Delilah and Raph made some quiet small talk as she stood up and stretched her legs. They eventually agreed to go walk around the roof for fresh air, as the hospital seemed to get stuffier by the minute.
"Was Vincent here earlier? I heard both of your voices but not the words," Delilah asked after a while of silence on the roof. Raph chuckled
"Yeah, she was. We were just talking," Raph responded with a shrug as he leaned on a railing.
"What were you talking about?" Delilah asked.
Delilah noticed that Raph's face flushed with color after she asked. He tried to laugh, but it was so fake that even he flinched.
"Just... Stuff..." Raph shrugged. He was trying to play it off.
"What kind of stuff?" Delilah asked. She leaned closer to him.
"Why do you want to know?"
"I'm just curious," she shrugged. She started back toward the stairway. "I'm going to see who's awake."
Raph watched her walk in silence. Just as she got to the door, he decided to take Vincent's advice.
Just... Not yet.
♦️♦️♦️
Vincent noticed Delilah re-enter the room, but Raph had not. She approached Delilah. She decided to sit in the chair she sat in just a few minutes before.
"Good afternoon, Dee," Vincent greeted. Delilah jumped slightly.
"Hi Vincent," Delilah responded. "Sorry, I just... Didn't see you."
"All good. I figured." Vincent chuckled. "Is Raph still on the roof?"
"Yeah. How did you know we were on the roof?"
"I overheard," Vincent shrugged. "Is everything alright?" Delilah chuckled.
"I have no idea."
"He said that you and he were talking about 'stuff,' but wouldn't tell me what," Delilah whispered. She leaned forward and put her elbows on her knees. "He worries me sometimes."
"You love him, so it's normal to worry about him sometimes," Vincent said.
"Yeah... Wait, how'd you know that-"
"You're in love?" Vincent chuckled slightly. "He told me before you woke up."
"Oh..."
"You should have seen the way he was looking at you. He seemed to be weak in the knees and head over heels for you."
"He never, well, shows it... That's a lie and I know it," Delilah dropped her head slightly.
"Oh?" Vincent had a feeling she knew what Delilah was going to say.
"It's just... There's always a little thing."
"He's never made me feel bad about being myself around him. I've been uncomfortable around him only once but that wasn't his fault, I made it awkward and walked off. He lets me know he's here and not leaving, which is something we both need... He just... It's like..." Delilah struggled to find the right words.
"He's meant for you," Vincent stated.
"Yeah. It's like he's meant for me. I just wish I knew if I am meant for him..."
"Sometimes the world puts two together for a reason and reminds them of it daily," Vincent smiled.
Chief Vincent stood up and adjusted her suit jacket. Delilah sat up and watched her.
"Anyways, my break is almost done. I should get back with Van Noble to work on the case. She's actually coming to the City to work on it, and some officers and I have opened our homes to her. We'll see how it goes," Vincent chuckled.
"Yeah," Delilah agreed quietly.
"See you soon," Vincent said as she started walking away. Delilah kept looking at the wall, thinking. "Oh, and Delilah?"
"Yeah?" Delilah stood up and faced Vincent.
"You've got this."
With that, Vincent exited the room and Delilah was left to her thoughts.
♦️♦️♦️
Raphael decided to stay on the roof to try to clear his head. He did individual training for a while- it helped, but it didn't do much. He tried a simple meditation, but that didn't help much, either.
He should have just told Delilah, instead of chickening out as he did.
He had just started more individual training when he heard the door open. He jumped, but relaxed when he saw it was Delilah.
"Hey," Delilah whispered.
"Hey," Raph responded. She approached the railing and Raph joined her. "Was anyone else awake? Other than Vincent?"
"Van Noble apparently," Delilah shrugged. "She mentioned Van Noble. Did you know Van Noble is staying in the city to work on the Foot Case?"
"Really?"
"Yeah. Some officers opened up their homes- including Vincent." Raph scoffed.
"Surprising."
"I agree," Delilah chuckled.
They stood in silence, looking at the city bustling below them. The sun was still in the sky but was slowly making its way to the horizon.
"Raph?" Delilah asked after a while. He hummed slightly to show he was listening. "Vincent talked to me, too. When I went inside."
"Oh?" Raph questioned. He stood up a bit straighter and looked at her.
"Yeah. About... us." Raph inhaled sharply.
"That... That's what she talked to me about, too," Raph admitted. He relaxed a bit. "What did she tell you?"
"She said, 'sometimes the world puts two together for a reason and reminds them of it daily,'" Delilah quoted. She chuckled softly. "She said, basically, that we... You could be meant for me, but personally I don't believe I'm meant for you. That just might be my inner anxiety talking, but it also could be true-"
Raph cut her off by singing.
♦️♦️♦️
He said, there's nothing like your smile. Sort of subtle and perfect and real. He said, you never knew how wonderful that smile could make someone feel.
And he knew, whenever you get bored you scribble stars on the cuffs of your jeans. And he noticed that you still fill out the quizzes that they put in those teen magazines
But he kept it all inside his head, what he saw he left unsaid. And though he wanted to, he couldn't talk to you. He couldn't find the way. But he would always say: If I could tell her, tell her everything I see. If I could tell her, how she's everything to me. But we're a million worlds apart, and I don't know how I would even start. If I could tell her. If I could tell her...
He thought you looked really pretty, er... It looked pretty cool when you put indigo streaks in your hair. And he wondered how you learned to dance like all the rest of the world isn't there.
But he kept it all inside his head, what he saw he left unsaid. If I could tell her, tell her everything I see. If I could tell her, how she's everything to me. But we're a million worlds apart. And I don't know how I would even start. If I could tell her...
If I could tell her. But what do you do when there's this great divide? And what do you do when the distance is too wide? And how do you say I love you? I love you... I love you... I love you?
But we're a million worlds apart, and I don't know how I would even start. But I would tell her... If I could...
(If I Could Tell Her- Dear Evan Hansen)
♦️♦️♦️
Delilah had turned to face Raph and was looking at him. She was smiling wide, beaming. Raph's knees felt like jello.
"In the song... You're 'him,' aren't you?" Delilah asked. Raph flushed and looked to the ground.
"I, um. Yeah," Raph whispered. "Vincent was talking to me about how sometimes, saying 'I love you' isn't enough. There was something more I've wanted to tell you, but I guess I've been afraid."
"Afraid of me? What I'd say?" Delilah asked, approaching him again.
"Yeah, I guess so." Delilah smiled up at Raph. He let her put a hand to his face.
"I..." She sighed.
Raph smiled at Delilah. She was blushing furiously. She pulled herself up to hug Raph. He held her close to his plastron, protectively. They both felt it and inhaled sharply. Delilah almost fell off of Raph. He almost collapsed, but let himself sit on a bench near the railing. They held on for each other's sake.
Delilah pulled away slightly and looked at Raph. His face flushed and turned away.
"You make me helpless..." Raph whispered. Delilah leaned back into him and his arms wrapped comfortably around her.
"You are helpless," Deliah chuckled.
"Oh, hush." Raph blushed even more.
"I love you, Raph," Delilah said. She felt butterflies in her stomach. Raph squeezed her closer.
"I love you too." Delilah got giggly.
"Dee?" Raph asked. Delilah leaned back and looked at him again.
"Yeah?" Raph swallowed his pride.
"I was thinking- well, actually, hoping- that you could be, or I could be your, um... Could I be your boyfriend?" Delilah's face flushed completely red. Raph suddenly filled with regret. "I'm sorry, I just- I- you see-" Delilah put her pointer finger onto his lips and he quieted. "Thanks."
"No problem," Delilah said. "And yes."
"Yes?" Raph asked. He wasn't sure he heard correctly. Delilah smiled and nodded.
"Yes." Raph pulled Delilah back to his plastron.
They were both giddy like young children on the morning of their birthday. And all of this happened because of the little spark that lit the wildfire.
♦️♦️♦️
Dill was having a mental crisis. When Raph and Delilah got back, Dill was awake but was still being held by Donnie, who was still being protective- even in sleep. Dill woke Donnie up.
"What happened?" Donnie asked, adjusting his glasses. Dill sat up.
"After your dreadfully romantic kiss, you two feel asleep in each other's arms," Raph said. Donnie flushed and let Dill get up.
"Sorry..." Donnie whispered to Dill as he, too, stood up.
"All good," Dill chuckled, smiling bashfully. They got themself and looked at Delilah and Raph. "Anyways, when I woke up, you two were gone. What happened." Raph chuckled.
"Well, Raph and I are dating," Delilah said casually, sitting back down. "3, 2, 1..."
"DELILAH AVERY LAWSON WHAT THE FUCK! WHEN WERE YOU GOING TO TELL ME!"
Donnie, Raph, and Delilah all burst out laughing.
♦️♦️♦️