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“I know you’re making that face again.”
“...”
“Hello? Is anybody there?”
You turned your face to the source of the grumble, which lay down on the sofa. His lips pouted as his gaze was fixed on the ceiling. Normally you would find his pouty face endearing… but not this time.
Not today. The longer you stared at the man’s face, you could feel the steam gathering on your head.
“I’m still here.” You said at last. Anyone walking into the room would have been confused by the scene: Rafayel, his face reprimanding, lay stretched out on the living room sofa, while you, the guest, sat on the floor beside him, as if waiting for punishment.
If anyone was to be angry, that should be me. You thought as you looked down on your watch. Seeing the time, you fetched the mini bottle of eye drops on the coffee table. “Hey, it’s time.”
Rafayel still stared grouchingly at the ceiling, his lips pouting even more after hearing what you said. But him leaning into your palm once you touched his face betrayed his feigned annoyance. “Today is my birthday, you know.” He muttered, his breath tickled your face as you leaned down to give his eye drop. “You should be kinder to me.”
“I will be kinder if you learn how to take better care of yourself.” You replied before lightly flicking Rafayel’s forehead, seeing him flinch and rub his head somehow lightened your mood a little.
It was all because of Rafayel that you were in this dire state.
Trying to do something different from last year, you decided that this year you would celebrate Rafayel’s birthday with Talia and Thomas at Talia’s penthouse in Linkon. In the past few weeks, apart from hunting the Wanderers as usual, preparing the party occupied every minute of your life. You ran through the supermarket for god-only-knows times for decorations. Your wallet had not yet recovered from buying those fresh seafood he loved.
But all was for… nothing. Because the very birthday boy decided it was a good idea to work until dawn when his inspiration was still ablaze, and lost his sight in the process. Again.
At least we have the cake. You silently thanked yourself for not sending the birthday cake to Talia’s place as you walked into the dimmed kitchen. The golden hour had faded, and the sky was now a deep navy. Whitesand Bay was quiet, the only sounds the gentle clash of waves and the distant cries of seagulls.
As you walked back to the living room, you caught a head of purple hair perking up from the sofa and turning around as if the man was trying to find something. But once you stepped closer, Rafayel flopped back to the seat, head fixing straight.
“Were you looking for me?”
“Oh? You’re still here?” His voice was high-pitched. “I thought you already had your fill after hurting my body and feeling and went home already.”
“Who hurt you? Really.” You narrowed your eyes, even though the man before you cannot see it. “Can you get up?”
Rafayel did not say anything but raised both arms. With a loud sigh, you pulled the fully grown man up.
“Now, give me you hands”
Rafayel raised his eyebrow, but obeyed as you said.
You gently placed the cake on his waiting hands. The receiver played with the weight on his palms a little before asking.
“A cake?”
“Yes. Well, at least we have something to celebrate your birthday.”
You cleared your throat a little after lighting the candles. The birthday song started to fill the stillness of the living room along with the distant gliding waves. The puzzled expression on Rafayel's face dissolved into a blooming smile as he swayed slightly to the rhythm. The dancing flames of the candles reflected in his sightless eyes.
“Happy Birthday Rafayel” You said finally after finishing the song, but that did not seem to satisfy the man. Rafayel raised his eyebrow, signaling you to continue. He moved closer, like a child waiting for his surprise to be unfolded.
“I wish you happiness. Whatever you wish for, may you get it.” Rafayel nodded. “May your inspiration never fade, so Thomas doesn’t have to nag you that often.”
“Why bring Thomas now.” Rafayel scrunched his nose. “It’s my birthday. You should talk only about me!”
You laughed a little. But what could the talented, rich, and famous like him want? What could you wish for him on a special day like this?
Actually, there was one.
“I wish you good health. Stay healthy and live a long life.”
After the words left your mouth, Rafayel only gave a small smile. The sparkle in his eyes dimmed a little as he averted them to somewhere else. He lightly nodded then replied.
“I will try my best.”
That again.
To be honest, what bothered you the most was not the fact that your well-planned party was ruined. You were completely fine if it scaled down to celebrate just you and him.
It was Rafayel in this state again that left a crack in your heart.
He was always like this; chasing inspiration to the point he forgot his meals and sleep, even though the doctor had warned him this blindness could become permanent if he kept this antic. Whenever he joined you in a mission, despite the complaints, he faced the threats head on. Now you did not even start about his ridiculously high bounty.
He was furious whenever you got injured, always noticed even the smallest scratch. But when it came to himself, he just shrugged it off.
Very unfair
“Don’t worry too much.”
His deep voice brought you back from your spiral. You looked up at him, only to find the playfulness completely vanished from his face. His sunset eyes focused solely on you, making you think he regained his sight for a slight second. But then his hand was searching for something in the air before stopping at your cheek.
“I’m fine.” The whisper lingered between you. Your face warmed, not being sure if it was for the closeness or something else. As if being able to sense your emotion, the childish grin slowly returned to Rafayel’s face. He chuckled, “How can I not be safe when I have you as my bodyguard, hmm?”
You rolled your eyes. Would this man ever take his well-being seriously for once?
“I don’t know. I don’t care. I wish you to have three meals a day and sleep on time.” You asserted as you left some space between you two. “You will not have this eye problem again. And I wish no one will go after you for the bounty again.”
“You sure that was a wish, not an order? And the last one is up to me?”
“It can be whatever as long as you do it. Now, just blow the candle already.”
Rafayel laughed heartily before blowing out the candle. But before he could put the cake down, the hands cupping his face made him freeze completely. He sat still, waiting for your moment. When his bangs slightly moved because of your breath, Rafayel closed his eyes, as the darkness behind his eyelids was embraced with a light kiss.
“Happy birthday, Rafayel. Let’s be together for a long, long time.”
It was way past midnight. The sky above the glass dome was completely dark with the droplets of stars here and there, which, unfortunately, the owner could not admire at the moment. The artist just lay there, listening to the humming waves and even breaths of the person next to him.
The cake was cut. The song was already sung. His birthday was a few hours ago. But your words were repeatedly played in his mind.
‘I wish you good health. Stay healthy and live a long life.’
He knew, of course. Be it your worry, fear, or plea. Those were etched in every word you said. Even without the bond, he knew from the tone when you picked up his phone about his condition; from how fast you drove the hospital despite complaining; or how you remembered his eye drop time better than he did.
Even today that he ruined everything, you still found a way to celebrate his birthday.
A part of him was happy to know that he was as important as you were to him. And he was pretty sure you would hit him if you knew he thought something like this.
But you might never forgive him if you knew what he had done just to meet you.
It was better this way that you would never know how it felt to walk on feet for the first time. Or how suffocating the air above water was.
No memory of the bloody sea; of the time when the sun of Lemuria was dead.
Sometimes he was happy just like this; you being a silly girl with a bad memory. Like a blank canvas he could create a new story and paint the new smiles without you knowing what lurked in the shadow.
Rafayel changed his position to lie on his side, tapping in the darkness until he found your sleeping body. He made sure you were not awake before tightening his arms around you, planting his nose in your hair.
‘I wish you happiness. Whatever you wish for, may you get it.’
He was happy whenever he was with you. His wish was already in his hands.
And he was going to keep it that way until the twisted fate decided it was time to trade his life again.
Until then–
The even beating echoed through your back against his fingertips. Locking you tightly in his arms, Rafayel closed his eyes to chase the dream.
Until then, having meals and getting some sleep as you asked, and listening to your complaints might not be too difficult to do.
For he, too, wanted to be with you for a long, long time.