Should've never been playing with a gun in those complicated shadows...
"Go away."
Once upon a time she would have heeded him without question, would have cringed away from the growl of misery in his voice and left him alone. But that had been before she knew him. "Why?"
"Fool girl," he complained.
"You give me," she instructed, "one good reason to go, and I'll go." She didn't count his pissy moods or his illness reason enough - she'd made that clear long since.
He coughed. "Damn you." The words half choked him.
She gave him a bleak smile, tinged with amusement. I think you already have, she wanted to tell him, but he didn't look to be in the mood to withstand the dig. "Tell me what's wrong," she said instead.
His breathing was as ragged and exhausted as he. "Every instant... hurts."
She winced, pained on his behalf. "What can I do?" There had to be something, and if there wasn't she'd damn well kick the world until there was.
"Just promise..." his lips twitched into a weak approximation of his usual sardonic smile. "Promise I am who you love."
She leant over and kissed him. "Beyond life and death and reason," she vowed. "Idiot."
Once upon a time she would have heeded him without question, would have cringed away from the growl of misery in his voice and left him alone. But that had been before she knew him. "Why?"
"Fool girl," he complained.
"You give me," she instructed, "one good reason to go, and I'll go." She didn't count his pissy moods or his illness reason enough - she'd made that clear long since.
He coughed. "Damn you." The words half choked him.
She gave him a bleak smile, tinged with amusement. I think you already have, she wanted to tell him, but he didn't look to be in the mood to withstand the dig. "Tell me what's wrong," she said instead.
His breathing was as ragged and exhausted as he. "Every instant... hurts."
She winced, pained on his behalf. "What can I do?" There had to be something, and if there wasn't she'd damn well kick the world until there was.
"Just promise..." his lips twitched into a weak approximation of his usual sardonic smile. "Promise I am who you love."
She leant over and kissed him. "Beyond life and death and reason," she vowed. "Idiot."