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In the quiet hours of the morning, before the sun rose and the birds sang, before the dew settled on the grass, he held them.
During the harsh night when his world crumbled, their face appeared before him once more after believing they’d truly abandoned him without a word, he’d screamed. He hurled obscenities at them, malice coating every syllable, a deep anguish as tears he didn’t know he could shed anymore fell down his angular cheeks. He’d thought himself beyond humanity, beyond such trivial emotions, as he believed they once were, but he cried. His heart ached and he cried. The lofty image he shrouded himself in crumbled away under their gaze.
It was pathetic.
They laid there, in a bed the queen had set up for them, they were frail… frail. He balked at the idea. How could this be? How are they here? How are they weak? How? How? How?!
They looked upon him, longing, shakily reaching out for him, unable to get off the mattress at this point.
It was too late.
Too late for them to return to him, too late for them to explain what had occurred, too late for him to be what they remembered him to be. Too late for them. He glared at them until they started coughing and hacking, their frame rattling with each cough. That caught his attention, viscous black ooze escaped past their lips into their palm. He finally looked at them.
It was too late.
They both knew this day would come, deep down, the captain explained it once to him that they’d wane. They were vast but finite, the shell they inhabited would one day…
Why now? He carefully stepped closer to their bed, they indeed were paler, their once vibrant skin now ashen, face gaunt, hair thinner than he recalled.
“How could you?”
“I finally found you.”
They had a pained smile, as if this was all they wanted though they still felt guilty towards him. He lunged at the sickly figure, enraged in a way that he’d never felt by another being. Hunched over them his hands made contact with their throat, not quite able to bring himself to wrap his fingers around it. He shook, wanting terribly to stop the throbbing in his chest. How dare they? How dare they?
“I’ll die anyways, go ahead.”
He screamed and shoved them back against the pillow they were propped up on, getting up and throwing the decorative shit off the mantle. In the past half a century he never felt so much. Never were his emotions so strong, so confusing, since the day they disappeared on him. He was panting like a wild animal.
“I knew the day I promoted you, that you’d be with me, in this moment,” they said peacefully, with all confidence. “You’d see my death. The mighty captain Finch would-” they didn’t finish the thought, their words devolved into another coughing fit.
“Just shut up, you look like hell,” he snapped, looking away.
It was too late.
The fire in the hearth crackling, wood snapping in the heat, the bell of the godfather clock tolled, and they smiled at him.
“I love you.”
It was far too late.
“Don’t spout useless lies hag, you’ve only got so much air to waste.”
“I love you,” this time they whispered, raspy, eyes starting to flutter. He looked back at them, realizing just how little time there was. “I mean it, I’m sorry.”
“Don’t pity me, I’m thriving,” He gulped, watching as they fought to keep their eyes open, their breath coming out more desperate now. He just watched on, his eyes burning as the pain in his chest became unbearably heavy.
It was too late.
Their trembling hand reached for him again and this time he conceded, stepping closer for them.
“Missed you.”
“Save it.”
“Be safe when I’m gone.”
He stood still, towering over them, they were pathetic. The one once his equal, fallen so far.
“I love…” Their hand fell, no more strength to reach, “you… truly.”
It was late, all the staff were asleep, the stars were dim as the moonlight shone bright through the windows. He bit his lip, “Stop it.” The world went still, they couldn’t stay awake any longer. The being before him closed their eyes, breath shallow.
This was it, he finally felt panicked, “Not like that idiot, wake up!” He shook them tenderly, but they didn’t stir. They were fading, he felt their pulse through their thin skin, the faint thing so loud to him, rattling his bones.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
“Not like this, please.”
Thump… Thump… Thump…
“Please…”
Thump…
“Not yet…”
Thump…
…
He sat on the edge of the mattress as they stilled completely.
It was too late and he wasn’t ready.
He wasn’t ready for any of this, he was still furious. They left and just came back. They left him. They left him then came back only to die on him! How could they do this to him?!
Yet after hours of angry tears he held their cold limp body. Kissing their forehead, he held onto them as if they could feel it, careful and tender. He missed them, and it was too late.