'A little longer.'
That was what he had said, laying on his hospital bed, his suntanned fingers looking so frail as she clasped it in her own, tears slipping down her chin onto the stretched skin of his knuckles.
"Seto, I have to go." Her voice was wavering so much she could barely choke them out of her throat, her hands trembling, barely able to hold his. "Kido said that she-"
Seto's hands simply squeezed her pale hands, smiling in that bright, same grin of when he was 7 and stumbled upon a young girl in a blue dress in a forest. "A little longer," he promised, catching her watery eyes and giving her hand another reassuring squeeze. "Kido's errand can wait."
He hadn't changed at all-the same smile, the same eyes, the same person. He had aged, old, older, but inside was the same Seto who she had met decades ago. That Seto held her hands in his right now, no matter how old or frail or different he looked, and she had to say it again, before she could regret it too much, "Seto, come on, you'll-"
He simply waved her words away with his hand like a summer breeze, and flashed her another smile. "I know." He sighed out all his years in one breath, and stared regretfully out the window. "You know, I just...want to spend it with you."
It wasn't fair. Mary's voice was more wavery than she had wanted it to be as she said, "Seto, I can't, you need to rest, and Kido-"
"Mary, look at me."
It wasn't fair at all. Mary refused to lift her eyes from his hands, the tears falling hot and faster than ever. She didn't want him to stop talking. She wanted to be next to his warm, gentle voice forever. The sight of his worn fingers only made her vision blur more.
"Mary, come on."
She hiccuped, her nose running, barely able to breathe when she saw his face- her hair was a mess, her face was a runny watery mess, she was a mess, and Seto didn't deserve her in this state when he was sitting, old and frail, holding her hand through everything, even at this time. The blurry brown and blue and white of him and his hospital gown seemed to change to that familiar green jumpsuit, his smile clearer than ever.
"Mary, don't worry about me. I've rested for a long time now."
"No, you haven't. You deserve a break after all that work you've done for us, for all the work and smiling you've done for everyone." She wanted to say it, but all that could come out was her blubbering, tears and sniffling as she trembled, desperately trying to hold onto his fingers as if he would slip away. He chuckled, and she could feel his warm fingertips brush away from her's, and brush away her tears, her head trembling at his touch.
"I'm sorry, Mary. I wish I could have stayed longer."
'Just for a little longer.'
Her eyes cleared, just as his golden ones dulled, sighing all of his years and memories with everyone together in a single breath, and Mary could feel her eyes blur over again, his fingers slipping down her face, warm tears dripping down cold fingertips.
