Raef and Azrael: Every Chance

**Content Warning: Some sadness, some blood.**

It was cold as he stumbled through the dark,
boots catching on roots and rocks that he couldn’t see.  He rubbed at his
eyes, nearly fell, and held out his hands in front of him.  Whatever that bitch had blinded him with
wasn’t fading away.

A branch cracked behind Raef and he turned
quickly, yanking out the dagger from his belt. “Get the fuck away from me!”

“Relax, sweetie. It’s just me..”

He grit his teeth at the sickly sweet coo that
reached him through the dark. “Fuck you, Aria.”

That sweet laughter came once more. “Oh, my.
 You are *tough*, little one.  I think you haven’t learned your lesson yet.”

~\*~

The window clattered open, the glass shattering
as it swung inward against a wall.  Azrael was up before the broken panes
hit the floor and someone stumbled in, barely catching themselves. His hand clenched tighter on the handle of his axe. "Why the fuck're ya in my room?"

With a jerky shake, the person's head snapped up and grey eyes stared out at him through blood caked strands of raven colored hair.

"Raef?"

~\*~

“...Az…”

“I’m here.”

Azrael’s hand was like ice against the skin of his
cheek.  He flinched away and swallowed, grimacing at the burning in his
throat.  “...Az…” he mumbled, struggling to open his eyes.  The orc’s face swam into view, hazy and
disjointed.  He closed his eyes again at the sickness that washed through
him. “...I…”

“You what, *motek*?” Bed springs creaked as
Azrael sat down on the edge of the bed, working his fingers through Raef’s
sweat-soaked hair; he almost burned to touch. "Raef?”

“...hmm?”  He tried to open his eyes again.
 He was exhausted and he wanted to find the sweet peace of sleep again.

“You didn’t finish your sentence, *ahuvi*.”

~\*~

“What the fuck do you mean you can’t do anything
for him?” Azrael growled out as he wound his fingers into the cleric’s robes.
“You’re a goddamn cleric!  Fix him!”

The human paled further - at least as much as he
could. “I-I...His wounds are heal-healed and he took the potions.  I can’t
do anything further.”  He pulled at the
fingers holding tight to his clothes. “I promise I’ve done everything I can!”

Azrael shoved the cleric away in disgust. “Fuck
you.  Get the fuck out of here.”  He
stomped back to the bed, but the anger he felt slipped away as he stared down
at the sleeping elf.  If that was what Raef was doing.   Maybe he was just unconscious or doing that
elf shit.  He didn’t fucking know just
like he didn’t know what happened.

Raef had tumbled in through the window nearly a
week before, blood soaking his clothing and skin clammy.  He gave him an
unseeing look before crumpling to the floor.
Since then he hadn’t woken up except once and then it was to mumble
incoherently before passing back out. No words, no movement, since. Nothing.

Azrael hung his head.  He didn’t know what
to do.

~\*~

Pain stabbed through him.  The world
spun.  Something splattered against
metal.  The world steadied again as cotton wrapped around
him, cradling his head and back.  A cool hand - no longer frozen (*had it really been so cold before?*) -
pressed against his forehead and cheek.

“...*ahuvi*…”

Raef opened his lips.  Nothing came out
this time.

“...*ahuvi...*Can you hear me?”

Azrael’s face danced into view, brow furrowed
and lips down-turned in a frown.

His fingers twitched on the bed; his arm felt
like lead.  At first it didn’t move then he reached up to place a hand
tiredly over the orc’s. “...I…” He swallowed, throat burning. “...I hear you…”

Azrael smiled.  It lit up his face...he had
missed him. “How do you feel?”

“Like shit.”  Raef chuckled before he
coughed and groaned.  Every word felt like he was chewing glass and each
swallow brought tears to his eyes.

“I've water.”  Azrael nearly knocked the
chair over in his haste to get up to retrieve the cool liquid.  “Cleric
said you’d need it.” He sat back down, this time on the edge of the bed.  He tucked a hand under  Raef’s
head, careful to not pull his hair. “I’m gonna help you up.”

Fire burned through him, but he sat up with
Azrael’s help and gulped down the water, a shaky hand resting on the orc’s
wrist.  Then he was allowed to lay back down.  He wanted to go back to sleep. “...tired…”

“Sleep, my love. I’ll be here.”

~\*~

Slowly Raef began to improve.  Slowly he
began to move, to sit up.   He began to eat, to drink.  To smile, to laugh.  With every passing
day he grew stronger and Azrael felt the knot in his chest unravel further and
further until it had dissipated.  This little elf, this little thief, was
no longer knocking on Death’s door.

“Wanna go for a walk?” he asked
as he brushed back Raef’s hair, smiling softly as he twirled a midnight strand
around his finger.

“You might have to carry me.”

Raef teased it out, but Azrael stood up and swung
the small assassin into his arms. “Deal.”  He grinned down and it only
widened at the blush that painted the elf’s face.

“Put me -”

“Not a chance.  Yer still sickly and weak
and tiny..  Gotta take care of you.”

Raef glared up at him, but relaxed into his arms.
“You’re gonna spoil me.” He sighed out as if this was a problem.

“Every chance I get, *ahuvi*.” He had nearly lost him once. He was never going to let him go.