A/N:
Hogwarts Auction:
Day 31, Auction 3: Last "I love you"
Warning: character death
Word count: 354
Cecily gripped Gabriel's hand and tried not to focus on how weakly he gripped back. His health had been declining for over a year. They'd all known it was only a matter of time. Cecily had seen better days herself, but she'd come to accept that he'd leave first.
She smiled down at him, and he managed a small smile back. He shifted, and she braced herself, waiting for him to say he needed something: food, water, a trip to the bathroom. He didn't ask for any of it. He readjusted himself and looked up at her with a new sense of clarity.
"Thank you for marrying me," he said suddenly. Cecily could only stare back in surprise. Not because the sentiment was shocking but because she hadn't expected him to start saying such things out of nowhere. It scared her. "Thank you for being with me all these years. It's more than I could have asked for."
Cecily fought back tears. She knew what this seemed like, but she desperately wanted to be wrong. "You don't need to thank me," she said. "There's absolutely nothing to thank me for."
Gabriel smiled. She knew he didn't agree with her, but he didn't have the energy to argue. It only made her want to cry more. She kissed him and was thankful when he was able to kiss back. Even so, there wasn't much energy in the kiss. He was slipping. She clutched at his shirt in a desperate attempt to ward off the inevitable.
He pulled away. Cecily saw the look in his eyes, and the sobs fell from her lips.
"I love you," he said, his voice barely a whisper.
"I love you too," Cecily choked out.
She collapsed against his chest, sobbing. He couldn't even wrap his arms around her, yet Cecily felt the comfort he wanted to give her. It was only a few minutes before she felt something shift.
He was gone.
She knew it without pulling away to check. His body was too still beneath her for him to be sleeping. She kept holding on, unable to let go.