mark glows as Rafayel says something in Lemurian. While you can’t understand them, you concur you already know what it means. That doesn’t mean you don’t want to hear those words from his lips. “What did you say?”
“In landlubber terms,” he starts, the lightness and happiness in his voice embedded in every note, “it means, I love you, too.”