A/N: I fell hopelessly in love with the cover of "Skinny Love" by Birdy, and like the crazed fangirl that I am, automatically applied it to all my OTP's. So here's a quick, horribly depressing oneshot which is the result of putting that song on repeat and letting this tumble out of my brain.
Skinny Love
A puff of smoke rose from a pair of ruby red lips, the cold wind blowing it to the East as she breathed. Her porcelain skin looked paler than ever, her cheeks were bright red, instead of rouge pink, from the chill. She said nothing, didn't move. Her ice-cold blue eyes stared out at the city below her. Lights twinkled in the dark, signs of life, signs of warmth and love and good company. The wisps of air that escaped her lungs curled into beautiful shapes, but she paid no attention. Her black coat was tightly buttoned, her red scarf pulled tight around her neck. The cold still bit at her, and if she waited too much longer, little snowflakes would surely begin to fall.
The wind tugged at her dark hair, pulling at curls tucked behind her petite ears. It whispered in them, "Come now, we must leave. Come, come, it's time for you to go." She could hear what the wind was saying, but continued to ignore its plea. She still had time before it become vicious, before it left her with no choice. She'd only fought the wind once before, and it had not ended well. She knew her fate, never again did she fight destiny. If only someone else could understand that, could stop trying to reason with powers beyond his ken. Every time she explained the situation, it fell on deaf ears. Every time it got harder, more painful to say goodbye. This time would be different.
A shiver ran down her slim physique, her shadow was small on the rooftop she stood upon. Just as she predicted, small snowflakes began to fall and cling to her eyelashes. She didn't bother wiping them away, but her resolve was cracking. Maybe it was better to just leave, to never bother with a proper goodbye. It would only hurt more to tell him, face to face. But she knew it was the right thing to do, and if anything she believed in doing right by people. Especially him.
Soft footsteps could be heard approaching her, and she closed her eyes briefly, preparing for what was to come. A quick inhale and exhale of breath was all she needed before she conjured a decent smile upon her cold face. She turned to address the man who interrupted her brooding thoughts. She'd been preparing for this all day, letting her mind and her heart get used to the idea. None of that was visible on her face in this instant however.
"Evening Mary," he said quietly. This night was quiet, snowfall in winter had a way of hushing the world, and it only felt right that their shared words would be soft.
"Good evening Bert," she replied, her firm smile still tightly in place. The snowflakes were beginning to sting her exposed skin.
"Snow's beautiful, innit?" Bert said nonchalantly as he came over to stand beside her, gazing out at London as she had been doing prior to his arrival.
"Mmm," she agreed. Bert pulled his coat tighter around him, his fingers poked out of his worn gloves, and his matching scarf had seen better days. For a moment the whole world was quiet, and tendrils of smoke escaped from both of their lips.
"You're leaving," Bert said, a statement, not a question. He knew better these days.
"Yes," Mary replied, bracing herself.
"When will you be back?"
"You know I can't answer that," Mary sighed, closing her eyes again to the cold world before her.
"You'll be back soon enough though. I can wait," Bert smiled. It was true, he had waited for her so many times before. "You always come back to London." You always come back to me.
"I can never be sure," Mary stated. She still refused to look at him, focusing her brilliant eyes on the city she called home.
"What are you saying Mary?" Bert asked. Something was wrong, and he felt that now. No heartfelt hugs, chaste pecks on the cheek. No holding of hands and promises of reunions. She hadn't even looked him in the eye.
"I'm saying goodbye," Mary whispered softly. A gust of wind whipped about the roof they perched on, punctuating her statement with a finality Bert couldn't grasp.
"Yes but..." Bert couldn't continue. He knew what she was doing now.
"Don't," Mary commanded. She turned to look at him, finally, and when her eyes met his she had to choke back a waterfall of emotions. She couldn't now, of all times, let sentiment muddle her thinking.
"Mary," Bert pleaded. She looked so gorgeous in the cold, her cheeks a bright red matching her perfect lips. The snowflakes that had stuck to her dark lashes twinkled in the moonlight like glitter, reflecting in the cool blue of her eyes. How could he let this woman just walk away?
"I can't," Mary whispered. "I can't keep doing this."
"Yes you can Mary. You can," Bert tried. He couldn't give her up without a fight. Slowly he stepped closer to her. "You just have to be patient, it'll be fine. It takes the right balance...Mary be kind, don't do this."
"You have to let me go Bert. Cut out all the ropes and let me fall," Mary strangled out. "You have to Bert."
Bert stepped closer again, closing the gap between him and Mary. Tears were silently escaping from her eyes, and she couldn't do anything to stop them. She didn't move, didn't flinch. She had given up, given in.
"Mary," Bert said softly, carefully placing his hands on her waist, pulling her tight to him as he did so. Her head fit perfectly between his cheek and his shoulder, and suddenly she could control herself no longer. She let out a sob, and Bert pulled her even tighter against the cold wind and dark night. They held each other, as Mary let out her pain. After what seemed like years she sniffed, and took a step back to look up into his warm, brown eyes.
"It'll be as if I was never here," she stated.
"That's impossible," he retorted.
She wiped at her cheeks, steadying herself. "I have to. I have to say goodbye."
Bert looked into her eyes, and he knew she'd resigned, that she had let all feeling go. Her eyes were dead, she was done. No soft words would save them now.
"So all your love was wasted. Then who was I?"
"You were everything," she replied, choking back more tears.
"But it's past tense now. Come on Mary, what happened here?"
"Bert, please," she pleaded. "It's difficult enough, don't end it this way."
"I'm not ending anything Mary. Who will love you?"
Mary turned away from him then. She pulled her kid gloves on tighter, breathed in and out as she looked out on the city again. The wind picked up, cold and fierce. She knew her time was up, she knew this was it. This was all she'd ever get.
"No one Bert. No one will." She began walking over to where her carpet bag and umbrella lay before a hand roughly yanked on her arm. She spun around from the force, and she found herself hardly an inch away from Bert's face. Neither one said a word, their heavy breathing mixed into one wisp of smoke in the night. An eternity passed before suddenly, and ferociously, Bert's mouth crashed into hers. They kissed passionately and deeply, and despite the frigid night air, Mary was warmed to her core. It felt right, their faces fit together perfectly, and she could feel herself melting into him. It was exactly what she had tried to avoid, the one thing that would make it that much harder to leave. Could she deny him this though? Deny herself?
They were hungry for one another, meeting again and again. His hands were on her waist, her perfectly gloved ones grasped his neck. The wind grew impatient with their outburst, the icy flakes soon cut like glass. Finally, they pulled apart. Mary looked up at the one man who she had ever loved, her best friend, her soulmate. Words she'd never even told him. Bert smiled, elated at the turn of events. The smile broke her. He thought he'd changed the conclsuion of the evening, but she knew exactly what would happen, and it was in that moment that her heart finally broke.
Horrible, ugly sobs came up from inside her. She clutched at her chest, aching and tormented. Bert only stared. She turned from him, crying as she went, and picked up her things. She held tight to her carpet bag, and opened her umbrella. Bert ran over to her, trying a last attempt.
"I love you."
Mary kissed him on the cheek, just as she had done every other time she'd told him goodbye. She smiled through her tears, for him, gripped the handle tight, and took off into the inky black sky.