#raphriel

“It’s New Years Eve!” she protested. “And aren’t you what the kids call the devil?” He lifted an eyebrow at her as she poked him in the chest, amused at the point he suspected she was trying to make, and pulled the cup further out of her reach. 

“I’d be more than happy to watch you drink yourself sick if I wasn’t the one who’d be cleaning up your mess,” he said, though it lacked the bite he might have directed at anyone else. She watched forlornly as he set the cup on the table and pressed a water bottle into her hands instead.

“Killjoy,” she muttered under her breath, swaying on her feet even as she twisted the lid off and took a drink. He might have laughed if the entire room hadn’t spun into a frenzy all at once, people scrambling towards the TV. 

“One minute left!” someone, Kristi maybe, called over the commotion, and Natalie’s sulky expression disappeared, lit up with excitement. She grabbed his arm and pulled him into the throng of people, using him as a plow to get her to the front. 

“Hey—!” he snapped, though Natalie largely ignored his protesting, pressing herself tightly against his side and peering eagerly at the countdown on the screen as it ticked off the final seconds of the decade. 

Lucifer had seen enough passing of centuries, of millennia, that New Years held no appeal to him. But the unadulterated joy on her face did, as she chanted with the rest of the people in the room, all the way until the last three seconds. Then she turned abruptly, as if finally feeling his eyes on her, and pushed up on her toes to press her lips to his instead of finishing the count. 

Surprised, he didn’t even have the time to react before she was pulling away when her friends began cheering. His question must have been written on his face, because she smiled cheekily.

“They say whatever you’re doing at the stroke of midnight is what you’ll be doing all year long. And I decided,” she said, reaching up to tap his nose, “that I want to be kissing you all year.”

She didn’t wait for a response, instead tucking herself under his arm, not interested in watching him sputter.

“Happy New Year, Lucifer.”

x

Anthea pulled her coat tighter around herself as she shouldered her way through the crowded downtown streets, barhoppers and partygoers lingering on every corner and in every alley in preparation for the new year. 

The club was another block away, and she was already running late for her shift. She glanced into a store with TV’s lining the windows, eyes catching on one of the largest displays of the New Year’s Eve party, and most importantly, the countdown to midnight blazing across the top.

11:57.

On another night, she could have made it there just in time with little problem. But with as many people as there were, packed into the square like sardines, she was going to have to accept the fact that she would be late, and therefore lose out on a few valuable minutes.

I should have left earlier, she thought as she scanned the crowd, searching for the best way to navigate the endless throng of people when her gaze snagged on something red, bright and furious as her own, and then—

Green. As bright as grass on a sunny day, as deep and raw and jagged as uncut emeralds, there were the eyes that haunted her dreams on the rare occasion she had them. And they were getting closer as Gabriel cut through the crowd like a knife through butter, and Anthea had nowhere to go, trapped by a wall of strangers and the intensity of his stare.

He was different now. Not only his hair, but in how he carried himself. That human phrase came to mind then, one that had never applied to beings as infinite as they were, but that seemed apt in describing the change in him.

New year, new me.

He stopped in front of her, and she was a little shaken by his boldness, by the new determination in him when he had never attempted to approach her before. Some deep, buried longing reared its head inside of her.

Time had not eased the ache that had come with her choice, with losing him, despite how much easier it had become to ignore it.

“Anthea,” he whispered, though she heard her name far more clearly than she heard the buzz around her that should have drowned it out. 

And then the square erupted. People cheering and clasping loved ones and clapping in delight as fireworks went off above. She was late, and she couldn’t linger any longer. Taking advantage of Gabriel’s surprise, she slipped past him into the crowd, though not first without brushing her fingers against his, where they hung clenched by his side.

Her own burned for the rest of the night.

x

Raphael started when the doors to the infirmary slammed open, interrupting the peace and quiet of his work. He spun around, calming when he saw it was only Uriel.

“What are you—” Uriel cut him off, striding over to grab his arm.

“You work too much. It’s time for a break,” Uriel declared, and Raphael glanced back at the white, sterile room helplessly. 

“But—”

“No buts. We’re getting you out of here. You spend too much time looking at the same four, white walls.”

Uriel, though significantly shorter and slimmer than him, was deceptively strong, and kept his  grip on Raphael firm until they were well on their way out of the hospital. He couldn’t fathom where Uriel was taking him, until the calm, serene streets of Heaven were replaced with the chaos of earth.

Raphael blinked, stunned and confused, and Uriel shot him a conspiratorial smile that made his heart skip a beat. 

“Come on,” he urged, leading him through the crowded streets, using Raphael’s height and bulk as a buffer against the surge of people.

“Where – Where are we going?”

Uriel didn’t reply, only shooting him another eager look over his shoulder, and Raphael decided that whatever it was, it didn’t matter. He would follow Uriel to the ends of the earth if it meant he continued to look at him like that.

The crowd began to thin out after a few minutes, and Raphael loosed a sigh of relief. Uriel heard it, and glanced back sheepishly.

“Sorry. I should’ve brought us closer to the edge,” he said, and Raphael shook his head, refusing the apology. Avoiding souls was his everyday, but seeing Uriel’s excitement wasn’t. His chest warmed when Uriel’s smile returned, dragging him to a secluded spot that had a good view of the sky.

Raphael stared at the few visible stars for a few moments in silence, before looking over at his companion.

“What are we doing here?”

“Do you know what today is?” Uriel asked instead, seemingly ignoring his question. Raphael hesitated, not sure if that was a trick question.

“Um… Wednesday?” 

Uriel laughed under his breath, shaking his head.

“It’s the last day of the year. New Years Eve.”

“Already?” The question slipped out before he could stop it, and Uriel laughed again. It seemed like humans had just celebrated the start of a new year. It was common knowledge, but always off-putting, to be reminded of how short human lifespans were. 

“Yes. And humans have this tradition, at midnight—”

Before he could finish, the sky erupted with light and color. Uriel grinned.

“They’ve created their own light. Isn’t it beautiful?”

“Yes,” Raphael breathed, his chest feeling tight as he watched his partner from the corner of his eyes, illuminated by the explosive rainbows that lit the night. 

Raphael nodded slowly, understanding unfurling across his brow like a rippling tide. “Yes, I’ll take him to a scary movie, and hold him during the scary parts,” he mumbled, speaking more to himself than to Chamuel.

 After a moment, Chamuel clapped her hands together and wished Raphael luck before she swept out of the room, leaving Raphael alone to his planning.

 Raphael slipped a pair of tickets to Uriel as a way of invitation, and Uriel paled a little at the movie title that promised some combination of demons, haunted houses, and dumb white people. All of his protests died, however, when he saw the enthusiasm lighting Raphael’s face gold, and Uriel nodded after a quiet moment and accepted the tickets gratefully.

 It was darker outside than it was in the theatre when Raphael and Uriel shuffled in quietly, trailing to seats the very back row to avoid obscuring anyone’s vision with Raphael’s head and shoulders. Rows of lights guided their steps, and the red velvet seats were rough against Raphael’s fingertips as he let his hands drag along the tops of the empty seats. When they finally sat down, Raphael’s knees touched the seat in front of him and Uriel bumped Raphael’s thigh with his knee and smiled.

 The dimmed lights flickered off suddenly, bathing the theatre in darkness as the opening credits rolled across the screen. A shot in black and white had Raphael reaching over to wrap an arm tightly around Uriel’s shoulders, pressing him against his broad chest.

 "What are you doing?" Uriel whispered against the fabric of Raphael’s shirt, unable to bend his elbows to free himself.

 “This is a horror movie,” Raphael emphasized quietly, “Aren't you scared?”

 White curved letters spelled out the movie’s title and the screen faded to black as the music cut out suddenly. The thundering orchestral music was replaced with tinkling piano music filling the dark room, and a picket fence family appeared on the screen in a station wagon, smiling as they drove through the countryside.

 "It just started, Raph. Nothing’s even happened." The firm insistence of Uriel’s tone had Raphael releasing his grip on him, and leaning back into his own seat.

 Raphael twisted the papery movie stubs in his fingers nervously and mumbled, "This isn't how this is supposed to work.”

 The action had begun to slowly pick up, distracting both of them as shades of sepia painted the dark history of the movie on the screen. Uriel’s expression was pinched in concentration as he followed the confusing plot as it unraveled, and Raphael was content to watch the emotions play across his face rather than focusing on the movie.

 A loud crash started Uriel as the ghost jumped out of nowhere, and his small frame jerked at the surprise. He leaned closer to Raphael, their arms brushing on the armrest when he said, “That scared me.”

 Uriel’s hot breath against the skin of Raphael’s cheek had his heart racing more than the movie did, and his foot tapped anxiously against the floor. The staccato beat of his bouncing leg echoed his pulse, and Uriel still hadn’t pulled away. Raphael could feel the heat from Uriel burning against his skin like the sun, sending tingles down to his fingertips.  

 “We can leave,” Raphael blurted out, slightly too loud for a movie theatre. A swell of music from the movie swallowed Raphael’s words, but Uriel heard them, and shook his head.

 “No, this is fine.” Uriel assured him, “I like being here with you.”

 The whispered words had Raphael melting into his seat, and the movie suddenly earned his rapt attention as the blood quickly rushed to Raphael’s ears, aided by his pounding heart. He managed several nods in rapid succession as a reply to Uriel and Raphael heard a short exhale of laughter from Uriel as he settled back into his own seat.

 Screams from the screen filled the room, and Uriel’s shoulders went tense under the cacophony of terror. Raphael could see his form go still out of the corner of his eye, and he took a stabilizing breath before reaching over and placing a hand on Uriel’s arm.

 “They are only actors, it’s not real.” Uriel skin was soft under Raphael’s calloused fingers, and Uriel’s sympathetic eyes found Raphael’s.

 Uriel moved his arm so that their fingers slid together, and Raphael tightened his grip on his hand when Uriel said, “I know.”

 The warmth of Raphael’s large hands sent shockwaves of fire burning through Uriel’s fingertips, and the tight squeeze Raphael gave every time the monster appeared on screen was a placating comfort in its own way. Unfortunately, his grip was unbreakable as the sun, and Uriel couldn’t escape the embrace even as the credits began to roll.

After all of the names on the screen had faded to black, leaving Uriel and Raphael alone in an empty theatre, Raphael reluctantly let go of Uriel’s hand.

 “That was scary. Sorry,” Raphael apologized, sitting forward in his chair so he could twist and look back to Uriel. A content smile played on Uriel’s lips, even as he flexed his hands and stifled a wince at the stiff joints.

 He curled a leg under him at his seat, then laid his hand against Raphael’s forearm, “Don’t apologize, I like being with you more than I dislike horror movies.”

 The confession sucked the air from the room, and Raphael was nearly breathless when he asked, “What? Being with me?”

 Raphael’s eyes were wide as he gaped at Uriel without blinking. The lights in the theatre clicked on around them, but neither of them noticed as the brightness flooded the room, making the dusting of color on Raphael’s cheek visible.

 “You heard me.” Uriel said, almost as a challenged for Raphael, “I had fun.”

 Raphael’s hands glided through the air as he conveyed his concerns with broad motions, “But I couldn’t even protect you from the monster.” The onscreen monster had hardly been anything more than a pissed off ghost, but the feeling of inadequacy from seeing Uriel flinch away still made Raphael nervous with sideways vulnerability.

 His words were almost bitter, and the energy had faded from Raphael’s display, leaving his hands in his lap almost shaking with exhaustion. The carpeted floor was littered with papers and abandoned pieces of popcorn, and it was all Raphael could do to lift his head to meet Uriel’s eyes again.

 “Shut up,” Uriel sighed, “I don’t have to need ‘protection’ from some threat for you to hold my hand. You may anytime.”

 Raphael hardly had time to process his words before Uriel’s hand left its spot on Raphael’s arm to intertwine with his hand instead. Uriel punctuated the succinct promise by squeezing Raphael’s hand, then pulling him down while Uriel leaned forward. He met Raphael where he sat, and the brush of Raphael’s beard against Uriel’s skin tickled for a breathless moment. Raphael’s lips were chapped but impossibly warm when he kissed back after a breathless moment.