In Sickness and in Health
A/N: I wanted to move away from AD/MM fics a little more, so I wrote this one as a sort of tribute to my friend, Thestral. Whether they're married or not is up to you. *wink*
"Alastor?" That voice--that sweet, wonderful voice--was both a balm to his soul and salt in the proverbial wound. "Alastor? Are you awake?"
He didn't open his eyes--eye, he reminded himself--he didn't want to see the pity in her eyes. "Go away."
He could hear the anguish in her voice. "Why, Alastor? Why are you pushing me away?"
He finally opened his eye. "Who would want me? I'm not whole anymore."
"Oh, Alastor." She sat down on the edge of his bed and held his scarred, calloused hand in both of her soft, smooth ones. "I'm just glad you're alive. There was so much blood."
She was pale and he drew into a tight hug. "Oh, Poppy, you didn't have to do that. It must have been so hard for you."
"It was," she replied, her voice muffled as she hugged him back, "but I _had_ to do what I could. I would have gone mad otherwise."
He nodded, still holding her close. "I understand, Poppy, but how can you even _look_ at me?"
She pulled back, tears still streaming down her face. "Alastor, I don't care what you look like." She reached up and cradled his face between her hands, gazing at him steadily and without revulsion. "What I care about is what's underneath the scars, the missing eye, and the missing leg."
He bowed his head in shame, dislodging her hands. "I'm sorry, Poppy."
"For what, Alastor?" she asked softly, tracing the scars on one of his hands with the tip of her finger.
"For thinking you would abandon me," he told her, watching her finger. "I know you better than that."
"Indeed you do," she retorted, squeezing his hands between both of hers now. "I'll never abandon you, Alastor."
He looked up, his eye meeting both of hers. "Thank you, Poppy."
"You're welcome, Alastor," she replied with a tender smile.
He managed a lopsided one in response before she leaned forward and kissed him.
A/N: I wanted to move away from AD/MM fics a little more, so I wrote this one as a sort of tribute to my friend, Thestral. Whether they're married or not is up to you. *wink*
"Alastor?" That voice--that sweet, wonderful voice--was both a balm to his soul and salt in the proverbial wound. "Alastor? Are you awake?"
He didn't open his eyes--eye, he reminded himself--he didn't want to see the pity in her eyes. "Go away."
He could hear the anguish in her voice. "Why, Alastor? Why are you pushing me away?"
He finally opened his eye. "Who would want me? I'm not whole anymore."
"Oh, Alastor." She sat down on the edge of his bed and held his scarred, calloused hand in both of her soft, smooth ones. "I'm just glad you're alive. There was so much blood."
She was pale and he drew into a tight hug. "Oh, Poppy, you didn't have to do that. It must have been so hard for you."
"It was," she replied, her voice muffled as she hugged him back, "but I _had_ to do what I could. I would have gone mad otherwise."
He nodded, still holding her close. "I understand, Poppy, but how can you even _look_ at me?"
She pulled back, tears still streaming down her face. "Alastor, I don't care what you look like." She reached up and cradled his face between her hands, gazing at him steadily and without revulsion. "What I care about is what's underneath the scars, the missing eye, and the missing leg."
He bowed his head in shame, dislodging her hands. "I'm sorry, Poppy."
"For what, Alastor?" she asked softly, tracing the scars on one of his hands with the tip of her finger.
"For thinking you would abandon me," he told her, watching her finger. "I know you better than that."
"Indeed you do," she retorted, squeezing his hands between both of hers now. "I'll never abandon you, Alastor."
He looked up, his eye meeting both of hers. "Thank you, Poppy."
"You're welcome, Alastor," she replied with a tender smile.
He managed a lopsided one in response before she leaned forward and kissed him.