Author's Note: Oh gods, the first contest jitters. with 5 days left on the clock, I finished this entry. Apparently the second one to submit an entry for this contest, I'm hopeful. This might come across a bit cliche, but I still think I did my best. Try to enjoy, please.
"Why do you still care?"
He can't help but ask, her sheer persistence lost on him even as she yet again tends to the cuts on his arm.
"I'm not leaving you in the lurch."
She's resolute on this- still remembers the state in which she found him in. She's vowed to herself that she never would let him reenter that void.
"But why won't you?" He doesn't understand, the woman's actions confuse him. "You aren't gaining anything from it, so why do it?"
"I do it because I care, Kuro. Not because I stand to gain something, but because I care." She knows it, has been through it, the flawed angel lacks some emotions the Mirror deemed 'unnecessary', it's not his fault he doesn't -can't- comprehend. It doesn't make it any less painful.
"Which brings me back to my question- Why do you still care?" He wants an answer, his confused and disconnected mind needs a logical explanation and so far she's given him anything but.
"Gods, Kuro. I just don't want to see you like you were ever again! I... I'm not sure if I could handle seeing you lost...and alone once more." How can he not get it, she screams internally; she doesn't want to watch this thorny black rose wither and die, isn't that enough reason?
"Why not just let me go? Surely those Lumas of yours are more worthy of your care than the resident emotionless fallen angel." He stops, only now hearing the bitter, biting words spoken in a haze of frustration, groans. "I shouldn't have said that."
"If I can care for you, I will. And I won't put the people I love in a ranked list- I treat you the same way I treat the same way I treat the Lumas. You know that." That last sentence calms her enough, enough to close the wound and start on the lashes on his back without her hands shaking and her eyes blazing wet. She knows he's confused, uncomprehending because of the knife taken to his soul, knows he's just lashing out. It lessens the bite.
"But why? Why do you still treat me like a... normal person, when you very well know I'm not? When you know I can never give anything back?" He can feel it, that empty hole in his emotions burnt into him, leaving this ugly, cauterized void. He knows it's gone, along with the explanation he so wants, yet still he scrabbles for it. He understands enough to know it's the least he can do for her.
"Because to do so would be to turn into those who abandoned you, and I swore I would never see that happen again." Those people- their only crime was to not care, to let the crumbling stone gargoyle languish alone in the dark. Back then, she'd promised never to let that happen again. She'd cared, still does now.
"So... you care because of a vow you made. Why even make it in the first place?" He knows he's just repeating himself over and over but he can't 's more and more confused, still doesn't understand this galaxy traveller who cares. Why would she bind herself to... him, the empty-handed, flawed clone that he is? He hates this lacking of his, this lack of the emotions she so freely gives while he can't return them. It would make this less painful for her.
"Because I love you, Kuro! I care, not because of this vow, I care because it's you!" She's abandoned the cut completely- her eyes sting with salt. She takes a breath. "I don't see you as a reject, a flawed angel. I treat you as one that I love, hate, care for, curse- an ordinary person I love. You don't have to understand- I know you don't, because of that lying Mirror. All I ask is that you... just let me care." All she wants is to be with him, even if he never knows her love.
He's at a loss for words- the sardonic dark angel speechless. He hears his mind telling him to press her, find a logical reason for this unfamiliar concept she's displaying. He brushes it aside. "I..." He realises that it's been her by his side all this while since she found him wasting away by himself. It was her who brought him back to the fight, who helped him up when he came back broken and debilitated after those trying matches, who provided some reason to win. He owes her, this woman who's been by his side without compensation, without anything in return.
She goes back to the wound, brushing away the tears brimming quickly before resuming work. It's almost subconscious, going through the motions of stitching up the cuts like she'd done time and time again. She wonders how long it's been since she helped this fallen angel to his feet. She can't remember, almost doesn't want to remember. She just wants to live in the moment, the dark angel submitting himself, begrudgingly or not, to her care.
"If it's what you want..." He watches her look up, surprise unconcealed on her face. "I'll stay with you for now." He offers a hesitant smile, the expression probably contorted or unnatural on his stony face, he can't tell. But even a lonely, fallen stone statue knows that the smile on her face is genuine. He's pretty sure she can feel for the both of them, this expressive, caring woman that she is.
The tears fall again, though for something else. "I'll hold you to that." Somehow she manages to get the words out through the withheld sobs.
"I owe you. And like you, I won't break a vow." He knows it won't last, he will be separated from her once this tournament ends. But it's the least he can do.
I've picked a god, and prayed. If you thought Dark Pit was a bit heavy with the whys, he's just a confused soul who doesn't understand and as such keeps asking the same thing over and over again. Had to clarify that. Really hope this works out. Thanks to BananaJesus for giving this opportunity, and to whoever else is reading this. Cheers!
Lexi