A statement of a soul | Raphael x Reader

20. Open as a book

You turn your head away from his profile and towards your feasting companions. The evening is very pleasant, but the unexpected situation and the company is slowly cloaking you in stress. It's the very first time that Raphael has such response to... well, anything that has happened between the two of you. At first, right after Cania, it was his anger that woke him up and pushed him from the bed. Then, the desire of vengeance, to break you to his will.

You sniff as a nervous tick shoots through your face. You try to glance at him from the corner of your eye. He is staring into the distance, somewhere above the glistening river, with the fingers of his right hand wandering across the bark of the log. When his knuckles whiten, you turn to his side profile. You would appreciate such view, if it wasn't for the rather unfortunate circumstances.

You turn back away from him, suddenly feeling confused and uneasy. What about the dream? What about Jaheira's research? This devil is a master manipulator, he can be faking his pain, can't he? If he is putting on a performance now, what about everything else that happened?

You rub your knuckles, feeling as if his presence was slowly crushing your side, even though the man remains sitting on his previous spot.

After several moments of hesitation, you decide to look at him and to your surprise – meet his eyes. They are unreadable, same as his face. Nothing in his behaviour could tell you the answers you seek. You are desperate to know the truth. If it was really him with the Accelerated Grand Design, then everything was just a part of his game. Are you ready to hear the answer?

'Can I ask you something, or would you rather sit in silence?' Your voice is quiet, with a gentle note. You tilt your body to face him.

'Ask,' he responds simply.

This is certainly a surprise. You were prepared for his usual 'I don't surrender knowledge for free', but it seems that now is not the time. Maybe his discomfort is real, after all.

'Do you think that dreams have meanings?'

His eyebrows angle, focused. He is trying to read you, trying to sense your intentions, while suppressing a hint of concern or anger. You wonder for a moment if you used incorrect phrasing, but then he responds:

'What inspired your question? Discoveries you've made, while rummaging through my things?'

A blush forms on your face and you look down.
'Yes, I'm sorry. I had issues keeping myself occupied and the Archive looked very intriguing.'

'Ah, the books, then,' he thinks to himself, but doesn't show any of the relief on his face.

'I only looked at a few,' you admit and risk a glance at him. 'I knew the portal to House of Hope is made of blood, besides it's located in Moonrise Towers, near the now dead colony... I was worried it would trigger the curse. There was so much gore at the time, it's hard to say what would have happened,' you explain to him. 'I couldn't leave before Withers transported me.'

You turn your head away to stare at the grass, lazily swaying in the wind. Before the silence gets a chance to become more uncomfortable, he decides to answer.

'They do. On rarer occasions, when it comes to mortal dreams, no doubt, but they do nevertheless.'

You roll your eyes at his comment.

'Why?' He inquires.

His gaze attempts to burn a hole right through your side profile, all the way inside your skull, trying to melt away the tissue of your brain to see what might be hidden there. There is no point in lying, besides, as Jaheira suggested, it would be best if the two of you finally started getting along. Dodging an answer seems inefficient in achieving such goal.
'I had a kind of vision. I think I was in Mephistar, but I can't say for sure.' You glance at him and watch his form return back to his regular intensity with straightened back, chin held high and a neutral focus laced with curiosity on his face. There are no more signs of his previous discomfort. 'And I was showed something, that's... unsettling, to say the least.' His expression doesn't change, encouraging you to continue.