She said I love you
But it meant nothing as friends. A simple phrase that endeared them to each other. There was nothing wrong with the simple words that they shared, the friendship that stretched on for years. The Code spoke against attachments, but they were different. They were a team. They could handle anything as long as they had each other.
She said I love you
But her perspective started to shift. The words felt uncomfortably true, and even he hesitated to say them back. But still they said those few words, and still they were a team. They looked out for each other, though their closeness became strange. Suddenly those around them stared, watching them as if waiting for the truth to come out.
She said I love you
And this time she meant it. From the pit of her stomach she knew that she was in love with the man before her. The man she had spent so much of her life with, who shared in everything she did, and would forever stay by her side. She loved him as the stars love the night sky, and he reciprocated. Nothing could break them.
She said I love you
But with a desperation only war brings. The desperation of the chance of never seeing each other again. The blood of the battle field was not enough to stop their love, but brought with it a closeness that was borne of protection, a love that could somehow stop the darkness that was creeping in. As the long, bloody nights stretched on, they were there for each other. They were all they had amidst the chaos of war.
She said I love you
But it was merely manipulation. Those few words that once meant so much now caused darkness. They were used to bring him down with her and he could not stop the freefall, leaning back into the dark abyss with the promise of her love. He never found it, only a rapid descent that would forever change the fate of the galaxy.
She said I love you
But she was really saying goodbye. As his dying breath escaped his lips, she said the words she had only ever meant for him. And with them came a regret that would haunt her for the rest of her life. A regret for what could have been had she only listened to the words she said.