And he knows it, as he looks down at her haggard body.

As he watches the red and pink mix, he suddenly, irrevocably knows.

The realization hits, right after, that even if he now knows it, there is absolutely nothing he can do about it now.

… Would he do something about it, even if…?

He leans down, fingers pausing over hair, gently brushing it away before lowering them. Onyx locks with lifeless green, and he feels. Clenches his jaw. Hastily closes eyelids over vivid emerald green.

Fingertips lingering, wanting to touch more, but his head is swirling, and he thinks he better not.

He quickly draws away.

And he stares, and stares, and knows he knows, and knows he will have to live with coming to know too late, to live with… himself.

He throws the bloody kunai down with disgust, whether at his thoughts, himself, or his recent epiphany he refuses to admit, even to himself, and walks away without turning around, trailing red footprints in the snow.

He shudders, not at the cold, but at how weak he could have been.

And he lowers his head, leaving his past and his weakness behind with the lifeless body.

And he knows.

She was his weakness, now she is no more.


a/n: ah, late night writings.
word count: 212

the romance is obvious if you look closely. although subtle, it's still slightly there. ;)
i'm all about the hints of this and that.

oh, and interpret it how you want to. i'd like that.

review, tell me how you think~