"You're all I need, Madoka."

Homura didn't say it loud - she breathed it, a gush of air whooshing from her lungs and the words slipping out with it. She didn't know if Madoka actually heard her, but that didn't matter.

It had never mattered.

Homura choked on words that she wanted to say, louder, so that the girl can hear her. She could reach out and brush her fingers along Madoka's creamy skin, hold her hand, stroke her pink hair. She could tell her everything, about how much she loves her, how much she has sacrificed for her - but she didn't.

She stayed silent.

Homura had always been so strong, always been by herself. The days she had spent in the hospital had helped her and she had come out stronger than she went in. When she'd transferred to this school, she hadn't expected Madoka. She hadn't expected the inevitable surprise of the Puella Magi, and she had never thought that she'd be here.

And yet here she was, one of her legs trapped under a rock, rendering her immobile. She could feel warm blood trickle from her forehead and bead on her sweaty skin. Madoka was looking at her with soft, sad eyes. Eyes that carried the burden that Homura had held for so long.

The black-haired girl's eyes flickered closed for a minute and she remembered Madoka begging to her to pull the trigger and kill her, and how Homura had screamed and cried before turning back time and doing it all over again.

She wanted to scream now. She wanted to tell Madoka to stop, she wanted to tell her to think it through, logically -

but

the words..wouldn't…leave her throat. They sat there, stubbornly, everything she couldn't say filling her up until she was sure she would explode. She opened her mouth to try and force the words out but a cool hand brushed her forehead - Madoka.

"It'll be okay, Homura."

No, it won't.

"You don't have to worry anymore."

Yes, I do, I'll always worry about you.

"I'll take care of it."

No, Madoka, let me take care of you -

"It's okay. Thank you."

I love you.

And then she turned and - Homura just couldn't tell her to stop - Madoka's back was to her and she made her wish. Homura could hear her voice, as sweet as any melody, ring in her ears, but she couldn't hear the exact words of the wish. It felt as if time had really stopped for a brief moment as pink shards exploded across the sky.

Homura leaned her head back against the dark stone behind her. It was all over now. All she had worked for, gone.

But it was okay.

She felt at peace, oddly, as if she could finally relax and stop fighting so hard for a few moments. She tried to keep her eyes open, she still had to tell Madoka, but she just..couldn't. Her tongue felt clumsy and slow, her lips wouldn't part. Everything flashed a bright white and Homura let her shoulders drop. She felt the clang of metal as the disc attached to her arm hit the rock.

"It'll be okay, Homura" Madoka had said.

The one that had been through so much pain, had sacrificed so much, felt her eyelids droop and this time she didn't fight it.

She decided to trust Madoka, this time.

Because more than anything

she loved her.