Connor stared at the body on the floor in front of him.
The man had blood seeping out of his dirty skin, one fatal gash to his midsection being the reason for his immobility. His eyes were wide open and spit fell from his mouth. His hat was still on his head but his sword had fallen inches away from his fingers, only moments ago an instrument of death.
Connor couldn't look away from the man. His mouth was impossibly dry and his hands started shaking. He lifted them to grip his hair, eyes growing impossibly wide as they started to ache with the strain of Connor's stare.
He wanted to scream for help, for a doctor or just a piece of cloth to stop the bleeding, but he didn't, because he could tell just from looking at him that the man was dead.
"Connor."
He didn't turn around at the voice behind him. He swallowed the painful lump in his throat and wondered when the tears were coming, as, surely they had to.
He eventually felt a trickle escaping his eye and slipping down his cheek and he suddenly didn't want to look at the man anymore. He turned around suddenly and collapsed into Cheng Li's embrace all in one motion. He felt her hands softly holding him below his shoulders and he buried his face in the crook of her neck. Her coat smelled of salt and blood, and he felt sick. He held his breath and briefly found comfort in her arms until he heard her voice.
"This is the reality of being a pirate, Connor. You need to get used to it."
Suddenly feeling betrayed, he lifted his face from her shoulder and backed out of her hug. He stared hard at her for a moment, and then looked away because he felt his eyes may be like daggers against her. Taking a last look at the dead man, he turned and ran away, wondering if Cheng Li was staring after him as he went.
As if she could understand… he thought bitterly to himself. Everyone around her taught her how to kill since she was born. The scent of blood is normal for her.
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A/N: Inspired by the song "What If" by Safetysuit. I recommend listening to it while reading this.
