Stein sat on the stump of tree, head in his hands, thinking about what his partner had said to him. Nothing could take back the words that had escaped Spirit's mouth. Nothing… He was not the one to cry – and this was no excuse to – but he still let the tears fall freely down his cheeks.
Something moved behind Stein, making him furiously wipe his cheeks in desperation to make it seem like he was never crying. He whipped around and saw Spirit poking his head through a large bush. This made Stein smile in anger.
"Stein?" Spirit peeked out from the bushes he was hiding behind. "I didn't think I would ever find you. I was so worried tha- have you been crying?"
"Does it look like it?" Stein mumbled, turning around to face the tree again.
The sounds that could be heard from behind Stein, suggested that Spirit was moving closer to him. Stein held out a hand, signaling him to stop.
"Don't you dare come any closer," he kept his voice steady, a monotone. Stein turned around to face his weapon, and looked him square in the face.
"Stein, what happened?"
He laughed out loud. "You're so naïve, Spirit. Not so much could go through your brain to think that maybe you did something."
"I- I did something," Spirit stuttered, but continued. "What did I do? Is this because I was playing with your scalpels? Because I won't touch the again, Stein I prom-"
Stein let out a small laugh. "So that was you."
Spirit nodded innocently, as if nothing had happened.
"Idiot..." Stein mumbled once again, looking back to the tree. "Would you not think that it might have been something you said? It may seem like I don't have a heart, no feelings, no emotions, but I am still human, Spirit. I have all these things. Things you say still hurt me, and today," Stein got up to leave, "you just went too far."
He got up, and walked straight past Spirit.
"Stein wait."
"Fuck off, Spirit."
Not another word was shared between the two for hours.
Stein sat in the desk chair in his room, twirling around the heavy mechanism in his hands. Spirit had been banging on his door for the last hour, and had finally given up only minutes ago.
He almost felt sorry for Spirit and his inability to realise what he had done wrong this time, but there was no way he was forgiven just yet. All Stein really wanted to do, was to go out to his weapon and forgive him for his random outburst of harsh words. But there was no way it was going to happen today.
Stein got up out of the chair, and the sudden movement made his head spin. He gripped onto the door handle, waiting for the dizziness to pass. Spirit had obviously heard the movement from the other side of the door, as he started to speak through the door again.
"Stein. Please, I don't know what I said this time, and I'm so sorry. I know you're in there, I can hear you." Stein could hear they slight smile in Spirit's voice, which made his lips turn up a little. He started to turn the lock on the door, to unlock and let Spirit in, but decided against it, going back to his current experiment.
He turned away and continued his work. Stein began to walk to the other side of the room – close to his bed – in case his experiment failed. The nerves were starting to build up inside him, but he wouldn't let that show. No one needed to know.
Stein looked at the mechanism he held in his hand, and shuddered. I never thought I would use this on me... Stein thought to himself.
"I'm so sorry, Spirit."
He held up the large screw to his head and pushed it through.
Stein screamed, almost blacking out from the pain, but continued to push it through until he felt it get through the other side. Stein screamed louder as it popped through, making the tears fall from his eyes. He collapsed to the floor in a heap, feeling his blood start to pool around him. All his senses were starting to fade away. He could feel himself starting to fall, fall away from the world.
But then...
"Stein! Stein! Oh my god Stein, no. What have you done?" Spirit was heard frantically rummaging around trying to find the source of the pain. When he found it, he gasped. "Wha- what?"
Spirit lifted Stein up onto his lap, and Stein screamed.
"Stein, no. I won't let you die. You're not allowed to, you're too strong," Spirit's words were beginning to fade away. "No don't leave me!" Spirit screamed at the top of his lungs.
Stein's breaths were becoming short, and coming out very fast. "I won't leave..." Stein managed to splutter out.
"Good..." Spirit whispered, tears brimming his eyes, threatening to fall. He let them. "You... You need to go to a doctor!" Spirit said, finally coming to his senses.
"No…" Stein mumbled, the world starting to fall away again. "I promise, I will survive."
Spirit refused to believe him. "You need medical help, right now!" Spirit tried to lift Stein up, but he just screamed in pain, the tears brimming his eyes started to fall.
"You need to believe me Spirit. I know what I have done… Please." Stein mumbled.
"Ok… Ok I believe you." The two sat together – Stein's head on Spirits lap – until Stein started to close his eyes. "No don't leave. Stay awake!" Spirit screamed at him, tears splashing down on Stein's already wet face.
"I have to. I promise I'll live..." It was now that Stein started to black out.
"Spirit, you have to know... Just in case…" Stein started to fall. "I love you."
Before Stein fully blacked out, he felt Spirit lean down and press a kiss to his blood stained lips.