[Closed] Some say that blood is thicker than tears

[Le Jeune Maitre]

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「 ♔| - - Ｎｏｅｌ　Ｄ’Ｌａｒｍｅｓ　❦;; 」

▄ ▄ ▄▄▄▄▄{☤}▄▄▄▄▄ ▄ ▄

♔ ⊱ || ■ ■ ■ ( The bells have been rung, Cinderella ↴ )
. . . Take off your shoe and run
. . . If you don’t, I won’t be able to look for you
. . . and bad dreams will start haunting you

┏━━━━━━━━━┓

The second they had entered the inn, the boy had demanded for seperate rooms. It wouldn't have been too much of a problem, if not for the fact that the inn was strangely booked for the next few days. There had only been one room left. And it was the very room that Noel D'Larmes had burst into, looking rather less than hospitable.

The young ex-noble felt a growl ripple from the base of his throat as he slammed the door behind him, not even bothering to wait for the servant he'd literally just left outside. Noel stormed his way to the other half of the room and struggled to push the bed he had chosen as close to the wall as he possibly could. (Which was proving to be rather difficult for one of his stature.)

His slender arms strained with the effort, and he was even pushing the rest of his weight against it, yet the bed hardly budged. It moved centimeter by slow centimeter, occasionally moving an inch or two when the boy hit a peak of frustration and gave it a violent shove.

The pale contours of the young ex-noble's face were flushed in rage, and yet... upon closer inspection, his eyes were misting... Misting just as much as his vision currently was. He paused his efforts, staring at the bed silently; his breath coming in ragged intakes. His small frame was trembling, shaking ever so slightly, and just for that moment he looked so excessively vulnerable, and /hurt/. He did not turn once to look at his servant, refusing to ask for help, or to even acknowledge his presence in the room.

How was it that he hadn't seen then...? That name-- he should've realized it then. It was the same name he had heard Ryielath say with such sickening passion. The memory came back to him like a bulldozer, crushing over the remains of his heart. The name he heard Ryielath say on more than one occasion, in the middle of the night. The first time, he'd woken to find the other away from him.

---

'Don't worry, little master,'

The man had murmured softly, the palm of his hand resting upon the boy's cheek. Noel shivered, his pale gaze lifting to meet the hypnotizing green of the other's eyes.

'I will be by your side, and only your's. Always... Rest easy...'

And yet, in the middle of the night, he'd woken, without Ryielath anywhere in sight. In his panic, he'd gone out to find him, only to hear and see something he rather would never have--

'Dominic..!'

---

Noel's gaze fell to the floor, along with him, as he slowly lowered himself to his knees.

┗━━━━━━━━━┛

♔ ⊱ || ■ ( Things like [ LOVE ] and 「DREAMS」 and { HOPE } ↴ )

I threw all of them away . . .
I then cry out “I’m coming for you”. . .

[Qui Me Defendet]

【 Dominic Othello 】
Aildrant - Inn

Just don’t give up!
I’m workin’ it out...
Please don’t give in...
I won’t let you down!
It messed me up, need a second to breathe...
Just keep coming around!
Hey, what do you want from me?
_______________________________________________________

Dominic recalled the look of genuine fury on the boy's face when he seemed to realize something, then suddenly the boy seemed to darken. And now...he seemed angry. The "devil" had no idea what exactly he had done to cause the young boy such distress. He had seemed relatively fine before that, after all.

The "Devil" watched as the boy burst into the inn and ran upstairs. He had a concerned expression on his face. He was very worried for his young charge to begin with. With this sudden mood-swing, he only became that much more worried.

Even as the door was slammed, Dominic simply opened the door and walked in again. The servant had no qualms with going against what the boy seemed to want. "Sir... Are you..." He paused when he saw the expression on his face. He seemed to be remembering something. He looked downright depressed...like his heart had just been ripped out his chest and trampled upon.

Dominic watched as the boy sank to his knees, feeling genuinely helpless. He could feel sadness and hatred rolling off the boy in waves...and he knew that he was not supposed to be the person to comfort him. He wasn't Noel's "devil"... That was the feeling he got.

He examined him for a moment longer, and was reminded of the promise he made to Ryielath when the "devil" had been taking his last breaths. 'Save him...save him...' The tears in the man's eyes had been something that Dominic had not expected. He had...really loved Noel, hadn't he? 'He's in the cellar...Dominic...save him!'

Swallowing, Dominic approached the boy. He stood beside him for a moment, then kneeled down in front of him. He looked into the boy's desolate eyes with a worried frown.

"Sir... What happened...?" 'What did I do?'

_______________________________________________________
Yeah, it’s plain to see...
that baby you’re beautiful!
And there's nothing wrong with you!
It’s me – I’m a freak,
but thanks for loving me.
Cause you’re doing it perfectly...~

[Le Jeune Maitre]

▄ ▄ ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ ▄ ▄


「 ♔| - - Ｎｏｅｌ　Ｄ’Ｌａｒｍｅｓ　❦;; 」

▄ ▄ ▄▄▄▄▄{☤}▄▄▄▄▄ ▄ ▄

♔ ⊱ || ■ ■ ■ ( The bells have been rung, Cinderella ↴ )
. . . Take off your shoe and run
. . . If you don’t, I won’t be able to look for you
. . . and bad dreams will start haunting you

┏━━━━━━━━━┓

As the boy fell further into despair, all he could feel was a frightening desolation that he had never felt before. Never before, had he felt that horrible ache when he probed his mind for his bond, only to feel nothing but an agonizing pain.

A pain so excrutiating, if felt as if something inside of him had been severed by a jagged edge-- by broken glass. When he reached through to his connection, to that inseperable bond... Ryielath wasn't there. Instead, what he felt was the very faint sensation of a stranger, one of whom he was beginning to despise, more and more.

The boy's already crumbling mask faltered even more so as his eyes became conflicted, unsure of whether to hate or continue love the man he cared for so deeply. Noel knew, he'd always known... While his Ryielath constantly told him that he would only ever be by his-- by Noel's-- side, and only his side... he hadn't... He wasn't there at night...

Had his "always" been simply conditional? "Always" there, until the boy fell asleep...? Many times... Many times, he would open his eyes in the middle of the night only to find his 'devil' gone.

He knew where Ryielath went. And it hurt to find the man back in the morning, acting as there was nothing amiss.
'I will be by your side and by your side only...'

Tears suddenly began to well and threatend to spill from the boy's visible eye. Noel flinched as Dominic knelt before him, bristling and recoiling further away from the man. After another ragged intake of breath, the boy managed to speak, lowering his tone enough so that the 'demon' perhaps would not notice the tremour that threatened to surface and break his control.

"Don't come near me," He hissed softly, refusing to look at Dominic as he spoke.

┗━━━━━━━━━┛

♔ ⊱ || ■ ( Things like [ LOVE ] and 「DREAMS」 and { HOPE } ↴ )

I threw all of them away . . .
I then cry out “I’m coming for you”. . .

[Qui Me Defendet]

【 Dominic Othello 】
Auldrant - Inn

Just don’t give up!
I’m workin’ it out...
Please don’t give in...
I won’t let you down!
It messed me up, need a second to breathe...
Just keep coming around!
Hey, what do you want from me?
_______________________________________________________

Eyes narrowing, Dominic watched as tears appeared in the boy's eyes. He couldn't help but think that Noel really did look like his father. His father had had a similar appearance at this age. It really...caused Dominic to feel sad. His Master was dead now, wasn't he...? It seemed unreal. That...that man could die just seemed so impossible. He was always grinning and going about his duties as if it was the easiest thing in the world. And whenever Dominic would comment... 'It's because of you, Dominic.'

How unreal...

"Don't come near me," Noel's hateful hiss brought Dominic back to attention.

The "devil" frowned and then tilted his head to look the boy in the eyes. The bond was throbbing between them as emotions ran high, he could feel it. This boy was...very displeased with him. However, he wasn't sure what was wrong. Had...Dominic done something wrong during the battle earlier today? Was Noel blaming him for something? What was it?

"Sir...I will remain by your side..." He said, answering the boy's command. "You...are all that remains of the Devilshire family. And I..." He clenched his teeth. "I am all that remains of the 'devils.'" He didn't move closer, but he seemed like he wanted to. Rather, he returned his gaze to see into Noel's eyes. "So I will not leave you be. That is one desire that I cannot oblige."

Dominic's eyes were shining, brilliant. They were filled with nothing but devotion for the boy in front of him. But deep within them, there was a pool of absolute despair. Even to the untrained eye, that sadness was evident.

He lowered those eyes, then smiled softly, sadly.

"I promise...I will not ever leave your side."

These words...seemed somehow familiar to Dominic. Who had said them to him? Who...

'I will not leave his side...' Green eyes were sparkling with devotion in Dominic's memory. The man's smile was sincere and loving. His voice became softer. 'My little master...'

Save him, Dominic...! Don't leave his side!' Those green eyes were filled with tears. ...And blood spilled from his mouth. Ah...this was...

Ryielath...

Dominic's expression suddenly twisted with pain and utter regret. The "devil's" suddenly pained expression made it obvious that this memory was painful to him. Ryielath...he and Dominic had been so close. And...all that was left of that man was his Devilshire... Noel. That was all. He was all that was left. So... So... "I...promise..."

_______________________________________________________
Yeah, it’s plain to see...
that baby you’re beautiful!
And there's nothing wrong with you!
It’s me – I’m a freak,
but thanks for loving me.
Cause you’re doing it perfectly...~

[Le Jeune Maitre]

▄ ▄ ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ ▄ ▄


「 ♔| - - Ｎｏｅｌ　Ｄ’Ｌａｒｍｅｓ　❦;; 」

▄ ▄ ▄▄▄▄▄{☤}▄▄▄▄▄ ▄ ▄

♔ ⊱ || ■ ■ ■ ( The bells have been rung, Cinderella ↴ )
. . . Take off your shoe and run
. . . If you don’t, I won’t be able to look for you
. . . and bad dreams will start haunting you

┏━━━━━━━━━┓

The boy's eyes flashed dangerously at those words. His gaze lowered for a moment, and his shoulders shook violently. For one awful moment it seemed as if he were retaining destructive sobs, until the sound of bitter laughter filled the room.

It was like the sound of a broken music box, playing still, amidst the destruction of a bomb. A haunting sound, one that was reminscising of the pleasant, not so distant past.
While it played a melody that sounded no different from than it had before, one could not help but only see the carnage.

"Is that why you took me out of there...?" He asked, through flits of musical laughter.

Through delirium.

The tears shimmered in his eyes, as the light reflected their image from them, the sight bringing the image of melting ice to one's mind.

Even so, the boy continued to laugh, refusing to allow even a single one to fall. "Because I'm the last one? Because you need me alive in order for /you/ to live? Did you ever stop to think that perhaps I never wanted to leave there...? You should have left me."

'You should have left me where he left me. He was the one who was supposed to take me out-- and if he never came back, I had no intention of leaving.'

His laughter dissolved into bitter chuckles, an occasional hiccup making it sound as if he were crying instead. And perhaps he was, safely in the dark recesses of his mind. "You should have left me there... You're a liar... All of you..." Always...? Promise...? Ryielath had said the exact same things, and yet...

"You promise...? Are those words conditional for your kind?"

┗━━━━━━━━━┛

♔ ⊱ || ■ ( Things like [ LOVE ] and 「DREAMS」 and { HOPE } ↴ )

I threw all of them away . . .
I then cry out “I’m coming for you”. . .

[Qui Me Defendet]

【 Dominic Othello 】
Auldrant - Inn

Just don’t give up!
I’m workin’ it out...
Please don’t give in...
I won’t let you down!
It messed me up, need a second to breathe...
Just keep coming around!
Hey, what do you want from me?
_______________________________________________________

Every single peal of laughter that rang through the room felt like a knife through Dominic's heart. It was plain to his ear that Noel was not amused. This laughter...sounded more like sadness than anything he had ever heard. Especially when the tears became obvious in his eyes. Especially...once the tears became evident. Even more so when his laughter was occasionally interrupted by hiccups.

Dominic's crystalline blue eyes narrowed, long lashes curtaining the icy blue hue that colored his eyes. His teeth clenched under apparently calm lips, but his jaws were visibly tensing. Every single one of Noel's words was a simple stab. Even though Dominic felt the need to deny every word, he still felt guilty. Even though he hadn't even been Noel's "devil" for any amount of time...he felt guilty. He felt like it was his fault. ...As a "devil"...watching your master cry is probably the most heart-wrenching experience.

"Ah..." Was the sound he made at first, having no idea how exactly to respond, then he shook his head. His lashes perked up as Dominic raised his eyes to meet Noel's own. He shook his head again, mouth opening, then closing. He took a breath, then tried again. "That...isn't true, sir." He said this quietly, breath on the verge of shaking. "None of it is."

The "devil" suddenly took Noel's hand in his own. He squeezed it in a gentle manner, then continued to look into his eyes with a passionate resolve. "...To be honest..." He paused, trying to find the correct wording. "...I wanted to die..." He felt like someone was hammering him with an ice-pick as he said these words. He hated saying things like this. He hated...when people knew what was ailing him. "When ma--...when...your father died..." He smiled. "I was going to go with him."

The "devil" looked towards the floor again. "I wanted to die...I didn't want to be alive anymore... after five thousand years...seeing all of that wasn't..." He grimaced. "I was planning for it to be the last thing I ever had to suffer through." He seemed to be struggling with his words. "But then..."

But then...

Ryielath's emerald eyes, filled with tears and pleading filled his mind. His master's smiling face and encouraging words wracked through his body like ice poured down one's back. Even the gentle eyes of Noel's mother were urging him on. All of these faces...all of these words...they had forced him to be alive. They had made him survive. They had given him the will.

And then...with a sudden shudder, Dominic recalled the day that Noel was born. He remembered the look on Ryielath's face when he first laid eyes upon the infant. When the bond had first appeared, that had been a magical moment. The only reason Dominic got to see such a moment was because of his position as the king's "devil." Otherwise...one would never be able to see such a thing. And...he would never forget it. It was...almost as magical as when he forms a bond himself.

The dazed "devil" returned to the present, then he smiled. "My reasons for saving you are not so ulterior." He assured. "And...I do not intend to lie to you sir." The 'devil' paused for a moment and tightened his hold on Noel's hand. "If you don't believe me...please make an order. I cannot disobey an order..." He looked down towards the ground. This sort of pact...he was willing to make.

"As your sworn 'devil'...your word is absolute." He looked completely sincere...and he was.

_______________________________________________________
Yeah, it’s plain to see...
that baby you’re beautiful!
And there's nothing wrong with you!
It’s me – I’m a freak,
but thanks for loving me.
Cause you’re doing it perfectly...~

[Le Jeune Maitre]

♔

「 "In a world I have lost my beloved..." 」
▄ ▄ ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ ▄ ▄


「 ♔|| N o e l ❦ D ` L a r m e s　;; 」

▄ ▄ ▄▄▄▄▄{☤}▄▄▄▄▄ ▄ ▄

「 "Of what color will the flowers bloom...?" 」

┏━━━━━━━━━┓

The pale contours of the boy's features stilled, abruptly falling void of expression. Instead, the pained emotions that had been written so openly upon his visage had seeped into his gaze.

For a moment, he said nothing. He did nothing. There was only one sound, other than that of their breathing-- the sound of a clock's pendulum, clicking away in the silence. It only began stilling once the shadows seeped from the boy's form and forcefully halted it's movements.

They were spinous things, these shadows, sticky and coiling with the user's negative energy, while the boy himself, his gaze was frigid, akin to that of the tale of the ninth circle of the Inferno. "You should have," he managed, a harsh whisper. "You should have left me there... You could have gone with him."

The ninth circle of the Inferno...

"I don't want to be here... it's your fault... It's your...!"

Or... it would have been, if not for the so obviously anguished tears that threatened to spill forth at any second. It was obvious, that the boy was concentrating hard, just so as to not allow them to fall, and when he finally regained his composure, he recoiled. The young ex-noble pulled his hands back and moved further away from the "devil". His sworn "devil"...

His "devil"... His beloved "devil".

"You aren't... Ryielath." Was all he said. And that was all it took for the boy to abruptly collapse into broken, harrowing sobs.

┗━━━━━━━━━┛

♔ ⊱ || ■ Things like [ LOVE ] and 「DREAMS」 and { HOPE } ↴

I threw all of them away . . .

[Qui Me Defendet]

【 Dominic Othello 】
Auldrant - Engreve Inn

Just don’t give up!
I’m workin’ it out...
Please don’t give in...
I won’t let you down!
It messed me up, need a second to breathe...
Just keep coming around!
Hey, what do you want from me?
_______________________________________________________

"You aren't...Ryielath."

Dominic witnessed as the boy simply shattered in front of him. Sobs wracked through his body and tears were spilling forth from his eyes in such a fashion that the "devil" knew that Noel had been holding them in for all this time. He watched as the Noel's heart broke over and over again as the images were playing in his head...and Dominic knew that he was utterly helpless. He knew that...no matter what he did right now, it would not help the boy in any fashion. He knew that what Noel needed right now...was Ryielath.

Of course he couldn't blame him...all he wanted was for the king to be alive again. He hadn't been gone that long, but Dominic's heart was still aching. Although the tears were not present on the "devil's" face, he could feel them in his heart. The sight of Noel crying to earnestly about it simply reminded him of that. It reminded him of the broken bond that still lay welded into his very soul. It reminded him of the utterly earnest tears that the King himself would shed when they were truly warranted. And thus...the King's smile was radiating in Dominic's mind.

But it was marred by blood.

The "devil" winced slightly, as if finally reacting to Noel's words, but really just reacting to the memory of Noel's father in his final seconds. That bloody scene...was playing over and over in his mind. If Dominic did not have a stronger stomach, he most likely would have lost the contents of it. To see someone so radiant...so full of blood...it was truly a tragedy. It truly...truly was. And the agony of it was ripping through Dominic's soul in such a way that he almost felt like giving up, all the time... but...

"I'm sorry..." Dominic said softly, eyes downcast. "Ryielath...I couldn't save him...and...I couldn't save your father...or your mother..." His eyes stung. "I couldn't save any of them...and I am truly sorry." The 'devil's' blue orbs seem to be a lot shinier than they usually were. "I'm sorry...that I am not Ryielath.." A lone tear was swallowed up within the man's lids as he refused to allow it to fall.

Golden fringes covered the older man's face as slumped forward in what seemed to be despair.

His voice was low, on the verge of breaking. "I'm sorry that...I'm the one who survived."

_______________________________________________________
Yeah, it’s plain to see...
that baby you’re beautiful!
And there's nothing wrong with you!
It’s me – I’m a freak,
but thanks for loving me.
Cause you’re doing it perfectly...~

[Le Jeune Maitre]

♔

「 "In a world I have lost my beloved..." 」
▄ ▄ ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ ▄ ▄


「 ♔|| N o e l ❦ D ` L a r m e s　;; 」

▄ ▄ ▄▄▄▄▄{☤}▄▄▄▄▄ ▄ ▄

「 "Of what color will the flowers bloom...?" 」

┏━━━━━━━━━┓

Noel said nothing, as the sobs tore forth from his shaking frame. Rather, they had never been sobs to begin with. The boy continued to gasp and cough and choke over the cries he refused to let spill forth from his lips, though the tears continued to fall like a shower of rain. Water of melting ice... And Dominic's apologies did nothing to stop them.

It wouldn't ever matter how many times he apologized, either. He knew he was losing his beloved even before the creature with the red eyes. He had always known... Dominic had taken Ryielath away from him, just as much as that creature had.

"You.. you and.. that thing... are no different..."

The moment those eyes had turned on him, he saw death from within. It was like an abyssmal torment, coiling from the inside-- hell itself. It was unlike any other visions of death he'd ever seen. The bandages-- The bandages were slipping... People were screaming.

Perhaps even he had began screaming, however, all he was aware of was the chaotic noise and those... eyes, red eyes. In their depths, it was like a myriad of war zones; the images of countless bodies, sick, pained, dying-- all just in the sweep of the creature's gaze. And then it smiled, smiled so warmly, so gently, yet those eyes were so sickeningly frigid...

He'd never bleed off the poison of that memory.

"... I would kill... myself... if only... to kill you..."

┗━━━━━━━━━┛

♔ ⊱ || ■ Things like [ LOVE ] and 「DREAMS」 and { HOPE } ↴

I threw all of them away . . .

[Qui Me Defendet]

【 Dominic Othello 】
Auldrant - Engreve Inn

Just don’t give up!
I’m workin’ it out...
Please don’t give in...
I won’t let you down!
It messed me up, need a second to breathe...
Just keep coming around!
Hey, what do you want from me?
_______________________________________________________

Every single syllable of the ex-Noble's words were like a burning knife searing through his heart. Dominic didn't even have to think of who "that thing" was. Just as in Noel's mind..."That Thing" was like a cinematic reel playing through his mind's eye, stuck on repeat. The smiling blood-red eyes were always staring into Dominic's own...they were laughing at him. The "devil" was certain that "That Thing" would be in his nightmares for years to come.

Dominic was just as terrified of him as Noel was. And that was why the "devil" actually made a small noise in response to being compared to him. A short "Au..." and then nothing else. To be compared to that man was...it was worse than anything he could have ever possibly been compared to. Dominic would have even liked being compared to the dead girl earlier today more than being compared to the monster who took everything away from him.

Everything except Noel, that is. Noel...as Dominic continued to remember, was all that Dominic had left. That was it. He had absolutely nothing else to speak for except for the very clothes on his back. Noel was the entire world right now. Nothing else...mattered. And even though he was now certain that Noel hated him ("... I would kill... myself... if only... to kill you..." He said that...), Dominic didn't care. Not even the knife-like words from the boy was enough to send Dominic running.

The "devil" was certain that absolutely nothing could separate him from this boy now. Even though...it was just six months ago that if someone told him that he would soon never want to leave Noel's side again, he would laugh at them. Even though it had only been recently that Noel became the most important thing on this planet to Dominic...Despite everything... Dominic was certain.

For perhaps an entire moment, Dominic was staring at the boy. He was examining the alabaster skin of his...his eyes, his tears...his hair. He was looking at absolutely everything. He was burning this moment into his mind for eternity. He never wanted to forget this moment. Why...? Dominic...would not be certain until much, much later as to why this moment was so significant. In spite of that, he still wanted to remember it. Right in this moment...something changed. ...Right?

The man lowered his gaze finally. He examined the wooden floor for a brief moment, then pressed his lips together in thought. 'What...do I possibly say right now...?' He thought to himself. What was it that...he could say? He knew that there was nothing he could do to comfort the boy. 'I'm not Ryielath, after all...' The corners of his lips twitched as though intending to smile, but remained in the form of a frown. He couldn't say anything, he knew that already... and yet...he was still here. He had to say something.

Because...this moment could very well define his life, right?

"Sir..." He began, throat dry. "What is it, exactly...that I did?" He glanced up and looked into the boy's eyes once more, wanting nothing more than to wipe his tears away and hold him tight. "What is it that you want me to do, sir?"

_______________________________________________________
Yeah, it’s plain to see...
that baby you’re beautiful!
And there's nothing wrong with you!
It’s me – I’m a freak,
but thanks for loving me.
Cause you’re doing it perfectly...~

[Le Jeune Maitre]

♔

「 "In a world I have lost my beloved..." 」
▄ ▄ ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ ▄ ▄


「 ♔|| N o e l ❦ D ` L a r m e s　;; 」

▄ ▄ ▄▄▄▄▄{☤}▄▄▄▄▄ ▄ ▄

「 "Of what color will the flowers bloom...?" 」

┏━━━━━━━━━┓

Noel remained silent as the male voiced his question. Instead of replying immedietely and cringed. Averting his gaze floorwards, the corners of his lips twitched into a smile once more. "I hate you.. the most..." The boy whispered softly, delicate hands clenching into fists so tight, they trembled with the effort.

His nails, however short and pristine they were, still were enough to sink angry, red halfmoons into the palm of his hands, enough to begin to break the skin and draw blood. Tremours shook his voice, as he continued to gasp and choke, and cough almost violently against the surpressed sobs.

"Y-you...! You took him... away from me..! Even before /that thing/ did, before anyone or anything else, /you/ took him away from me...! And you ask me what the hell it is that you've done?" The boy began laughing once more, though it was more an attempt to staff the flow of his crying, than the abrupt explosion of conflicted emotions, it had been previously. It stilled retained a sound similar to that of a music box's melody on the battlefield-- something that once was beautiful, resounding in desolation, resounding without hope.

He began to quiet, voice now a harash whisper as he spoke. "He promised he'd.. always be.. by my ... side... always.. and only mine.. Why isn't he here anymore...? Why is it you...? If I-- If I-- If I look for him, he isn't there..." The small form became even smaller as it began to arch and curl inwards, as if his body, too, wanted to implode along with everything else inside of him-- along with his collapsing emotions that had welled up to the brim, where even the slightest disturbance broke the surface tension-- that things overflowed, even as it caved in upon itself.

"Even you.. he promised-- the same thing that you just did... you'll leave me, as well.." The words were muffled against his knee, as the dark hair cascaded, fell over his face, his eyes. "Don't promise me something that you can't keep... unlike your kind, my words are not so conditional as.. that... You're going to go... I know you will... so you might as well do so now."

┗━━━━━━━━━┛

♔ ⊱ || ■ Things like [ LOVE ] and 「DREAMS」 and { HOPE } ↴

I threw all of them away . . .