#caring mc

“A little,” I said. But I was wearing a sleeveless dress and Rafayel was wearing a suit, so he would definitely be feeling it more.

Rafayel had been irritable all night, even for him. I knew he wasn’t happy to be here, but he didn’t have to be so grumpy.

I poked his cheek teasingly. “Cheer up, you only have to hang around for a couple more hours at least. Then Thomas will be off your back for a few weeks at least before he wants you to finish another project.”

“Oh good, a few weeks to myself,” he replied sarcastically.

I huffed a sigh, starting to feel a little annoyed at his attitude. “Why do you even come to these if you don’t like anything about them?”

He gave me a look. “I wouldn’t have come tonight if you hadn’t ordered me to.”

“What? I did that on Thomas’s behalf—”

“And he knows I can’t say no to you,” Rafayel muttered. “Today of all days too. You do play dirty.”

“What do you mean? You didn’t have to come if you really didn’t want to. You’ve skipped out before, plenty of times.”

He narrowed his eyes accusingly. “Did you miss the part where I said you ordered me to come?”

He loosened his tie and I caught a very brief glint of azure scales on his neck.

“Rafayel, you’re—”

I froze, suddenly remembering the first time I had seen his scales. It had been about this time last year. Did that mean…

“Rafayel,” I took his hand and found that it was clammy, my heart sinking. “Is this…um…because of Ebb Day?”

He gave me a baleful look and drank the rest of his wine. “Forgot?”

“Why didn’t you remind me?!” I demanded. “You should be home resting!”

“Yeah, I know,” Rafayel scoffed. “But you’re the one who ordered me to come, so I had to come.”

I opened my mouth, but remembered earlier when I had shown up at the studio to remind Rafayel that the gallery was that night. He’d refused as usual, saying he had better things to do, so I had put my hands on my hips and told him that he would come and he would stop complaining about it.

Thinking back, the look on his face had been a bit odd, and he had acquiesced rather easily for Rafayel.

I remembered last year when Rafayel had explained about Ebb Day, how he said that Lemurians were weaker, more suggestible, especially ones who held binding pacts with humans. I’d seen it in action before and it was indeed powerful. Well, at least in getting him to do anything but stop complaining, it seemed.

Still, I felt awful about forcing him to leave the house when he was sick.

“Rafayel, I’m sorry. I should have remembered.”

He shrugged, putting the wineglass down on the tray of a passing waiter. “Whatever. You’ll just owe me, I guess.” His face suddenly scrunched up as he staggered, leaning back against the wall rather heavily.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” I asked, grabbing his arm to steady him.

“That’s new,” he muttered, hand going to his thigh and rubbing gently.

“Raf?”

He pushed himself off the wall, still a little shaky. “I can’t breathe in here, I need some fresh air.”

He passed me, pushing his way through the crowd, ignoring anyone who called out to him as he made his way toward the back door.

Instead of following him, I decided to give him a couple minutes while I went to find Thomas.

The young gallery manager was currently in a discussion with a couple who seemed interested in one of Rafayel’s pieces.

“Of course, we can have it delivered tomorrow. Thank you so much.”

I stepped up to him as he was putting a sign up to indicate the painting had been bought. He glanced at me, sighing as he saw I was alone.

“Where did he run off to now?”

“Thomas, I need to take Rafayel home,” I told him. “He’s not feeling well.”

“Is he,” Thomas deadpanned. “What excuse did he use this time?”

“No excuse, he’s actually sick, Thomas.”

Sympathy washed the manager’s eyes. “He is? Well, in that case, make sure he rests. I trust you to look after him.”

I nodded and smiled at him in thanks before heading outside to find Rafayel.

He was sitting on a bench that sat on one side of the gallery in a small garden area. He was currently bent over his knees, head propped in one hand.

“Rafayel?” I called.

He looked up, straightening slightly, but I could see the discomfort clear in his eyes.

“I told Thomas I’m taking you home,” I said.

“Finally,” he muttered. “That place was too stuffy—too many people in there.”

He pushed himself up but wobbled and sat back down heavily.

“Are you okay?” I asked, reaching down to grab his arm.

“It’s…my legs. They really hurt,” he admitted, a furrow in his brow.

“Is that not normal?” I asked.

“No, at least it’s never happened to me before. But it’s like…really sharp pain shoots through them every once in a while.”

I offered him my hands so he could stand up. “Maybe a bath will help soothe you when we get home? I’ll ask for the next couple days off so I can take care of you.”

Rafayel leaned against me and I could feel the fever radiating from him. “I guess I’ll accept that as an apology.”

I got him to the car and took the keys from my bag. He leaned against the window, eyes closed. I pursed my lips in worry but made a silent promise that I would care for him and pamper him to make up for my mistake earlier. And for forgetting such an important event. I would make sure to mark it on my calendar next year.

Rafayel’s legs seemed stiffer by the time we got back; he could barely walk into the house and I had to put him on the couch instead of getting him up to his room.

“Do you normally have different symptoms when it comes to Ebb Day?” I asked him as I set up his bath.

“Sometimes it’s worse than others.” Rafayel admitted, unbuttoning his shirt halfway down his chest. I could see how much trouble he was having breathing so I got the water running as quickly as possible.

He groaned, raising and arm to place over his eyes and I bent to gently brush his hair back.

“The bath is ready. I’m gonna go grab a few things. You can get in whenever you want.”

He grunted and I made my way around the large house to collect all the things I would need to take care of Rafayel: thermometer, fever medicine, towels, bottles of water—I wasn’t really sure if any of this would do much, but I figured it was better to try.

By the time I got back, I was surprised to see Rafayel still sitting on the couch. He had stripped his shirt off, random patterns of scales showing across his ribs, making me do a doubletake, feeling my cheeks heat slightly. But it wasn’t time to get flustered, especially with the look of panic Rafayel shot me.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“I-I can’t move my legs,” he admitted.

“What do you mean? Are they hurting again, or—?”

“I mean they won’t move,” Rafayel snapped, shifting on the couch. “They’re just…aching. But I can’t make them move.”

I didn’t know what to do. “Maybe you need a hospital—”

“No!” Rafayel cut in instantly, eyes wide. “Do you have any idea what they would do to me? I’m not…human and I can’t even pass right now.”

“What about Talia? Could you talk to her?”

“I’m sure she’s going through her own issues right now,” Rafayel replied, jaw tightening with obvious pain and discomfort. “I just…need to get in the water. I can’t breathe enough to deal with this. Can I lean on you?”

“If you can’t move your legs, that’s not going to help,” I told him, walking over, eyeing Rafayel briefly before making my decision. I bent over. “Can you put your arms around my neck?”

He wrapped his arms around my neck loosely. “What are you…hey!”

As soon as his arms were around me, I slid my other arm under his knees and lifted. He was certainly heavier than he looked and I realized that Rafayel’s slim frame was all muscle. Still, I’d done a lot of training and after centering my weight I was able to steady us both.

“P-put me down! How dare you carry me like a princess?!” he demanded, covering his face with a hand, but I could still see how red his ears were.

I smirked a little as I moved over to the tub. “Stop complaining or I’ll just throw you over my shoulder next time.”

Rafayel’s face was blazing under the scales on his cheeks. “You’re too bold. I can see no one bothered to teach you manners. You think you’re one of those old sailors in the stories who would go looking for Lemurians on Ebb Day and steal them off to be their brides? I’m not like that, I bite back!”

“Oh, so you’re my Lemurian bride now?” I teased.

“That not what I meant! Stop bullying me!”

I ignored his indignant babbling and lowered him into the bathtub with a little difficulty, but managed not to drop him.

Rafayel settled back with a groan, reaching for his throat. I quickly grabbed a cloth and wet it, pressing it to his forehead.

“You think I need to steal you away?” I teased. “Aren’t you already bound to me?”

His throat bobbed and I felt my stomach flip a little, realizing the joke had fallen flat.

“Here, drink some water,” I coaxed, opening one of the bottles and handing it to him.

Rafayel grabbed it with shaky hands and drank thirstily.

“How are your legs?” I asked.

“Hurting,” he said. “It’s like, really bad, I don’t get it. Why does it always have to be something new?”

“Are they going to turn back into a tail?”

“What? No! I-I…don’t think so,” he amended.

“Can you even do that?” I asked. “I mean, I never see you change even when you’ve gone underwater, so…”

“You are just full of questions tonight,” he murmured, reaching up to rub his head, his other fist clenching on the side of the tub.

“I’m just trying to figure out how best to help you,” I told him sincerely, sitting down behind his head and making him lean back against a rolled towel before I massaged his temples.

He grunted, but seemed to relax from the motion, eyes fluttering shut.

“It seems to get worse every year I’m on land,” he admitted, reaching down to rub at his thighs, shifting uncomfortably. “I…sometimes wonder if some year I’ll be too weak to move or speak.”

“If you are, then I’ll be there,” I assured him softly, picking up the cloth and running the cool water over his neck and face. He nuzzled into it slightly with a small groan of relief.

“But you forgot what today was,” he said, not accusing but sounding more scared and lost.

I shifted so I could cup his chin, tilting his head back so he could look up at me. “I won’t forget again. I’ll mark it on my calendar every year and take the week off. I’ll make sure Thomas knows not to schedule anything during that time, and I’ll spend it taking care of you.

His eyes seemed to melt a little, but his face soon crumpled with pain, a whimper escaping his throat.

I pursed my lips. “Let me get you some pain medicine.”

I went to get up and he caught my wrist, doe eyes looking up at me. “Ari…”

“I’ll be right back,” I promised.

He reluctantly let me go and I headed upstairs to his room, grabbing pain pills, some comfortable clothes for him and quickly changing into some lounge clothes myself so I could get out of the uncomfortable dress.

As I was coming back down the stairs, I heard a large splash and the sounds indicating Rafayel was in pain. I hurried the rest of the way into his studio only to come to a halt when I saw him in the bath.

Rafayel was gripping the sides of the tub, while over the end, flopped a massive fishtail. It was gorgeous, the iridescent blue scales catching the dim studio lights.

“Rafayel, you…you do actually have a tail,” I managed to say stupidly.

He turned to give me a slightly baleful look. “Really? That’s all you have to say?”

I hurried over, kneeling beside him again, unable to stop catching glances at his tail. “Does it still hurt?”

“Not as much, but I don’t feel good,” Rafayel moaned, looking a little dizzy.

I reached out to stroke his damp hair back from his eyes. “What can I do, Rafayel?”

I was surprised when he grabbed my wrist and pulled me into the tub. I let out a shriek. “Rafayel! What are you doing?”

I struggled, but he held me firm, looking up at me with eyes that held distrust and years of hurt, combating his current needs.

“What will you do now that you’ve seen me like this?” he asked, voice slightly hoarse, extremely vulnerable. “I’m no better than a beached whale. You could do anything to me right now.”

“Rafayel…”

“Will you sell me to the highest bidder? Or will you keep me for yourself; put me in a fishtank and make me entertain you?”

I took his chin and his breath hitched as I forced him to look at me.

“Rafayel, I know this is the fever talking, so calm down. You know I will never hurt you.”

His eyes welled, but he looked away before any tears fell. I leaned in to kiss his eyelids and felt him shudder.

“Tell me what you need,” I said more firmly.

A frustrated whine escaped his throat. “I just…need you to stay with me. Don’t leave me. Share your warmth with me.”

He pulled me closer to his chest so that I was laying on top of him, his tail shifting behind me.

I normally would protest, but despite the cool water, he was so warm I didn’t feel cold. It felt…right, like in some universe this hadn’t been the first time we’d laid like this.

“You really won’t take advantage of me while I’m like this?” he murmured, nuzzling my hair.

“Why do you keep asking me that?” I demanded, pulling back slightly.

“Because I can’t say no if you command me to do something,” he admitted. “And I’m afraid you…might make me do something to hurt you.”

“Then I won’t,” I promised. “I will only ask pleasantly, like this:” I cleared my throat. “Dear Rafayel, if you wish, may I kiss your forehead?”

He huffed, cheeks tinting a little, but nodded. “Yes, but that’s not really what I’m talking about…”

I kissed his forehead anyway and pulled back to meet his eyes, seeing them look distant before he took my hand and kissed my palm, pressing it to his cheek.

“Promise me that you won’t ever ask me to do something you know I would never do with my own hands,” he said suddenly.

I frowned, and realized this had never been about Rafayel pretending to be prudish after all. I felt an odd unease in my stomach as if I were forgetting something important. Something I should remember.

“Rafayel…?”

“Never mind, it’s not important,” he said quickly. “Just…promise me?”

I nodded firmly and took his hands in mine. “I promise.”

He seemed to relax slightly, eyes still a little distant and glassy with fever. I stroked his cheek, and decided to tease him a little again to make him feel better.

“So, it looks like I was lucky enough to catch a merman on Ebb Day after all. And quite a handsome one with a very fine tail—and beautiful scales.”

He flushed enormously, his scales becoming more prominent. “Stop saying stuff like that,” he mumbled, genuinely flustered.

I smiled, endeared. It was hard to actually fluster Rafayel since he was usually so cheeky, but he was more vulnerable right now. I wrapped my arms around his neck. “Perhaps I should get a nice big pool for my pretty fishie to swim around it.”

“You’ll be disappointed, I’m most likely to turn into just a man when you wake up tomorrow,” Rafayel replied blandly.

“Well, if that’s the case,” I said, leaning in to kiss the corner of his mouth, “I will make sure he gets put into bed and pampered until he feels better.”

Rafayel smirked a little. “Oh? So you really are sorry for forgetting.”

“Maybe,” I said as he pulled me closer, hands pressed against the small of my back. “Or maybe I just like taking care of you.”

Rafayel’s breath exhaled with some surprise, but he finally seemed to relax. “I suppose I can allow that then.”

I closed my eyes as I nestled on his chest, feeling Rafayel’s breathing even out as well. Whether I woke to a man or a Lemurian the next morning didn’t really matter—he would still be my Rafayel either way.

~~~~~~~

As I drew closer I could see stark red splotches on his cheeks—not paint, but potentially a fever, and dark purple bruising under his eyes.

“Rafayel, are you okay? When was the last time you slept?”

“I don’t need to sleep! My art fuels me.”

I reached out to press my hand to his head. “You have a fever!”

“I know,” he said with a laugh. “Don’t worry I took medicine for it. Made me feel reeeally good right now.”

I glanced over to the coffee table with trepidation, seeing a package of cold medicine, a couple pills rolling on the table. “Raf…how many did you take?”

“I don’t know, three or four,” he said casually, still glued to the painting in front of him, making purposeful strokes here and there.

I couldn’t be certain but I thought his hands were shaking.

“Rafayel, you need to take a break,” I said firmly, putting a hand on his shoulder “You’re sick and you look awful. Come on, please come have some water at least.”

“Cutie, I’m fine, I’m almost done, just—there!”

He climbed to his feet and held the canvas out, setting it on the easel. “What do you…think?”

He swayed, and turned even more pale as his face instantly fell, blinking rapidly. “I…I don’t…”

I hurried forward just in time for him to collapse. I caught him before he could fall to the floor.

“Rafayel!”

He lolled in my arms, feet not cooperating, and I hurriedly half-carried him over to the couch, laying him down.

He moaned, reaching up to cover his eyes. “Head…spinning…”

“Yeah, I imagine,” I said, adjusting him more comfortably, propping his feet up to make him feel less faint. “Stay there.”

I hurried to his medicine cabinet and grabbed a thermometer and wet a washcloth as well.

He thankfully hadn’t moved by the time I got back and I knelt beside the couch and put the cloth over his head. “Open your mouth.”

He groaned but dutifully complied, allowing me to slide the thermometer under his tongue. Once it beeped I was not happy to see the result.

“Well, Mister, you just earned yourself bed rest with that temperature.”

“But I’m fine, really!” he said, trying to sit up again. “I-I still need to finish my paintings—”

I pushed him back down. “No. You’re going to bed. Now.”

I looked around at the random open bags of chips and other snack foods lying around. “When was the last time you ate actual food?”

“Seaweed snacks are food,” Rafayel murmured.

I scowled at him and reached down to help him up. “Alright, come on, I’ll help you to your room.”

I let him lean on me as we made it upstairs. I led him to the bathroom first and helped him to clean all the paint off before dressing him in pajamas. Rafayel pouted the whole time, even though he could barely stay upright without swaying, continuously leaning against my shoulder even though he still protested that he was fine.

I finally tucked him into bed. “Be a good fishie and stay there while I get some stuff for you.”

He huffed and I hurried down to the kitchen, rummaging through everything to see what he had that might be halfway nutritious. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much, so I quickly put in a grocery order and hurried out to my car where I had some extra electrolyte drink powders that I kept for missions.

I mixed some for Rafayel and sat on his bedside to try and get him to drink.

He was starting to look more miserable by the second.

“My head hurts,” he moaned. “I feel sick…ugh.”

“That’s probably the fever, dehydration, lack of sleep,” I listed off the consequences of his actions. “Here, let me help you sit up and drink this.”

He groaned and leaned against my shoulder as I sat him up, helping him drink the water.

He only took a few sips though before he turned away, covering his mouth. “N-no, I’m gonna get sick.”

“It will help, just try to get a little more into your system.”

He pushed my hand away though. “No…my stomach really hurts, I can’t…”

Clammy sweat had appeared on his brow and I started to feel worried. Maybe I should take him to the hospital instead.

“Alright. Just take deep breaths.” I lowered him back down and cooled him off with the cloth again as he seemed to settle a little.

“Raf…you really need to take better care of yourself,” I said gently, troubled by just how bad off he was.

He looked up at me with remorse, blinking slowly. “I’m sorry. I just…don’t always notice these things.”

“I know,” I sighed, giving him a quick kiss on the forehead, reminded of how warm he was. “Just take it slow, okay? A little at a time.”

Rafayel let out a small whimper but sipped at the drink until I let him have a break, gently rubbing his aching tummy to soothe him as we let the liquid settle.

“You didn’t even read the package on the damn pills.” I muttered. “No wonder your stomach hurts.”

He whined a little. “Whatever was in them gave me a really great streak of inspiration though.”

“That’s not an excuse!” I snapped, suddenly furious. Rafayel flinched as I grabbed his chin and forced him to look at me. “Do you have any idea how dangerous that was? What if you’d passed out—alone? How long would you have been there before I came over to check on you?”

His lips trembled a little and he looked away.

“You’re right,” he finally said. “I don’t take good care of myself. I don’t remember when I last slept or ate anything that wasn’t coffee or chips. I—I just couldn’t stop. I wanted to take advantage of the inspiration when I had it. I haven’t felt like that in a long time and…”

I sighed, stroking his hair back. “It’s partly my fault for not checking in sooner too. I should have known something was wrong earlier.”

He nuzzled into my hand, closing his eyes. “I’ll try to be better about my self-awareness, and self-care.”

I smiled softly and leaned down to kiss him gently. I held up his hand, showing him how shaky it was. “See? You can’t even paint right now anyway.”

He sighed, seeming to sink lower into the bed. “Yeah, I get it. But…I’m just afraid that when I get out of this bed again, all my inspiration will be gone.”

“If it is, I’ll help you find new inspiration,” I told him kindly. “But before that, you’re going to rest, eat, and let me take care of you. I’m going to spend the next few days teaching you about self-care.”

“Hmm, I guess it doesn’t sound too bad,” Rafayel hummed. “I suppose I can endure it.”

I smiled back and picked up the drink bottle again. “Drink a little more for me?”

He sighed. “You are a drill sergeant about self-care though, aren’t you?”

“Only because I want you to be at your best as soon as possible.”

~~~~~~~

Constantine: He never lets you do anything for him. He says things like "You're not a servant," and "It's my job to take care of you." And you always meet his exasperation with a smile and a roll of your eyes.

So when you demanded he remove his armor and take seat, he was baffled. But you just stared him down until he sighed softly and complied. He jumped when you started massaging his tense shoulders. But after a few minutes his breathing evened out and his eyes closed. When you were finished, he cleared his throat, thanked you, adding, "That was nice. I mean - great. Excellent really!"

F: F never complained but you frequently noticed them clutching their back when they thought no one was around. "Come with me," you commanded. And so they did.

They were confused when you told them to lie down, but did so anyway. They're not one to question you (too often anyway). They were pleasantly surprised when you began working their back, letting you know with a gentle sigh of relief. They offered to give you one in return, but you said, "I'm not the one walking around like I'm 100 years old." They rolled their eyes, but didn't disagree with your assessment.

Margaret: Margaret narrowed her eyes when you told her to sit. "Why?" she asked suspiciously. You had sighed at her and told her to relax for once. Her only response: "That'll get us both killed." You promised that you had something very safe in mind - no blood, no daggers, no one looking to kill you.

Commotion soon broke out again and one of his assistants ran into the operating room.

“Dr. Zayne! A new batch of survivors was just brought in—two of them are in critical condition!”

He gritted his teeth, forcing himself straight as he went to change his surgical smock, washing his hands in scalding water.

“Clean the table and bring them in.”

It didn’t end. His duty continued and so would he.

***

Ariadne climbed out of the transport vehicle, heaving her bag over one shoulder as someone from the camp came to direct the new batch of Hunters to their quarters.

“Most of the Wanderer activity has died down, but the local Hunters are stretched so thin—a lot of them were injured in the attack. Thank you all for coming.”

Ariadne nodded, but despite her duty, she was honestly more interested in seeing Zayne. He’d instantly volunteered to go to the front lines and had promised to call her when he could but she had yet to hear from him. The aftermath of the Wanderer surge had been worse than anyone has expected and when a call for help came to Linkon’s Hunters Ariadne had been the first to volunteer.

She put her things away, and when she was told the Hunters were currently on standby, she went to the medical tents looking for Zayne.

She found Greyson first—he’d also gone to help out. He was sitting on a stool, looking exhausted, drinking a coffee, but he glanced up with a tired smile when he saw her.

“Hey, Ariadne, I figured you would be coming in with the new volunteers.”

She smiled back. “Yeah, it sounded pretty rough out here. Wanted to do what I could to help.” She glanced around. “How is Zayne doing?”

Greyson gave a sympathetic look. “He’s in a back to back surgery right now, we’ve all been working around the clock. I’m trying to get the feeling back in my legs.” He laughed, then sobered. “He’ll need you when he’s done. He hasn’t slept, barely eaten and I think he’s sick, though he’d never let anyone know. He lost three patients too, so…it’s been hard.”

Ariadne felt her stomach clench. She knew how hard Zayne pushed himself, and losing patients probably made him push himself harder.

“I’ll make sure he rests tonight,” she assured him and went to busy herself meeting the local hunters and getting the situation update.

Later that evening, Greyson found her again and pointed her toward Zayne’s tent. She went to get dinner for both of them, before making her way there.

She hesitated outside. “Zayne?” she called before pulling the flap aside and stepping in.

Zayne leaned against the small makeshift vanity, washing his face with a bowl of hot water. She could see scabs on the backs of his hands as if his evol had been acting out again.

He turned as she stepped in and his eyes widened slightly at the sight of her.

“Ari…what are you doing here?”

She set the tray of food down on the small table that already seemed to be doubling as Zayne’s desk and offered a smile.

“I came to volunteer. I wanted to see you too. I did text you, but…”

He glanced briefly at the forgotten phone sitting on the desk but Ariadne wasn’t going to hold that against him.

His eyes were sunken and dark, and his skin was sallow. He wiped his hands and stood stiffly.

“That’s kind of you, but don’t you have duties to see to—” He quickly turned away as a coughing fit overcame him, doubling over slightly.

Ari stepped forward, heart aching as she reached up to touch his forehead. “You have a fever.”

Zayne pulled away, muffling another cough with his hand. “I’m fine.”

“No, you’re exhausted—you’re shaking Zayne,” she snapped, feeling the slight tremors in his body from where she held his arm as if his entire frame was about ready to collapse. “You were sick before you left, weren’t you?”

He sighed, reaching up to rub his face. “It’s just a cold. It’s manageable.”

Ariadne pushed him toward the table and forced him into the chair. “Sit down, eat something. Greyson said you’ve barely eaten or slept since you got here.”

“He should worry about himself,” Zayne muttered, brows knit in annoyance.

Ariadne set a bowl of stew and bread in front of him. “Still, I wanted to have my dinner with you.”

He sighed. “Very well. But I’ll need to go back to work after, check in on my patients—”

“No,” she said firmly. “There are other capable doctors here, Zayne. Let them take over for the night.”

“I can’t do that.”

“You are going to collapse if you don’t sleep,” she said pointedly.

Zayne pressed his lips together silently and started eating, his hand shaking a little. He was interrupted by more and more coughing fits and slumped further onto the table.

Ariadne had finally had enough.

“Stay here. If you’re not here when I get back, I’m literally going to tie you to the cot.”

Zayne huffed, but didn’t protest. Ariadne hurried to the medical tent, asking one of the assistants for some cold medicine and a few other items.

When she got back, Zayne had eaten most of the stew and sat with his head in his hands. She touched him gently on the shoulder and he flinched.

“Here, take these.”

She gave him the pills, then set a steaming cup in front of him. “And lemon honey tea for your throat.”

Zayne hummed a little and took the pills before picking up the mug and sipping it, eyes closing briefly.

“Better?”

“A little,” he replied, voice still rough.

She let him drink it while she arranged his cot, plumping the pillows and folding down the blanket. She rummaged through his bag and found a comfortable set of clothes.

“Alright, time for bed,” she told him.

Zayne grunted. “I can’t—”

She glowered at him. “Zayne, you are going to lay down and get some rest.”

He closed his eyes and finally nodded, standing up.

He swayed slightly and Ariadne caught him, only for Zayne to slump fully against her, nearly knocking her back.

“Zayne?”

Alarm shot through her as she thought he might have passed out, but his arms encircled her and pulled her close, warm head resting on her shoulder as he finally let out a pent-up breath.

“Oh, Zayne,” she murmured, hugging him back, rubbing his back gently.

He took another shuddering breath. “Thank you for coming here.”

“Of course, I—”

He squeezed tighter, nearly stealing her breath. “Stay with me tonight.”

She nodded, softening. “I had no intention of leaving, even if you wanted me to.”

He finally pulled away and accepted the clothes she handed him, changing stiffly before lowering himself onto the cot.

It was incredibly small, but it didn’t matter to them. Ari pressed herself flush against Zayne’s body and pulled the blanket over them both.

Zayne nuzzled his face in the crook of her neck, letting out as shuddering sigh. “I lost one of the patients I operated on tonight. Three others died on my table in the last three days,” he said without preamble.

Ariadne’s heart clenched but she didn’t say anything, knowing he just had to get it out. She simply stroked her fingers through his hair.

“I know it’s not my fault but its…hard to accept,” he admitted.

Ariadne kissed his brow, holding him closer. “It’s not something you get used to. It’s hard to not let it feel like your fault.”

“Yes,” he replied.

“But you still need to take care of yourself, Zayne. You don’t need to punish yourself for things that were out of your control.”

His breath hitched and she finally felt him relax a little more.

“You’re right,” he admitted. “Thank you, darling. You always know exactly what to say.”

He kissed the underside of her jaw and felt heavier against her. Ariadne held him as his breathing finally started to even out, despite the slight wetness from the cold.

Relief that he was finally resting flooded through her and she held him closer, resting her cheek on the top of his head.

“Rest well, Zayne,” she murmured as she soon joined him in sleep.

~~~~

But as she rounded the dumpster, she found a familiar figure slumped against the wall of the alley.

“Rafayel!”

She holstered her gun again and ran the last few steps, falling to her knees beside him, reaching out to take his lolling head in her hands.

A soft moan escaped him and his eyes fluttered, blinking up at her. “Cutie…you…came.”

“Of course, dummy,” she replied, hands searching him, finding a warm, wet spot on his side. She pulled his jacket open to reveal a worryingly large patch of blood. “Raf, this looks really bad.”

He made a sound of discomfort, shivering under her touch and reaching out to grab her hand. “Take me…home…”

“Honey, you need a hospital.”

He shook his head. “Can’t. They’ll…take me away; lock me up in one of their…” He trailed off, slumping forward against her chest, body heavy and lax with unconsciousness.

Ari swallowed down the panic threatening to choke her and got her arms under Rafayel, lifting him with some difficulty. She staggered to the car with his dead weight but managed to get him lying in the back, digging through her emergency first aid kit and grabbing a compression wrap to try and slow the bleeding from his wound.

As she got back in the driver’s seat and started the car, she called Zayne.

“I can’t imagine you have good news calling me at this time of night,” his voice came over the line, worry tinted by exasperation.

“Are you at the hospital?”

“I just got off. You’re not hurt, are you?”

“No, not me. Can you come to my apartment? Bring medical supplies and…maybe blood if you can. I can’t tell how much he’s lost. He’s B+.”

“Ariadne, come to the hospital.”

“I can’t, I just need you to trust me,” she said. “It’s Rafayel…”

Zayne didn’t reply, but she could hear him shuffling around on the other end of the line. “I can’t do a blood transfusion at your apartment, but I will come and look at him. I’ll be at your place in fifteen minutes.”

Ariadne nodded in relief. “Thanks Zayne.”

She ended the call and focused on driving.

Zayne was already in the apartment parking lot by the time she got back and one look at Rafayel still lying unconscious in the back of the car had his mouth pinching in disapproval.

But he didn’t ask questions, he simply helped Ariadne carry the wounded artist up to her apartment and lay him in her bed once Ari laid out several old towels.

Zayne pulled his shirt open, loosening the makeshift bandages, and finally revealed a deep stab wound in Rafayel’s side, just under his ribs. Ari couldn’t help but gasp.

Zayne probed the wound briefly, feeling around the area. “It seems to have missed anything vital, but it will take quite a few stitches to close.”

He administered a topical anesthetic and Ariadne watched as Zayne worked swiftly and efficiently to suture the wound closed.

Rafayel whimpered and shifted, seeming to be coming around again. Ariadne held his hand and tried to soothe him, stroking her hand through his hair as Zayne worked.

“Well, I’ve closed the wound, but I still recommend going to a hospital,” Zayne said as he finished and taped bandages over the wounds.

“I just don’t think it’s possible.”

Zayne sighed, and started to clean up, taking his soiled gloves off. “In that case, when he’s conscious, bring him to Akso next time I’m working. I will see to him myself—off the record.”

Ariadne gave Zayne a grateful look as he placed a small bottle of pills on the side table. “He’ll be in a lot of pain when he wakes up. Give him two of these every six to eight hours as needed.”

“Thank you, Zayne,” Ari said sincerely.

Zayne nodded. “Call me if you need anything. I’ll let you know when you can bring him to the hospital.”

He headed out, leaving Ariadne alone in her apartment with her wounded Lemurian and a million questions as to how she had gotten here.

She made herself busy, looking through her clothes until she found a pair of sweatpants that were a little large on her and carefully changed Rafayel into them before tucking him into bed, keeping him warm.

She ducked into the bathroom to clean herself up and change her own clothes, realizing she had some of his blood on her.

By the time she came back out, she was surprised to see him stirring, a moan on his lips as his eyes fluttered.

“Rafayel?”

He blinked his eyes open, the irises dull with pain as he turned to look at her, reaching for his side.

“Don’t.” She stepped in and stopped him. “Dr. Zayne came to stitch you up—don’t worry, he won’t tell anyone.”

Rafayel frowned, but seemed too exhausted to worry. She hurried back to the bathroom and poured a glass of water from the facet, bringing it back to him and taking out two of the pills Zayne had left.

“Here, do you think you can take these? They’ll help with the pain.”

Rafayel silently opened his mouth and she slid an arm under him to prop him up, slipping the pills into his mouth before holding the glass of water to his lips.

Rafayel swallowed them down and sighed, leaning against her shoulder.

“Stay with me,” he begged.

“I was planning to,” she said.

She set the glass back on the bedside table and turned the overhead light off, crawling into the other side of the bed.

Rafayel instantly curled against her, nuzzling into the crook of her neck.

“Thank you for coming for me,” he whispered.

“Of course, Raf,” she said, slightly incredulous, holding him close as she stroked his hair soothingly.

She paused a few moments before she asked, “What even happened?”

He was silent for a long second before he replied, “I made a mistake. Trusted the wrong person.”

She waited for him to elaborate, but it took him a while to continue. “I was looking for information about someone. I guess I underestimated certain people’s loyalties.”

Ariadne didn’t know what to say. She wasn’t sure she really wanted to pry. She knew Rafayel had his secrets, and she wanted to wait for him to be ready to tell her himself, even if she suspected what they were.

He pressed his face against the underside of her jaw and she could feel his long eyelashes tickle her skin. A deep sigh escaped him, the weary sound accompanying his body growing heavy as if he didn’t have the strength to hold himself up.

“Did you ever believe in something so much, only to wonder why you do it?” he asked.

Ari frowned slightly. “I don’t know. I’m not really sure what you mean.”

He didn’t really elaborate, but he spoke softly. “I just sometimes feel like I’ve been fighting so long, but it’s like trying to stop the tide from rising. And I can’t help but wonder if what I’m doing is even worth it anymore?”

“Rafayel?”

She pulled back to see him staring at the wall.

“I know I have a duty to fulfill, but sometimes I want to be selfish and forget about it. I just want to lie here with you like this, forever, and forget everything that came before. Start something completely new.”

She cupped his cheek, tilting his head back to meet his eyes. “We can, Rafayel.”

He gave her a small smile. “I know, Cutie. But the reality is, I don’t have the luxury of being selfish. My duty is important and I need to fulfil it, no matter how long it takes me.”

He pulled her closer, resting his forehead against hers. “But tonight…tonight I’m going to be a little selfish and just enjoy this, until I can find the strength to continue my mission.”

Ariadne didn’t reply right away, she simply held him, showing him that he was loved and wanted. She shifted slightly to kiss the corner of his mouth.

“Whatever you need to do, Rafayel, I will always be here to support you.”

“Even if you don’t like who I might become?”

“I could never hate you, no matter who you become,” she promised and kissed him more pointedly.

His eyes fluttered shut again and he let out a pent up breath, curling his arms tighter around her. “Then stay with me. Forever?”

“Forever and always,” Ari replied softly.

Rafayel settled fully against her and finally seemed to be drifting off. “Forever and always—I’ll hold you to that.”

~~~~~~~

She dumped the groceries on the counter and rushed toward the bedroom where she kept a gun for emergencies.

As soon as she opened the door though, she was greeted by the sight of Zayne sitting on the floor by the bed, one hand manacled to the bed post. His clothes were torn slightly and a muzzle was fixed around his jaw.

“Zayne!”

“G-go,” he growled. “Leave!”

Ari stood her ground though, refusing to do that. “What happened? Why are you in a frenzy?”

Zayne groaned, body writhing as he yanked at the manacle. “I said…leave.”

Ariadne strode forward instead, reaching into the bedside drawer and pulling out an emergency suppressor. “You know I can’t do that. You had enough wherewithal to lock yourself down, you can let me near you.”

He growled low in his throat, the sound rumbling through his chest. “You know I can’t control myself when I’m around you,” he panted.

Ariadne shivered slightly, but approached him slowly with the suppressant. “It will be all right, Zayne. I’m going to take care of you.”

She crouched and he instantly lunged before she grabbed his chin, making sure the muzzle was secure. Zayne moaned, his free hand coming up to grab her wrist, pressing her hand to his cheek.

“You’re burning up,” she murmured.

His eyes blazed into hers, pupils dilated. “I need you. Don’t leave me.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” she promised.

Zayne pressed his mouth against her palm, letting his teeth graze over her skin as he took a shuddering breath.

“Your scent is intoxicating,” he growled, tilting his head back and dragging her hand down his throat to his chest, eyes locked with hers. He’d torn his shirt mostly open and she could feel the heat radiating off of him, his heart pounding under her palm. “Come closer—touch me.”

She flicked the cap off the suppressor and injected it into Zayne’s thigh. He grunted, but it didn’t seem to have much effect. She didn’t want to use his activator, but she would if she had to.

Zayne writhed against the wall, the cuffs he’d locked himself to the bed with straining, threatening to break. Ari knew she had to calm him down.

“The suppressants…”

“Already took some—didn’t work,” he growled. “You know what I need.”

She suddenly encroached on his territory, grabbing his free hand and pinning it to the wall as she sat across his lap. Zayne bucked under her, breathing shakily.

“Decided to tame me?” he asked with a smirk. “Let me taste your sweet essence.”

She leaned in to kiss him letting him bite her lower lip. The sharp tang of her blood coated both their tongues and Ariadne slid her free hand down his body, feeling him arch into her touch before she reached down between them and pressed his activator.

Zayne whimpered into her mouth, shuddering as he finally seemed to come down from the high of the frenzy.

Ariadne pulled him in, holding him tightly as she licked her bitten lip. “It’s okay. You’ll be fine soon, just breathe.”

Zayne took several shuddering breaths, breathing in her scent, his free arm wrapping around her waist.

She stayed with him like that for a long time before she reached up to unlock the handcuff and helped Zayne up into the bed.

“Stay here, I’m going to go get some—”

His hand snagged her wrist and pulled her in before she could leave the room though. Ariadne let him tug her onto the bed, holding her close.

“Stay with me,” he whispered.

Ariadne didn’t protest. She simply held him and stroked his hair soothingly as she felt Zayne relax for the most part.

Finally, he pulled away a little, running his thumb gently across her lower lip. “Did I hurt you?”

She took his wrist and kissed the pad of his thumb. “No. Are you hurt?”

Zayne shook his head. “Just…tired.”

“What happened?”

He sighed. “A Praedator came into the clinic today. They were coming down from a frenzy and had gotten torn up. They didn’t like what I told them and attacked me. I realized too late that they had frenzy enhancer on them.”

“Honey,” Ari said in concern, stroking his face.

“The suppressants I had must have been old, they don’t work very well.”

“We should get some new ones.”

He smiled a little and nuzzled close to her. “It would be a good idea. But…you will always be my best medicine.” His lips found her jaw and he peppered light kisses across her skin until he reached her ear, then nibbled the lobe gently. “And I think it’s time to finish your treatment, doctor.”

Her stomach fluttered as he rolled her under him, lips shifting to rest against her erratic pulse point.

“And then I want to see what you brought me from the bakery.”

She smiled and pulled him in for a kiss. “Let me just make sure to oversee your treatment in full then.”

~~~~~~~