A/N: Had to re-upload due to errors that I couldn't fix.

---------------------------

Murphy holds Connor's hands lightly, tracing his fingertips over the palms. Neither of them speak, Murphy doesn't want to and Connor doesn't know what to say. Murphy's fingers move upwards, to the wrists, smoothing along the delicate, sensitive skin that's still darkened slightly with bruises. The cuts have almost healed, the bones nearly mended, only a faint tracery of colour to show what had happened, what he'd done.

A lump rises in Murphy's throat as he remembers the extent of the damage, the muttered remarks of the ER doctor, the faint flickers of pain in his brother's eyes as he was poked and prodded. He remembers the feeble jokes Connor had attempted to make, trying to hide the pain, both of them knowing that it was useless.

And it had all been for him. It was always for him.

Slowly, Murphy flicked the cap off the pen that was on the floor next to his knees and raised the thin black marker to Connor's wrists. He wrote slowly, carefully, on the underside of Connor's wrists, staring intently at the black marks he made, making sure they were perfect. One word on each wrist, simple, clean. He wrote in Russian, taking extra care because Connor was the better at Russian.

Only when he was finished did he look up into Connor's serious blue eyes, once again letting his fingertips resting on his wrists, though he was careful not to smudge the words. He licked his lips, studying his brother's face- the hint of stubble along his jaw, the little worry lines by his eyes, the slightly crooked eyebrow, all the little things that made Connor utterly unique.

A sad little smile twisted Murphy's lips and he raised up from his kneeling position to brush his lips against Connor's in a quick, almost chaste kiss. Then he stood up and moved into the kitchen, looking around in the cupboards for something to eat for lunch.

Connor watched him for a moment before he looked down at his wrists, examining the writing and thinking about all the meanings Murphy had wanted to convey. Two words, but they said a lot.

never again