Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The waters were calm, and the skies were clear, with twinkling stars scattered across the night sky. Someone was sitting beside her, floating atop a boat of some sort, but she couldn’t tell who they were. That person was all blurry, and all she could note was that their general colour palette was of pinks, purples, and blues, much like the skies as dusk appears. That person was holding something that she guessed was a conch shell, playing a melody on it. A tune that was clear and beautiful, and it echoed throughout her mind as it drowned out the sound of waves around them. The person beside her turned to her and seemed to be speaking to her, but she could not hear a word as the world seemed to fade away into nothing.

Eyes opened, and Y/n stretched out her arms, traces of the dream she had just had still lingering on her mind. As she tried to recall her dream, she could only remember blurred bits and pieces of it. The melody she heard was the only vivid thing she could remember from her dream, as if it had etched itself into her memories from that single moment.

She glanced towards the digital clock on her nightstand. A 07:18 blinked on it, and she exhaled as she got herself comfortable once more under her warm duvet. It was her day off, after all, and she was gonna get more sleep if she could. Just as she was on the edge of falling back asleep, a loud ring from her phone prompted her eyes to fly open and reach out to the nightstand to take the phone. She accepted the call without looking at who was calling her and brought her phone to her ear.

“Hello?” she rasped out, her voice still thick from sleep.

The other side of the call was silent for a moment before a voice soon spoke.

“Good morning, Miss Bodyguard. Are you still asleep?”

“Rafayel? Why are you calling so early in the morning?” Y/n asked, and she sat up to avoid accidentally falling asleep on the call.

“I am in need of my bodyguard’s assistance today,” Rafayel’s voice sounded mischievous on the phone. “Come and meet me at my house soon, alright? Goodbye and see you!”

Before Y/n had the chance to say anything, Rafayel had ended the call with a chuckle. She stared at the phone in her hands with betrayal, and she sighed as she got out of bed. She should see what bodyguard mission Rafayel has for her. It might be important.

***

“Can you repeat what you just said?”

“I need you to be my plus one for today’s art exhibition!”

Y/n stared at the blue-haired man currently smiling cheekily at her. She had hurried to Rafayel’s place in case he had wanted to do something dangerous, but the man had wanted her to dress up and become his plus one at an art exhibition that was happening today.

“Does this fall under my bodyguard duties, too?” she asked, slightly confused.

Rafayel had only nodded and sauntered away to fetch a big box. He handed the box over to her, smiling when she blinked at him in confusion.

“I already picked out a dress for you,” he said with satisfaction. “I came prepared, you know? I wasn’t going to ask for a favor with an empty hand. Open it.”

Y/n carefully opened the box to see some fabric folded up inside. She set the box on the table, and she pulled out a beautiful light pink satin dress. It had a low V-cut neckline with thin straps, a tight-fitting body, and a skirt that flares out from the waist to the floor.

Rafayel watched her admire the dress, and a satisfied smile lifted the corners of his lips. He pulled out something from his pocket and presented it to her.

“I even got a matching tie,” he said, his smile widening at her chuckle. “So you’ll be my plus one, right?”

Y/n rolled her eyes playfully and nodded, “Alright, I’ll be your plus one. And here I thought you needed me for more ‘protecting’ duties instead of dressing pretty for an exhibition gala of sorts.”

Rafayel tutted and stepped closer towards her.

“What better place to protect me than staying by my side the whole night?”

Chapter Text

They had agreed to meet just outside the venue before the exhibition was set to begin, an arrangement that Y/n had to insist upon because Rafayel was determined to get her prepared in his house. 

“I left home completely unprepared for a gala,” she said with a huff. “All my makeup and accessories are back at my house.”

“You can use my makeup.”

“I haven’t even showered! I rushed here because I was worried!”

Rafayel grinned, “You were worried about me?”

Y/n shot him a pointed look, and the man raised his hands in defeat, a pout on his lips.

“Alright, alright, I surrender this time,” he said, still pouting. “You better dress to your prettiest then, Miss Bodyguard. My plus one must at least look as pretty as I. Ah, but I am still prettier, of course.”

Y/n rolled her eyes as she recalled the exchange she had once more, and turned her attention to the mirror in her room. The dress fit her perfectly, and she could only wonder just how Rafayel managed to get her measurements so accurately. She twirled in front of the mirror, admiring the way the skirt of her dress flares and flutters around her, slightly exposing her legs from the slit that stretches up to her mid-thigh. 

She had dressed to impress, as she had promised Rafayel. A rose-gold necklace sat around her neck, perfectly complementing the dress. A pair of earrings dangled from her earlobes, sparkling as the light hit them just right. A thin layer of glittery eyeshadow decorated her eyelids, her eyelashes coated with mascara, and eyeliner drawn that highlights the shape of her eyes. Some lipstick was painted on her lips and brought the look together. Her hair was curled and styled in a simple, half-up, half-down hairstyle, decorated with a shell hairpiece. She thought that suited Rafayel’s aesthetics well.

She wore the heels Rafayel got that pair with the dress, and gave her reflection in the mirror a once-over. The person standing in the mirror looked elegant and beautiful, appearing to be more suited for a ball than an art exhibition gala. 

A patch of pinkish-red on her exposed skin caught her eye, and she reached up to caress it. Y/n was born with a birthmark on her chest right above where her heart should be, a birthmark with colors of dark pink that it was almost red. It was shaped like a crescent moon, its edges smooth and the two tips sharp, a birthmark that grew bigger as she grew up into an adult. Up till now, she rarely dressed up or wore anything with a neckline this low, for it provides no protection, especially in her job as a hunter, where she would be prone to injuries. 

This was probably the first time that her birthmark was exposed for the world to see, but she wasn’t embarrassed by it. Her grandmother had made sure to drill that thought into her head since she was just a little girl.

After giving her look one final glance-over, she sprayed a bit of perfume, grabbed her purse (the only one that fits both of her guns), and went on her way to meet Rafayel.

Chapter Text

Guests are slowly arriving one at a time as the time grows closer to the opening of today’s exhibition gala. The star of today’s exhibition was waiting just below the steps of the entrance, the golden light of the sunset making it seem as if he was glowing. He wore a dark blue suit, so dark that it was almost black, and the pink tie he wore loosely contrasted well with it. His plus one should be here any second now, and a smile formed on his lips at a familiar voice calling out to him.

“Rafayel!”

He turned to see the woman he was waiting for and watched as she walked closer towards him. He couldn’t help but slowly drag his eyes all over her, taking in her appearance. A small part of him swelled in pride seeing her clad in the dress he had chosen for her, and he chose very well, indeed. He could see that the dress hugs just the right places and accentuates the right parts. She looks absolutely alluring. He could also see the makeup she wore, and he felt slightly touched at her effort. Perhaps letting her prepare at home was worth it, no matter how much his heart would drop every time she left his sight, an involuntary response to the past loss he had experienced.

A contrasting pink on the skin of her chest caught his eye, and he suddenly had his breath knocked out of his lungs. For a split second, he sees not the Y/n of the present standing in front of him, but the Y/n of the past when she was his bride, vividly seeing her plunge the blade to her heart. A repeat of her looking at him with the deepest sorrow and devastation within her eyes as she did what she had thought must be done. To save him.

“Rafayel?” her voice called out, thick with concern.

He blinked and the illusion disappeared, and he stared at the birthmark placed above her heart and up to the worried eyes of the present Y/n, still looking ever so beautiful in her satin gown. He slowly exhaled. His bride in this lifetime did not remember the life she shared with him before, but that was okay. Rafayel was okay with it. As long as she’s alive and by his side, it matters little that she does not remember.

As long as she doesn’t leave him again.

“You look beautiful,” he said with a smile, choosing not to acknowledge her concern towards him. He does not want to dampen the mood tonight when she looks so exquisite.

He did not miss the sceptical look she sent towards him as she took the hand he was offering, but she said nothing. He was grateful for that. He knew she was waiting for him to tell her on his own time. And he will.

Perhaps soon he will tell her the reason he chose pink for her dress.

Chapter Text

Throughout the night, Rafayel was left slightly distracted, especially after the flash of the vision of the past he had had earlier. He kept glancing at his companion’s birthmark and her eyes throughout the night, as if to remind himself that she was still there and the mark on her chest was just a painful reminder of the past. A past that the owner of the birthmark doesn’t even remember.

His plus one was ever so patient with him throughout the whole gala, smiling and diverting attention away from him whenever it looked like he was starting to get lost in thought. 

“Are you alright?” Y/n asked as they stood at the side, her grip around his arm tightening ever so slightly as she peered into his eyes.

He stayed silent for a moment, staring into the eyes of the person he holds most dear. He let his eyes flicker down to her birthmark and back to her eyes. The grip she had on his arm grounded him that she was there, she was real, she was still alive . And he smiled, and nodded, resting his hand atop hers.

“I’m alright,” he said, and grinned. “I have my bodyguard with me, after all.”

Y/n didn’t look convinced, but she didn’t pry. Instead, she smiled back at him and nodded.

“Can we look at your paintings about the sea again? I feel like they are calling out to me,” she said, turning to look in the direction of the paintings before turning to look at him again, her smile more mischievous.

“Perhaps those hallucinogenic corals are taking effect on me?” she asked him, her voice low.

Rafayel stared at her in surprise before laughing and shaking his head. She was trying to cheer him up. And, well, she succeeded.

“Only I am allowed to ensnare you like that,” he said with a playful pout. 

Y/n rolled her eyes playfully and let herself be guided by him towards the painting she wanted to see. She unattached herself from his arm and stood close to the painting, her eyes taking in all the details. He watched her scrutinize some parts of the paintings, mumbling things under her breath. 

Rafayel, too, set his eyes upon the painting, one of many that depicted his past life. Nobody but himself knows about that life. Not even his beloved, who was now looking at a fish swimming near the center of the painting. 

He must admit, pain and longing make for the best artistic inspirations.

Once she was satisfied looking at the painting, she returned to Rafayel’s arm and stayed there for the rest of the gala exhibition. He could tell she was starting to get distracted as well as the event neared its end, as her eyes kept glancing up at him.

“Are you tired already, Miss Bodyguard?” he asked her. “How will you protect me if you are tired?”

“I can still fight no matter how exhausted I get,” she replied with a huff. “I brought my guns here for a reason.”

“Is that why your purse is so heavy?” he said, getting amused and pleased when he saw her getting flustered.

“I had to come prepared! And they have their safety locks on, so it should be safe.”

Rafayel thinks her grin should not be that big, especially as she was tipping her open purse in his direction to show him her silver dual guns stuffed in her purse. Such weaponry looks out of place beside her lipstick.

“Don’t worry, though, I won’t let anything happen to you. Even if I had to sacrifice myself for you.”

Chapter Text

Before he realized, his body had moved on its own. His hand gripped her forearms tightly, shaking, his voice slightly trembling as he spoke.

“Never do that. Ever. If it ever comes to that, please run. Run .”

He didn't intend to, but he ended up pleading, begging her to save her life first. He could not bear it if she had died because of him again , if she lost her life right before his eyes again .

The light smile she had was instantly wiped off her face, and she placed a hand on his shoulder and another on his cheek, deep concern within her eyes as they locked into his. 

“It’s okay, I’m here. I’m here,” she soothed, her thumb gently rubbing calming circles on his cheek. “Breathe, Rafayel. I promise to save both of us, okay?”

He leaned into her touch and nodded, slowly feeling the cold panic flush out of his body.

“Don’t leave me again,” he rasped out. “Please.”

“I won’t,” she said, resolute. “You are stuck with me.”

Once he calmed himself enough, he let Y/n guide them to Thomas to tell him that they were calling it a day. They hurried out of the venue not a second sooner.

The first breath of fresh air instantly calmed him down, and he could see that his bride was enjoying the night breeze too. Her eyes were closed as she breathed in the air, a small contented smile on her lips. He watched as she turned towards him, a wide smile on her lips.

“Shall we walk together?” she asked, holding her hand out to offer to him.

“Yes, let us do that,” Rafayel answered, quick to take the hand she was offering out to him.

The streetlights cast a warm glow upon the sidewalk, and Rafayel thinks the light makes his bride look ethereal. At one point during their walk, Y/n had taken off her heels and began walking barefoot, carrying her heels in her free hand. She had only laughed at the mortified look he shot at her.

The streets of Linkon had quieted down in the late night hours, with only occasional cars passing by. It was serene, and they were surrounded by the gentle rustling of the trees and the night breeze caressing their skin. Rafayel smiled when his bride began swinging their held hands together and started humming a tune. She looks very content.

He noted that the tune Y/n was humming had changed, and as her hums got louder, his heart stopped when he heard a painfully familiar melody. Her hums vibrate through his body, and he turned to look at her, still being as carefree as ever, unaware of the weight of the song she was humming. Unaware of the weight of the memories that it carries.

Rafayel watched as she hummed it effortlessly, as if it were a song she was extremely familiar with.

“What song are you humming?”

Rafayel tried his best to ask calmly, but his mind was racing with a million questions.

How does she know that song? The song he played on a conch shell so many lifetimes ago, the song that he played right before he lost her. The song that his bride in her present life should not remember.

Does she remember?

He felt a bit of hope swell within his heart as he watched her contemplate.

“I’m not so sure. I think I heard it in a dream, but I don’t really remember what it was about.”

With her answer, what little hope he felt dissipated. Of course, she wouldn’t remember the life she had 800 years ago. Who knows how many lifetimes she had lived since then until he reunited with her again in this life.

As if sensing that he had become a bit dejected, the grip she had on his hand tightened slightly, and she began chattering lightly about a sea creature she had grown an interest in. 

Rafayel felt himself relax as she rambled away about jellyfish in the aquariums in Linkon, and he smiled despite everything. The little similatities that his bride showed still sent a painful stab to his heart, similarities that reminded him greatly of their past life. But as he watched the woman beside him switch topic to the stars and constellations, pointing up to the sky with the same hand on which her heels were dangling, Rafayel felt content.

She doesn’t need to remember anything, as long as she chose him again in this life.

He will give her everything again. He will give her his whole heart again.

He will always choose her in every lifetime.