She looked awful. Not awful awful... well, worse than her normal self. Her usually sun-kissed skin was dull and fairer than usual, and if it was noticeable in the moonlight then he could only imagine how apparent it was in the sunlight. He looked much the same; he'd always been fair thanks to both his mother and father's equally fair features, but his cheeks had begun to appear more hollow and his eyes more sunken. The only perk of living alone was not having one of his parents checking on him every day. He wasn't sure how he'd be able to explain it otherwise.

Raphael stayed close to her as he followed her into the shack. It smelled of mildew and dust, warm and pungent. As much as he hated the smell, it was an easy choice when the alternative was being out in the public eye where anyone might see them. He eyed a crooked floorboard, then a random brick that must have been placed along the wall, and then to the spot where her skirt lifted with every step to reveal the heel of her shoe. He only looked up when she came to a stop.

"I can't imagine that anything you could ask me now will be any worse than we've been through," he joked, but found it came out flatter and more unamused than he'd intended. His gaze softened then, and as he opened his mouth to apologize he felt the familiar sensation of something brushing against the inside of his pinky. His eyes dropped to her hand, and he watched as she brushed her thumb across her own pinky. He felt his chest flutter, but he didn't say another word.

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