Disclaimer: I do not own.

Pairing: Cain.Riff
Word Count: 458
Prompt: lamp
SPOILERS: All volumes up to number seven

lamp

It has been like this for the past few nights.

"Brother? Brother?" Mary calls softly, and there is a soft stir from the boy in front of her. "Brother...wake up. You'll catch a cold if you stay like this." Cain stirs again, cracking open one eye and peering at Mary with a golden-green gaze. He looks tired, worn, and his crow-colored hair--he usually takes so much pride in his looks--is in a disarray. The oil lamp that he has lit a few hours ago is still shining, though it is beginning to dim and flicker and wither away. Still. the brilliant glow it casts illuminates Cain's pale skin, giving him a soft, glowing, ethereal look.

"Mary?" he murmurs softly, his voice slightly muffled. He begins to rise. "Riff, get my--" Cain stops and blinks, and Mary knows it is a flinch. "Has...Has he come back yet?" Mary smiles a little, bitterly and softly, and pulls her dear Cain up. Her blue eyes are soft and shimmering with crystalline tears, but she holds them back--for now. Brushing back her long blonde hair, she pushes Cain gently towards the bed, and he stumbles onto it a little tiredly.

"Not yet, dear brother," Mary whispers, "but I'm sure he'll be back soon." She pulls the covers over her brother's weary form, and begins to reach towards the lamp to put it out.

"Don't--Don't put it out, Mary," Cain says. "I--er, I'm afraid of the dark." Mary bites her lip, and the tears that have welled in the corners of her eyes spill down her cheeks, because she knows Cain is lying and it hurts her. She nods. Oh brother, oh Cain--you haven't given up hope yet, have you? That Riff will come back...

"Okay, brother," she replies, her voice trembling a little bit. She heads out of the room, But then she hears a soft sob, and when she looks back, the form under the silk covers is trembling. She wants to go help. She wants to find Riff and have him explain that all of this was a mistake--that he really was himself, that he wasn't Alexis's ally, that he loved and cherished Cain for forever. God, she wants to help.

But she can't. As Mary leaves the room and wipes away tears with the palms of her hands, she feels so damn helpless, just like always.

And she knows that when she goes to wake her dear brother up in the morning, he'll stumble out of bed and head towards the bathroom, half-expecting Riff to show up and help him undress. And she also knows that when she touches the pillow on Cain's bed, it will be wet with new tears.

GAHHH. So I bought and finished volume eight of Godchild. DEAR GOD, IT MADE ME SO DAMN SAD. But there was plenty of Riff.Cain goodness, yessiree!

I'm sorry for the crappiness...this was just a short drabble that I wrote for the sad!Riff.Cain yumminess.

Please review, for it will make me happy inside. Ish.

.oblivion's pen

P.S. is being slightly gay and not letting me use brackets, for some reason, so pardon the messiness on the summary!