Chapter Text
You're just coming back from a day at the river, having spent half the time, either arguing with your family that was there or trying not to be drown by one of your siblings, whether they did it on purpose or not and you hesitantly make your way to the infirmary. Raphael's infirmary. It doesn't feel like a good idea at the moment but you don't know what else to do at this point and your sunburn from the day is getting out of hand, probably because you ignored it for a few hours.
You sneak in, asking the virtues at the door to please not tell anyone and that you'll return everything you take or replace it. They nod, looking a bit confused by how secretive you're being in an infirmary. Your clothes are all black and you have a jacket on, trying to keep the sunburn on your shoulders from seeing sunlight. You thank them when they agree and hand them both a small candy you have in your pocket as a bit of a bribe and silently make your way through the infirmary, avoiding being seen by any of the other medics in the place.
You find the cabinet full of the stuff for soothing burns, silently thanking whoever labeled everything so clearly. You start shuffling through the items and find the aloe vera gel, tanking that and putting it in your pocket. You close that cabinet and look for the one with the pain medicine that you use, since you can't swallow pills at all.
Raphael meanwhile, has walked into the front of the infirmary and noticed that his guards are eating a small candy. "What are you eating?" He asks them calmly, to which they both readily blow your cover. The one on the left tells him that someone came in and asked to take some stuff and give it back later or replace it and they happened to have candy and gave them both a piece for agreeing. The one on the right elbows him and tells him that the person specifically asked them not to tell anyone. "Oh. So they're at the medicine storage then? Thank you both." he walks off after thanking them.
You find the pain medicine that you're looking for and put that in your pocket as well, hoping that no one saw you. You turn around and start rushing out of the door, only to run into someone. You back up and panic, having gotten caught by Raphael himself. You tear up a bit and try to run off but he catches you. "A-a-ah. Just what did you take, little one?"
You start squirming in his arms and the movement makes you wince, rubbing the fabric of your jacket against the sunburn. "ow ow ow.." You stop squirming as much with your arms. "Let me go."
Raphael notices that you're genuinely in pain, not just trying to steal stuff, and sets you on the floor but doesn't let go of your waist. "Little one, look at me." you try to get away and he gently moves your head to face him, holding your cheek softly. "You're not in any trouble. Can you tell me what hurts?" He asks, seeing that you need gentle words at the moment.
You're still anxious but it's calming down a bit. not by much, but it's enough to talk. "N-nothing.. I-i'll put the stuff back later, I promise, I just-"
He notices that you're responding to his soothing tone and dials that up by a few notches "Hey hey hey. Little one, it's ok. You're safe. Let's start this again. Can you tell me your name, little one?"
You calm down a little more and your eyes widen as you start to slip from him calling you little one. You mumble "it's Y/N..."
He nods, taking quick note that you seem comforted by being called little one. "Ok. Can you tell me why you're in the infirmary, little Y/N?"
You look down and then notice that you're regressing and try to mask that "I think I got what I needed..."
He notices that mask trying to go up and decides to push your slipping so he can get some answers. He picks you up like a toddler, given how much taller than you he is, this is no shock, and holds you soothingly. He speaks softly and starts walking to one of the beds in the infirmary. "Little Y/N, that's not what I asked, is it now, sweetie?"
That cracks your mask and you look down "no.."
He sits down on the bed and subtly waves over a medic to search my pockets for what I took. "Little one, I promise no one is going to hurt you and you're not in trouble." He sits you on his lap, holding you as you look at him innocently, like a toddler almost. "I just want to know what hurts so I can help. Can you tell me?"
The medic gently pulls the aloe vera and pain medicine out of my pockets and he glances over, starting to understand that it might be a burn of some sort. You can't hold yourself adult anymore and mutter, in a higher pitched voice "I'm burnt.."
He smiles, taking in that this might be a bit of a special case. He gestures for the medic to put what you grabbed down on the table next to the bed. The medic nods and puts the bottles down before leaving. "You're burnt, sweetheart?"
You nod and put your hand in your pocket to get the aloe vera and then look scared. You can't find it and you make a little sound, like a distressed toddler. "wuh...? but.. where..?"
Raphael picks up the bottle from the table and holds it up to you to calm you down "Don't worry, little Y/N. It's right here. You're very smart, grabbing the aloe vera for the burn." He boops you and laughs a little as you get a suddenly purely confused and innocent look crosses your face. You hum and he smiles, noticing that you're definitely a child again. "Can you show me where it hurts, My little one? I can make it feel better."