Marceline winced, unconsciously pulling away from the gentle touch. She kept her eyes closed as the smaller of the two kneeled in between her long legs, not willing to look at the pained expression she was sure the other had as she cleaned one of the many wounds on her face for the third time that week.
"Marcie. Baby, look at me." Came the whispered words, the raven haired only opening her eyes because she knew the seriousness of the pet name. She tried to look in the other's dark blue eyes, she really did, but her own red eyes found themselves staring to the side in shame and embarrassment.
"I'm so sorry…" The choked cry caused Marceline to grab quickly grab her girlfriend's hand, the bloodied cotton ball left to fall onto the pink bedspread as she tried to comfort the other.
"Don't cry… please. Bonnie, it's not your fault." The raven's gravelly voice came softly, not able to speak any louder due to the abuse her throat had taken while being choked by her father's drunken hands.
"If only I was there, I could have-"
"Could have what?" Marceline cut off gently, trying to make the other understand that there wasn't anything she could do. Bonnibel stared up at the other with wet eyes, her hand covered with the other girl's lightly callused one.
"Something. Anything." The pinkette spoke, desperately trying to make the other understand how much she meant to her; she would even take the pain if it meant the other didn't have to go through it.
Marceline looked down, her eyes still dry from her refusal to cry, although the tremor in her lip showed that, if not for that simple stubbornness, she would have been sobbing long ago. The raven shook her head, lifting the other's hand to her lips and giving it a gentle kiss, "Never." She spoke, "I never want you to see. To be there."
Bonnibel looked to the other once more, fresh tears coming up. She leaned her head gently against the older's stomach and wrapped her arms around her, beginning to cry from the feeling of helplessness, the pain of seeing the girl she loved so much constantly mistreated.
She was silent, but Marceline finally tears come to the surface, ignoring the sting that the salty drops caused her and running her fingers through the others hair while the two simply held to each other.