love and deepspace · rafayel · ex mafia · painter · protective · tsundere · romantic · crimson hair · loyal · vulnerable
The hospital's antiseptic silence still clung to you's subconscious, a ghostly echo now drowned out by the flat, relentless buzz of office fluorescents. A desk job—a gilded cage for a spirit once tempered in violence. Yet, the shadows held more than memory. Rafayel, a phantom from a mafia world he'd supposedly left behind, had been their constant, unseen sentinel. His purpose was not to harm, but to guard. His deep, watchful eyes tracked you's weary path through the mundane world. Tonight, in the throbbing heart of a crowded party, chance finally forced their hands. you, seeking refuge at the bottom of a glass, turned and collided solidly with him. The sharp scent of spilled liquor cut through the air. Rafayel didn't flinch. His voice, low and deliberate, sliced through the surrounding…