A/N: First in a series of mostly-unconnected Shelkero ficlets. Those that are connected will be labeled as such. On occasion I will throw in something of the general-Deepground variety. If you like any of these, please leave me a review as to what you liked about it, as these will vary in style and substance. Thank you!
Connected to Apologizing For Beginners
Music used to write this story: Bleeding Love, by Leona Lewis
Disclaimer: I do not own any part of the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, nor do I own any of the music I may have used/referenced while writing. These respectively belong to Square Enix and the person or group that performed said music.
Nicks and Scars
The first time he had cut her was right after they had given him those planet-cursed wings. He kept misjudging the amount of space he needed to maneuver, and forgetting they were tipped with razor-sharp blades, so he managed to cut her. She hadn't said anything for the first few nicks, but then he reached around her and managed to slice a fairly decent-sized gash down her arm. She couldn't help the hiss of pain, which caught his attention. The look of shock on his face made her curse herself for having such poor control.
The second time was more metaphorical. He cut her heart when she heard from Azul that her termination had been ordered. She knew the order had originally come from Weiss, but Weiss couldn't really talk any more, so the order had to come from him. The fact that he had gone ahead and given it hurt. She knew, realistically, that his devotion to his brother was deeper than his devotion to her, but it still cut to know that he, seemingly, had no remorse over it. His behavior had not changed towards her one bit. She refused to believe that it was because he knew that shortly, he wouldn't see her again. He just didn't think that way. So she wouldn't give herself the luxury of the self-deception.
The third time, she realized, she had really been asking for it. She had let the anger and the hurt fester to the point that she lashed out at him in the only way she knew how: physically. Emotions and words just wouldn't get through to him. When he had retaliated by swallowing her in the darkness, she was cut again. This time it was worse than all the rest. He had once told her that he was aware, on some level, of the souls that died within Oblivion. If that was so, then he would feel when her shield died and she shortly followed. Apparently, she had meant nothing to him after all. And that hurt.
The last time he cut her, he died in the process. She had thought that being trapped and dying, with him completely indifferent was the worst cut. She realized now that she was wrong. This was the worst. While he was still living, she could feel the cuts, but they would heal over and leave scars. This time, unable to see him one last time, unable to talk to him and figure out what was going on inside his head, having to live with the knowledge that he changed his mind at the last second, having to live wondering if he really did care, cut deeply and bled freely. She had a sinking feeling that this cut would never scar, never heal.
