All I have to say is: enjoy the chapter and thank you for sticking with me :)
Chapter 11
When they arrived to the Institute for a minute they all stopped and just stared. Magnus hadn't cleaned anything, so there was still blood everywhere, and even Madeline's body. This had been left behind just a few days before, but to Luke it seemed like years and looking to the others he wasn't the only one feeling it.
The Lightwoods stayed behind, with the teens begging to go with them, mostly because they couldn't stand the thought of being left alone in all the fun, which Luke thought a bit stupid, but he remembered how he had felt the last few months every time Clary did something stupid or crazy, most times both at the same time. Still he didn't say anything and finally Robert and Maryse won the fight by promising tomorrow they could go.
At least when they were saying goodbye Clary and Jace had the good sense to only smile and not actually kiss.
The van was still outside and Luke would have laughed if he hadn't though the others would think him mad, but then again, Maia seemed to be having the same problem.
"It looks like it was just yesterday, but at the same time, years ago, right?" He asked her, putting an arm around her shoulder.
She nodded and Luke was reminded of how strong she was.
There had only been two dead in his pack, Jem and Jorge, and three injured, but still he knew it had been rough on her. Hell, it had been rough on all of them.
Magnus left them before they entered the van, telling them he was going to find a potion for Raphael's cuts, something he probably would need.
The ride home was silent, for once without Simon trying to make things less tense, but Luke didn't believe it was a tense atmosphere because of what he had said, mostly because of the events that were going to happen later on. He had to admit, for every second that passed, he second guessed his decision of allowing Angel to come to his house.
In the house, the five of them watched TV, an X-Men movie or something, he wasn't sure, but then again, it seemed like none of them were really paying much attention. Magnus arrived when some dude put a bunch of cops on fire, and kind of scared them a bit by ringing the bell. He wasn't sure if it was because of the part they were watching, or simply because it reminded them that the next time it would probably be a bunch of vampires with a hurt Raphael between them.
While watching the movie Luke finally thought of what it meant having Raphael's ex-wife in his house. He wasn't jealous; at least he didn't think so. He had once loved Jocelyn and Raphael didn't seem to take it badly, so why should he? And anyway, he should be thankful to her. To whom would he have gone, if not her?
They watched CSI after the movie, probably a marathon, since he was pretty sure that was the third time he watched that beginning before the doorbell rang again.
Maia and Clary, who had been sleeping with their heads together, jumped, while he and Magnus got up, with Jocelyn and Simon simply tensing up. In that moment he found himself wondering if maybe having the Lightwoods there would have been such a bad idea.
He opened the door and for a minute all stopped.
Raphael was there, with his hair everywhere and clothes that seemed to belong to a homeless guy. One that hadn't changed in over twenty years.
It was a woman, probably Angel, who finally seemed to stop this moment by grabbing the other man and forcing him to enter. After her two more men came.
"Magnus, you have the potion, I hope," her voice didn't have as much accent as over the phone, but her 's' still sounded weird.
"Yes, yes," he nodded and quickly pulled a bench that was under the meson, making Raphael sit and take off his shirt. He made a sound before quickly pulling a vial off his sleeve and starting to put the mixture in Raphael's skin.
From what Luke could see, Raphael's torso was fine, besides some bruises, while his arms had other burns, already starting to disappear, which had the form of crucifixes.
While Magnus did this, Luke looked around to his guests. The woman, Angel, had short black hair, little makeup, a red top, denim shorts, which should not look that good in a woman in her thirties, and boots that went almost to her knees. The two men were both wearing black, the only difference being how they carried themselves. The older one, with brown hair and eyes, was standing beside Angel, but relaxed, while the other, green hair and brown eyes, was standing in front of the door, tense, but if to prevent them from escaping or simply to be the closest to the exit, Luke couldn't say.
"Aren't you happy you choose the magic tattoo?" Magnus said after some seconds of work.
Raphael mumbled something in Spanish, but it's too quick for him to understand.
"I did not force you. I simply suggested that it would be better," Magnus replies and this time Raphael didn't answer, simply hissing to something Magnus does. "Sorry, nothing I can do. I'm literally removing holly water from your system."
"After you're done I think I have some broken ribs."
"They haven't healed yet?"
Raphael's grimaces when answering, "they have, just the wrong way."
Magnus sighs, "let me just finish this."
Raphael starts moving his fingers while Magnus finishes the job and remembering the pack of cigarettes Luke had bought a couple days before (for Raphael, not him, he has no thought of starting smoking now) he goes to get it, alongside a lighter and an ashtray.
Raphael looks a bit surprised when he drops the objects in front of him, but still mumbles "thanks" and lights one.
Angel goes and gets one for herself, watching Luke with curiosity in her eyes while doing it.
"So you're Luke, right?"
"Yes," he answers, and he thinks she's asking just because, since it's obviously not Magnus and Simon… well, he prefers not to think about Raphael and him together. Not to mention that she probably can smell he's the only male werewolf in the room.
She then smirks at Raphael and he knows that whatever will come out of her mouth won't be kind, "it's funny. You've been with a crazy bitch, a gorgeous bitch and now you're simply with a bitch."
Clary and Simon make a 'yep' sound while Maia looks like she wants to laugh but at the same time lash against Angel for calling her alpha a bitch. Jocelyn just looks shocked and Raphael is trying not to look in his direction, but he can see a smirk in there.
"I think you're wrong in the female part, honey," Magnus said with laughter in his voice.
"A small detail," she answers.
"I'm not sure in what category you're in, Angel. You and Gabby were both gorgeous… and crazy," Raphael says and this time the smirk is directed at her.
Angel seems a bit shocked at this but then starts laughing, and so does the man alongside her. The other just looks shocked.
"No need to get all grumpy, it was just a joke," she then looks at Luke, "I'm sorry if I offended you," she says but Luke doesn't really believe her. Still, he doesn't mind, at least Raphael came in his defense, and what the hell does that say about their relationship?
Not so much about if there even is one, but about the fact that he's the one needing defense. It's just like dancing, he thinks, you don't always need to be the one in command.
"Oh, where are my manners! With all of this we haven't even make introductions," she says, "I'm Angelica, but you can just call me Angel, and this is my husband, Alejandro, but you can call him Al," she points to the man standing beside her who waves, "and the grumpy guy over there is Damon. Don't worry he doesn't bite… without a reason."
Damon nods at them and then goes back at looking sullen.
"Well, I'm Jocelyn," she says, getting up and shaking hands with Angel, who looks surprised, and with Al, who looks pleased, "that's my daughter Clary, hers friend Simon and Maia." Clary and Simon wave and force a smile while Maia simply nods.
"It's a pleasure to meet you all," Al says and Luke thinks he might like him.
Then a silence falls on them until Magnus announces his job is done, "your tattoo looks the same as the day I made it."
"You do tattoos?" Clary asks while Luke goes around to inspect it.
He doesn't doubt Magnus' work but truth is he never actually came around to seeing what was drawn in Raphael's back.
Every time the other had his back to him it was either too dark to see or he was too engrossed in other activities for his brain to process the image.
In Raphael's back there's a demon and an angel, or at least he thinks that's what they are. From his left shoulder comes the tail of a demon, with his wings, all black; while from the right end comes the angel, with white wings. In the middle they seem to simply meld together, being on different sides but also at the same.
"You did a great job," he tells Magnus, feeling like he needs to say something. All the other things on his mind are mostly questions to Raphael, questioning why he did it.
"Thank you. I have one alike, but they aren't this together and on different colors."
Luke nods and goes to say something else in response when suddenly Raphael is grabbing his hand. He doesn't understand immediately why until the other gasps in pain and he sees Magnus doing something to his ribs.
When it's over Raphael doesn't immediately let go of him, so he doesn't either, just moving in circles with his thumb.
Luke's thinking about questioning about Kyra, something he had already told them about, during their time watching TV, when Angel's phone rings and they all jump, all having been too engrossed in their thoughts.
"Sí?" Angel says and Luke can hear a woman speaking in the other side, but it's in Spanish, one different than Raphael's, who seemed always to talk slowly and in an articulated manner and now that he thinks about it, it was probably for his benefit, so he doesn't understand anything.
This doesn't seem to apply to the vampire men, not counting Simon, who all go alert at whatever the woman is saying.
"Cabrona! Si a apaño, la mato!" She looks angry and sad, and Luke doesn't doubt for a second that whoever she's threatening, because he has learnt enough Spanish to understand that, won't survive for much longer. She looks at Damon and he seems to understand whatever she's telling him with her eyes because he leaves. "Damon has just left," she says in a very calm tone, and he doesn't know why she's speaking in English, "he'll be there in two hours. If any of her people is still in my land they will fucking burn."
The woman on the other side says something but Angel interrupts her. "I've made my decision. If you want to tell them so that they can leave, fine, but nothing else. Any of Gabby's vampires puts one foot in my land and they're dead. Pass the word," and then she hangs up.
Raphael lets go off his hand and gets up but Angel shakes her head so he stops, just standing looking at her.
She does some breathing exercises and Luke senses that the tenser person in the room is now the one that was the calmer before this phone call, Al.
Angel looks at him and Luke can't see her eyes, but from how she's standing he knows this isn't going to be a nice talk. "Next time I choose something, unless it's to destroy the world, you will not try to change my mind. This is on your head, not mine. You're second in command, not chief!" She starts calmly but by the end she's loud and again stops and breathes. Luke wonders if that actually calms vampires down. "Go and make sure my orders are followed."
He nods and to his astonishment they kiss before he goes. He looks at Raphael and he shakes his head. If to tell him he wouldn't understand or that he'll explain later, he's not sure but he doesn't push. Their marriage, not his.
After some minutes Angel looks at Raphael, "whatever is happening is bigger than you being tortured just for the Daylighter's head. Gabby wouldn't try my anger for nothing."
Raphael nods, "what do you want to do?" He speaks for the first time in the night and Luke is happy to note his voice sounds the same, if a bit colder than usual.
"The rest of the vampires that came with us are sleeping in the hotel and Camille is coming tomorrow. I'm going to try and figure what's happening with the council." She sighs, "lots of favors to collect and even more to owe."
Then she leaves the house and he doesn't know if that means she's gone or if she'll come back.
"She'll find someplace where to spend the night," Raphael says, as if reading his mind. "I should also go."
Luke doesn't want him to go but at least Jocelyn, Clary and Simon will sleep in his house, so there's no place for the other man. But then again, there isn't even for him.
"I'll go with you," he says before he can stop himself and he's happy when Raphael looks surprised but nods, not fighting his decision. To be honest he had no idea what he would do if he couldn't go.
"Then I guess this is my line," Magnus says and leaves waving at the others.
"Right," Luke murmurs and the room goes quiet. "You can stay, Maia. It's too late for you to go home."
She smirks, like he should be more concerned with the assholes that try to robe her or worse, than with her, but he can't forget how some weeks ago she almost died. It seems she remembers it too because the smirk falls and she nods.
"Just go, we'll figure something out," Jocelyn says and waves.
Raphael starts walking, without any limp, nothing like when he first came in, looking like he might pass out if he stayed up much longer, and he follows him.
They get in the van and it's silent, but he doesn't mind, because at least Raphael is there. When it's red he grabs the other's hand and when he has to let go Raphael puts is hand on his thigh and it feels good. Like it hasn't since the last time he was with the other man, and seriously, how fucked is him?
Raphael opens the door, grabbing a key from a fake rock, and Luke follows him. Inside he shifts uncomfortably while the other man gets the lights and gets a drink.
He offers him a scotch and Luke has to stop himself from drinking it in one go. Raphael watches amusedly, and then goes for a pack of cigarettes on top of the coffee table.
They sit down and it's silent and Luke doesn't want it to be, but doesn't know what he could say to break it, so instead he just looks at his shoes and breathes slowly.
He's thinking of Angel and Al when suddenly Raphael's on top of him kissing him.
Luke knows that he should push him off and force them to talk about the events of the last days but it has been so long and he just can't do it.
He kisses the Latino man like a man would drink water in the desert, with teeth and tongue.
Raphael moans on top of him, and Luke grabs his hips, with more strength than strictly necessary, not that the other seems to mind, and pushes their groins together.
They moan and Raphael kisses his neck while Luke gets both of their shirts off, pushing then the other man under him on the couch.
If Raphael were human he would be breathing with difficulty, he knows, and blushing, but as the case is, his pupils are simply wider and his skin more pale.
Luke doesn't attack his mouth, instead licking his lips and then the inside of the other's mouth, like a place he used to know very well but now needs help finding.
They kiss like this for a while until Raphael seems to get sick of it and grabbing Luke's ass forces their groins together and Luke didn't know something like this could get him so turned on. He isn't a teenager anymore, after all.
Luke pushes against the other man while their kiss deepens; making sure Raphael comes first before following.
When it's over they're sticky and Luke laughs because he can't remember the last time he came by dry humping a guy.
Raphael kisses his temple and Luke nestles his head on the other's shoulders, knowing they should get up because the sun will be up in just an hour or two but being too comfortable.
Luke joins their hands, threading their fingers slowly. Then he just looks at their hands. Raphael's is smaller and darker while Luke's bigger and clearer.
"You know, we're going to have to get up," Raphael says but doesn't try to move and Luke can hear a smile in his voice.
He makes a sound more of a ten year old then a man almost in his forties and Raphael laughs. Luke holds onto him harder, having missed the sound.