With Every Tear That Falls

He was crying.

Those bright green eyes that had first captured my interest were over flowing with saline droplets.

"How could you do this to me?" He asked. "How could you!"

I said nothing as my eyes followed the path of a tear rolling down his red cheeks.

"How could you hurt me like this?"

I couldn't meet his eyes. They were too heartbreakingly sad.

"I loved you! I love you! You said you love me too, and then you go and do something like this."

His shoulders were shaking, either from the force of his ire or from trying to hold back sobs. A tear rolled off his chin and fell to the ground.

"Don't you have anything to say for yourself!"

His words seemed muffled to my ears. All my attention was set on watching his falling tears.

"Well? Say something! Say something you bastard. Don't just stand there staring."

He balled his small hands up into little fist and slammed them against my shoulders with as much force that could be mustered in his shaking body. I tried to meet his eyes, but my gaze didn't make it pass the tear drops spilling from the corner of his eyes.

"Why?" he whimpered. "Why, why, why!"

Those tiny fists were gripping my shoulders now and his head was hanging so I could not see his tears.

"Aren't you going to at least apologize? Aren't you the least bit sorry for what you did?"

Unable to watch his tears, I was forced to listen to his words. I wanted to say something, but did not know what and I felt my chances slipping away with every tear that falls.

"Why won't you say anything?"

I had always loved his tears. Wait, that's not what I meant. I had always loved the fact that he was still beautiful in when in tears.

"Please say something. Say something, anything, please."

He was clinging to me now, as if afraid to let me go. His tears were soaking through the fabric on my shoulder as he cried and clung.

"Just give me a reason. Just one good reason."

I remember licking the tears from his cheeks the first time we had made love. They had tasted so sweet on my tongue. It had felt even more intimate than being inside of him.

"I'll forgive you," he said. "You know I will; I always do. But you have to say something. Just give me an excuse. Even if you lie, just say something. I need something to hold on to."

I had made him cry before, with no regrets of doing so. He'd forgiven me then. Every time I hurt him with no remorse and watched the tears spill from his liquid green eyes, he latched on to whatever excuse I gave and forgave me in an instant.

"Why are you doing this to me? Why?"

Once, when I was angry, I'd gone at him with the intent of making him shed his sweet tears. I called him names, yanked his hair, insulted his family, and just did everything I could, whatever would make him hurt worse. He had sat on the floor in a puddle of tears and I had only sneered proud of myself for hurting him.

"Tell me you love me," he begged.

And there it was. The reason he allowed me to hurt him again and again. The reason that he'd let me beat him, insult him, and rape him was this. He didn't feel that he deserved his treatment, but he would put up with anything as long as I said I loved him at the end.

"Don't leave me. Stay here. Just love me. Please."

I could have given him what he wanted, said the words that would make it better, have him back in my arms so I could hurt him again later. But I didn't want that, not anymore. Our whole relationship could be told in his tears. He didn't want to see him cry anymore. With every tear that fell, I knew what I had to do.

"Please."

I pried his hands off of me. I pushed him away. Unable to meet his tear filled green eyes; I turned my back to him. He whimpered my name as I walked away. I was at the door when I heard him sob. I walked out the door and he screamed my name. I told myself it was for the best. This one last moment of pain would bring him happiness forever after I was gone.

"Draco!"

I was crying.