Chapter Text
You were meant to meet at the Devil’s Den. It is where Raphael would often conduct his business and so you were quite familiar with the place. Since Mamzell Amira has seen you visit many times before she just waved you through as usual while shooting you a playful wink.
Upstairs there was no sight of Raphael. His abode was the usual lavishly luxurious dwelling place befitting your extravagant patron. With a sigh you let yourself fall back into one of the adorned chairs and folded your hands in your lap. Nothing to do but wait. You knew better than to rummage around his belongings.
Then finally the atmosphere crackled, the air seemed to grow thicker and a well-known warmth spread all about. In a whirlwind of magic Raphael appeared before you. The fiend had shown up in his cambion form and you were glad to have closed the door, any possible uproar of panic avoided should a guest from the brothel get lost up here.
Raphael smiled: ‘There you are.’ As if it had been you who was late.
You swallowed the insolence edging on your tongue and bowed. ‘Raphael.’
Once you raised yourself up again you took a closer look at your patron. Raphael stood proud and tall as ever, horns close to touching the ceiling, his yellow eyes shining with cruel confidence. He always was a sight to behold as he towered over you. Yet something was amiss today. Usually the fiend would spread his wings out wide as soon as he’d shed his human appearance, it was one of his many magnificent theatrics that enthralled you and put fear into the hearts of his negligent contractors. Not this time though. Raphael kept his wings closer to his body, almost folding them up, and you could not help but notice that his left wing kept twitching, seemingly of its own accord.
As he saw you scrutinising him the cambion cleared his throat to direct your attention back to his face. ‘Listening to what I have to tell you of your assignment will certainly be of greater benefit to the both of us. So desist staring at me like an impertinent child who has never seen a devil before, will you? I’m a very busy man, as you well know.’ His wing twitched again and Raphael straightened his collar. You could not help but think your patron looked uncomfortable. ‘You are to pay a visit to this debtor of mine…’
‘Raphael,’ you said. He glared at you, bewildered by your interruption. ‘Raphael, did something happen to you?’
He leaned forward, pointing his sharp claw at you. ‘Listen here! I will happen to become a little angry with my favourite warlock if they continue to hold me up with their mortal follies. Understood?’
But before you could answer, Raphael clenched his teeth as if in pain and he quickly straightened up again, not able to suppress the groan escaping his lips. Without hesitation you went to his side, stretching out your arms to support the enormous creature.
‘Raphael! Master… What is wrong?’
‘Unhand me at once!’ Raphael growled. ‘There is nothing wrong with me. Engaging with you just happens to be awfully tiring today.’
You let go of him but did not move. At closer inspection you could see that there were fissures in his wings, the knuckles and joints displayed dark bruises and your patron tensed up all the more, maybe to keep the twitching at bay.
You crossed your arms in front of you. ‘Raphael, be real with me, please. It is quite obvious you’re hurt.’
‘Not at all. I had a… bit of a run-in with an unruly devil… Nothing that ought to concern you.’
‘Really now? Isn’t it my duty to serve you, Master?’ you asked in the most innocent voice you could muster. ‘I happen to have just the thing for that too.’ And with that you produced a box from your pouch, holding it out for Raphael to see. It was a salve.
‘I don’t need your charlatan’s remedy.’
‘Oh, no, Master. That’s not at all what this is. I got it from your last debtor: That mad alchemist. You remember?’ You looked about the room, your eyes falling on the pool.
‘Come on, Raphael. Sit by the pool and let me rub some of this on your wounds.’ You smiled encouragingly. ‘It’ll do you wonders, I promise.’
‘How much time did you spend in that alchemist’s laboratory? Inhaled too many toxic fumes in there? I don’t need your help.’
‘Fine. Then do me a favour and spread out your wings.’
Raphael blinked at you. ‘I beg your pardon? I should incinerate you for your rudeness today. Thinking you can order me around and fuss about me like a doting nanny…’
‘Because you can’t. You never refuse to put on a show, Raphael. You’re not doing it because you are insulted but because you can’t.’
Now amusement spread over his handsome features. ‘Ha!’ he spat. ‘I am as vigorous as one can be.’ He straightened his back, broad shoulders drawn back, spread his wings out, and with a flinch curled them back again as quickly as he could.
‘See?’ you said matter-of-factly, and grabbed his hand, dragging him towards the water, Raphael in too much pain to resist. You sat him down on the edge of the pool, and took seat behind him. ‘Now, let me take a closer look. I swear, this will never leave this room.’
‘For your sake I should hope not, little mouse.’
You paid no mind to his harsh words and unscrewed the lid of the ointment, dipping two fingers inside and smearing them thoroughly with the cool cream. With care you started applying it on the cambion’s left wing – the bad one that kept twitching, delicately rubbing the edges of the torn membrane.
‘Tell me if I’m being too rough,’ you said. ‘I hope these will grow back together.’
‘They will in time. My wings have seen fiercer battles.’
You are tempted to ask him of them. To have him tell you of the long life he’s lived before your paths crossed. In the end you resist the temptation, indulging in Raphael letting you pamper him. You took care to knead the skin of his wings as gently as possible and applied the same ministrations to his bruised joints, coating them in salve and love.
It was a seldom occasion to have Raphael be so quietly beside you. For the entire time of your care the talkative devil did not utter a word. Although every now and then you could hear him sighing softly.
You moved over to the other, and once that was done finally gave some attention to the place on his back at the base of his wings, massaging the tension out of them. Raphael moaned and you grinned to yourself, glad to be shielded from your patron’s suspicious eyes by his broad frame.