Dr Watson

The following day Raphael found himself sitting with Philip, Matthew and Patricia for breakfast, there was an awkward silence hanging around the room making Raphael shift uncomfortably in his hard wooden chair. Footsteps from upstairs could be heard in the kitchens alerting the eating workers that the master was awake and making his way downstairs.

Philip looked up from his shallow bowl of barely warm porridge watching the doorway for any sign of movement. Raphael didn’t dare look up after yesterday with both Philip and Lucifer and then with Lucifer in his study.

The kitchens door opened with a loud dull squeak, drawing the workers from their morning food to the now fully open door. Lucifer stood in the doorway holding a book to his chest, his eyes landed on Raphael who in turn looked down at his almost empty bowl.

Lucifer made his way over to the head of the table his eyes never leaving Raphael as the younger man continued to stare down at his bowl. The master of the house stopped when he finally reached the head of the table his eyes only just leaving Raphael to look at each of the workers in turn.

“Good morning, I hope all is well. I’ve taken on an apprentice to help me with my work. His name is Dmitri Harker please make him feel welcome. He will be staying on my floor until I can arrange somewhere for him so stay. Philip I will be in my lab for the remainder of the day, please do not disturb me.” With that said Lucifer turned from his employees and left the room, he lingered outside the room for a moment, he shook his head thinking he was stupid to think Raphael may excuse himself.

Lucifer couldn’t understand how it hurt that Raphael didn’t even look at him, was the younger male confused about his sudden departure the day before? Lucifer knew he was wrong to do that to the younger man, he didn’t feel like he had a choice, he was almost triple Raphael’s age and to feel like this about him he didn’t know how to handle it. Running out on Raphael yesterday seemed like the only option other than give in to his feelings he felt would scare Raphael more than he already was yesterday.

As he left the house and made his way across the courtyard did Lucifer notice the colourful flowers decorating the courtyard, somehow he knew it was Raphael that had done it. It was then that Lucifer decided he would apologise later to Raphael about his behaviour the previous day.

Raphael never saw Lucifer for the remainder of the day, that night as he laid in his bed staring at the ceiling he felt somewhat lost without the older male, he even felt guilty for his actions that morning in the kitchens.

Over the next couple of days Raphael saw very little of Lucifer, he wondered if the older male was either avoiding him or just rather busy. Raphael assumed the latter as he got to work on one of the flower beds in the courtyard on his morning off, Philip and Matthew had visited Raphael over the few hours he’d spent outside before Patricia had decided to go out and help him.

“Have you seen the master’s apprentice yet?” Patricia asked as she slowly sat up, putting her hands on either side of her lower back as she straightened herself up. Raphael pushed himself back on his knees to stare at the older women who treated him like a son; he shook his head before replying to her.

“Not yet, have you?” She smiled and nodded.

“He looks quite like the master, young I’d say around your age.” Something to his right caught Raphael’s eyes as he looked over to the mysterious figure looking through one of the lab windows. The man did in fact look to be around Raphael’s age maybe slightly older, his hair black as night falling to his shoulders in small waves, his eyes were the most captivating things about him. Raphael felt as if he knew this man when in truth he swore he’d never seen him before.

“That him?” Raphael nodded to the figure still standing in the window staring down at them, he disappeared from the window when Patricia looked over, briefly glancing the male before he could disappear completely.

“Aye that’s him, quiet for such a young one. Brilliant mind like the master to be working with the master, I’d say.” Raphael nodded glancing back to the window; he could feel the stranger’s eyes still staring at him.

Later that day when Raphael started his afternoon shift cleaning the master’s library, that Raphael actually stopped to look over the many books his employer owned. One book stuck out on the shelve he was supposed to be cleaning but too busy looking over the titles of the many books, he’d heard of the book once before when he was younger and still lived at home with his real parents, way before he’d been found by his aunt who had taken him away from that house and all the bad that existed there.

Pulling the book from the shelf, Raphael placed the duster down on the table and opened the book up to the first page. He got a third down the page when the other man in the room announced his presence to Raphael. Raphael jumped almost dropping the book he was reading, turning around the young male froze when his eyes met those familiar ice blue orbs he knew he’d seen before.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.” The other male looked down for a moment before finding Raphael’s eyes again. “Frankenstein, good choice. May I?”

The dark handsome stranger gestured to the book in Raphael’s hand a soft smile gracing his full pink lips. Raphael nodded holding out the closed book to the mysterious man dressed in black. Said male opened the book flicking through the pages before stopping on one page in particular.

“I do know that for the sympathy of one living being, I would make peace with all. I have love in me the likes of which you can scarcely imagine and rage the likes of which you would not believe. If I cannot satisfy the one, I will indulge the other.” He smiled at Raphael as he closed the book and placed it down beside the long forgotten duster as he made his way over to the younger male.

He reached out taking Raphael’s left hand in his right and lifted it to his lips, placing a soft kiss in the shorter males knuckles the darker haired male gently released Raphael’s hand almost like he was made of glass before introducing himself. “Dmitri Harker, and you are?”

Raphael stared at the man standing before him wondering how this man had managed to become Lucifer’s apprentice; he appeared to be shy but yet rather charming. To Raphael’s amazement he didn’t feel uncomfortable around this man like he did everyone else.

“Raphael, it’s a pleasure to meet you Dmitri.” Something flashed in Dmitri’s eyes, something almost like recognition but how when he didn’t know Raphael, at least that’s what Raphael thought.

“Please, the pleasure is all mine, so you’re the infamous Raphael that has our Lucifer so captivated. I don’t blame him either, you are quite the sight to look at Mr Nevermore.” Dmitri walked around Raphael, looking the other man up and down. The dark haired male wrapped his long arms around the youngers thin waist pulling him close and rest his chin on Raphael’s shoulder, his nose and lips just touching Raphael’s bare neck.

Raphael shivered as those soft lips ghosted over his neck, slowly making their way up to his ear sending more shivers down his spine. “Oh the things I could do to you, if only you didn’t belong to the master.” Raphael squirmed in Dmitri’s grip feeling somewhat uncomfortable.

Raphael pushed Dmitri away from him, half running to the door to get away from the darker haired man. Dmitri stared at Raphael his eyes wide that the younger man would refuse him. “So you aren’t denying that you do in fact belong to the master.”

“I don’t belong to anyone sir, now if you will excuse me there is work to be done.” Raphael reached for the duster, quickly snatching it from the table before Dmitri could stop him or even take it from him and demand more of his time.

“Very well, was a pleasure meeting you ‘petit oiseau’.” Dmitri mock bowed as Raphael left the room almost slamming the door behind him as a way to lock the unknown man from his mind. Shaking his head he stepped towards the stairs taking a deep breath before descending the stairs two at a time.

Back in the room Dmitri continued to stare at the door a knowing grin shaping his lips, a war played out in his mind between him and his other self.