Chapter 60 - Someone to come home to

Elias' breath hitched as he felt the gentle kiss on his foot, his blush deepening further. Goddamn it... this man, with that voice and sinful body. He knew he should reply with a retort about how exes didn't usually do these things, but he held himself back this time. He just let the other man help him, even though he could have gotten annoyed over how the lawyer insisted on taking over, wrapping the bandage instead of letting him do it himself. After all, Elias was the doctor here. But he didn't protest. He just stayed silent—because he missed this. He missed it so damn much. He missed having someone who actually cared for him. He'd always been alone. Still, he had to reply with something. His voice was slightly breathy as he muttered, "But… you know it wasn't even serious." Raphael hummed in response, glancing up at the other man's flushed face, admiring the adorable expression he wore right now. The words, however, made his expression shift. Elias was right. Their relationship was never serious. Not at all. It had been nothing more than meaningless, physical encounters. Nothing more, nothing less. Yet that thought brought a tinge of sadness. Because that wasn't what Raphael wanted. He wasn't satisfied with that... and he wondered if, deep down, Elias felt the same way. At the time, Raphael had been afraid. Afraid of a real relationship. He hadn't wanted to ruin someone like Elias for his own selfish desires. He knew, back then, that if they had something deeper, his family would have ruined Elias. And now, even though he wanted to believe otherwise, he knew he was still just as much under his mother's thumb as he was back then. But then that accident happened. For the first time in his life, he'd felt truly, genuinely terrified for someone else. The moment he'd heard Elias was in a serious accident, it was like his heart stopped. And in that moment, Raphael knew. He knew he'd do anything- absolutely anything- to keep Elias safe and happy. Suddenly, his mother, or anyone else for that matter, seemed like an insignificant obstacle to overcome. It was as if he'd finally found the strength to win the fight he'd been fighting his whole life. Because now he had someone worth fighting for. "…I know," Raphael said softly, his tone subdued. "It wasn't that serious. It was just a little fun for us, back then." "But you still enjoyed yourself, didn't you? I know I did." Elias looked down, hearing those words and noticing the almost sad look in Raphael's eyes. He stayed silent, his fingers fidgeting with the hem of his shirt. He had enjoyed himself. Damn it, he'd enjoyed it so much. But that was back then. It was in the past. Things were different now. As for their relationship not being serious? He didn't like hearing that. It hurt him. It hurt him so goddamn much. For some inexplicable reason, it felt like someone was squeezing his heart when Raphael admitted the words Elias himself had spoken. Both of them knew it was true. And yet, saying it out loud... it hurt. So much. Raphael noticed the fidgeting and the slight discomfort on Elias' face. He sighed softly. He didn't want to press further or make him feel worse. Elias was injured and sick, after all, and Raphael would be damned if he didn't take the absolute best care of him. He placed a gentle hand on Elias' pale cheek, caressing it with care. "You did, right? So enjoy this too. Don't think too much... " he said with an almost wistful look, "—let's just… enjoy each other, okay?" Elias felt the reassurance in the caress, his body relaxing a little. He felt conflicted, unsure of what to think or feel. He wanted to say no. But at the same time, he wanted to be with Raphael so badly. So goddamn badly. "…Yeah. Let's… enjoy ourselves." Before he knew what he was doing, Elias closed his eyes, burying his face in Raphael's shoulder. "Like… back then." A small smile appeared on Raphael's face. He gently wrapped his arms around Elias' waist, pulling him into a warm embrace. He then pulled away slightly and pressed a soft kiss to Elias' forehead. "Mhm. I'd like that."