ORCHIDS AT MIDNIGHT

༒𝕿𝖎𝖉𝖆𝖑 𝕿𝖔𝖚𝖈𝖍

*Universe II

The warmth around Sia or the warmth she thought was around her disappeared, opening her eyes she found herself, sinking, a blue hue was the only thing she could see. Her lungs had taken in so much water that trying to swim back to the surface was impossible. She was already too deep in the waters.

Her eyes had begun to close when a blue light passes by. Her lungs give out and her eyes shut slowly. Arms wrapped around her body, pale arms. He stared at her almost lifeless face, with regret and admiration.

Her body felt weightless in his grasp. A blue light flashed around him. An embrace - gentle yet firm, like that of a protector to his princess.

"You're safe with me".

The coldness vanished replaced with a comfortable warmth that brought the color back to her face. Rafayel stared at her body, laying on the plush couch, her red hair dripping and her body glistening with droplets of water from the ocean.

He kept his legs folded, resting his chin on his hand, watching her. The expectation for her to wake up was eating him alive. Rafayel knew. He knew she had forgotten everything. Their past together, how she forgot him, forgot Lemuria.

Sia saw a faint light walking towards her. She reach out to it and inhaled, oxygen finally entering her lungs. Her eyes shot open, furiously coughing up the water she had inhaled.

*cough cough*

Rafayel rushed towards her placing his hands on her back, rubbing it gently. His eyes seemed to sparkle seeing her awake.

"Easy, easy slow breaths". He said rubbing small circles on her back.

Sia finally regains her conduct, panting from the feeling of revival. She looked at Rafayel cleaning the water that ran down her nose.

"What happened?". She asked.

Rafayel gave her a gentle smile, a lie about to emit from his lips, he continued to gently support Sia's back, easing her into a sitting position,

"You left earlier in the storm, I went for a swim later and saw you sinking".

He took the small towel he had prepared and handed it to her, "Here. Clean yourself up." Sia took the towel from him and wiped her face and her lips.

"I'll make you some warm tea."

He stood up and walked towards the kitchen. Sia sat frozen for a moment, thinking. Trying to remember what had happened, the only thing she remembered was being in Rafayel's arms dancing with him. Did she really attempt going home in a storm?. Even though her memory was bad at times, she knew something wasn't adding up.

Questioning Rafayel's words Sia got up and followed him towards the kitchen. She stopped by the door, peaking into the kitchen. Rafayel stood by himself, resting on the kitchen island, in deep thoughts. The electric kettle stood on the counter, probably brewing the tea.

Rafayel chuckled quietly, seeing her trying to peek into the kitchen. He sighed and looked at her.

"You couldn't stay a few minutes without me huh?." He asked.

Sia immediately hid herself or so she thought. Taking a deep breath, she turned to enter the kitchen, bumping into the artist. He laughed and held her arms, pushing her back gently.

"You're a shy miss bodyguard." He teased. Sia released herself from his touch and stepped back.

"I'm not shy...Rafayel what you're telling me-." She started. Rafayel's eyebrow frowned abit. "-what you're telling me doesn't sound right..." Sia said avoiding eye contact.

As they stood in the kitchen, Sia's uncertainty hung heavily in the air. Rafayel's eyes softened, he sighed.

"I understand your hesitation, but trust me on this, kay?. I found you in the sea. You were on the verge of death, and I couldn't just let that happen."

He gently cupped her cheek, his touch surprisingly chilly.

"C'moon, you know I'd never lie to you,right?".

Sia looked in his eyes for another second trying to figure out if he was holding any lies behind his word. She could see none, but, she lost track of how long she had been staring.

"Is there something on my face?". Rafayel said with a smirk. Sia finally snapped out of her daze and looked away. She cleared her throat.

"Umm no...there's noth-".

Rafayel takes her chin with his fingers and turned her face to his, staring deep in her eyes, her gold brown eyes.



Rafayel found it hard to look away. He found her eyes captivating, he always found her captivating, everything about her. Rafayel the sea god, fell for a human and fell hard, committing a sin that he doesn't regret finding salvation. His gaze moved from her eyes to her lips, then her eyes again.

"Your eyes are like the sands of the deserts...flawless". He remembered their time in the desert. She was a princess and he was an assassin.

"Do mine eyes captivate you?". He asked, his voice suddenly holding this sense of authority. Sia felt trapped for some reason but she could not deny it, his eyes a beautiful mix of blue and pink.

"I will always find you, be it in this life time or the next, your highness".

The words rang in her ears for a while. She flinched at the feeling of Rafayel's fingers grazing her lips. Tearing her gaze away from him, she takes Rafayel's wrists and moves away from him, letting go of his wrists as she did so

"They do but that's not what we should be doing, Mr Rafayel". Sia said. Rafayel immediately realized what he had been doing, he forgot that they were not together, in this lifetime, not yet atleast. He chuckled and folded his arms.

"Really, but you are blushing miss bodyguard". He said a smug smirk imprinted on his lips.

"Well it's not my fault". Sia pouted, a faint whistle sound filled in the half silence.

"Oh yeah? Of course it ain't". Rafayel agreed sarcastically before walking to th electric kettle. He took a blue ceramic cup and poured the tea in it. Holding the cup on a saucer, he walked over to Sia handing the cup to her.

"Be careful it's hot". Sia takes that saucer and the tea cup, blowing on the hot liquid before taking a sip. It warmed her up, her tensed body relaxed at the feeling. She looked up at Rafayel a small smile on her lips.

"Thank you". She said.Rafayel chuckled, his heart fluttering at her words of gratitude.

"No need to thank me, I'm just so good at taking care of people I like."

There is an awkward silence for a bit Rafayel wanted to speak but Sia interrupts him "I understand what you mean". She chuckled.

Rafayel smiled once more upon hearing her laugh, he couldn't help but steal glances at Sia's heated face.

Every part of him wanted to hold her, to kiss her, to touch her, to comfort her, while his rational side told him to keep his distance for now. The internal struggle was evident in the slight frown that formed on his face. Sia noticed this and her held tilted abit.

"Are you okay, Rafayel?."She asked.

Rafayel quickly snapped out of his thoughts. He smirked "I'm perfectly fiiine. Why are you worried hm?" he replied, his expression shifting back to his usual teasing demeanor. In his mind, the desire to embrace and protect Sia grew by the second, to be by her side like before. It tugged at his heart and he hated it, he hated it alot.

***
Short chapter I'll make the others longer.
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