Work Text:
Life had its way with you.
You would have wanted to spend your evening drinking a glass of wine and playing Mojave 3 with your record player next to the person you loved the most.
But life had other plans that were written in transparent ink.
You didn't go to sleep, only a few light naps on your couch as you watched through your window to see if she had returned.
You heard the doorknob turning roughly four times until she finally pulled the door open with all her might.
It was opaque outside, a dark blue shade that was almost raven coated the sky and in the moonlight, she was elucidated in a light shade of violet.
The buzzing from mosquitos and the chirping from crickets welcomed you until you saw her figure, she held her arm with force.
There were dark red blotches of blood all over her body, so small they looked like a constellation of red stars.
So small and yet they dried over her skin, leaving an odour of metal all over her weakened body.
Her hair was dishevelled with specks of dirt running all along her short strands of hair like dull glitter.
Her eyes were always blindingly resilient, so sharp they could cut through anyone who stood in her way, now looked tiresome.
Her ripening wound veiled her skin, she didn't have the resilience she once possessed, and all her inhibitions flew back to her like flies to a carcass.
She reminded you of the hydrangeas that dried and crumbled in your backyard, something as soft as the summer breeze would destroy the feeble peonies.
You stood up frantically, not one word left your lips besides a mantra of curse words and quiet ‘Oh my God, Ellie,’
You've seen her bruised like this but it never stopped planting a pit in your stomach.
You sat her down carefully on the lumpy couch, you didn't care if she would leave stains all over it.
“Why do you insist on doing this,” you mumbled “acting like this?”
She’s silent, looking away from you. Even if she wanted to respond her body sent waves of ache through every ligament.
You removed her grimy top and dark red and purple marks scattered her pale back, most were aged thankfully.
You ghosted your fingers along her back.
The wet washcloth beside you lathered water across her back to her shoulders, you heard every wince and shaky exhale she released from her fleshy lips.
Her mouth opened and closed, thinking of what to say.
“M’ fine, most of this blood isn't mine anyway,” she says
“Shut up, Ellie,” you wanted to punch her shoulder and laugh like you always have but now her body was too sore to handle even the slightest of touches.
The redolence of honeysuckle and fruit radiating from your skin was the only thing that reminded her that she was alive, she was here, and so were you.
The whole house smelt like fruit, you made blueberry pie in hopes of her returning at an earlier time so you could enjoy it with her.
The pie sat cold on your cold stove all day.
You continually made efforts to pry her away from patrols subtly. Usually, she caved, you'd rub her back as you held her, muttering sweet nothings to her as she fell back asleep.
Oftentimes, you'd just kiss her one too many times until she couldn't leave you alone, shower with her until the warm water ran cold, or even make her breakfast in an intricate manner that just “took so long” (when in reality, it would take less than 5 minutes)
You cleaned and stitched her wound, the scent of alcohol staining your nostrils from how many times you've opened the bottle.
“Sorry, you idiot,” you say with weak eyes as she winces sharply from the pain.
“S’ fine, I'm fine,” she shakes her head, looking at the sunless white walls.
“No, you're not, just...” you sigh “Stop? Please,”
“Stop what?”
“This, stop it. I want you to stop trying to get yourself killed every other day,”
“My risks are to-”
“‘Protect people,’ thank you! I know that already,” you say bitterly
“M’ protecting you too,” she says in protest
“Protection shouldn't feel this shitty,”
You're met with silence and for some reason unbeknownst to you, it only made you continue.
“I miss you, I really fucking miss you,” you hesitate “I can't live with myself not knowing if you'll walk through that door again-”
“Okay, I'll stop,” She says,
“Are you just saying that to please me?” You were heedful as you spoke, fearing that you've mixed illusion with truth.
“No, You drive me fuckin crazy,” She says with her calloused hand in yours.
“I'll stop if it's fucking with you this much, why didn't you just say that before?”
“Because it's all you do, Ellie,” You sigh “You seem like you care about this,”
“Of course I do, but, I care about you too,” She says
“Which kind of means more to me” She jokes dryly, you truly meant so much more to her than anything.
You lay a kiss on her clean shoulder, “A lot more, I presume,”
“You're such a sap,” She groans with a sheepish smile
“Can't believe you still call me a sap,” You giggled as you tried to softly place the lukewarm wet cloth on her scabrous skin.
“You've always been one, s’ hard not to call you what you are,”
You sneered at her before assisting her off the couch and leading her to your hazy bedroom.
You watched her doze off into slumber, and she tiredly beckons you to come to bed with her.
“Where are you?”
“M’ right here, go back to sleep,” You just sat by her, listening to her gravelly and drowsy voice.
“C’mere, baby,” she says with her face stuffed into her pillow but her arm was lengthened to reach towards you
“Lie down next to me, I miss you,” she coveted you, it made you melt.
“What a sap,” you say, but nonetheless, you couldn't say no to her.
The second she heard the rustles of sheets moving around and the dip of the mattress as you lied down next to her she sat up (to your protest, reminding her that movement isn’t good for her injury but she ignores you anyway) to plant a kiss to your forehead.
Her kisses move down to your nose, then the rose of your cheeks, and once she reached your lips she kissed you like it was the last time she would ever get the chance to.
Her lips coloured yours with her saliva, it was intimate, to say the least. You kissed until your lips felt numb.